Event Type
Research Presentation
Academic Department
Environmental Studies
Location
Dana Science Building, 2nd floor
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:00 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:30 PM
Description
Under the direction of Dr. Renee Godard Predators can detect prey by a variety of mechanisms with auditory cues being of importance particularly in nocturnal animals. Previous studies have shown that domesticated cats can track potential prey by sound. In this study, I compared the responses of nine domestic cats (Felis catus) to different sounds, two mimicking prey (a rodent death scream and crinkly noise) and a neutral beep tone. Sounds were projected from undercover and the distance the cat spent within 1 m of the speaker was recorded at 10 second intervales before (2 min), during (2 min) and after (2 min) the playback. In addition the position of the ears was also noted at 10 second intervals. Cats showed little interest in any playback, spending little time in the vicinity of the speaker and did not spend more time in the vicinity of prey sounds when compared to the neutral beep. In addition, cats were more likely to put their ears back during the rat screams, a behavioral pattern that is more often associated with fear, anger or discomfort. These results differ from other studies which showed that indoor-only cats are more likely to engage in searching for playback sounds.
Scaredy Cats: Domestic Cat Responses to Audio Stimuli
Dana Science Building, 2nd floor
Under the direction of Dr. Renee Godard Predators can detect prey by a variety of mechanisms with auditory cues being of importance particularly in nocturnal animals. Previous studies have shown that domesticated cats can track potential prey by sound. In this study, I compared the responses of nine domestic cats (Felis catus) to different sounds, two mimicking prey (a rodent death scream and crinkly noise) and a neutral beep tone. Sounds were projected from undercover and the distance the cat spent within 1 m of the speaker was recorded at 10 second intervales before (2 min), during (2 min) and after (2 min) the playback. In addition the position of the ears was also noted at 10 second intervals. Cats showed little interest in any playback, spending little time in the vicinity of the speaker and did not spend more time in the vicinity of prey sounds when compared to the neutral beep. In addition, cats were more likely to put their ears back during the rat screams, a behavioral pattern that is more often associated with fear, anger or discomfort. These results differ from other studies which showed that indoor-only cats are more likely to engage in searching for playback sounds.