| If animals could speak the dog would be a blundering | | | | |
| outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare | | | | |
| grace of never saying a word too much. ~ Mark | | | | In 2002, a psychologist from Cornell University, Nicholas |
| TwainEvery creature living on planet earth has its own | | | | Nicastro, compared hundreds of "meow" vocalizations |
| unique way of expressing themselves, i.e., to | | | | from domestic cats (Felis catus) to African wild cats |
| communicate. Communication in a broader sense is | | | | (Felis silvetris lybica) and his research proved that the |
| the art of delivering messages to each other and vice | | | | difference between their vocalizations were in |
| versa by signals, behavior, body language, gestures, | | | | accordance to whether they were trying to |
| writing and speech. Let's see the interesting way cats | | | | communicate with humans. For instance, when cats |
| convey their wants and needs to us humans. | | | | demand to be fed, they express a different "meow" |
| Domestic cats have their own way of communicating | | | | then when they are in an angry mood. Thus, based on |
| with humans. Research has shown that wild cats in | | | | my own experience at being a longtime cat-lover, I can |
| Africa - which later evolved into domestic cats - don't | | | | tell their moods not only from their different meows, |
| have this special skill. However, regarding the domestic | | | | but also by a wide range of kitty lexicon including their |
| cat's ancestor, a recent study said | | | | body language and gestures - headbutts, how they |
| | | | | wag their tails, et al. - right on down to the different |
| | | | | ways they purr. Please see YouTube video below for |
| The domestic house cat is descended from the Middle | | | | the hard evidence. |
| Eastern Wild cat, uncovering proof of how and when | | | | |
| cats first came to supervise so many homes for | | | | The research showed that there are indeed |
| humans. The DNA of 979 cats throughout the world | | | | significant differences in the two different types of |
| were analyzed and found that all feral and domestic | | | | cats' abilities to communicate and it all centered on their |
| cats today have a common ancestor: the Near | | | | exposure to humans. The African wild cats were only |
| Eastern Felis silvestris. Cats were first domesticated in | | | | capable of expressing the unpleasant meow vocal |
| the Fertile Crescent, an area stretching from the | | | | range. They don't produce the soft swaying meows |
| eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf, and then | | | | like domestic cats. Furthermore, cats love to observe |
| cats were transported around the world by humans. | | | | and study how we - humans - express our emotions |
| The earliest archaeological evidence for cats and | | | | and communicate our feelings to each other and with |
| people living together was found in Cyprus, dating to | | | | other creatures. And the clever little devils are taking |
| 9,500 years ago. | | | | notes because our cats really know how to push our |
| | | | | buttons to get what they want. They have been |
| Domestic cats have a long relationship with humans, | | | | learning from us all this time. The proof of this |
| traced all the way back to when farmers began | | | | statement is available in the YouTube video below. |
| growing grain 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Farmers | | | | |
| recognized that cats would prey on rodents who ate | | | | "Cats are domesticated animals that have learned |
| their crop, and through this situation there developed a | | | | what levers to push, what sounds to make to manage |
| mutually beneficial relationship between our two | | | | our emotions," Nicastro says. "And when we respond, |
| species. You see, cats and people have been | | | | we too are domesticated animals. |
| communicating pretty well now for 10,000 years. | | | | |