![]() ![]() Recent research suggests their dispositions may nonetheless be closer to eager-to-please dogs than many realize. Nor do their tails wag to signal excitement or pleasure. ![]() Sometimes it is high-speed hijinks, and other times it is endearingly weird - is there some reason there are nine hair ties hidden under one’s office rug?Ĭats have an undeserved reputation for being mysterious and aloof due to the unique and sometimes subtle ways in which they express their feelings.Ī cat’s face may seem attractive - or grumpy, as the case may be - but it is actually fixed and largely expressionless. Mature cats can be just as entertainingly ridiculous. Kittens, especially, invest unbridled energy - and much less planning - into their play. No discussion of cats’ appeal can exclude mention of their often hilarious comedic prowess. We instinctively respond to the large eyes and playful behavior, an evolutionarily beneficial response that has helped ensure we care for our young. It is also possible, some research suggests, that we cannot help but find felines to be cute due to features they share with human babies. “And because the nature and timing of their actions are less predictable, we may remain captivated, almost in an addictive kind of way - you can’t rip yourself away because that purr, that special rub may be just around the corner,” said Dr. I also believe that because the response tends to take a little bit more time to emerge, we are captivated by a desire to know what the cat will do.” “The subtle and somewhat unpredictable responses cats give us, give us the perception that we are chosen - or perceived as ‘special’ when a response from a cat does occur. Pendry speculated to MNT that felines’ discriminating behavior may be irresistible to humans: She has published research describing the especially strong bond between highly emotional people and their cats.ĭr. Patricia Pendry of Washington State University studies human-animal interactions. There are also about 70 million unowned wild and feral cats in America.ĭr. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that there are about 85 million cats living in the U.S. Their widespread dispersal occurred during the Classical period (1775-1825). ![]() ![]() Geigl was the principal investigator, cats likely followed Neolithic farmers around as they moved from area to area. One study found that there were at least 13 feline genes that signaled cats’ transition “from feral to friendly.” The genes relate to cognition and behavior, and may have strengthened felines’ ability to learn based on food rewards, and to feel less fearful of people. They were just happy with the cats feasting on the rodents that destroyed their cereals.” Humans had a real interest to have cats around. They adapted to this specific human environment, which represented an evolutionary advantage for them. “Cats were domesticated as commensals: They approached human settlements because there was food - concentrated rodents thriving on grain accumulations. Eva-Maria Geigl is research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and heads the Epigenomics and Paleogenomics group at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, France. Some research suggests that our connection with felines began about 9,500 years ago, with the earliest evidence of a mutual relationship between cats identified on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.Įgyptians famously believed that their feline companions embodied divine energy.ĭr. According to DNA analyses, the ancestor of today’s domestic cat was the African wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, living in the Fertile Crescent, the intersection of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Levant, and Persia. ![]()
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