Why We Enjoy the Company of Cats Not Vice Versa

To any cat owner it will come as no surprise to find that our cuddly house pets are in behavior and appearance more like wild animals than most other domesticated creatures.  The average domesticated animal, from pigs to dogs, has be radically changed to suit human interests.  We select for tamer, more docile behaviors.  Or more appealing physical traits such as meatier limbs or shorter tails.  And yet the cat remains relatively unchanged.

Cats display a willfulness and independence that clearly exemplify their self-sustainability.  They can be aloof, often refusing human contact except when it pleases them.  Many stubbornly refuse to be trained, as if the mundanity of learning simple tricks were well beneath them.  Observe a cat stalk and kill a lizard in the garden, and you will see a striking likeness to the deadly hunt of a lion.  Though we have modified coat color and length, the bone structure and physique of the cat remain indistinguishable from their wild, uncivilized cousins.

In part, the untamed nature of a cat has to do with the relatively short time they have lived with humans.  Our relationship with felines goes back only 10,000 years or so (half as long as their imminently placating competitor the dog).  There has been less time for humans to work the magic of artificial selection on the body and temperament of the cat.

Another factor aiding the cat's ability to resist change comes from the nature of its relationship to its captors.  Some scientists argue that the term "domestic" does not easily apply to the cat. They consider cats to be "exploitive captives" who exploit their relationship with humans rather than suffering from it.  

The origin of our relationship with cats has its roots in the cultivation of grain and other crops, and it is tied directly to the hosts of pests who make their living in our silos and pantries.  Cats came by human habitations to capitalize on the plagues of rodents infesting our villages. Because both parties benefit from such an arrangement, our relationship has persisted relatively unchanged even into modern time.  In fact, cats have so effectively upheld their end of the bargain, that humans have not seen fit to seek more of our feline friends, and so are content to accept their wily and untamed natures as they are. 

As a result, when left to their own devices cats revert quickly to their wild state, often forming large populations that sustain themselves without help from humans.  Ever get that look of irritated indifference from your cat?  Now you know why.