# Cats! My god, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232 "2018-05-15T18:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/1 "2018-05-15T18:07:57Z")
Cats have a reputation for being self-absorbed and willing to eat their deceased owners without remorse. This is all probably true. But, usually, they’re compared to dogs. But modern dogs have been artificially selected to be loyal and loving… mostly. That’s certainly the stereotype. So, are cats really any different than other tamed mammals like a raccoon or a ferret or a rat? I owned a ferret once. She would curl up and sleep on my belly when I read in bed, just like a cat might do. I never had doubt one, though, that the ferret wouldn’t eat me if she ever got seriously hungry. Are cats really any different, or is it just the comparison with dogs as the most common household pets that make them stand out as self-oriented and vicious? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/2 "2018-05-15T18:13:57Z")
I’d just like to add, IMHO, animals are really different. That was your question, right? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/3 "2018-05-15T18:15:49Z")
Yes, it’s dogs which have been bred to be hunting/shepherding/guarding are child/employee/slave-like toward humans. Dog breeds which have not been bred to be puppy-like towards humans like Huskies are not known for gentle docility. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/4 "2018-05-15T18:17:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Cats have a reputation for being self-absorbed and willing to eat their deceased owners without remorse. As I’ve remarked on this Board before, I’m not convinced that our cats would wait until we’re completely dead before starting on us. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/5 "2018-05-15T18:21:36Z")
“In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” - Terry Pratchett ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/6 "2018-05-15T19:01:30Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Cats have a reputation for being self-absorbed and willing to eat their deceased owners without remorse. > > This is all probably true. But, usually, they’re compared to dogs. But modern dogs have been artificially selected to be loyal and loving… mostly. That’s certainly the stereotype. > > So, are cats really any different than other tamed mammals like a raccoon or a ferret or a rat? > > I owned a ferret once. She would curl up and sleep on my belly when I read in bed, just like a cat might do. I never had doubt one, though, that the ferret wouldn’t eat me if she ever got seriously hungry. > > Are cats really any different, or is it just the comparison with dogs as the most common household pets that make them stand out as self-oriented and vicious? In dire circumstances, I don’t believe _any_ carnivorous animal (including humans!) would hesitate long before digging into the cadavers of their deceased fellow-mortals! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/7 "2018-05-15T19:26:01Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Cats have a reputation for being self-absorbed and willing to eat their deceased owners without remorse. This has never made sense to me. The cats I have known have all been fairly picky about what they ate. It’s dogs who will eat anything. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/8 "2018-05-15T19:33:15Z")
I am not sure my cats would eat me. They would be thoroughly disgusted with my dead body, though. I can see being buried in cat litter if they could get me in the box. They is eeee-vil, I tell you!😉 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/9 "2018-05-15T19:35:46Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > So, are cats really any different than other tamed mammals like a raccoon or a ferret or a rat? Tame is different than domesticated. Cats (and rats and ferrets) have been domesticated and bred for certain qualities. Before becoming house pets, cats mostly served as rodent hunters for people, so their desirable qualities were different than what dogs were bred for. Their natural social structure is also different than dogs. The raccoon has not been domesticated, and is a really bad house pet. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/10 "2018-05-15T19:44:07Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > As I’ve remarked on this Board before, I’m not convinced that our cats would wait until we’re completely dead before starting on us. “C’mon guys! Dinner is going to get cold!” ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/11 "2018-05-15T20:04:13Z")
OMG (pronounce Oh Em Gee), you guys are gross, particularly you, **Mangetout**. Face it, man, you have a twisted imagination. I like that. Still, I appreciate all of your comments. Especially **CookingWithGas**. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/12 "2018-05-15T20:24:02Z")
Dogs’ barking is also plenty more audible than cats’ meowing; so it’s no big surprise that dogs are less likely to be left alone with a corpse for days or weeks. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/13 "2018-05-15T20:28:54Z")
This dog guarded the body of their dead owner. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/14 "2018-05-15T20:57:30Z")
According to this hormone study, dogs release more “love” hormone than cats do when around humans: > [@](#): > > We already knew that, like humans, dogs release the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin. > > This test has never before been done on cats. > … > He took saliva samples from 10 cats and 10 dogs on two occasions - 10 minutes before a playtime session with their owners and immediately after - and tested both samples for oxytocin. > The results show the hormone increased by an average of 57.2 per cent in dogs but only by 12 per cent in cats. > > This means in theory, dogs love their humans more than cats do. > > "I was really surprised to discover that dogs produced such high levels of oxytocin… the dog level of 57.2 per cent is a very powerful response. It shows these dogs really care about their owners. It was also a nice surprise to discover that cats produce any at all. At least some of the time, cats seem to bond with their owners,” he added. > > Some think that cats don’t actually like their owners at all - this study at least proves that wrong. Full article here: [It's finally proven - scientists test whether cats or dogs love us more](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/12/its-finally-proven---scientists-test-whether-cats-or-dogs-love-u/) On the other hand, this study shows that cats prefer human company to food: > [@](#): > > However, a new study carried out by scientists from Oregon State University has determined that felines actually prefer human social interaction to food, making them no less loving than their canine counterparts. > … > Although there was clear individual variability in cat preference, social interaction with humans was the preferred activity for the majority of both pet and shelter cats, followed by food. From here: [Cats Care About People More Than Food, New Study Finds | TIME](http://time.com/4714823/cats-very-social-study/) This DNA study indicates that cats aren’t as domesticated as dogs are, genetically speaking: > [@](#): > > “Cats, unlike dogs, are really only semi-domesticated,” says Wes Warren, professor of genetics Washington University and co-author of the first complete mapping (paywall) of the house cat genome From here: [Why cats never became man’s best friend](https://qz.com/295457/why-cats-never-became-mans-best-friend/) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/15 "2018-05-15T21:10:51Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Dogs’ barking is also plenty more audible than cats’ meowing; so it’s no big surprise that dogs are less likely to be left alone with a corpse for days or weeks. Just sayin’. Have you ever heard a Siamese meow? I rest my case! ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/16 "2018-05-15T21:23:46Z")
About 1 in 10 Americans are infected with Toxoplasma Cite : [CDC - Toxoplasmosis - Epidemiology & Risk Factors](https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/epi.html) Worldwide the infection rates maybe higher depending on the country. Those infected will ensure there is a healthy population of cats for the future since they find the smell of cat urine so addictive. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/17 "2018-05-15T21:24:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **ecg** : > > On the other hand, this study shows that cats prefer human company to food: At least some cats, anyway. The cat who lives on my mom’s front porch literally will not let you feed her until she’s gotten some petting in. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/18 "2018-05-16T00:16:48Z")
Sorry guys, but it’s not just cats that do this. After you die, your dog may also decide to add a little variety to the menu: [https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/pets-dogs-cats-eat-dead-owners-forensics-science/](https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/pets-dogs-cats-eat-dead-owners-forensics-science/) > [@](#): > > In 24 percent of the cases in the 2015 review, which all involved dogs, less than a day had passed before the partially eaten body was found. What’s more, some of the dogs had access to normal food they hadn’t eaten. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/19 "2018-05-16T13:36:45Z")
I just finished reading the book “The Character of Cats” by Stephen Budiansky and one of the major takeaways about why cats are the way they are is that they’re the only domesticated animal whose wild counterparts are completely asocial (rodents probably fall more in the tamed category than domesticated). They only became social when living with humans, and even in feral conditions tend only to co-habitate reluctantly. Cats also haven’t been selectively bred to any real degree. Coat color, hair length, and some fairly minor changes in body shape are the only real variations, none of which are recognized as separate breeds in the way dogs are because the genetics don’t bear that out. So to compare cats and dogs is definitely apples and oranges, you’d be better off comparing cats and wolves since cats are much closer to their wild brethren. They only don’t eat us when we’re alive because we can fight back. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232/20 "2018-05-16T13:39:39Z")
[Meat’s back on the menu, boys!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY4V3UUY95A) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-my-god-right/814232.md?page=2)