Barcelona researchers reveal why cats 'butter up their owners' when they want feeding
Barcelona researchers reveal why cats 'butter up their owners' when they want feeding
SCIENTISTS from a Barcelona university have worked out that today's pet cats domesticated themselves 10,000 years ago to ensure they got fed.
The Comparative Genomic Laboratory at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) said dogs and cats began to cohabit with humans back in the Neolithic era, a time when agriculture first came about, and that in the case of felines, this was to prevent their own starvation.
Archaeological findings show the earliest evidence of cats living as pets with humans was in Cyprus over 10,000 years ago.
The domestic cat, whose scientific name is Felis Silvestriscatus, has around 20,000 genes, and these have been compared to those of the wild mountain cat, the tiger, the dog, the cow and the human.
Genetic changes in wild cats dating back to the Palaeolithic era meant they evolved to become more docile, since this made it easier for them to get food.
This behaviour has stood the test of time, and explains why cats try to 'butter up' their owners, or show more affection, when they want to be fed.
Dr Marqués Bonet, co-author of the research, says genes which have survived millennia are those which condition the animal to seek reward, the equivalent of positive reinforcement in humans.
“That explains why cats have learnt to be cute and cuddly when they are hungry,” says Dr Marqués Bonet.
Another factor which has evolved genetically in pet cats since prehistoric times is their excellent memory, say the UPF researchers.
This, compared with their very strong senses of hearing and sight – recent studies show cats see very clearly in the dark but their vision is more blurred in daylight – is in keeping with their nature as territorial animals, Dr Marqués Bonet reveals.
Cats seek to 'own' large areas and to 'protect' the parts which link them together, since they need a wide span to seek out their prey.
The study says cats have different spaces for different functions – rather like the way humans have separate rooms in their houses for one purpose or another – meaning they have places for hunting, for playing, or for interaction with humans.
Sometimes they have 'private spaces', says the UPF team, where they go for solitude, peace and quiet and not to be bothered by humans or other cats.
This is one of the reasons cats hide when they are ill or injured, to avoid contact – therefore, if a domestic cat is found to be hiding more than usual, he or she may need to see a vet.
Compared to many other species, pet cats have evolved genetically far more rapidly, say the researchers.
