7 the most interesting facts about the relationship between humans and cats Bashny.Net

Fluffy kompanony



Domestic cat - the cat family mammal order Carnivora - apparently the most cunning kind of animals on the planet: they did not have to domesticate because at one time they did it themselves. In this collection we have compiled the most interesting facts about how relations of people with cats.

1. Your cat deliberately you ignoriruet



It is believed that cats - independent animals unlike dogs they supposedly less attached to the owners and seek to distance from them. This is not so - your cat ignores you, not because you do not care about her: she's doing it on purpose.

To prove it, Japanese scientists claim that the cat distinguishes the voice of the master (or mistress) of the speech of others. University of Tokyo conducted a research to study the behavior of domestic cats. In the course of scientific research to the fluffy "volunteers" to contact their owners and strangers, and the cat could not see who owns the voice. Animals pulled the head and ears at the sound, and in recognition of his master's voice have been an expansion of the pupils, which may indicate the vivid emotions.

One of the study's authors Atsuko Saito explained: "During the development of their cats have learned to hide their feelings in order to survive." In the wild, a cat trying to hide their illness, not to show weakness, as the strength of the predator often depends on his life. The same make and domestic cats: ill, they tend to hide in the corner and do not let your self. But 10,000 years of living next to people, domestic cats yet learned to communicate with us, and we seem to understand them.



The study is published in the July issue of the «Animal Cognition» just a week after the announcement of another scientist. In an interview with «The Atlantic» Slobodchikov professor told me that recorded communication prairie dogs, and use special computer programs, like artificial intelligence to translate the barks into English.

2. The artist demonstrated how the world looks through the eyes of koshek



Many cat owners probably dreaming at least for a day to find yourself in the skin of your pet to look at the world through his eyes. Although the authorities of cats on a structure largely similar to human, in the evolution of the eye cats adapted to the specific conditions, so the cat's vision has its own specifics. The representatives of the cat family learned to navigate well in low light and sensitive to the slightest movement, but for this they had to sacrifice the subtleties of color perception, and some other features.

Artist and researcher Nicholas Lamm managed to create a reliable model that makes it possible to imagine how cats see the surrounding reality. After consulting with experts School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Lamm has developed several visualizations that allow you to compare the vision of cats and humans.



When creating this model, Nicholas took into account a variety of factors: for example, the breadth of peripheral vision - in cats, it is 30 on each side, and a man can boast of only 20, so the total breadth of a feline - 200 (180 people). But we can see much further - a man well able to distinguish objects at a distance of about 30 meters, while the cat is difficult to consider the subject, if it is within seven meters of it.









Also, the cat's eye perceives bad brown, red and orange, but sees great blue and yellow. Due to large number of special photo-receptors in the eyes of cats see in the dark at 6-8 times better person - this ability allows wild felines hunt at night. By the way, the cat's eye has an interesting feature that many may have noticed: in the dark, they emit a strange phosphorescent glow, this is due to the presence of light-reflecting pigments in the tapetum - a layer of tissue behind the retina.

3. cats meow just to attract attention cheloveka



The sound of "meow" was intended by nature to little kittens could call up his mother. Growing kittens need to stop using it. Adult feral cats living in their natural habitat, not ever meow.

In the process of domestication, cats came to the conclusion that their infantile "meow" the most effective acts on their owners: the sound sounds quite compassionately and fairly loud. Meow has become a universal means of communication adult cats and cats with a man. Communicating with each other, cats do not meow.

4. As long as people especially domesticated dogs, cats domesticated themselves samostoyatelno



Dogs were among the first animals to be domesticated. It is believed that hunter-gatherers were kidnapped cubs and raised them as his companion for hunting.

As for cats, then they mostly domesticated independently. Once people began to engage in agriculture and lead a sedentary life, they had to learn to keep large stocks of grain in storage silos and primitive.

And if in one place a lot of stored grain, any farmer will tell you that eventually there will come the hordes of rats. With this amount of food - rodents - cats gradually adapted to life close to the people, have become more open and trusting, and eventually domesticate.

People tolerate cats, because they hunted rats and thus helps to store grain and cat people suffered because of human granaries was always full of food for every taste.

It is believed that domestication occurred in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, which led to the deification of the cats in these societies.

5. Cats are stressed from too gentle hozyaev



Recent studies of the behavior of domestic cats gave a curious result: it appears that pupils do not always enjoy petting the host.

Experts from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, the University of Lincoln in the UK and the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine found that cats often experience anxiety and worry at the touch of a man, so to avoid exposing it to constant stress, the owner is better to avoid the frequent strokes and other tactile contact with pet darling.



As explained by Professor Daniel Mills, one of the leaders of the experiment: "According to our research the highest stress experienced by those cats who allow themselves to be stroked, although they do not like." Animals that owners often and insistently stroked, in the body there was an increased level of cortisol - a stress hormone.

In the experiment, the professor and his colleagues have studied the behavior of pets living with people individually, in pairs and in a group of three or four cats, while it was found that, contrary to popular belief domesticated felines also feel comfortable in the company of their own kind as alone. Moreover, young (under two years) single cat is even more stressed than their cousins ​​the same age group living.

According to Mills, "Many believe that it is better not to have several cats, because it is detrimental to their mental state, but this is not true - the animals are so self-sufficient and independent, even if they can not make friends, they always find a way to avoid communicate with each other ».

"The result of the experiment indicates that the owners of the cats is not too rapidly to express their affection and love - the animals do not like. In addition, if you live several cats, make sure that each pupil had their own private space, toiletries and kitchen utensils "- summed up Daniel Mills.

6. Hunt for laser pointer does psychic cat travmu



Cat owners know that their pet is no better game than the "hunt" for the laser pointer or the sun "bunny". Although the light spot or trace of the laser is not even remotely similar to mice and other prey at the sight of their unexpected quick movements in cats hunting instincts wake up and an overwhelming desire to throw himself into the chase, which ultimately doomed to failure.

Ethologists (specialists in animal behavior) believe that part of the "hunt" for the laser pointer or the sun "bunny" can be harmful to cats because of the elusiveness "game».



"The persecution of the spot light so attracts cats, they can not stop - it's a habit, but the result is unattainable, and" unsuccessful pursuit of "provoking trauma" - said in an interview with «Live Science» Professor Nicholas Dodman, a member of the school of veterinary medicine at Tufts University (Massachusetts).

By the way, recently, experts conducted a study to identify some similarities between the pathology of the infinite "hunting" for cats laser pointers and the dependence of the people on the TV: In both cases, attention is tenacious obsess traffic light.

7. Cats know how to manipulate lyudmi



Cats are associated with people is much stronger than any more pets. They can not only bring joy to their owners, but also to manipulate them.

Group behaviorists from the University of Vienna examined 41 cat behavior and their owners, as well as found by tests, as playful as sociable animals and their owners.

The researchers found that cats and people are strongly influenced by each other. The largest were observed in the mutual relationship of women and young extroverts, active animals. They have enough for successful intercourse minor hints - for example, raised tail indicates the desire of friendly contact. This cat owners love skillfully use, in particular, in order to get more food.

Cats and humans have for each other strong attachment. "The man and the cat is well-known inclinations and preferences of each other. Their relationship is based on mutual attraction, simplicity of interaction, games, love, and social support, "- says one of the study's authors, Dorothy Gracey.

These relationships are typical for people and nature almost never occur. Cats behave like small children who have not yet learned to talk, the researchers said, stressing that the results of their work allows for a fresh look at these animals.

via factroom.ru