It could be successfully argued that there would be a lot of demand for a domestic cat who had no wish to hunt or to wander far, and who had a perfect temperament, one specifically, selectively bred to fit in with the lives of people and other pets. This new cat breed would not have any particular appearance: any coat type, eye colour, ear shape etc. would be acceptable. The only criteria would be temperament.
The point that I’m making is that there aren’t any cat breeders anywhere in the world who are currently breeding specifically for temperament and not for appearance.
And yet, you could also argue that one of the failings of the domestic cat is that he/she is not yet sufficiently domesticated to fit into modern human life in a completely successful way.
In addition, one of the prime characteristics of the domestic cat is that he likes to hunt. This characteristic creates many problems for both cat lovers and cat haters; particularly cat haters, of course.
Nearly all the arguments in online articles against the domestic cat refer to predation on wildlife, particularly native species which are always under pressure from human expansion resulting in habitat loss.
Therefore, if humans are to breed cats then they should be breeding cats that do not wish to hunt. You then add to that a temperament which makes the cat more likely to be socialised to very high degree and also more likely to get on with other pets. You would have a very marketable cat of monetary value.
As there is no justification for introducing a new cat breed, if such a domestic cat were to be bred then it would be sensible to reduce the number of cat breeds already on the market, specifically the ones which are bred with inherited health problems, the classic example of which is the flat-faced Persian.
It has always surprised me that cat breeders almost exclusively focus on appearance while temperament is a secondary objective or is almost ignored. The reverse should be the case. The domestic dog is more domesticated than the domestic cat. It seems sensible, through selective breeding, to make the domestic cat more domesticated. That does not mean that I favour cat breeding. But if we are to accept the breeding of cats, which regrettably it seems we must, then let us introduce a new cat breed which would be pure-bred, of any type or colour but with the temperament which makes him/her a perfect fit for the modern human environment.
Such a cat breed would silence detractors, ornithologists and cat-haters generally. It also would demonstrate to the world that cat lovers wish to do something about domestic cat predation.
P.S. Of course I realise that a cat’s temperament comes from both genetics and experiences. This does not detract from the argument presented here, in my view.
P.P.S you may say that we already have a domestic cat with the perfect temperament, the Ragdoll. But this is not true. Please read this.
I totally disagree about breeding cats to change their temperament and inborn traits. These characteristics are what make cats the amazing creatures that they are. Why change perfection? Felines have been both adored and vilified throughout history for possessing these skills. What needs changing is the way that humans perceive and understand the behavior of cats. We need to utilize their gifts, not condemn them.
I actually thought, maybe, but I think cats who weren’t curious about their environment and didn’t bother to chase things would become weak and stupid creatures. They wouldn’t even play with cat toys, which is the only activity most people enjoy with them. They already sleep 18 hours a day, too. People are too accustomed to dogs and want cats to act like them. I think people treat cats badly enough without treating them like a dog.
I’ve thought of this, and I’d question if it would be a great idea. I could debate a number of “careful what you wish for” points and unintended consequences, but my main opinion is humans tend to wreck things. In seeing to it the canine evolved obedient and useful, it’s so needy we have to make every decision for it… how to feel and what to do all the time. They’re always looking at us as if to say “What do you want?”. I don’t want. It’s purpose is only to serve and worship us regardless of how evil it’s human is (worst judges of character), and it’s most common jobs we have for it is to bark and bite.. both of which I question whether we need anymore. I hear enough car alarms thank you. There’s a quiet intelligence and integrity in the cat that I’m afraid man would screw up. As for hunting… I stand by my 20 year observation that what little they take from the environment are the sick and weak. Of the hundreds of thousands of cat-hours mine have had access to the outdoors, they only taken a few. Birds themselves fight with and kill each other all the time but there’s still trillions of them out there. What about all the beneficial worms and insects they deprive the world of? Sorry, I know this is a stupid argument I’m just throwing it out there. I just think there’s nothing wrong with the cat and I too believe it’s humans that need to adapt (because that’s OUR job) rather than try to fix nature. Also, we could extend the argument to why not domesticate wild cats? People seem to actually want them, and it would help them avoid extinction. It’s a slippery slope but the same notion applies; it would just take a bit longer… like a few thousand years rather than a few hundred. I don’t know. I just don’t know.
The old tribe of feral cats here before my SIL dumped dozens of kitten’s she ‘ rescued ‘ over the years kept the ground rodents 100% under control Birds only became a viable opportunity to them when a) same sister in law released her herd of flying rats she got tired of taking care of. They are fair game in my book. b) when I put my first birdfeeders up and often misplaced them in regards to trees and other land features making it possible for the clever cats to take advantage of an easy food source. I have since fixed that and birds in my yard are seldom victims of anything but her loose dogs that kill anything for fun. Unsupervised untrained dogs often resort to their residual behaviors shared with their common ancestor the wolf. Dogs can and do go rouge I’m not going to get in to any breed debate. They need to be trained. Start messing with the natural makeup of the cat which has served mankind well and are beloved pets to millions as they are and there is disaster around the corner.
So to be blunt I don’t like dogs because the are noisy needy simpering submissive drooling things that make horrible licking sounds that make my stomach churn. Commercials and movies where a dog is licking out someone’s mouth make me gag. I mean literally gag not a metaphor. I leave them to the deranged people who want something in the house that scoots and leaves it’s foul scent on everything from the rug to the sofa and whose goal in life is to ingest something else’s feces. Who the hell wants a pet that’s commentary on you leaving is a crap on your pillow and a greeting when you get home dribbling urine all over the floor in it’s eagerness to be petted.
Now mind you if I were speaking of a cat all this derogatory commentary would be acceptable but I’d likely have a lot of people agreeing with me. Ah but I just dissed the animal named man’s best friend.
Cats are cats and most cat owners want a cat that is a cat. Most of the issues with cats are peoples attitude toward them. Cats don’t need to be changes. Humans need to.
I’m more than satisfied with the cat, too. The idea of having a choice for a non-hunting cat is an interesting notion, but I wonder if even can be done. As I said in my other post, I don’t think cats decimate the little wildlife critters in the first place. A huntless cat… they’re practically there now anyway, I’m sorry.
very well said. i DONT agree with breeding so much either, but i too understand that in our society there will ALWAYS b people that want breed X & invariably breed X WILL have, or b predisposed to certain ailments, etc so it WOULD benefit all concerned if cat breeders took a page out of the dog breeders books. some dogs were specifically bred for tempermant, socialization ability, etc & it turned out GREAT, hasnt it? there r working breeds, toy breeds, etc, etc. theres a niche for just about everything & they pretty much fill it too. also bred dogs dont generally get left at the local shelter unless theres a HUGE reason & usually they try to give it to another 1st. not that dogs NEVER get dropped off etc cuz they do, but BRED dogs dont as often. itd b interesting to see if ANYONE brings, r has brought, this up to any breeders & if so what was the response? for me though ill stick with my barely obedient Lex who loves me as much if not more as my 2nd dog ever did(english boxer), & just as much as my 1st dog did(wolf, malamute, dane, st bernard, husky, sheppard, lab mix). yeah, i started out as a dog lover, & a cat…tolerator til i was 23/24. it wasnt till i rescued Blair from under our porch when i was about 41 that i became a cat lover n i havent looked back since!