Intro: this page contains some opinions too! Here are 20 facts about the closest relations of the domestic cat. The Near Eastern wildcat aka North African wildcat is the ancestor of the domestic cat. There is one group of small … continue reading…
People ask the question: “Why are domestic cats and invasive species?” And the answer is that in most countries of the world domestic cats did not evolve in those countries but they were brought there by people. It is only … continue reading…
It’s a point worth making. You hear a lot about the first domestic cats coming into being about 10,000 years ago. These are the first N. African wildcats who befriended humans and vice versa; both benefiting in an act of … continue reading…
The question is asking for information about the world’s very first domestic cat. We don’t have that information. We have a rough idea when the North African wildcat was first domesticated but that is about it. The domestic cat’s skeleton … continue reading…
There are 3 reasons why domestic cats apparently torture their prey by playing with them. I list and discuss them here. It is a form of feline behaviour which at best irritates their human caregiver and at worst disgusts them. … continue reading…
Based on a mitochondrial DNA study the umbrella label of “African wildcat” can be broken down into the Near Eastern wildcat (North African wildcat), the Asian wildcat (Asiatic wildcat), and the Southern African wildcat. We should also include the domestic … continue reading…
Introduction The description “African-Asian wildcat” describes two subspecies of wild cat whose combined distribution is from the southernmost tip of the African continent, through the Middle East and East towards a region north and east of India in a wide … continue reading…
The question is a sensible one because all of the world’s half a billion domestic and feral cats originate in a domesticated North African wildcat (Far Eastern wildcat or African-Asian wildcat). It happened about 10,000 years ago. Nowadays there are … continue reading…
This is a difficult and perhaps pointless question to answer. I know that sounds negative but I think it’s a fair point to make. The basic problem is that we can’t use the feeding arrangements of the wildcat ancestor of … continue reading…
I am picking up on a study that I have written about before which genetically analysed the Chinese mountain cat to confirm (1) that it is a subspecies of wildcat and not species in its own right and (2) that … continue reading…
Although this precise question has been asked and answered many times, I will throw my hat into the ring, briefly. There are two reasons why cats are scared of cucumbers, (1) they are hardwired to avoid snakes as they’ve inherited … continue reading…
As this photograph was taken in what appears to be a German zoo, I will presume that it is a European wildcat. It as taken by Melanie Kahl of BUND Bundesverband for the BUND Wildkatzen-Symposium 2016. That is the Bund … continue reading…
Artist Peter Hall was on a game drive in the central regions of Kruger National Park in South Africa, reports the EarthTouch News website. A “game drive” is one in which the participants sit in 4×4 vehicles looking out at … continue reading…
The Daily Mail reports on a study which says that cats are better off in terms of controlling their hunger when they are fed one meal a day. They should be fed in the morning at breakfast time. It results … continue reading…
If and when domestic cats use their paws to eat food or to drink water they do so in a very specific way. They scoop up the food such as dry food pellets or water from their bowl into their … continue reading…
