Cats are barely domesticated. What that essentially means is that cats, if placed in a wild colony, will thrive and blend right in. This is not true for other domesticated species. Research also indicates cats domesticated themselves more than people did. They found mice in grain silos and warm beds in peoples houses and fit right in without needing to adapt.
I don’t think humans are robbing cats of their freedom and anyone asserting so really doesn’t understand cats.
Cats are plenty domesticated, same as pigs and farm ducks. The difference is that they are quicker to go ferral than dogs, cows, or horses. Cats do great around human civilization, towns, and cities, but once they don’t have humans keeping away predators, they quickly struggle. In North America, cats are now a staple in the diet of coytoes in urban and rural areas. Humans not only protect cats directly and indirectly, but we attract swarms of their favorite prey species.
Cats ate not native to north america. They’re descendants of African wild (and sometimes Eurasian wild) cats. Return them to wild habitats, not just feral colonies, and the feral cats fit right in. They are nearly indistinguishable from their wild counterparts and don’t struggle any more or less than them. That’s the difference between cats and other domesticated species. Domestication is a genetic change. But, if the genetic differences from their wild counterparts are so minimal, how domesticated are they really?
I didnt say genetically compatible. Domesticated cats are nearly genetically indistinguishable from African wild cats. Genetic studies are difficult because cat species are so similar. In fact, several cat species including the house cats have been argued by geneticists to actually be subspecies of the same species.
This is truly not the same for dogs or any other domesticated species… Except maybe the pidgeon. I could see a similar argument for some pidgeons. Not the tumblers.
Cats are barely domesticated. What that essentially means is that cats, if placed in a wild colony, will thrive and blend right in. This is not true for other domesticated species. Research also indicates cats domesticated themselves more than people did. They found mice in grain silos and warm beds in peoples houses and fit right in without needing to adapt.
I don’t think humans are robbing cats of their freedom and anyone asserting so really doesn’t understand cats.
Cats are plenty domesticated, same as pigs and farm ducks. The difference is that they are quicker to go ferral than dogs, cows, or horses. Cats do great around human civilization, towns, and cities, but once they don’t have humans keeping away predators, they quickly struggle. In North America, cats are now a staple in the diet of coytoes in urban and rural areas. Humans not only protect cats directly and indirectly, but we attract swarms of their favorite prey species.
Cats ate not native to north america. They’re descendants of African wild (and sometimes Eurasian wild) cats. Return them to wild habitats, not just feral colonies, and the feral cats fit right in. They are nearly indistinguishable from their wild counterparts and don’t struggle any more or less than them. That’s the difference between cats and other domesticated species. Domestication is a genetic change. But, if the genetic differences from their wild counterparts are so minimal, how domesticated are they really?
Dogs are fully genetically compatible with wolves, but are clearly domesticated.
I didnt say genetically compatible. Domesticated cats are nearly genetically indistinguishable from African wild cats. Genetic studies are difficult because cat species are so similar. In fact, several cat species including the house cats have been argued by geneticists to actually be subspecies of the same species.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5612713/
This is truly not the same for dogs or any other domesticated species… Except maybe the pidgeon. I could see a similar argument for some pidgeons. Not the tumblers.
Cats have always been both predator and prey.