Why do cats sometimes flick one hind paw after eating?
We are referring to domestic cats. Perhaps wild cats do it as well. Some of them probably do and one species definitely does: the African wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cat. I have...
Tagged: african wildcat
Fundamental reason why domestic cats don’t walk with their owners like dogs
Although, sometimes, domestic cats do walk behind their owners for a relatively short distance (a behaviour characteristic that I explain below), in general, it is fundamentally alien to domestic cats to walk with their...
Tip: allow your cat 15 mins when coming indoors to lose their ‘wild mode’ to avoid scratches
In the inimitable words of Dr. Desmond Morris in his excellent book on cat behaviour CATWATCHING the cat caregiver should be aware of the fact that their cat leads a double life. “The cat...
All of today’s 600m domestic cats descend from 5 female matriarchal wildcats
In the image below I have tried to present a feel for what the Fertile Crescent was like around 10,000 years ago when ‘at least five different females from the wildcat population’ befriended farmers...
Domestic cats have smaller brains than their wildcat ancestors
A study has concluded that the brains of domestic cats have shrunk during the time that they have been domesticated. And having shrunk I have concluded that domestic cats are probably more stupid today...
African and Asian wildcat – complete information
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....
Do caracals eat cats?
Yes, caracals eat cat and this series of photographs by Simon Smith shows us the determined way that a caracal hunts an African wildcat in a tree. The African wildcat is more capable than...
Picture of a European wildcat
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...
Small black cat sighting in central Kruger National Park
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...
Did cats domesticate themselves?
The question in the title has been asked before but I’m asking it again now because National Geographic has just published an article in which they say that “Cats Domesticated Themselves, Ancient DNA Shows”....
Domestic cats should be able to self-regulate their weight so why do they become obese?
At first it mystified me as to why veterinarians describe a current domestic cat obesity epidemic. You never see obese Near Eastern African wildcats. These are the wildcat ancestors of the domestic cat. They...
Why do domestic cats sometimes use their paws to eat and drink?
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...
What is a “caffre cat”?
The wildcats of South Africa and Namibia are sometimes referred to as “caffre cats”. They are a species of small wild cat looking like a tabby domestic cat. The Mirriam-Webster dictionary tells us that...
How did the cat become domesticated?
For a long time, people believed that the first cat was domesticated in ancient Egypt about 3,500 years ago. There are lots of records of domestic cats of that time as we well know....
Are African wildcats friendly?
The answer is, Yes and No. By default they are not friendly because they are held back by fear and suspicion as they are inherently solitary and territorial. However, it seems that this small...
Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.