Why do people have pet cats?

[conuly]

I don't mean "why do people keep pet cats now", that's self-evident, cats are wonderful little foot warmers. And I don't mean "how were cats domesticated" because I already know all about that and I think self-domesticating felines are awesome.

I mean "what caused the transition between useful critter and pet?"

Was it a bet?

"Hey, you know those furry things that hang around granaries?"
"Mice and rats?"
"No, the ones that EAT mice and rats."
"What about them?"
"Bet you a pound of copper you can't grab one, rub your hands all over it, and come out again without getting bit!"
"... You're on. But if I win, you have to eat this solid milk stuff that grew in that cow stomach I was using for a bag, and I bet YOU can't do it without vomiting."
"Ugh. Fine, but when I do, you're going to have to drink this rotten grape juice."

The next day...

"So? What happened?
"You won't believe this, but when I picked it up it started VIBRATING! Is that weird or what?"
"But it didn't bite you? Damn."

I mean, seriously, hadn't the ancients ever heard not to harass wild animals?

Comments

[siderea]

You know about the microbes, right?

It's not that we domesticated them, nor did they domesticate themselves. They domesticated us.

[conuly]

You mean the parasite?

[siderea]

Yeah, Toxoplasma gondii. We never decided for ourselves cats were cool, we were infected by their rat-hunting biowarfare agent. And we're too big to eat, so they let us hang out with them, so long as we provide pettins and scritches.

[conuly]

Except that cats are affected by toxoplasmosis as well. So... really... it's all been a shell game by the parasite to increase the cat and rat populations!

[dogstar]

I am about 75% sure that there is some sort fo "OMG IT'S FLUFFY QUICK GRAB AND SNUGGLE IT" response that is ike, genetic andhas somehow managed to persist in humans despite it clearly being a trait counter to survival..... ;P

[mc776]

The food thing seems pretty straightforward to me (waste not, want not, no one dies = edible) - what I wonder about is how people started drinking milk in the first place.

[conuly]

Well, we're mammals. When a mommy has a baby and loves it very, very much....

[mc776]

yeah, but from a totally different animal??? (and why only hoofed animals)

[conuly]

Hoofed animals are big enough to be milked. YOU try milking a rabbit!

[redbird]

I suspect it involved children (who hadn't learned to leave the wild animals alone) and/or kittens (who hadn't learned caution around the wild hominids).

[conuly]

Children, maybe, but in my experience kittens are born scared of humans, especially the little ones. It's lack of caution and trust that has to be learned!

[conuly]

But maybe that's their side of it.

"Hey, you know those creatures that hang around the mouseary?"
"You mean the mice?"
"No, the funny looking ones that like to lure mice for us!"
"What about them?"
"I dare you to go up to one and twist around its legs!"
"What if it trips?"
"What if it does? It'll be funny!"

[liminaltime]

I suspect that it was the cats who first came looking for affection, when they started to think maybe the humans weren't so bad. Or food.