All of today’s 600 million domestic cats descend from at least 5 female wildcats

African wildcat compared with domestic cat

It is an astonishing thought. About ten thousand years ago at least five different individual female cats of the Near Eastern wildcat (aka North African wildcat) population living in the savannah had the courage to overcome their fear of humans to live in an agricultural settlement in the river-rich lands that form an arc …

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The cat’s meow and talkative cat breeds

Female cat's meow is like music

This is a brief discussion on the well-known domestic cat’s meow and talkative cat breeds. You will see some websites proclaiming confidently that certain cat breeds are more talkative than others but I wouldn’t be so certain. Often it is an individual cat trait and it also depend a lot on the relationship between …

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Tip: allow your cat 15 mins when coming indoors to lose their ‘wild mode’ to avoid scratches

Domestic cat wild mode is still running when they enter the home through the cat flap

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 leads a double life. In the home it is an overgrown kitten gazing up at its human owners. Out on …

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5 barriers to domestic cat success (infographic)

5 barriers to domestic cat success

This is a square infographic which illustrates five barriers to domestic cat success. As I state, this is not a criticism of cat domestication. It is realisation that barriers exist. We are two very different species with a lot in common despite the barriers. All five can result in problems in the human-to-cat relationship, …

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4 quotes from Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s founder, on domestic cats

It is useful to try and get inside the head of Ingrid Newkirk on the issue of domestic cats. Does she approve of them? The same question applies to dogs. Newkirk has one of the most persuasive voices in animal welfare worldwide. She is the co-founder of PETA with fellow animal rights activist Alex …

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Why are there so many more dog breeds than cat breeds?

Many dog breeds. Far more than the number of cat breeds

Theis is a discussion on why there are many more dog breeds than cat breeds. It is about the differences in dog and cat domestication and trainability. I’m presenting the information in bullet form. The grey wolf was domesticated perhaps up to about 20,000 years before the North African wildcat was domesticated. Therefore, the …

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Why do cats bully dogs when living in the same home?

Cat dominants dog in most homes when there is hostility between them

Unquestionably, it is cats who normally rule the roost and boss dogs even if dogs are much bigger than them when they live in the same home. It looks incongruous because if the dog wanted to, they could dominate and harm the cat, but they back off when the cat is aggressive towards them. …

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Domestic cats are NOT an invasive species everywhere

Which gender of domestic cat is better with kids?

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 when an animal either evolves in a certain place or its distribution extends to …

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