Sarah Brown Ph.D - The Cat: A Natural History
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- Book:The Cat: A Natural History
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Provides a comprehensive, richly illustrated introduction to the natural and cultural history of the cat
Offers an in-depth discussion of behaviour, including social organization, communication, courtship, and learning
Covers anatomy and physiology, including mobility, predation skills, and the genetics of coat colors
Features clear and accessible text plus infographics, diagrams, and 250 stunning color photographs
Includes a beautiful photographic directory of more than forty breeds
Tracking the evolution of the cat from its first ancestor, the Pseudaelurus, to the emergence of the modern domestic cat, Sarah Brown looks at how different lineages of the species developed and how the domestic cat Felis came into contact with humans.
Clear accounts of how the cats body functions help explain its extraordinary ability to balance, assess its hunting abilities, and understand its health and dietary needs. Details about the range of coat types and colours and their genetics give a comprehensive overview of the many breeds and nonbreeds we see today. Descriptions of the function of whiskers, the cats reliance on their sense of smell, and the sensory importance of the tongue all contribute to our understanding of the cats physiology.
Cat communication by different means is covered, including vocalization and non-vocal communication. Whether living in the wild, on the streets or in a domestic setting, learning how to relate to other cats is a central element to cats socialization, and this is discussed as part of an in-depth look at cat behaviour.
The cats notorious independent spirit and how it affects the cat-human relationship is assessed, and we take a look at attitudes to cats over the centuries and show how cats have featured in culture. The author offers advice on how to promote feline harmony in a multi-cat household, and how to enhance your pets physical and mental well-being.
A directory of breeds features gorgeous photographs of more than 40 popular breeds, alongside details of their characteristics, genetic background and care requirements. Modern breeding and associated issues are raised, and a comprehensive glossary of medical terms covers health issues that owners need to know.
Anyone with an interest in or love for cats, and all those who have owned a cat will find much to learn and enjoy in The Cat; A Natural History.
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A Natural and Cultural History
SARAH BROWN
T he domestic cat is a familiar face in the modern world and, for many people, a comforting household presence. In numerous countries it is now the pet of choice, whether a moggy of unknown background or one of the pedigreed pure breeds now available. As pets, some cats enjoy pampered lives of luxury with everything they could desire, while others are simply provided with a bowl of food at the end of the day and a place to curl up. Not all domestic cats are pets, however. Despite 10,000 years of association between cats and people, countless domestic cats still live much more independently of humans, hunting for survival just like their wildcat ancestors.
Aloof, affectionate, serene, endearing, exasperating, elegant, enigmatic, and even savagethe cat has been described in many ways throughout its shared history with humankind. It is most notorious, however, for its independence, a quality that some may scorn but others truly admire. And yet it is partly this independence that has enabled the cat to become one of the most popular pets today, in some countries outranking even the dog as the favorite companion animal. People look for a pet that is easy to care for, ideally one that can adapt to living in more confined spaces, keep itself clean, and remain relatively undemanding, while still providing companionship. A tall order, but the domestic cat has most definitely risen to the challenge.
The very first cats befriended by humans were true wildcatsopportuniststhat gradually found their way into our homes and hearts, then, over countless generations, evolved to become domesticated. As the domestic cat slowly but surely colonized the world, it was both worshipped and persecuted before reaching the heights of popularity the species enjoys today. It hasnt been an easy journey, and cats still face challenges, with many of them leading unnecessarily stressful lives. On the face of it, modern-day pet cats might appear to lead charmed lives, with warm homes, nutritious food, and medical care. In return, their owners are often (though by no means always) rewarded with affection, company, and, in some cases, a deep and lasting bond. However, taking cats into our homes and fitting them into our busy lifestyles can sometimes be a lot more straightforward for the owners than for their cats, a relationship that is explored in .
Now one of the worlds most popular pets, manybut by no means alldomestic cats have learned to trust humans.
Cats are masters of adaptabilityif they can find food and shelter they will carve out a niche, with or without the company of other cats or people. This adaptability has been the secret to their successful spread; today domestic cats can be found worldwide in locations as disparate as the Australian outback and high-rise city apartments.
In the relatively short time that cats and humans have lived together, cats have learned to communicate with us, adapting their own species signals for us to understand. We humans have worked less hard at the relationship, assuming that cats will simply adjust to whatever constraints we impose on them, from restricting their movements to expecting their peaceful cohabitation and interaction with other pets, including other cats, as well as with us. When Paul Leyhausen wrote the first scientific book on cat behavior in 1956, people began to think more about the social needs of cats. Since then, science has revealed much more about the behavior and social organization of cats, but much of this knowledge still needs to be put to practical use. Learning about cats, recognizing their needs, and adapting our lifestyles and homes accordingly provides these pets with the best chances for a stress-free life, and gives their owners the opportunity to understand and enjoy their cats to the full.
Far from their wildcat origins, many domestic cats today live in relatively small spaces, and most can adapt to this, given enough stimulation and enrichment (see ).
Compared to our ancestors, we now appreciate cats for very different reasons. Valued for their hunting skills, with their companionship a welcome bonus, appearance was probably relatively unimportant to those humans who first welcomed cats into their lives. Nowadays the reverse is truemany cats are deliberately bred for their looks, and people are prepared to pay a high price for a cat with an impressive pedigree. Even non-pedigree housecats are often selected more for their appearance than their personalityrescue shelters, for example, report that black cats are harder to rehome than those with other coat colors.
Cat breeding has grown enormously in popularity, aided by advances in scientific knowledge of genetics and inheritance. Breeders are now able to achieve and perpetuate new variations in coat color, type, and pattern, along with body shape and size. Cat fancy (see ) is now big business and care needs to be taken that future breeds are healthy ones and that welfare is not compromised for the sake of novelty.
It is harder to find homes for black cats and kittens than for cats of other colorssadly, partly because it is more difficult to see their features in photographs and selfies.
In contrast to the prized mousers of old, hunting by cats nowadays is generally frowned upon. Unfortunately, cats themselves havent quite received that message yet and the urge to hunt persists. Hunting is still a necessity for the survival of the millions of domestic cats that live, whether or not through choice, independently of people. Even for well-fed pet cats the instinct remains. Modern-day cats attract some bad press regarding the potential effects of their predation on local wildlife populations, an issue that is discussed in . The problem, however, is of our own making, and should come as no surprise. For centuries, humans have deliberately introduced an opportunistic skilled hunter to new lands populated with abundant prey. How the consequences of this can be managed and how it affects the cathuman relationship in the long term remains to be seen. It will doubtless be another chapter in the highly checkered history of the cat and its relationship with humankind.
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