CAN ILLUSTRATION HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR CATS BETTER?

Authors

  • Pšenica Kovačič Minami Kat, Centre for Cat Culture, Tržaška cesta, 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Vladimira Erjavec * Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; vladimira.erjavec@vf.uni-lj.si

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26873/SVR-1917-2023

Keywords:

feline, facial expression, cat communication, welfare, illustration

Abstract

Recent feline behavioral research, spearheaded by Scott and Florkiewicz (2023), has made groundbreaking strides in decoding the complexity of cat communication. The study meticulously cataloged 276 facial expressions, each intricately linked to a broad spectrum of the cats’ emotional states and communicative intents. This extensive array of expressions, which includes a “play face” akin to those ob­served in other species, signifies a depth of social interac­tion previously unacknowledged in domestic cats.

Ali nam ilustracija lahko pomaga bolje razumeti naše mačke?

Nedavne raziskave mačjega vedenja, ki sta jih vodili Scott in Florkiewicz (2023), so naredile prebojne korake v dešifrira­nju kompleksnosti komunikacije mačk. Študija je natančno katalogizirala 276 izrazov obraza, vsak tesno povezan s ši­rokim spektrom čustvenih stanj in komunikacijskih name­nov mačk. Ta obsežen nabor izrazov, ki vključuje »igralni obraz«, podoben tistim, opaženim pri drugih vrstah, ozna­čuje globino socialne interakcije, ki prej ni bila priznana pri domačih mačkah.

References

● 1. Scott L, Florkiewitz B. Feline faces: unraveling the social function of domestic cat facial signals, Behav Processes 2023; 213: 104959. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104959

● 2. Florkiewicz B, Campbell M. Chimpanzee facial gestures and the im¬plications for the evolution of language. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12237. doi: 10.7717/peerj.12237

● 3. Finka LR, Luna SP, Mill D, Farnworth, MJ. The application of geometric morphometrics to explore potential impacts of anthropocentric selection on animals’ ability to communicate via the face: the domestic cat as a case study. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7: 606848. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.606848

● 4. Montag C, Panksepp J. Primary Emotional Systems and Personality: An Evolutionary Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017; 8. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00464. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.

● 5. Erjavec V, Kovačič P. Brahicefalične mačke. In: Erjavec V, ed. Lep, lepši bolan, zdravstvene težave in zdravljenje psov brahicefaličnih pasem. Ljubljana: Vetpromet, 2020: 166 –71.

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Published

2023-12-21

How to Cite

Kovačič, P., & Erjavec, V. (2023). CAN ILLUSTRATION HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR CATS BETTER?. Slovenian Veterinary Research, 60(4), 181–3. https://doi.org/10.26873/SVR-1917-2023

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 4 (2023)

Section

In the Spotlight

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Pšenica Kovačič, Vladimira Erjavec *

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.