| Humans have been interacting, and even living with animals for thousands of years. You may have heard the phrase, “A dog is man’s best friend,” but did you know that wolves were actually the first domesticated animals? Thousands of years ago, people noticed that these wild creatures could be tamed and serve a practical purpose, giving rise to the world’s first pets. If you’ve grown up with animals, you probably already know how they act, and how we should act around them. For example, it’s common knowledge that dogs will sniff each other’s rear ends in greeting, and cats like to scratch things to sharpen their claws. But why do they behave like this? Are these learned or instinctive behaviors? Let’s take a closer look. Feline Behavior |  |
The behavior of domestic cats is very different from that of cats in the wild. The major difference between the two groups is communication. Our feline companions have many unique sounds that they use to communicate with us; the most prominent one is meowing. Cats meow at us to get our attention, ask for food, or greet us when we come home. But among themselves and in the wild, cats rarely (if at all) meow at each other to communicate! The closest they get to meowing at each other is when a mother cat chirps (or softly meows) at her kittens. Otherwise, cats will purr, hiss, or growl at one another to communicate.
While dogs understand and view humans as a completely different animal, cats think of us as giant, hairless kittens. Because they learn so much of their behavior from their mothers during the first few weeks of life, they often emulate that pattern of communication with their owners! If a cat is allowed outdoors, it may bring back some sort of “gift” to their human, such as a dead mouse or bird. Cats do this because it’s how their mothers taught them to hunt and catch their own food! The mother will go out hunting and bring back her dead prey, then show her kittens how to properly eat it. She will continue to do this until the kittens are able to catch their own food.
While dogs understand and view humans as a completely different animal, cats think of us as giant, hairless kittens. Because they learn so much of their behavior from their mothers during the first few weeks of life, they often emulate that pattern of communication with their owners! If a cat is allowed outdoors, it may bring back some sort of “gift” to their human, such as a dead mouse or bird. Cats do this because it’s how their mothers taught them to hunt and catch their own food! The mother will go out hunting and bring back her dead prey, then show her kittens how to properly eat it. She will continue to do this until the kittens are able to catch their own food.
Another learned behavior in cats is grooming. If you have ever had a cat as a pet, you may have noticed they like to stick to a schedule when it’s time to eat. In the wild, cats spend time stalking their prey before capturing and eating it. Afterwards, they will lick themselves all over to clean up any leftover food that might be on their bodies from the hunt. This behavior is something that we can still observe in domestic cats. However, most of the time it isn’t directly translated from the hunt/kill/eat/groom pattern. When kittens are first born, they need a little bit of help with relieving themselves. Once they’re full after nursing, their mother will clean them up and then lick their backsides to stimulate the nerves and get them to urinate or defecate. After the kittens can do this on their own, they can learn to use a litter box by watching their mother!
| One example of instinctive behavior in domestic cats is the use of scratching posts, or just scratching in general. Most cats are attracted to anything with a coarse or textured surface; something they can really sink their claws into. Sometimes, this comes at the expense of our nice furniture. But why do they do this? There are many reasons as to why cats scratch things: removing the dead outer layer of their claws, marking their territory (they have scent glands on their paws), and stretching their bodies while flexing their paws! This behavior is completely normal and instinctive, so we don’t want to stop them from scratching. The best course of action to get cats to stop ruining furniture is to introduce objects they can scratch on, and discourage the use of things they can’t. Scratching behavior depends mostly on texture, so try covering off-limits spots with things your cat will find unappealing on their paws, like double-sided tape, foil, or even lint roller sheets. |  |
Canine Behavior
If you’ve ever lived with a dog, you might have noticed that they tend to howl along to similar sounds, like the siren of a fire truck or a tornado warning signal. This is an example of instinctive behavior in canines. In the wild, wolves howl to let other wolves know that this is their territory and to stay away. They also howl to locate their pack members when they're apart, which helps them maintain relationships within the pack. When dogs hear something that sounds like a howl, their instinct kicks in and tells them to howl back!
Unlike cats, who don’t meow to communicate with other cats, dogs in the wild bark to communicate with each other from a distance. Compared to humans, dogs are very visual creatures - body language is the most important form of communication. However, if a fellow canine is far enough away, a dog will bark at it to get its attention, like saying, “Hello! I’m over here!”
For dogs, most learned behavior comes from interacting with, or watching other dogs interact with humans. From a young age, dogs that are kept as pets learn to follow commands and generally have “good” behavior (something that wild dogs and wolves do not have). Dogs learn by association, which means that if a behavior has a positive outcome, they’ll be more inclined to repeat that behavior. If they’re ignored or receive a negative outcome, they are less likely to repeat the behavior in the future.
If you’ve ever lived with a dog, you might have noticed that they tend to howl along to similar sounds, like the siren of a fire truck or a tornado warning signal. This is an example of instinctive behavior in canines. In the wild, wolves howl to let other wolves know that this is their territory and to stay away. They also howl to locate their pack members when they're apart, which helps them maintain relationships within the pack. When dogs hear something that sounds like a howl, their instinct kicks in and tells them to howl back!
Unlike cats, who don’t meow to communicate with other cats, dogs in the wild bark to communicate with each other from a distance. Compared to humans, dogs are very visual creatures - body language is the most important form of communication. However, if a fellow canine is far enough away, a dog will bark at it to get its attention, like saying, “Hello! I’m over here!”
For dogs, most learned behavior comes from interacting with, or watching other dogs interact with humans. From a young age, dogs that are kept as pets learn to follow commands and generally have “good” behavior (something that wild dogs and wolves do not have). Dogs learn by association, which means that if a behavior has a positive outcome, they’ll be more inclined to repeat that behavior. If they’re ignored or receive a negative outcome, they are less likely to repeat the behavior in the future.
When dogs are bored or hungry, they’ll go scavenging for food in places they know where it will be. Dogs are incredibly smart animals, and they understand that extra food goes in the garbage, so that’s one of the first places they look. If their owner catches them being naughty and scolds them for it, the dog probably won’t go poking around in the garbage again any time soon. But if it gets away with some food and doesn’t get hurt in the process, the dog will more than likely go back the next time it’s bored or looking for a snack!
Observe Animal Behavior
Now that we know a little bit about why animals exhibit certain behaviors, we can observe how animals interact with their environment. All you’ll need is an animal to observe and something to take notes with!
If you have pets, it’s pretty easy to study their behavior if you know what to look for. Try watching how they eat, sleep, and interact with you. What are they trying to communicate?
Depending on the time of the year, it might be a little more difficult to find wild animals to observe. In the winter there are lots of birds and jackrabbits hanging around, and maybe the occasional squirrel. Many animals are most active in the spring and fall. If you live in a city with a large population, you might have noticed that pigeons and squirrels tend to be more bold and less afraid of humans. Why is that? If you have questions about a specific behavior you observed, looking it up online is a great way to find an explanation!
Image Credits:
Langova, Anna. “Cat and Dog”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/2/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Boardman, Emma. “Black Cat”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 2/27/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Verbeek, Richard. “Big Cat”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from pexels.com
Frerichs, Lilla. “Coyote Howl”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Hodan, George. “Puppy Dog”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Observe Animal Behavior
Now that we know a little bit about why animals exhibit certain behaviors, we can observe how animals interact with their environment. All you’ll need is an animal to observe and something to take notes with!
If you have pets, it’s pretty easy to study their behavior if you know what to look for. Try watching how they eat, sleep, and interact with you. What are they trying to communicate?
Depending on the time of the year, it might be a little more difficult to find wild animals to observe. In the winter there are lots of birds and jackrabbits hanging around, and maybe the occasional squirrel. Many animals are most active in the spring and fall. If you live in a city with a large population, you might have noticed that pigeons and squirrels tend to be more bold and less afraid of humans. Why is that? If you have questions about a specific behavior you observed, looking it up online is a great way to find an explanation!
Image Credits:
Langova, Anna. “Cat and Dog”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/2/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Boardman, Emma. “Black Cat”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 2/27/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Verbeek, Richard. “Big Cat”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from pexels.com
Frerichs, Lilla. “Coyote Howl”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
Hodan, George. “Puppy Dog”. Released into the public domain. Uploaded on 3/3/18 from publicdomainpictures.net
