Dig discovery is oldest 'pet cat'

BBC ^ | Thursday, 8 April, 2004, 18:00 GMT 19:00 UK | By Paul Rincon

[vannrox]

Cat lover bump

[Conspiracy Guy]

I hope they reburied it.

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[Kay Syrah]

"It's difficult to say the cat was a religious animal but it probably played a role in the symbolic and imaginative world of these people," Prof Guilaine explained.

Well it's always difficult to know a cat's psyche but the proximity of human bones to the cat's suggests that the cat wished to have his human near him in some sort of after life. But it certainly was a long process introducing humans to the concept of agriculture and food storage in order to have mice. So its difficult to determine if there was some sort of "food god" ideation on the cats' part. Interesting.

[NautiNurse]

...21st Century Cats...Here kitty, kitty

[Modernman]

The discovery of a cat buried with what could be its owner in a Neolithic grave on Cyprus suggests domestication of cats had begun 9,500 years ago.

Yeah, and the domestication process is still ongoing.

[NautiNurse]

Yeah, and the domestication process is still ongoing

Yep, those cats will have us eating out of their paws before long.

[abner]

They've come a long way baby!

[Lando Lincoln]

Some FReeper on another thread once mused that if his dog suddenly became 800 pounds that he'd still be his dog's best friend. If his cat became 800 pounds, he'd be lunch. I do love my cats, tho.

Lando

[mtbopfuyn]

Poor cat didn't get all his nine lives.

[mtbopfuyn]

Good grief, enough with every find being of religious significance. Odds are the guy liked his cat and instead of letting the cat live out it's life the family killed it and buried it with gramps.

[Inyo-Mono]

Perfect.

[theFIRMbss]

>I hope they reburied it
>Poor cat didn't get all his nine lives

CopyCat, the First Cloned Pet Animal Texas A&M University College of Vet Medicine

Heck, they can clone cats! Let's give this one one more life and see how it looked . . .

[Vinnie]

Yeah, and the domestication process is still ongoing.

Kinda brings into question the evolution theory. You would think that in all these thousands of years cats would have a little better opinion of us. (G)

[Modernman]

Kinda brings into question the evolution theory. You would think that in all these thousands of years cats would have a little better opinion of us. (G)

Why would they? We're a bunch of suckers. We feed them, groom them, clean their crap and they won't even play fetch (actually, my cat plays fetch) with us but we still keep them around.

Kinda makes you wonder: which species is the pet: humans or cats?

[Hacksaw]

Why would they? We're a bunch of suckers. We feed them, groom them, clean their crap and they won't even play fetch (actually, my cat plays fetch) with us but we still keep them around.

Consider this, though - they won't make a mess on the floor unless they are very upset about something, they will only eat until they are full, and they keep the yard free of vermin (of course they will somethimes try to bring it inside).

On the other hand, my sister's Lab was sick for a week after eating part of a deer carcas discarded by a hunter. He will also occasionally eat his own poop.

[Modernman]

Consider this, though - they won't make a mess on the floor unless they are very upset about something, they will only eat until they are full, and they keep the yard free of vermin (of course they will somethimes try to bring it inside).

I used to be a dog person until my fiance and I adopted her sister's Maine Coon (20lbs, looks like a bobcat). I was stunned by how smart the little goobers are. A little too smart, sometimes. Our cat has figured out how to open doors using the doorhandles (probably couldn't do it if we had doorknobs). Opening and closing cupboards is no problem. Plus, he can tell the difference between a tuna can and a can of soup.

We ended up adopting a kitten to keep him occupied while we were out of the house during the day. She's some type of mix- looks like a little gray cheetah. If anything, she's even smarter than her big brother.

[Hacksaw]

I used to be a dog person until my fiance and I adopted her sister's Maine Coon (20lbs, looks like a bobcat). I was stunned by how smart the little goobers are. A little too smart, sometimes. Our cat has figured out how to open doors using the doorhandles (probably couldn't do it if we had doorknobs). Opening and closing cupboards is no problem. Plus, he can tell the difference between a tuna can and a can of soup.

Yes, one of mine learned that if he jumps against the storm door long enough, it will open. I also can not open tuna in the house. It drives them nuts - almost like a drug.

[squarebarb]

Is the phiotograph in the article that of an African wildcat?

[douglas1]

MY PETEY looks just like the cat depicted, I just finshed feeding my old cat[ MRS KITTY} her daily marshmellow they are so good for me the day would be awful boring without them ,like having children all over again without the heartbreak.