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A Brief History of Cats, Part I

The modern domestic feline is a classic example of successful niche marketing. Descended from the African wildcat (See Fig. A), it attracted human interest at roughly the same time the first agricultural communities coalesced thousands of years ago along the banks of the Nile River. The African wildcat (Felis silvestris libyca) hunted mice and rats, which farmers were desperate to keep out of their stored grain. The cat was encouraged to apply its "killer app" around fields and silos, and a working relationship was forged (See Fig. B). Thus the feline won a place of honor in human communities throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, and, finally, across the entire planet.

Brief History of Cats

Today there are some 500 million domestic cats (Felis catus) worldwide. Yet throughout its roughly 8,000-year association with humans, the cat's programming and design have changed little. Unlike the dog, which is descended from the wolf but in most cases no longer even remotely resembles it, the body shape and size of the typical domestic feline is quite similar to that of its wild forebears. This is because while dogs underwent intensive selective breeding to make them better guards, herders, and/or companions, cats were already optimally configured for vermin control and thus left alone.

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Chapter 1: Choosing a Cat

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I love that last sentence. This is informative and very well written -- factual info with a light touch.

purred by Tamara Fowler on Oct 7, 2009 AT 10:24 am PDT
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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!