Social Play in the Domestic Cat

The social play of domestic cats in the laboratory and at home was examined. Categories and sequences of motor patterns were identified and analyzed. The developmental period during which social play was most frequent was established to be from 4 weeks to 4 months. The results suggest that social play functions to provide specific forms of exercise and as a means of developing and maintaining social relations among littermates. The decline in social play appears to be related to dispersal of the young and to a decrease in preference for social contact.