 Although wildcats are solitary , the social behavior of domestic cats is much more variable and ranges from widely dispersed individuals to feral cat colonies that form around a food source , based on groups of co @-@ operating females . Within such groups , one cat is usually dominant over the others . Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory , with sexually active males having the largest territories , which are about 10 times larger than those of female cats and may overlap with several females ' territories . These territories are marked by urine spraying , by rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands , and by defecation . Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts . Outside these neutral areas , territory holders usually chase away stranger cats , at first by staring , hissing , and growling , and if that does not work , by short but noisy and violent attacks . Despite some cats cohabiting in colonies , they do not have a social survival strategy , or a pack mentality , and always hunt alone . 
