Cats as pets

Although opinion is generally divided on the issue of housecats, in our household, there really is no argument. We have two nine year old tortoise-shell sisters, and we like our cats.

As for me, I like them because they give insight into what wild cats might be like in the wild, without having to live with a lion or a tiger. In their natural habitat, cats are very specialized predators, and it is probably because of this specialization that housecats maintain many of their natural instincts, despite multiple generations of domestication. For example, our housecats have maintained the concept of the 'pride', and we, although very flawed cats, are very much part of that pride. Our cats like to eat, fall asleep, and wake up with one of their pride close by. Preferably, they like to fall asleep while being petted, and will track us down and arrange matters before they eat.

A wild cat is arguably the world's most complete predator, and our cats have many of those qualities: they are lithe, flexible, strong, quick, amazingly agile, and they can see in the dark. Our two females hunt together, or at least band together to scare away other feline intruders from our yard, and watching them one gets the sense that the savannah is genetically not that far away. One of the cats thinks my orange earplugs are prey, and will present one at my feet from time to time as if it were a gazelle or a warthog.

Wild cats are largely nocturnal hunters, and the pride relies on stealth while approaching its prey. To this end, wild cats bury their excrement and urine, clean themselves fastidiuosly, and do not make a lot of noise. Similarly, our cats use a litter box and carefully bury all evidence, and many of their waking hours are spent grooming and bathing themselves so that their fur is never dirty and never smells.

Furthermore, and beyond purring, our cats use their voices only to let us know what they want, such as opening a door or filling the food bowl, and they might growl softly if they see a bird outside. Beyond that, however, our cats are quiet animals.

In the wild, some cats will break away from the pride and return after a few days away. Similarly, as long as we make sure that the litter is fresh and the food and water bowls are full, we can leave our cats for long periods of time by themselves.

Housecats transform our households into a little bit of the savannah.