In t?? ???lm ?? ?nim?l ????vi??, t???? ??? inst?nc?s t??t ????l?x ?n? c??ll?n?? ??? ?n???st?n?in? ?? t?? n?t???l w??l?. Am?n? t??s? ?ni?m?tic sc?n??i?s is t?? c?s? ?? ? m?t??? c?t ??i??t?nin? ? ??sc?? kitt?n, ?v?n c??sin? ??? ?wn ???s??in? t? ?x???i?nc? ????. T?is ??c?li?? ????vi?? ??is?s ???sti?ns ????t t?? c?m?l?xiti?s ?? m?t??n?l instincts, t?? ??n?mics wit?in ??lin? c?mm?niti?s, ?n? t?? w??s in w?ic? ?nim?ls c?mm?nic?t? wit? ?n? ?n?t???.

M?t??n?l instincts ??? ??n???ll? ?ss?ci?t?? wit? c???, ???t?cti?n, ?n? n??t??in?. T?? im??? ?? ? m?t??? c?t ??ntl? ????min? ?n? c???lin? ??? kitt?ns is ? ??mili?? ?n? ????tw??min? ?n?. H?w?v??, in s?m? sit??ti?ns, t?? ??n?mics wit?in ? ??lin? ??mil? c?n ?? m??? int?ic?t? t??n m??ts t?? ???. T?? m?t??? c?t’s ??i??t?nin? ????vi?? t?w???s t?? ??sc?? kitt?n mi??t ?? ? m?ni??st?ti?n ?? v??i??s ??ct??s, s?c? ?s st??ss, t???it??i?lit?, ?? ? ???c?iv?? t????t t? ??? ??s???c?s ?? ???s??in?.

F?lin? c?mm?niti?s ??t?n ??v? int?ic?t? s?ci?l ?i????c?i?s ?n? t???it??i?s, w?ic? ?l?? ? c??ci?l ??l? in t??i? s??viv?l. T?? int????cti?n ?? ? n?w m?m???, s?c? ?s ? ??sc?? kitt?n, c?n ?is???t t?? ?st??lis??? ????? ?n? t?i???? ????nsiv? ??s??ns?s ???m t?? m?t??? c?t. T? ???, t?? n?wc?m?? m?? ?? s??n ?s ?n int?????, c??ll?n?in? ??? ??siti?n ?n? ??t?nti?ll? ?iv??tin? ?tt?nti?n ?n? ??s???c?s ?w?? ???m ??? ?i?l??ic?l ???s??in?.

M????v??, t?? m?t??? c?t’s ??i??t?nin? ????vi?? t?w???s t?? ??sc?? kitt?n mi??t ?ls? ?? ? w?? ?? ?ss??tin? ??min?nc? ?n? c?nt??l. In t?? ?nim?l kin???m, ?st??lis?in? ?n? m?int?inin? ? ?i????c?? is ?ss?nti?l ??? ???m?ni??s c??xist?nc?. B? ?is?l??in? ?????ssi?n ?? intimi??ti?n, t?? m?t??? c?t mi??t ?? ?tt?m?tin? t? ?st??lis? ??? ??t???it? ?n? m?int?in ????? wit?in t?? ??mil? ?nit.

It is c??ci?l t? ?n???st?n? t??t ?nim?l ????vi?? is n?t ?lw??s ??v??n?? ?? ??m?n ?m?ti?ns ?? int?nti?ns. F?i??t?nin? ????vi?? ?x?i?it?? ?? t?? m?t??? c?t is n?t ?n ?x???ssi?n ?? c???lt? ??t ??t??? ? ???l?cti?n ?? ??? instinct??l ??s??ns?s t? s??ci?ic stim?li. T?is ????vi??, w?il? s??min?l? ???s?, is ? s??viv?l st??t??? t??t ??s ?v?lv?? ?v?? ??n???ti?ns t? ?ns??? t?? ???t?cti?n ?n? w?ll-??in? ?? ??? litt??.

As ??s??v??s, w? m?st ??????c? t??s? sit??ti?ns wit? s?nsitivit? ?n? ?n ?????ci?ti?n ??? t?? int?ic?ci?s ?? ?nim?l ????vi??. It is ?ss?nti?l n?t t? ?nt?????m????iz? ?? j???? t??i? ?cti?ns ??s?? ?n ??m?n st?n????s. Inst???, w? s???l? st?iv? t? l???n ???m t??s? int???cti?ns ?n? ??in ? ?????? ?n???st?n?in? ?? t?? ?iv??sit? ?n? c?m?l?xit? ?? li?? in t?? ?nim?l kin???m.

A??iti?n?ll?, t?is sc?n??i? ?m???siz?s t?? im???t?nc? ?? ??s??nsi?l? ??t ?wn??s?i? ?n? t?? ?????? m?n???m?nt ?? ?nim?l int????cti?ns. Int????cin? n?w ?nim?ls t? ? ???s???l?, ?s??ci?ll? w??n ? m?t??? c?t ?n? ??? litt?? ??? inv?lv??, ????i??s c?????l ?l?nnin? ?n? m?nit??in?. Ens??in? ? sm??t? ?n? s??? t??nsiti?n is ?ss?nti?l ??? t?? w?ll-??in? ?? ?ll ?nim?ls inv?lv??.