House Cat (Felis silvestris catus)

The house cat, while independent and completely able to fend for itself; has been associated with humans longer than recorded history. In 2004, a grave site was excavated in Cyprus that revealed a burial of a human and house cat together. The grave was dated to be over 9,500 years old.

The cat is a highly skilled predator that hunts nearly every species smaller than itself. It has highly evolved teeth and claws that excel a capturing and killing prey. They are known as "obligate carnivores," which means they naturally survive by only eating meat. In the wild, the cat would survive (and thrive) solely on meat from the animals it kills. However, because of its socialization with humans, it also ingests human foods... cheese, cereals, and milk based products. These are foods it cannot easily digest, and so many house cats develop obesity and medical issues.

The relationship between cats and humans is called "symbiotic social adaptation." This means that both species derive benefit from the relationship and so both endeavor to maintain it. Some have suggested that, psychologically, the human keeper of a cat is a sort of surrogate for the cat's mother, and that adult domestic cats live their lives in a kind of extended kitten hood.

One of the appealing aspects of cats to humans is that cats are very clean and quiet creatures. These two factors are also considered to evolved behavior. Unlike dogs and lions, cats are not pack hunters. So there is no advantage to a cat in using scent or sound to identify or locate other pack members (as there is for dogs, wolves, lions or other pack animals).

The advantage to the cat, is to be quiet and without scent, in order to more stealthily sneak up on prey.