How Evolution Made Your Cat Grumpy

[Still Waters]

You and your kitty may have few things in common, at least when it comes to emotional and expressive capacity. Research indicates that the domesticated cat isn’t very domesticated at all, and currently occupies an evolutionary gray area. Rather than sophistication or dignity, your feline’s inscrutable ways may stem from a genetic tug-of-war between modern and ancient instincts.

http://www.medicalda...researchers-say

[Asadora]

Ut-oh.

Thank goodness I have a dog!

[libstaK]

- last line of the article suggests that we may eventually evolve a cat that is "More suitable for urban living than the current model is?"

Seriously?

They sleep up to 15 hours a day,

they seek privacy to do their business rather than just plonk it anywhere,

they respond to kitty litter with practically zero training,

the clean themselves for like 70% of the time they are not sleeping

and when they practice their "predatory" skills and catch mice - they bring them to you to let you know what they achieved "see mom I can hunt and provide for us too" (not that mom is very impressed by the offering but that's by the by).

I can't imagine how much more urbanized they can possibly be bred to be - they are a perrrrfect pet.

That is when they are not meowing incessantly and scratching at the door to be let in and then five minutes let out again - just to see how many times they

can get you out of your chair and do their bidding grrrr.

Which brings me to a final test of their "urban evolution" - they are pretty damned smart, everyone who owns a cat knows who is the real master and I shake

my head wondering when the heck exactly they managed to get the upper hand on me - but they certainly did and they know it.

Basically, I don't think them researchers have ever actually owned a cat.

[Asadora]

I thought the last line of that article was a eye brow lifter surely!

I grew up with cats. My mom has two cats. One of her cats will actually hunt and catch to kill mice. Her other cat won't raise a paw or even sniff in the direction of a mouse whatsoever. They both have tales of woe that may be a reason as to why they behave as they do in regards to mice. The one who actually hunts and catches the mice is a small older female.My brother had brought her home one day after finding her behind a dumpster at the back of a local fast food place. The other cat is slightly younger that has weight issues and thinks that he is a dog.

You are so right about the sound of fresh kitty litter being poured. My mom will clean the kitty litter boxes and leave them outside to dry in the sun. Almost every single time, when she goes to retrieve the kitty litter box (granted there is no litter in it at this time), she always finds -something- in there. She never lets her cats outside. There are some strays possible feral cats in the neighbourhood. But it goes to show that a kitty litter box is a powerful thing that cats can not resist! haha;)

Cats are awesome. They can adapt very well and are very resourceful: 'Hey dog. I'll climb up on this counter and knock food onto the floor. Your job is to bark when you smell a human coming. Don't worry, I'll save you some human food.'

I miss having a cat. haha

Great thread!