cat domestication – Michael Broad

Domestic dogs and cats have smaller brains than wild wolves and wildcats because of domestication

July 31, 2024 by Michael Broad

In general domestic dogs have smaller brains relative to body size compared to wild wolves

It is no surprise to me and perhaps others that both domestic dogs and cats have smaller brains than their wild cousins from whom they have descended: the grey wolf for dogs and the Eurasian wildcat for cats. The reason is obvious: domestication, which has removed the challenges for survival and the lesser need …

Has the domestic cat become a pest in preying on 2,084 species worldwide?

December 13, 2023 by Michael Broad

Introduction: This article conerns a new study on cat predation. The first point to make is that the study I’m referring to concerns “free-ranging cats (Felis catus)”. That’s important because across the world there are many small wild cat species which prey upon many types of animal. This study and this article is about …

Animal advocate says that PETA is urging public officials to kill more animals

November 8, 2023 by Michael Broad

Boe was an emaciated dog tethered all his life and who suffered from cancer. He was euthanised by PETA.

Nathan Winograd, a man who I admire and who describes himself as “The voice of America’s displaced pets and the conscience of the animal sheltering industry” literally hates PETA for the fact that they euthanize too many companion animals. Winograd and PETA have entirely different attitudes towards euthanasia. Winograd hammers PETA In a recent …

Are wild cats smarter than domestic cats?

October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 by Michael Broad

Scientists have looked into whether wild cats are smarter than domestic cat. Their study is entitled: “Are domesticated animals dumber than their wild relatives? A comprehensive review on the domestication effects on animal cognitive performance.” I discuss the study below and start off with a general discussion on the difficulties in making a comparison. …

Cats would be better pets if they weren’t great predators

September 21, 2023 by Michael Broad

The domestic cat is a top predator. Should we live with them?

Many cat owners might say that their domestic cat companion is an excellent pet. I’m going to say something which is almost heretical and something which sounds anti-cat as if said by a cat hater. But I’m not; I am a cat lover and a realist. And with that character trait, I have to …

Living with companion animals has not worked out and it needs to be re-evaluated

September 16, 2023September 16, 2023 by Michael Broad

Cat and dog domestication has not worked out as planned

Some people think that it is time to give up our cats and dogs as it is unethical and their domestication not worked out well. It’s time to end it. This would apply to other animals as well. It’s a whopping suggestion. It’s probably entirely impractical seeing as there are probably up to 500 …

The discovery that disproved that the Ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate the wild cat

September 5, 2023 by Michael Broad

Credits:

The picture is deemed to be in the public domain
The words at the base of the image are from The Taming of the Cat published on the PMC Pub Med Central website.
Citation: Driscoll CA, Clutton-Brock J, Kitchener AC, O’Brien SJ. The Taming of the cat. Genetic and archaeological findings hint that wildcats became housecats earlier–and in a different place–than previously thought. Sci Am. 2009 Jun;300(6):68-75. PMID: 19485091; PMCID: PMC5790555.
Link to study.

P.S. I have one comment. It is possible that the cat in the image was tame and not truly domesticated whereas the Ancient Egyptians domesticated the cat.

Cats destined to become indoor cats should never be allowed outdoors

July 23, 2023 by Michael Broad

Full-time indoor Bengal cat gets much needed exercise

Full-time indoor cats are a growing trend. Domestic cats are thankfully flexible about the amount of space they feel that they need. In contrast the captive wild cats in zoos tend to pace due to boredom and the fact that the amount of space available is a tiny fraction of what they inherently desire. …

+ More