What is Cat?

Cats domesticated themselves.

The Timeline:

~10,000 years ago:

• Humans store grain → rodents appear → wildcats show up.
• Humans tolerate cats because cats reduce pests.
• Cats stay because humans are:
  • warm,
  • predictable,
  • food-adjacent,
  • and extremely manipulable.

Unlike Dogs

Unlike dogs, cats were never bred to obey. They formed a mutual non-aggression pact.

What Cats Learned:

Over time, cats learned:

• Humans respond to eye contact
• Humans respond to sound patterns (meowing evolved for us)
• Humans will feed animals that look vaguely baby-like

Cat logic:

“These hairless primates control resources. I will allow them to live with me.”