Animal behavior research – Sexual selection

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Animal Behavior Research – Sexual Selection in Cats
Cats are known to have a distinct behavior when it comes to mating. Natoli et al., (456) state that the average age when the female cat becomes fully sexually mature lies between 6 to 9 months old. However, in some cases, female cats can start displaying sexual maturity behavior after the fourth month. The breeding season is most common towards the end of January and runs through to the beginning of March before skipping to September. At this time the cat is usually exposed to high amounts of daylight which according to West-Eberhard (157) tends to activate the sexual hormones of the animals. The female being observed cat comes to estrus and stays eager to breed within a span of 5 to 10 days. When the cat was young, her estrus would last for only 5 to 6 days, however, after two years the cat started being on heat for a long as 8 to 10 days. Anytime that she did not find a mate, it would take another 1 to 2 weeks she will get another estrus and another until she mates during the breeding season.
Sexual selection is a matter of choosing who is best to mate with. Among cats, it is usually based on the female selecting the best male with the best gene. According to gene selection theory, the female opts to mate with males that display favorable characteristics that will ensure the survival of the offspring. Usually, the male is left to demonstrate his physical features such as strength and ability to dominate and survive in harsh environments.

Among domesticated cats, the same form of sexual selection is observed (Liberg 119).
Usually, when she is on heat, she calls loudly searching for a mate, and the behavior goes on for days. She will continuously rub and roll when in contact with other cats, objects, and even people. When rubbing against an object, the cat sometimes sprays it with its urine to attract the male cat when they come smelling around. Her behavior changes typically from a dull cat to having a posture where she has her forequarter crouched down a stance also known a lordosis. She will maintain her hid in the air as she moves with her tail leaning on a side. When touched or scratch, the cat tends to assume the lordosis position. The cat will consistently seem restless for 3-4 days and on the fifth days, the estrus will take over and influence her behavior around the house. As a mating call, there will be a few sharp sounds acting as is she is undergoing a painful experience (Liberg 122).
When the male cats get the signs, such as hearing the female call they tend to search for the female and fight amongst each until the bravest wins. The brave cat prances on over trying to court the female cat. They will continuously be seen sniffing each other as the female behaves hard to get. During the period when the female cat acts hard to mate with, she analyzes the behavior of the male if it suits her taste and preferences. Some of the qualities that the female checks include the persistence nature of the male to court her, the ability of the male to fight off other males and the beauty of the cats far. If the male does not meet the preference of the cat, cases where there are few males to select from, the female tends to be aggressive towards the male and chases it away. Female cats do call the shots hence the only time it agrees to mate with the male is when it finds the suitable male partner. Moreover, the female goes ahead and mates with different males during its breeding season. According to Natoli et al., (456), such practice helps the female increase the chances of having offspring that posses’ best quality of genes.
Works Cited
Liberg, Olof. “Courtship behaviour and sexual selection in the domestic cat.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 10.1 (1983): 117-132.
Natoli, Eugenia, Vito E. De, and Dominique Pontier. “Mate Choice in the Domestic Cat (<i>felis Silvestris Catus</i> L.).” Aggressive Behavior. 26.6 (2000): 455-465. Print.
West-Eberhard, Mary Jane. “Sexual selection, social competition, and speciation.” The Quarterly Review of Biology58.2 (1983): 155-183.