Did Mice Domesticate The House Cat [?]

Discover ^ | Tuesday, January 15, 2008 | Jocelyn Rice

[SunkenCiv]

Driscoll gathered genetic material from nearly one thousand domestic and wild cats to trace the house kitty's family tree back to its roots. The depth and diversity of that tree suggest that the process of domestication took place over a widespread area and a long period of time... As humans made the transition from hunting and gathering to farming, they created concentrated, permanent stores of food. Stockpiles of grain attracted hungry mice, which in turn drew hungry feral cats... For a cat raiding a grain store in a primitive village, being tolerant of humans became an evolutionary advantage. Eventually, as villages grew, friendlier cats became more and more segregated from their wilder brethren, with natural selection acting upon the new populations of village kitties to make them increasingly docile.

[uglybiker]

How do you explain this then?:

Catsss hates hobbitssssesss!

[Duke Nukum]

My cat tells me that cats were never domesticated and that they domesticated us. One of the things they wanted us to do for them was to invent plastic.

[wildbill]

Anyone who’s ever seen a Tom and Jerry cartoon knows who is in control.

[shbox]

OH Yeah?

Tell that to the headless mice that find there ways to my doorstep about once a week.

[wildbill]

You need to look for a freak in a black hood with an axe roaming your neighborhood.

[shbox]

Maybe so. I don’t even own a cat. Just some neighborhood cats that enjoy tormenting my dogs.

One especially brave cat rubbs against the window while my dog is having a fit wanting to get at it.

[bvw]

Same facts, different editorial outlooks:

(1) Editor 1:

Stockpiles of grain attracted hungry mice, which in turn drew hungry feral cats... For a cat raiding a grain store in a primitive village, being tolerant of humans became an evolutionary advantage. Eventually, as villages grew, friendlier cats became more and more segregated from their wilder brethren, with natural selection acting upon the new populations of village kitties to make them increasingly docile.

(2) Editor 2:

Stockpiles of grain attracted hungry mice, which in turn drew hungry feral cats... For a cat raiding a grain store in a primitive village, being tolerant of humans was an advantage. The Designer rewarded both men and cats. Men for growing as a society, getting together in agriculture community where planning and working together on building projects was important, and cats for showing up to help. Eventually, as villages grew, friendlier cats became more and more segregated from their wilder brethren, while teh Designer kept rewarding the behaviors that cause the most spiritual growth opportunities. The Designer acted upon the new populations of village kitties to make them increasingly docile, rewarding humans with their companionship, and cats with longer lives in companionship with man..

Which is happier?

[lepton]

That’s only part of it.

The toxoplasma parasite causes behavioral changes in mice, making them specifically not afraid of cats in particular (though oddly, it doesn’t disrupt other fears). It was long thought that the effect was only in mice, but more recent research has suggested that the organism subtly changes the behavior of humans as well. Actually, there are a number of parasites that change the behavior of their hosts, like the worms (nematodes?) that make grasshoppers jump into bodies of water.

It's my semi-joking theory that toxoplasmia makes cat-people so fond of (manic about) cats.

[dragonblustar]

Did Mice Domesticate The House Cat [?]

Kitties insult easily.

[colorado tanker]

Well, that just reinforces my resolve not to do the litter box. :-))

[Slings and Arrows]

Cats are domesticated?

[SAJ]

Certainly. Most cats even have their own human(s). Can't get much more domesticated than that.

;^)

[Spktyr]

Yeah... no, cats are not domesticated. They’re small predators that discovered that an alliance with humanity was beneficial to them, so they threw their lot in with us. They’re the only animals that we know of that decided to make friends with humans on their own.

Dogs are wolves that we captured and broke to our will, and then bred them to be slaves.

[Bean Counter]

Yes, in fact this is the thanks you get.

[Daffynition]

Miss Manners does not like you to play with your food.

[Mercat]

Keep looking. I found an ancestor who operated the first saloon on Manhattan Island. Probably a brothel too since another story about her was that she used to go down to the dock and moon the sailors.

[Young Werther]

In Ancient Egypt the cat was a GOD, (dog spelled backwards!)

Cleopatra was a Cat Goddess! So was Halle Berry!

[Lady Jag]

Cats are not domesticated. They're the only animal that can walk out of your home and survive on its own.

Cats are the only animals that survived and thrived almost everywhere on earth. Pretty interesting, really,

[bigheadfred]

I dreamed I surfed all day in my monthly donor wonder bra

I just gotta ask: Just how big is this bra?

Here kitty kitty! (just to keep the thread on track)

[Lady Jag]

It's actually a bunch of bras and sizes now that my bras have been on the Freepathon for so many years.

The cat hates when Rufus wears one. Cat won't talk to him, gets wicked pissed.