A. OLENAThese days, scientists know quite a bit about the relationship between people and their dogs. But much less is known about human-cat interactions, even though more cats than dogs live in the United States according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association. John Bradshaw of the University of Bristol, cofounder of the International Society for Anthrozoology and author of the new book Cat Sense, detailed what is known about humans’ feline companions in an essay published this week (October 14) in The Washington Post.
“DNA evidence identifies the pet cat’s ancestor as the Arabian wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and places its origins between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago in the Middle East,” wrote Bradshaw. He went on to explain that cats were most likely domesticated because they provided a benefit to the Natufian people, who farmed grain that attracted mice. These early relatives of today’s house cat were untamed, and even modern kitties have “three paws firmly planted in the wild,” according to Bradshaw.
But cats have evolved several social behaviors that humans can learn to interpret. In his work, Bradshaw discovered that when two cats meet, they raise their tails straight up, which indicates an inclination to approach. After exchanging this signal, the cats usually rub heads or ...
