A Peaceful Farewell
  • Home
  • The Decision
  • What to Expect
  • Services & Fees
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Additional Services
  • Pet Loss Support
  • Pet Memorials
  • Testimonials
  • The PAW Blog
  • Home
  • The Decision
  • What to Expect
  • Services & Fees
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Additional Services
  • Pet Loss Support
  • Pet Memorials
  • Testimonials
  • The PAW Blog

"Treats" May Have Helped Cats Become Pets

11/18/2014

0 Comments

 
A mild manner and a fondness for fatty treats like fish or meat scraps may have helped cats evolve into the tame yet independent-minded pets they are today, researchers said Monday.

After that, it was people's preference for cats with certain appearances, like white paws, that played a key role in winnowing down the 38 species known today, said a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Using advanced genome sequencing technology, we were able to shed light on the genetic signatures of cats' unique biology and survival skills," said Wes Warren, associate professor of genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Domestic cats "only recently split off from wild cats, and some even still breed with their wild relatives. So we were surprised to find DNA evidence of their domestication," he added.

By comparing domestic cat genes to other cat breeds, as well as wildcats and other mammals, certain differences stood out.

For instance, tigers and domestic cats each have the uncanny physical ability to eat lots of fatty acids without the resulting heart disease and cholesterol that such a diet would have on humans.

In fact, cats need meat in order to thrive, whereas most other carnivores can and do survive on a diet of plants, grains, and legumes.

"The team found particular fat-metabolizing genes in carnivores such as cats and tigers that changed faster than can be explained by chance," the university said in a statement.

"The researchers did not find such changes in the same genes of the cow and human, who eat more varied diets and would not need such enhancements."

Senses and Genetic Selection Keys to Domestic Cats' Evolution  

Cats rely less on smell than dogs do when it comes to hunting, but they have better nighttime vision and hearing, the study found. Cats also have more genes related to the ability to sense pheromones than dogs, a trait that helps them to find mates even at a considerable distance.

Pet cats showed clear signs of genetic selection in traits related to memory, fear conditioning, and stimulus-reward learning, suggesting that more docile cats were likely preferred as pets. Genetic selection for appearance was also evident, particularly in recent generations.

"Unlike many other domesticated mammals bred for food, herding, hunting, or security, most of the 30-40 cat breeds originated recently, within the past 150 years, largely due to selection for aesthetic rather than functional traits," said the study.

For instance, the Birman cat breed likely developed its characteristic white paws because humans chose to breed cats that looked the same. In the random population of cats, the genes that lead to the gloving pattern are only seen in about 10 percent of felines.

  
Cats As Beneficial Rodent Killers
About 600 million cats exist on Earth. The earliest archaeological evidence of cats living with people dates back 9,500 years to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Archeological evidence of cats as pets has also been found in China from as far back as 5,000 years ago.

Cats are believed to have worked their way into humans' everyday lives during agricultural periods in history, when their work as killers of rodents and vermin would have been prized.

"Most cats were likely bred for rodent control, and only later for pigmentation," said study co-author Michael Montague, in an email to AFP.

"In a sense, tameness would need to be one of the initial behavioral differences between wildcats and domestic cats, and perhaps the ultimate driver of domestication."

A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate in-home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    The PAW Blog...
    For the LOVE of Pets
    The goal of this blog is to help educate pet owners by sharing pet health facts and pet news articles...and ... sometimes put a smile on your face with a cute or funny pet story! 

    Categories

    All
    Animal World Records
    Behavior
    Cat FAQ
    Cat Health
    Celebrity Pets
    Cute Pet Pics
    Cute Pet Stories
    Dog Health
    Dogs FAQ
    Dogs - FAQ
    Farm Animals
    Featured Breeds
    Fish And Exotic Pets
    Funny Pet Pictures
    Funny Pet Stuff
    Gift Ideas
    Health Alerts
    Holistic Pet Care
    Lost And Found AZ Pets
    Nutrition
    People & Pets
    Pet Adoption
    Pet Books
    Pet Facts
    Pet Gadgets & Supplies
    Pet Loss
    Pet Names
    Pet News
    Pet Nutrition
    Pet Of The Week
    Pet Poisons FAQ
    Pet Polls
    Pet Recipes
    Pet Rescue
    Pets With Cancer
    Pet Technology
    Pet Training
    Pet Travel
    Pet Trivia
    Pet Videos
    Pocket Pets
    Poisonous Plants
    Quick Tips
    Rainbow Bridge
    Recalls
    Research News
    Upcoming Local Pet Events
    Veterinary FAQ
    Weird Pet Stuff
    Wildlife

    Archives

    September 2019
    August 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Search for any topic...

    RSS Feed

Providing compassionate in-home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area
(480) 760-5896
email: apeacefulfarewell@gmail.com
Picture


Proud Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Picture


Proud Member of the AZ Pet Professionals