Some experts argue that cats are not fully domesticated. The gene changes, which are also involved in behaviors like memory and fear, suggest cats have undergone domestication-at least to an extent.
Compared to their wild ancestors, modern domesticated cats show several genetic and social changes related to reward-seeking behavior, such as receiving food from humans in return for controlling rodents. Cat-human interactions appear to have started 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, when cats began clustering near human settlements because their grain farms and stored food were attracting mice and rats. Some experts suggest that the mutual benefits of relationships between humans and domesticated animals have caused their social and genetic co-evolution. The pandemic is exposing a contradiction: though many cats are beloved companions, others are being used for human purposes.ĭomesticated animals rely on humans for optimal wellbeing, and cats are no exception. Scientists conducted this research by purposely infecting and then euthanizing cats in a lab, and similar testing continues in attempts to develop a vaccine. Researchers caution that humans who contract the virus should isolate not only from their families but also from their feline companions. Cats are in the news, too a study published in March confirmed that cats can catch the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Friends, colleagues, and strangers’ cats are increasingly visible during the now-ubiquitous Zoom calls and live-streaming videos. But in stereotypical cat fashion, Betty seemed to want fame on her own terms-when Lyons picked her up for an encore appearance, she flicked her tail and struggled to escape him.īetty the weather cat is not the only feline recently in the spotlight, for reasons both heartwarming and unsettling. He’d wanted to feature her on-air after her surprise cameo in a previous at-home broadcast went viral. “We can’t make the cat come to work,” Indiana meteorologist Jeff Lyons joked after his cat Betty wriggled out of his arms during an April weather forecast.
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