Strategy planning in cats (Felis catus) in a progressive elimination task.
Domestic cats (Felis cans) were administered a progressive elimination task in which they had to visit and deplete 3 baited sites. Cats were brought back to the starting point after each visit to any site whether the visit represented a correct or an incorrect choice. The results revealed that cats organized search as a function of the least distance principle whether they had to assess starting point to target distances (Experiment 1, n = 12) or adjacent bowl distances (Experiment 2, n = 12). The results also revealed that the starting point to target distance factor was the most influential in determining the initial choice (Experiment 3, n = 6) and in producing errors. Errors were also linked to the antero-posterior bodily axis of the cat. Results are discussed in terms of the predatory behavior of the cat.
Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montreal, Canada.
Dominique Dorais
DD
Pagé
Claude
C
Dumas
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002415:Cats; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning; D011214:Practice, Psychological