Like some other
domesticated animals, cats live in a mutuality
arrangement with humans. Cats, however, have done
so for a much shorter time than almost all other
domesticated animals, and the degree of
domestication of cats is somewhat disputed. Since
the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans'
food stores outweighed the cost of allowing a
formerly wild animal to enjoy the relative safety
of a human settlement, the relationship between
cat and human flourished. Unlike the dog, which
also kills rodents, the cat did not eat grains,
fruits, or vegetables. A cat that is good at
hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser.
The venerable simile, "like herding cats" refers
to the seeming intractability of the ordinary
house cat to be trained in the manner of the dog.
Despite occasional cohabitation in colonies, cats
are lone hunters. It is no coincidence that cats
are also "clean" animals, the chemistry of their
saliva, expended in frequent grooming, acting as a
natural deodorant. The "purpose" of this
cleanliness is to help hide the cat's presence
while stalking prey. A dog's odor, on the other
hand, is an advantage, for a dog is a pack hunter;
part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its
odor drives prey towards the rest of the pack
stationed downwind. This requires a cooperative
effort, which in turn requires communications
skills. No such communications skills are required
of the lone hunter. Thus, communicating with such
an animal is problematic, and cats in particular
are labeled as opaque or inscrutable, if not
obtuse, as well as aloof and self-sufficient.
However, cats can be very affectionate towards
their humans, especially if they imprint on them
at a very young age and are treated with
consistent affection.
Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some
humans keep cats for companionship as pets. Some
people (known as cat lovers) go to great lengths
to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them
almost as if they were children. When a cat bonds
with its human owner, at times, the cat may
display behaviors similar to that of the human.
Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box
before bedtime and snuggling up close to its
companion in bed or on the sofa. Other behaviors
could include mimicking sounds of the owner or
using certain sounds the cat picks up from the
human; sounds representing specific needs of the
cat, which the owner would recognize. The cat may
also be capable of learning to communicate with
the human using non-spoken language or body
language such as rubbing for affection
(confirmation), facial expressions and making
eye-contact with the owner if something needs to
be addressed (e.g. finding a bug crawling on the
floor for the owner to get rid of). If one knows
how-to one can train some cats a lot of "dogs"
tricks like aporting, jumps etc.
Allergies to cat dander are one of the most common
reasons people cite for disliking cats. However,
in some instances, humans find the rewards of cat
companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems
associated with allergies. Many chose to cope with
cat allergies by taking prescription allergy
medicine and bathing their cats frequently, since
weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat
dander present in the environment. Recent studies
have indicated the humans who are exposed to cats
or dogs within the first year of their lives
develop few animal allergies, while most adults
who are allergic to animals did not have a cat or
a dog as a pet in childhood.
In urban areas, some people find feral and free
roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered
animals can engage in persistent nighttime calling
(caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" on
private property. Indoor confinement of pets and
TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs for feral cats
can help in this situation.
In rural areas, farms often have dozens of
semi-feral cats. Hunting in the barns and the
fields, they kill and eat rodents that would
otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop.
Many pet cats successfully hunt and kill rabbits,
rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and large
insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey.
They may even present such victims, dead or
maimed, to a beloved owner, perhaps expecting
their owner to praise or reward them, or possibly
even complete the kill and eat the mouse.
Despite its reputation as a solitary animal, the
domestic cat is social enough to form colonies,
but does not attack in groups as do lions. Some
breeds like bengal, ocicat and manx are very
social, but these breeds are exceptions. While
each cat holds a distinct territory (sexually
active males having the largest territories, and
neutered cats having the smallest), there are
"neutral" areas where cats watch and greet one
another without territorial conflict or
aggression. Outside of these neutral areas,
territory holders usually vigorously chase away
strangers, at first by staring, hissing, and
growling, and if that does not work by short but
noisy and violent attacks. Fighting cats make
themselves look larger by raising their fur and
arching their backs. Attacks usually comprise
powerful slaps to the face and body with the
forepaws as well as bites, but serious damage is
rarely done, and usually the loser runs away with
little more than a few scratches to the face.
Sexually active males may be engaged in many
fights over their lives and often have decidedly
weathered faces with obvious scars and cuts to the
ears and nose. Not only males will fight; females
will also fight over territory or to defend their
kittens and even neutered cats will defend their
small territories vigorously. |
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