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1) Cats hunt alone but in the wild they live in colonies, and there is a pecking order. Much of cat behavior stems from colony life; for example, cat feces are a scent-marker of who's boss in the area. Cats bury their turds to disguise their scent, so that the dominant cat won't see them as a challenger.

2) Dogs have an instinctual tendency for symbiosis with humans that cats do not have. Accordingly, if you want a cat to stay with you, you have to earn its respect. For this reason a human-feline relationship can be extremely rewarding.




Wait so you saying that alpha cats don't bury their poop?

(well ok ddg agrees, did not know that)


How do you earn cats respect?


That depends on the cat. For starters, feed them, play with them, keep them company, keep them and their living area clean, don't mistreat them, etc. That's a good start. Jackson Galaxy may be a better source than I on the fine points of feline respect. All I know is it can take some time and effort -- sometimes much of the lifetime of a reticent cat. Totally worth it in the end, though.


Play hunting oriented games with them.


Feed them.




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