How come we like cat videos so much?

How did cats become part of human life? Do they have emotions? Why do we love them so much? Petstory is as curious as a cat about the subject.

Everyone watches cat videos. Admit it, even you do! But why the fascination? To understand how our relationship with cats came about, we need to delve into the history of feline behaviour and psychology. Petstory is curious as a cat about the subject.

What is the origin of cats?

The ancestor of the cat, the Pseudaelurus, looked a lot like our domestic cats. It lived on earth 8 to 18 million years ago. This cougar-sized beast was the origin of a wide range of feline branches, including our domestic cat, the Felis silvestris catus or ‘kitty kat’ for those in-the-know.

What is the oldest cat breed?

The oldest cat breed is the Egyptian Mau. Present in the region of the Fertile Crescent in the Near East, this cat was revered to the extent that it was represented in many objects of worship. The Egyptians even made this cat a goddess: Bastet, the protector of the family. During this period, if you took a cat outside the borders of Egypt, you suffered the death penalty. Fortunately, times have changed.

How were cats domesticated?

Cats became domestic when man became sedentary, about 7,500 years ago. Sedentary existence (rather than hunter/gathering) necessitates the storage of food, and grain reserves attracted rodents. Cue cats, animals that love to hunt rats and mice. This hunting instinct, the thing that made cats useful to man, is still very much present in every cat today. (link to cat-sseur article)

Europeans introduced house cats to control the rats and rodents that infested food on sailing ships and in homes. At that time there was no need to buy toy mice, there were plenty of real ones around😊. These cats, introduced during the 18th and 19th centuries, are why we have cats in America today. Cat sterilization was not exactly a thing back then and these escapees from ships were quick to make the most of the New World.

Can cats have human feelings?

Anthropomorphism, (attributing human reactions and feelings to an animal) is very common among cat owners. You know when you think your cat is intentionally pushing a plant off a shelf because you’re not paying enough attention to him? That’s anthropomorphism. But the truth is, your cat isn’t capable of feeling resentful, or sad, or happy. On the other hand, scientists have shown that he can feel 6 basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise and disgust. That being said, your cat's behavior is often simply a reaction to changes in the environment that make him anxious.

Why do we love cats so much?

Psychologists agree that people adopt cats to fill a need for love and affection. The benefits of purring regarding stress have been widely demonstrated. Cats are also sociable, entertaining and playful. They make us laugh and give us cuddles (until they don’t want to any more). And they are surprisingly clumsy, even if they always land on their feet. No wonder they are the world’s most popular pet.

So why do we love cat videos so much? Maybe because felines have been part of human life for so long? Perhaps it’s because we find them as clownish as they are endearing? Or maybe it’s just because a cat falling down off a curtain is simply funny. One thing’s for sure, cat definitely know how to entertains us 😊.

Sources:

https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/la-faune/especes/invasives/chat-domestique/

https://www.mondou.com/fr-CA/blogue/conseils/chat/lorigine-des-races-de-chats-ac39.html

https://educhateur.com/anthropomorphisme/

https://www.nationalgeographic.fr/ Animaux/ce-que-les-chats-pensent-de-nous-pourrait-vous-surprendre

https://www.psychologue.net/articles/pourquoi-aimons-nous-autant-les-chats