Personality Structure in the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus), Scottish Wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia), Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), and African Lion (Panthera leo)

While the study of non-human personality has increased in the last decade, there are still few studies on felid species, and the majority focus on domestic cats. We assessed the structure of personality and its reliability in five felids—domestic cats, clouded leopards, snow leopards, African lions, and previous data on Scottish wildcats—and compared the results. In addition to the benefits of understanding more about this taxon, comparative studies of personality structure have the potential to provide information on evolutionary relationships among closely related species. Each of the species studied was found to have three factors of personality. Scottish wildcats’ factors were labeled Dominance, Agreeableness, and Self Control; domestic cats’ factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness, and Neuroticism; clouded leopards’ factors were Dominance/Impulsiveness, Agreeableness/Openness, and Neuroticism; snow leopards’ factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness/Openness, and Neuroticism; and African lions’ factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness, and Neuroticism. The Neuroticism and Impulsiveness factors were similar, as were two of the Dominance factors. A taxon-level personality structure also showed three similar factors. Age and sex effects are also discussed. keywords: personality, animals, phylogeny, felids PERSONALITY IN FIVE FELIDS 3 Personality Structure in the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus), Scottish Wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia), Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), and African Lion (Panthera leo): A Comparative Study Although studies on non-human personality have increased dramatically over the last decade, there is still much work to be done, with research often focused on just a few taxa. With 150 articles on primates (Freeman & Gosling, 2010) and 51 on canids (Jones & Gosling, 2005), there are just 20 on felids (Gartner & Weiss, 2013a), and these mostly focus on domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus). However, because of the many applications and implications of personality for health, longevity, and well-being (Powell & Gartner, 2012; Gartner & Weiss, 2013b; Wielebnowski, 1999; Wielebnowski et al., 2002), there is a need for more work to be done on more species in general, and wild cats specifically, especially for those kept in captivity, who may be challenged due to their size and natural range in the wild (Clubb & Mason, 2003). That is, larger animals are at a disadvantage in captive settings due to the inherently smaller amount of space they have for their size. Similarly, the larger their natural range, the more captivity inhibits them from performing such natural behaviors as ranging around large territories. Personality is an important part of assessing an animal’s welfare, as it has been shown to have an effect on a variety of health outcomes, as it does in humans, including immune function (e.g., Capitanio et al., 2008), morbidity (e.g., Natoli et al., 2005), chronic stress (e.g., Wielebnowski et al., 2002), mortality (e.g., Weiss, Gartner, Gold & Stoinski, 2013), and well-being (e.g., King & Landau, 2003), as well as on zoo management, including welfare (e.g., Wielebnowski, 1999), captive breeding (e.g., Wielebnowski, 1999), and enclosure grouping (e.g., Stoinski, Lukas, Kuhar, & Maple, 2004), and conservation (e.g., Bremner-Harrison, Prodohl, & Elwood 2004). Therefore, including personality in an overall assessment of captive care or conservation may add a dimension that affects treatments and outcomes more efficiently, more completely, or in a more