Alien cat is alien
<p>One of the reasons I like cats is because I find it enjoyable to try to model their thought processes by observing their behavior.  They&#8217;re like furry aliens, just enough like us that a limited degree of communication (mostly emotional) is possible.</p>
<p>Just now I&#8217;m contemplating a recent change in the behavior of our new cat, Zola.  Recent as in the last couple of days.  Some kind of switch has flipped.</p>
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<p>When last I <a href="http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=5993">reported on Zola</a>, about six weeks ago, he was &#8211; very gradually &#8211; losing his initial reserve around us; behavior becoming more like Sugar&#8217;s was. Not all that surprising in retrospect &#8211; those Maine Coon genes are telling.</p>
<p>In the last couple of days Zola has become <em>markedly</em> more affectionate and attention-seeking.  He&#8217;s even taken to sleeping part of the night on the waterbed coverlet, which was something Sugar did that we liked (before a few days ago, he&#8217;d occasionally jump up but then skedaddle after less than a minute). We find it very restful to have a cat curled up nearby when we&#8217;re dozing off or wake up in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>I think I understand the long-term, gradual increase in affectionate behavior; Zola has been testing us and learning that we&#8217;re safe. I wish I understood the sudden jump. It&#8217;s as though we&#8217;ve moved to a different category in his representation of the world.  It doesn&#8217;t feel like he&#8217;s testing us anymore; now he just cheerfully assumes that we love him and loves us right back.  He&#8217;s happier and more relaxed &#8211; he&#8217;s almost stopped disappearing during the day (but is still more nocturnal than Sugar was).</p>
<p>The reason I&#8217;m writing about this is to invite speculation &#8211; or, better yet, reports from ethological studies &#8211; on what social classifications cats have other than &#8220;stranger&#8221;, &#8220;packmate&#8221;, and &#8220;kin&#8221;.  Also, whether there&#8217;s any evidence for domestic cats putting humans in a close-kin category, or something else distinguishable from and more trusted than &#8220;packmate&#8221;.</p>
<p>Now, if we can just teach him not to sprawl where he might get stepped on.  Without actually stepping on him *wince*&#8230;</p>
