All small species of wild feline – of which there are many – meow. Instead, the domestic cat has modified this sound, making it shorter, higher-pitched and more pleasing to our ears. Researchers have suggested that humans have an innate preference for high-pitched sounds and that cats adapted accordingly.
And it’s not just the meow. Scientists at the University of Sussex have shown that when cats want something (usually food), they deploy an insistent, chainsaw-like purr that bears some phonetic resemblance to a human baby’s cry. Other small feline species also purr, so this is most likely another example of an existing trait cleverly adapted to manipulate us into getting what they want.
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The domestic cat may not have evolved much from the African wildcat, but the changes that have occurred have produced household companions that are both friendlier and better able to manipulate us. Some breeds have been selected to be even more attentive chums, essentially dogs in cat’s clothing. For example, without any training at all, Nelson announces playtime by bringing his toys and dropping them at my feet, fetching them when they’re thrown across the room. And as for the disturbing claim that your cat would eat you if you died at home and your body weren’t discovered: don’t believe it.
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