Separation (statistics)

Communication

Developmental psychology

Computer science

CATS

Psychology

Internal medicine

Medicine

Machine learning

Animal Behaviour

In seven litters of domestic cats, half of each litter of four were gradually separated from the rest of the family 31–39 days after birth. The separated kittens showed significantly higher frequencies of play on some measures. In part this was because they were more active, but when the play data were corrected for general activity differences, the separated kittens were still found to have played more. The influence of separation from the mother on play may be a facultative response by the kittens to early weaning which, in natural conditions, would probably be associated with reduced opportunities for play at later stages in development.

Separation from the mother and the development of play in cats