Ok this one is for the cat lovers out there. I have noticed sence our cat had kittens (4 all black and 1 gold) that the black kittens tend to be together and the gold one is alone most of the time. The question is are cats color blind or not? If not is this why they seem to seperate?

Thanks in advance.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-Oct-02 AT 03:45 AM (EST)]Hi Cyber,

Contrary to belief, while the animal color spectrum is much smaller than ours, most animals are Not colorblind. You are "witnessing" an instinctive process in your kittens.

There is a "STRONG Cast System" among animals, domestic & wild. Much like prejudice & bigotry in humans. Sad, huh?

White & light colored animals in the same litter, pack, herd, grouping, etc. are often considered "social outcasts". This is ery common with the rare Albino in animals. (Many will argue angrily that ALL animals ARE colorblind, but those of us who KNOW the truth... just stand back quiet & laugh.)


One perfect & personal example:

MANY moons ago (on the "Sage advice of an Redneck Expert!"), my horse was the only White one introduced into a large pasture herd. Sometime during the 1ST night, the herd coralled him into a corner, where he was summararily torn to shreds by a barbed wire fence. After a $450 Vet bill & months of recovery in a private coral, I became vividly aware of this instinctive segregation in nature.

There are many research articles written describing & defining this natural selection process in nature. It's quite fascinating. Hope this helps.

Jane

 

Could it be instinctive because lighter colors don't blend into the surroundings? This would make these individual animals easier to spot. If they are the hunted then it makes it difficult for the others to survive. If they are the hunters it makes it difficult to catch a meal. If the hunters run in packs (wolves, lions etc) one individual being spotted in the pack would ruin it for the rest of the group.

Makes sense to me but I don't know if it holds water.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 14-Oct-02 AT 03:38 AM (EST)]Hey Super,

"Could it be instinctive because lighter colors don't blend into the surroundings? This would make these individual animals easier to spot. If they are the hunted then it makes it difficult for the others to survive. If they are the hunters it makes it difficult to catch a meal. If the hunters run in packs (wolves, lions etc) one individual being spotted in the pack would ruin it for the rest of the group."


Nice Shot!! That's one of Many theories.

However, research proves that it is, in part, predominantly based on geographic environment. In frigid areas like the Arctic, Antarctic, Tundras, etc. the total "reverse" holds true. The lighter colors blend with the surroundings & the darker do not, ie., arctic wolves, wolverines, fox, rabbits, etc.

Some researchers say it reverts to "Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection or Survival of the Fittest", some state it is genetic encoding, some say hereditary genetic defect, etc. There are as many variables & theories as scientists.

Jane

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 14-Oct-02 AT 07:04 AM (EST)]we have had many a litter of littens in my house and in every litter there always seems to be one that is always alone. I don't understand why but there is always one even with puppies. We have one cat that was always by himself when a kitten and always buried himself in blankets away from the rest of the kittens my wife at first thought there was something wrong with the kitten now he a 18lb loveable cat and gets along fine with other cats and doesn't seem to argue with another cat if it is new and brought into the house. When he was a kitten there were 5 in the litter and all of them were black and white but he did have more white than the rest of them

 

Is it also the runt of the litter? My cat had 2 litters, 5 and 3 kittens, there were some oddball colors but it seemed like there was always a slow runt that didn't have the energy or will to tangle with the others.