The Domestication Of Cats : Analysis

Cats entered the New World on the Mayflower. A new breed called the American Shorthair was created. This tame cat would have been distinguishable from the wild cats by their color patterns, hair length, and size. The tame cat could help hunt for birds and rodents because they are hardy, tough, and athletic. It is also likely that the tame cat bred with the wild cats, so new breeds that had the characteristics of the wild ones entered the domestic stock. Cats were not always liked though. There were many superstitions about cats, which made people afraid of them. The cat became known as an indispensable pet for all the genuine witches. The black cat also became known as one of the symbols of Satan. These superstitions may have started because nightly, silent expeditions of feral cats, or their weird cries and shining eyes in the dark. So, cats have not always been accepted as a domestic pet.

3. Who / what do the cats of each European nation represent? Who / what do they represent in America?

    Dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years. Food from the humans would bring the dogs to them, and the dogs would bark at predators when they came so the people started to feed the dogs to keep them around. In the 1’st century AD in China Roman mosaics show evidence of the present day Pekingese and Roman ladies also had lap dogs. They believe the dogs warmth cures stomach aches. The earliest evidence of any domesticated dog is a jawbone found in Iraq in a cave about 12,000 years ago. We know it is a jawbone of a dog because a jawbone of a wolf is smaller and the teeth is smaller.

While dogs and cats are a lot alike, you have to consider their differences before you choose your pet. As mentioned before cats do not require cleaning nor exercising or training, while dogs are in need of all these things. If you want to raise a pet then, try to manage your time before you choose your best

Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Black Cat immerses the reader into the mind of a murdering alcoholic. Poe himself suffered from alcoholism and often showed erratic behavior with violent outburst. Poe is famous for his American Gothic horror tales such as the Tell-Tale Heart and the Fall of the House of Usher. “The Black Cat is Poe’s second psychological study of domestic violence and guilt. He added a new element to aid in evoking the dark side of the narrator, and that is the supernatural world.” (Womack). Poe uses many of the American Gothic characteristics such as emotional intensity, superstition, extremes in violence, the focus on a certain object and foreshadowing lead the reader through a series of events that are horrifying

     Tigers are the biggest member of the cat family, with lions coming in at a close second. Their paw pads are very sensitive and are easily damaged, which prevents them from following prey that may wonder on such things as rocks that are hot. Another interesting fact about the tiger is that there are no white tigers left in the wild, only in captivity. On top of that, all of the white tigers in captivity came from the same female, which was caught in 1952. White tigers are not true albinos because they lack pink eyes; theirs are blue. Tigers and lions have actually mated in captivity. The offspring of a male tiger and a female lion is called a Tigon, and offspring of a male lion and a female tiger is called a Liger.

To understand an animal more, you must first understand the history behind it. The evolution of Siberian tigers started when a fossil of Siberian tigers were found in China. It was two million years old. Even though the animals have different features that make them appear different, they are very much alike internally, including that in the distant past they had a common ancestor. For example, all tigers have characteristics such as; strip patterns,large paws, long claw, whiskers,sharp teeth, long tail, and strong hind legs. The tiger species may have common characteristics, but their

The first thing temple Grandin explains is that cats domesticated themselves because early human civilizations had lots of mice for the cats to eat and pray on. Then she explains that when cats were domesticated there brains got smaller and they purr even when they are adults also meow. The next big point that the author explains that cats are closer to their wild counterparts than any other animal which means that they can easily return to the wild than say dogs. Temple Grandin then explains that cats weren't domesticated when dogs were because early humans wanted something to protect them and the cat being small could fight like a dog could. Then she explains that domesticated cats do not look that much different from non domesticated cats. She says “They evolved some different coat colors, but most

Being natural predators, they would hunt rodents, which encouraged Middle Eastern farmers to keep them around. Grange explains that this set up could be dubbed as “mutually profitable for both sides” (qtd. in Saey). Also, as many cat owners know, cats typically mark their territory and stay in one place. Using this knowledge, scientists have drawn conclusions that cats were transported to Europe; they didn’t migrate there themselves. This idea is backed up with evidence from mitotypes. “European wildcats carried one mitotype. It’s called clade I. A 6,400-year-old Bulgarian cat and a 5,200-year-old Romanian cat had a different type of mitochondrial DNA. They both had mitotype IV-A” (Saey). These mitotypes are relative to location, so when cats in Africa were found with mitotypes previously only found in Egypt, it suggested that cats were being transported by people. Saey also brings up a valid point, “Thirty-two of 70 cats from Southwest Asia also had that mitotype. That rapid spread may indicate that sailors traveled with cats, some of which could have jumped ship to find a new

The domestication of animals by humans is an early example of eugenics. Animals were used for hunting, warning system against predators, and overall companionship. (History of Eugenics) Humans at the time wanted a powerful animal, that was able to protect their owner, and help be able to produce food and clothing Obviously a strong animal does not come from handicapped ancestry, rather it comes from a far more adaptive origin. Early day humans exchanged this idea that the fittest animal comes from the fittest parents. This idea of superior origin was used in animal husbandry (History of Eugenics). For instance, a cattle that could produce twice as much milk and supply a strong hide, would obviously out weigh its less useful

Owning an animal can take up a lot of time. For most people time is of the essence, and spending a lot of time on an animal is unrealistic . Cats are able to live without their owners for days on end. They can usually find something to eat, and pee if plants for example. But dogs need to be put in kennels and looked after by another person. Dogs also have to be put on leashes when they are outside. Cats have the ability to roam freely because their owners do not have to worry about them causing a lot of trouble. A cat is allowed to be outside until late hours because owners know that the feline will make its way home, where as a dog at night is usually brought inside, or chained up outside.

some peace in America. She put her cats on a boat, and was ready to get out. She

Cats came to the United States from Europe. They came from Egypt before that, and they were treated very special in Egypt because one of their gods was a cat. This is when they got domesticated, which was almost 4,000 years ago. Even though they have been domesticated they still do what every living thing does. In order for cats to survive they must get energy, move and grow, adapt to the environment protect themselves and reproduce.

Thesis/Preview: Today, I will discuss three types of cats based on their shelters or living conditions: the pet cat, the feral cat, and the pseudo-wildcat.

The first difference that can be easy to notice is that a dog is a pack animal and a cat is not.