Cat Sense by John Bradshaw ****

Cats are under more pressure to change than at any time since they decided to cast their fate with people and take up residence around granaries, homes, and ships in the role of rodent control. Until 50 years ago, scientists assumed cats were similar to dogs and people generally let them run free. Cat Sense by John Bradshaw reviews the new feline science and the sudden (in evolutionary time) pressure for cats to hunt less and join the domestic group more.

Cats are not Dogs

Wild cats are solitary hunters, while dogs are social. This means that cats view others with suspicion, as competitors or threats. They are sensitive to signs of aggression. On the other hand, dogs look for signs of cooperation. Dogs look to their trainers for direction and are rewarded by attention. Cats ignore their trainers and do not desire attention, which is often interpreted as a threat.

Cat diets are fundamentally different from dogs. Dogs are omnivores, while cats are obligate carnivores. Hunting is instinctual to a cat, as this is the only way for a wild cat to survive. Dogs can thrive on scraps, while cats must have meat. Only recently (50 years) have people been able to purchase cat food which did not require cats to supplement it with hunted prey.

Over the last 10,000 years, dogs have been domesticated to perform many useful tasks (herding, hunting, protection, …). Cat already hunted rodents, so the only domestication, mostly self-selected, was to tolerate people and other cats. As a result, cats are much closer to their wild state than dogs.

Pressure on Cats

As cats transition from pest control to pets (a very recent change), there is pressure to live indoors in the company of other pets and people, plus there is also pressure to stop catching birds and bunnies. Cats prefer their own territory and instinctually hunt. The cats most suited to this lifestyle change (pets) are often neutered and rarely breed. Feral cats, the least suited to these new roles, still breed. Without feral cats, current practices of neutering will see a decline of cat populations. With feral cats, these practices will tend toward more wild, less domesticated cats. Neither is in the interest of cats.

Cats are solitary hunters. Domestic cats made one small adjustment to their behavior: they tolerate people. Bradshaw wonders if there is any way for them to hunt less and tolerate other (pets and people) more. His conclusion is discouraging. The best pets are most often neutered, and the wildest cats continue to breed. The breeders are no help as they select for appearance, not behavior in contrast to dog breeders who select for both.

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