What's Mittens Thinking? Make 'Sense' Of Your Cat's Behavior

[pokerfan]

Cats have come a long way from being animals charged with catching mice to treasured, adorable creatures that snuggle with us in our beds. But this relatively new arrangement is creating issues for cats and the people who live with them.

John Bradshaw has studied the history of domesticated cats and how the relationship between people and cats has changed. He's the author of the new book Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet, which is a follow-up to his book Dog Sense.

Bradshaw is the foundation director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol in England. As an anthrozoologist, he studies the interactions between people and animals. He's also the former science chairman of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about how our relationship with cats has evolved over time and how toning down cats' hunting instincts will ensure them a future on an increasingly crowded planet.

On cats' social behavior

"I think cats are much less demonstrative animals than dogs are. It's kind of not their fault; they evolved from a solitary animal that has never had the need for a sophisticated social repertoire in the way that the dog — having evolved from the wolf — had that ready-made. So their faces are just not terribly expressive, and some people read into that, that they're kind of cynical and aloof and those sorts of things. But I don't believe that for a moment. I think cats show, by their behavior, even if it's a bit more subtle than a dog's, that they really are fond of their owners."

More: http://www.npr.org/2013/09/05/219254626/whats-mittens-thinking-make-sense-of-your-cats-behavior

[peace13]

1. Thanks for this! n/t

[shenmue]

2. Sounds pretty darn good

I will look for it.

[pokerfan]

3. Dog Sense was pretty good

so I expect this one will be as well. I appreciate that he takes a scientific (anthrozoological) approach

[Warpy]

4. Cats are very social and are one of the few animals

that genuinely like us, adopting primates in the zoo as well as following hopeful children home in suburbia.

My old tomcat used to wake me up by patting me on the head with a big, velvet paw. My little old lady cat tries to groom my hair, very friendly behavior for a cat.

People who think cats are antisocial have never lived with one.

They're just like the people who think dogs can't smile--obviously they've never really known a dog.

[tosh]

5. My two, ages 4 and 13,

are with me here, now, in my office - one sleeping on each end of my desk.

Yesterday (36 hours, actually) I was on the sofa with a wicked head-cold and guess where the cats were?

[sir pball]

7. They love us so much they domesticated themselves.

There's quite a bit of theory that the little furballs willingly decided to live alongside us, rather than having us intercede and breed them to our will. It also neatly explains that that's why they're so capable of living wild; since they consciously came to us, they never lost the skillset needed to be feral and can make the switch basically at-will.

[Warpy]

8. It was probably an alliance that began in the paleolithic

because primates are messy eaters and attracted their prey. They knew if they hung around us, there would be plenty of rats and mice, not to mention the occasional dropped tidbit.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

I'm just grateful, I love the hairy little buggers back.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. I was listening to Fresh Air today...

and this guy was pretty interesting.

Ordered the book.