Why Do Cats Do That? Baffling Cat Questions Explained! | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Cats domesticated themselves and may have done so in different regions at different times, resulting in their close relationship with humans. Cats have unique traits such as glowing eyes, inability to roar, blind spots, and love for catnip and cardboard boxes.

Key Insights

• 😺 Cats likely domesticated themselves by capitalizing on the presence of rodent pests in early human settlements.
• 😺 Evidence suggests multiple instances of cat domestication, with separate events occurring in different regions such as Cyprus and China.
• 👾 Cats have adapted and retained certain behaviors from their wild ancestors, such as the inability to roar and the need for enclosed spaces for security.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did cats likely domesticate themselves?

Cats are believed to have domesticated themselves by befriending humans in order to access a stable food source of rodents attracted to grain stores.

Q: What is the oldest known evidence of domesticated cats?

The oldest known domestic cat skeleton was found on the island of Cyprus and is estimated to be around 9,500 years old.

Q: Do all domestic cats have the same genetic origins?

While most domestic cats are closely related to wild cats from the Fertile Crescent, there is evidence of a separate domestication event in China involving leopard cats.

Q: Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark?

Cats have a reflective layer behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum, which helps amplify their night vision but causes their eyes to appear glowing in low light.

Q: Why can't domestic cats roar?

Domestic cats lack the physical adaptations in their throat and vocal folds that allow them to produce the deep, low-pitched sounds of roaring. Only lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars have this ability.

Q: Why do cats have blind spots and difficulty focusing on close objects?

Cats have evolved to have large eyes which are optimized for low-light vision, but this results in a smaller range of focus and difficulty seeing objects up close.

Q: Why do cats make the "flame" face when sniffing certain scents?

The "flame" face is a response to scents being detected by the vomeronasal organ located in the roof of a cat's mouth. It helps cats analyze chemical signals and pheromones.

Q: Why are cats attracted to catnip and cardboard boxes?

Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone, which is similar to cat pheromones and stimulates various areas of a cat's brain, causing sensory pleasure. Cardboard boxes provide a safe and warm environment, which cats naturally seek.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cats likely domesticated themselves by taking advantage of the abundance of pests attracted to human settlements.

• The oldest known domestic cat skeleton was found on the island of Cyprus around 9,500 years ago, suggesting an early relationship between cats and humans.

• Cats have genetic similarities to their wild cat ancestors from the Fertile Crescent, but evidence also suggests a separate domestication event in China with leopard cats.