Friday 25 March 2016

Your cat is barely not a wild animal

www.techinsider.io 24 March 2016: Cats live in our homes and eat the food we provide for them. But they can also be aloof, disinterested in our affection, and difficult if not impossible to train.

So are cats actually domesticated? And how did they get here, anyway? These are questions that scientists are still asking today, and for good reason.

Most of the animals we've domesticated serve a food or utility purpose, such as providing milk or meat or transportation. But Felis catus, as researchers refer to your pet, occupies a unique niche amongst the other animals we've brought into our sphere — namely, that they don't do much.

Contrast that to dogs, our oldest creations: They're our hunting partners, livestock herders, and security guards, all in a friendly, furry package that constantly (sometimes annoyingly) seeks our affection and approval.

For the most part cats play none of these roles. They do provide pest control and companionship, but as cat owners will admit, they do it on their own terms. It's rare to have a cat that follow commands.
So why did we let them into our homes in the first place?....read more.

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