# Why no domesticated medium-sized cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176 "2004-11-22T22:22:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/41 "2004-11-24T06:22:42Z")
I tend, with no data whatsoever, to believe **Blake** that with a bit of selective breeding, we could get some miniature or toy cats - nevermind the small gene pool. I suggest we start with lions, to capitalize on their social instincts. What could be better than a cute, loyal, 12-inch high king of the beasts? ---
**Author:** ![docweasel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@docweasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/docweasel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/42 "2004-11-24T16:01:01Z")
> [@Capt B. Phart](#): > > Those… look cute - but think of a Pit-bull with sharper claws, no dumb doggie obedience and who likes to go totally ape-shit at least once a month. sounds like my girlfriend ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/43 "2004-11-24T16:42:45Z")
First of all, while cheetahs are difficult to breed in captivity, there have been some successes in this endeavor. [http://www.cheetah.org/?html=news-press&data=news-press&key=57](http://www.cheetah.org/?html=news-press&data=news-press&key=57) Like cheetahs, many other wild cats are difficult to breed in captivity. Amongst the smaller of these which may at first seem good candidates for domestication are the african golden cat, the asiatic golden cat, the clouded leopard, the jungle cat (which is not physiologically suited for ground dwelling). One of the smallest cat species, and therefore one would think most readily domesticated, has a fierce temper and has been known to attack and bring down prey four times it’s size. Species that have been somewhat domesticated include cheetahs, as mentioned above, caracels, the african wild cat, the jungle cat (possibly?). [http://www.wildcatconservation.org/cats/index.shtml](http://www.wildcatconservation.org/cats/index.shtml) So there are cats that aren’t suitable for domestication due to physiological reasons (tree dwellers, size), temperment, and breeding behaviours, and then there are the species that live in areas where historically there has been little human interaction. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/44 "2004-11-24T16:59:11Z")
Is it possible to breed “hunting instinct” out of cats? My cats still hunt cockroaches, geckoes, lizards, and each other (but not mice, durnit). Seems to me that a pet big enough to kill the neighbors’ pets and children for fun could be fairly inconvenient. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/45 "2004-11-24T17:41:13Z")
> [@dqa](#): > > I suggest we start with lions, to capitalize on their social instincts. > What could be better than a cute, loyal, 12-inch high king of the beasts? We just need to mate them with a pot-bellied pig. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/46 "2004-11-24T19:54:37Z")
> [@Master Wang-Ka](#): > > Is it possible to breed “hunting instinct” out of cats? My cats still hunt cockroaches, geckoes, lizards, and each other (but not mice, durnit). > > Seems to me that a pet big enough to kill the neighbors’ pets and children for fun could be fairly inconvenient. Indeed. Ever see that home video of the mountain lion jumping into a SoCal resident’s back yard, grabbing their dog in its mouth, and jumping back over the wall. Imagine that’s your cat. Liability issues would be considerable. But breeding hunting out of a cat? Seems like breeding swimming out of fish. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/47 "2004-11-24T21:00:24Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > But breeding hunting out of a cat? Seems like breeding swimming out of fish. [devil’s advocate] Do you suppose someone once said the same about wolves? [/da] ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/48 "2004-11-24T23:45:23Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > [devil’s advocate] Do you suppose someone once said the same about wolves? [/da] Sure. And those who wouldn’t listen have given us the Toy Poodle. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/49 "2004-11-25T01:23:17Z")
Cats have 38 chromosomes, dogs have 78. I’ve heard it theorized that there’s a greater variation among dog breeds than cat breeds because there are more ways to mix up a dog’s genome. IANA genetic scientist of domesticated animals ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/50 "2004-11-25T07:01:40Z")
I still suspect that the cats domesticated _us_. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176/51 "2004-11-25T07:03:56Z")
I agree that cats are NOT domedticated…they are tamed. Dogs are domesticated. Ads proof, I cite my own experience. My sister-in-law’s cat appears to be quite friendly-except that it will bite and scratch you when you play with it. My dog on the other hand: Buddy and I play together a lot…and when things get rough, he will sometimes grab my hand in his mouth. However, as soon as he feels his teeth chomping down-he will back off-he obviously doesn’t want to hurt me. That’s the difference…and a 100-lb. pet cat would probably rip you apart! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-domesticated-medium-sized-cats/276176.md?page=2)