Questioning divine existence.

First things first: am an animal person especially cats and dogs, and whatever you read from here is adopted by experienced experience.
I've seen and heard how domestic cats is being demonized just because of its divine nature, am saying divine because as other animals are created, it is too.

[1]Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. catus

Binomial name: Felis catus

[1] The domestic cat(Latin: Felis catus) is a small, typically furry, carnivorous mammal. They are often called house cats when kept as indoor pets or simply cats when there is no need to distinguish them from other felids and felines. Cats are often valued by humans for companionship and for their ability to hunt vermin. There are more than 70 cat breeds, though different associations proclaim different numbers according to their standards.

Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids, with a strong flexible body, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. Cat senses fit a crepuscular and predatory ecological niche. Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by mice and other small animals. They can see in near darkness. Like most other mammals, cats have poorer color vision and a better sense of smell than humans. Cats, despite being solitary hunters, are a social species and cat communication includes the use of a variety of vocalizations (mewing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting), as well as cat pheromones and types of cat-specific body language.

Cats have a high breeding rate. Under controlled breeding, they can be bred and shown as registered pedigree pets, a hobby known as cat fancy. Failure to control the breeding of pet cats by neutering, as well as the abandonment of former household pets, has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, requiring population control. In certain areas outside cats' native range, this has contributed, along with habitat destruction and other factors, to the extinction of many bird species. Cats have been known to extirpate a bird species within specific regions and may have contributed to the extinction of isolated island populations. Cats are thought to be primarily responsible for the extinction of 33 species of birds, and the presence of feral and free-ranging cats makes some otherwise suitable locations unsuitable for attempted species reintroduction.

Since cats were venerated in ancient Egypt, they were commonly believed to have been domesticated there, but there may have been instances of domestication as early as the Neolithic from around 9,500 years ago (7,500 BC).[1] A genetic study in 2007 concluded that domestic cats are descended from Near Eastern wildcats, having diverged around 8,000 BC in the Middle East. [1]A 2016 study found that leopard cats were undergoing domestication independently in China around 5,500 BC, though this line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domesticated populations of today.

Many Nigerians hate cats and when you ask them why, most of their response revolves around the nature of the cat being diabolical; and the person's source is either he array or in movies.
I would like us to take this part by part.
1. Why do cats' eyes glow?

The Answer:
[2,]Cats, dogs, and many nocturnal creatures appear to have glowing eyes because the back of their eyeballs include a special reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum. This helps animals (cats in this case) see better in low light by working like a mirror on the retina to reflect the light back through the eyes, giving them a second chance to absorb the light. The colors seem more visible at night because the pupils are dilated wider than during the day, allowing more of the tapetum lucidum to be visible.

Humans don't have this layer. That partially explains why when you get your developed photographs back the subjects have red spots in their eyes. This is caused by the light from the flash traveling through the pupil and illuminating the blood-cell rich retina at the back of our eyes.

The secret behind so-called "red-eye-reducing cameras" is that they use two quick flashes instead of one. The theory being that the first flash will cause the subject's pupils to restrict and let in less light, while the second will be used for the actual picture.
2. How did cats come to be associated with the devil? What exactly did people think that these cats were up to?
[3]
Anyone who has heard the unearthly midnight howling of a cat on the prowl might understand where the idea of demonic posession came from, and a distressed cat (and most of their persecutors saw them when they were distressed) can certainly look diabolical.

Add to this a cat's natural stand-offishness, and the fact that there is something slightly wild and mysterious about even the most domesticated of moggies, and all the ingredients for persecution by the superstitious and credulous were in place.

Problems began in earnest in the 12th century when the church turned on heretics known as the Albigensians. It was alleged that they worshipped the devil, who appeared to them at Sataninc masses in the form of a black cat whose backside his followers were required to kiss. Some theologians claimed this as the origin of the alternative name for Albigensians - Cathars (Cat + arse) - although in fact the word comes from the Greek meaning "purified".

This idea merged with another, the concept of a 'familiar'; a supernatural being who shared the household with the devil-worshipper. This was again, a perversion of the old Roman worship of a household's guiding spirits, the lares and penates.



The familiar was an imp given to the witch by Satan as her partner in evil. In popular superstition familiars could take many shapes. Dogs were occasional choices - for much of his career the infamous magic user Cornelius Agrippa was invariably accompanied by a large black dog.

Toads were another favourite, especially as they were believed to posess magical powers (some toad skins sweat a hallucogenic compound, which might have helped with this belief), but as anyone keeping a pet toad would be regarded as somewhat odd even today, popular imagination focused on the cat. A witch's cat came to be called a grimalkin. The Scottish goddess of witches was called Mither o' the Mawkins, a 'mawkin' being a small animal - usually a cat or a hare. Eventually the connection between cats and witches was so close that Pope Innocent VIII issued a decree in 1484 which pronounced cats as unholy creatures. He ordered that whenever a person was condemned as a witch, the cat should be burned as well as its owner. Not surprisingly, cat ownership declined - indeed, as late as 1600, witchfinder's manuals agreed that ownership of a cat was one of the distinguishing marks of a witch.
Since over 200,000 people died in as a result of this lethal stupidity, it is no surprise that many sensible people decided that doing without a cat was vastly preferable to falling under suspicion.

Feral populations of cats fared no better, as these were trapped and burned, hundreds at a time. The French witch finder Nicholas Remy wrote in his book Three works on the idolization of demons that not only could demons appear as cats, but that cats were basically demons. No-one knows how many thousands of cats were killed, but certainly the cat population of Europe decined sharply.

Interestingly, the period between 1300 and 1700 represents both the period of the persecution of witches and their cats, and the time when Europe was wracked by successive plagues. The worst of these was the Black Death which, by some estimates, killed one out of every four people in Europe. Like many of the diseases which swept across Europe, the black death was carried by vermin, in this case the black rat. Naturally, one of the best forms of protection against disease-spreading vermin was the common domestic cat. Except thanks to stupidity, superstition and religious fanaticism, the cat was not so
Why do cats cover their feces?

Many people believe they bury their waste products because they are fastidious. That isn't necessarily so. In the wild, only secondary cats bury their waste to protect their trail from predators. The dominant feline will actually display his or her feces prominently. This sends a strong message of dominance. In the world of house cats, you are the dominant animal and the house cat chooses not to offend you. They will carefully bury their feces to eliminate interfering with what they perceive as the natural order.

Why do cats like high places?

Anything up high gives cats a great view from which to keep an eye on their property. It's safe and secure, and they can keep a lookout for prey.

Do cats have a memory?

Cats have a memory that can be up to 200 times more retentive than dogs. The individual feline uses his memory only for what he regards as useful functions; therefore, a cat's memory is quite selective.

Why do cats chatter when seeing a bird?

The odd behavior that resembles teeth-chattering is usually produced when a cat sees something he wants but can't get to it. Though his mouth is slightly open (the lips pulled back and the jaw opening and closing rapidly), it's not a form of communication. The noise made is a combination of lip-smacking and teeth-chattering as he gets more excited. He may emit small bleating noises like a baby goat. So far, none of this is believed to have any function.

Why do cats hiss and spit when attacked or threatened?

Believe it or not, they are imitating snakes. The sound of the cat's hiss is almost the same sound as a snake's hiss - and the snake is one of the most feared creatures in the animal world. Hissing is pretty common in all land animals. When a cat hisses, he opens his mouth halfway, drawing back the upper lip and wrinkling the face. As he does this, he expels his breath so hard that, if you were close enough, you could feel the jet of air. The moisture he releases with this gusty breath is what's called spitting. It almost always succeeds in repulsing an enemy.

Why do cats want out when in ... and in when out?

Cats have a very powerful need to check out their territory from time to time. The reason that their checking is so rhythmic is because of the built-in time clock of their scent marks. When outside, cats rubs a territory marker or sprays urine on it to keep their rivals away. The staying power of the scent becomes weaker with time and eventually disappears. This means that they will need another visit outside to do it all over again.

Why are cats so territorial?

All cats are territorial by nature, even those who live indoors. They're very protective of their space. Inside, a cat claims from an entire room to a specific corner of a bed. Outdoors it is especially important for a cat to stake his territorial claim, limited only by how big an area he feels he can reasonably defend. New cats in the neighborhood have to fight to be accepted and to win territory. Each cat's territory includes a few types of spaces: private where he will sleep and feel safe, commonly held grounds which he will share with a few other cats, and meeting grounds where a group of cats will meet. An outer part of the territory is where he will hunt and roam. Usually by battling it out with other cats, they establish their territories.

Often, they form a time-share system, using the same areas, but at different times. When they fail to agree on the rules, the caterwauling begins.

Why do cats feel compelled to bring dead prey into the house?

Returning with the spoils of the hunt is their way of proudly bringing back a gift to their guardian. Normally, cats see us as a parent figure, but when they present gifts of prey, they see us as their kittens. Accept the gift graciously and properly dispose of it. Big cats in the wild present prey to others in their den as a social gesture. Perhaps they prefer to share it in safety where chances of theft are slim.

What do your cat's eyes reveal about his moods?

The pupils of a hungry cat's eyes will dilate up to five times their normal size when he spies his food bowl, even if it's empty. They'll also appear as big black pools when frightened or threatened. Half closed eyelids say that he's totally relaxed; when fully closed, he's very satisfied or asleep. He will shut his eyes for protection against a dominant rival. When forced into submission, he shuts out the image of his tormentor. The victor perceives this as defeat and usually walks away.

Why are cats so hard to train?

Actually, cats aren't that tough to train; they just refuse to perform for a pat on the head. They're indifferent to the process and learn tricks only because they want to. Because they're not renowned for their obedience, we think they're defiant. However, if there's something in it for them, they are quick to learn. Cats learn by association. You can't bribe them with sweets because their taste buds don't have any sweet receptors (as meat eaters they don't need them). They can't tell the difference between a sugar solution and plain water. As with all animals, coaxing them includes much love, patience, consistency, authority, repetition, and reward ... but never punishment. Dogs are trainable because they are born to follow leaders; cats, on the other hand, take care of themselves.

Are cats smart?

In the animal kingdom, the cat's IQ is surpassed only by monkeys and chimps. Cats think and adapt to changing circumstances and learn by observation, imitation, and trial and error. Interestingly, cats seem to learn more quickly from their own mothers than from examples set by unrelated cats, but imitate humans. They have been shown to exhibit greater problem solving abilities than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan and the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History have concluded that while canine memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat's recall can last as long as 16 hours, exceeding even that of monkeys and orangutans.

Do cats think?

A cat's intelligence is confined to cautiousness with a guarded view of the world. They're smart enough to know danger and remarkably well-equipped to avoid it. Their curiosity is related to their high intelligence. They will work endlessly in order to get the results they want.

For now this is all I have, will come again with better info.



1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat
2. https://www.infoplease.com/askeds/why-do-cats-eyes-glow
3. http://www.knowyourcat.info/lib/kycmobile/devilcats.htm
4. http://www.petassure.com/newsletters/021510newsletter/02152010article1.html

I will still come and update my experience of cats

I read an article so long again cuz its animal related I really do like to own one tho but I would prefer d chubby and hairy ones. but how true is this "I heard their strict on food" I.e I might be feeding a dog noodles and fish for like 5months and decide to change d food to dry food and it'll take d dog few days to adjust..... But it ain't d same with cat.....they won't even taste d new food.

younghartz:
I read an article so long again cuz its animal related I really do like to own one tho but I would prefer d chubby and hairy ones. but how true is this "I heard their strict on food" I.e I might be feeding a dog noodles and fish for like 5months and decide to change d food to dry food and it'll take d dog few days to adjust..... But it ain't d same with cat.....they won't even taste d new food.

From experience, cats are picky eaters, since their liver have not to evolved to the extent of humans and dog, so they rely on their powerful sense of smell. When changing food for a cat, make sure it is not too hot or associated with anything that will the cat to eat it example, if I want to introduce some cooked meal to my cat and it is too hot when I serve it, cats tear and swallow so don't chew, when the hot food hurts its tongue. In the future it will associate the food with pain and won't eat it again. It is good you introduce varieties of food at early stage cos they easily get tired with one type of food.

Human Foods Are Not Meant for Cats
Let's face it: some cats are inveterate "bums" and will beg and plead most appealingly while you try to eat. While I will (rarely) give a cat a tidbit of chicken or turkey from my plate, it's a practice I don't encourage as a regular habit for several reasons. First, because cats need the nutrients specifically provided for them in good, premium cat foods, and any "extras" that they consume will take away their appetites for their regular meals.
A sliver of turkey or chicken from your dinner plate certainly won't kill a cat, but you're helping him develop bad habits. What happens when Aunt Phoebe comes for dinner and Simon jumps on her lap to scarf up her meal?
However, the main reason I'd discourage feeding cats "people food" is that there are a number of foods that are toxic to cats. You may have forgotten that the gravy slathered over your Thanksgiving turkey used broth that was flavored with onion, among other things. While it is tasty and harmless to humans, onions are very toxic to cats. The following is a list of foods that cats should never eat:
Onions, Garlic, & Related Root Vegetables
Onions contain a substance (N-propyl disulphide) which destroys red blood cells in the cat, causing a form of anemia called Heinz body anemia. Garlic contains a similar substance in a lesser amount.
Green Tomatoes, Green (raw Potatoes)
These foods are members of the Solanaceae family of plants, which includes the Deadly Nightshade, and contain a bitter, poisonous alkaloid called Glycoalkaloid Solanine, which can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms.
The leaves and stems are particularly toxic. (Tomatoes in pet foods are ripe, and should cause no concern because they appear in relatively small amounts)
Chocolate
It's becoming more widely known that chocolate is very toxic to both cats and dogs. Theobromine is the offending substance here. Janet Tobiassen Crosby, D.V.M.
has an excellent article on the symptoms, effects, and treatment of chocolate toxicity.
Grapes and Raisins
These foods' toxicity has mainly been found in dogs, in quantities of varying amounts. The ASPCA advises: "As there are still many unknowns with the toxic potential of grapes and raisins, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center advises not giving grapes or raisins to pets in any amount." That's good enough for me.
Avocado
While avocado is healthful for humans, it is mildly toxic to cats. The leaves, seed, tree bark, and the fruit itself contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Milk
Although milk is not toxic to cats, it may have adverse effects. Simply put, adult cats fed a nutritious diet don't need milk. Also, many cats are lactose-intolerant, which means that the lactose in milk and milk products produces stomach upset, cramps, and gasiness. If your cat loves milk,and begs for it, a small amount of cream may be okay, two or three times a week. (The more fat in the milk, the less lactose.) Another compromise is CatSip, a product made from skim milk with an enzyme added that helps the digestion of lactose. Catsip is available in supermarkets such as Safeway, Albertson's and A&P, as well as pet products chains, such as PetSmart and Petco.
You can also order it online at Amazon

The Sweetener Xylitol
While Xylitol is deadly to dogs, causing hypoglycemia, and potential liver failure, so far, the Pet Poison Helpline has not indicated its toxicity to cats. My personal policy is "When in doubt, take no chances."
These are the most commonly seen "people foods" that are potentially harmful to cats. The bottom line is to feed your cat nutritious food developed with his needs in mind and choose treats designed for cats instead of table scraps.

https://www.thespruce.com/human-food-and-cats-551947

Showing cats love will make them not to run away, you know its cats that domesticated themselves, they existed with humans because of the symbiotic relationship as they hunt for vermin that destroy grain so some of their wild instincts still exist.
When a cat does something wrong such as pooping on the sofa or even bed, please don't shout at it or beat it because you are only making it uncomfortable to stay with you.
As they grow older, they behave perfectly well, like one of my best cats, he can never poop or urinate anywhere except you provide it with a litter box which on my own I did it with carton and sand.

Cats Are Different: How a Cat's Nutritional Needs are Different from a Dog's

Our wonderful life-supporting planet is home to a remarkably diverse and complex spectrum of living organisms. And although all living things do share some common traits and similar biochemical pathways and cellular functions, there are many notable differences that make each creature stand out from the crowd. So even with the thread of sameness joining all the planet's life forms, diversity and difference makes us take note of each creature’s uniqueness. Maybe that’s why the cat is America’s favorite housepet ... cats are different!

This extraordinary four-legged feline has, for all of recorded time, evoked wonder and surprise, superstition and affection, damnation, and deification. From pharaohs to philosophers to paupers, the companionship of and affection for cats has been a result of the cat’s unique ability to make us humans gaze in awe and admiration.

Eons of special environmental circumstances have forced the cat to evolve some interesting and individualized biochemical activities. Let’s take a peek at how unique the cat is inside, in that mysterious universe of liver and kidneys and glands and fluids where a million chemical reactions are going about their biological business in silent obscurity. And to make our little peek at the inner workings of the cat more interesting, let’s contrast a few of the cat’s biological activities to those of our next most favorite companion the dog.

In so many obvious ways, cats look, act, react, and respond differently than dogs. You never see a cat happily wag its tail; a dog’s reflexes are quick, a cat’s reflexes are incredible; dogs are doers, cats are watchers. These differences are easily noted by simple observation. Now let’s explore some of the unseen microscopic world of the cat -- the invisible world of metabolism and chemistry that is just as real as those traits we can see with our eyes.

To begin with we must get a good grip on two terms ... carnivore and omnivore. The cat is considered by scientists to be a strict carnivore and the dog is considered to be an omnivore. Both species are in the Class Mammalia and the Order Carnivora, but here’s the difference: The cat cannot sustain its life unless it consumes meat in some form. Dogs, however, are able to survive on plant material alone; they do not have to consume meat. But always keep in mind that dogs do best and by nature are primarily meat-eaters. Just because by definition they are omnivores (can digest and utilize plant and animal food sources) does not mean that plant material alone makes a good source of nutrition for the dog. Far too many dogs have been undernourished by those cheap grain-based dog foods. And grain-based cat foods are even worse!

So a good way to think of it is that cats are carnivores, dogs are omnivores, but they both have evolved as hunters of other animals in keeping with their nature as meat-eaters.

There are numerous chemical substances that are required for a cat to remain alive. These substances, some very complex chemical molecules and some very basic and simple, must be provided along the internal chemical reaction pathways at all times. Like other living plants and animals, the cat can manufacture most of its own required substances within its own body’s chemical factory. For example, Vitamin C is a requirement for life sustaining processes for us Mammalia, and dogs and cats make plenty of their own within their body’s chemical factory -- the liver. We humans don’t make enough within our body chemical factory ... so to keep ourselves alive we have to find some Vitamin C already made (preformed) somewhere in our environment, gather or capture it, then eat it. Without the Vitamin C, we’d die.

Dogs and cats don’t have to worry about gathering, capturing, and eating other preformed Vitamin C. They don’t care where their next grapefruit will come from because they make all the Vitamin C they need inside their own personal chemical factory.

On the other hand, there are numerous nutrients and chemicals that cats need that they can only acquire if they eat animal-derived tissues. That is, they need to prey on other living creatures that do make the essential chemicals that cats don’t! Out of necessity, the cat has evolved ways to hunt down, capture and eat this prey in order to "borrow" the prey's nutrients.

http://m.petmd.com/cat/nutrition/evr_ct_cat_nutritional_needs_different

Outlined below are just a few of the unseen, but still very real biochemical differences between cats and dogs. Look these over and you will be even more convinced that cats are different!

VITAMIN A

Also called retinol, this vitamin is required at the cellular level by both cats and dogs.

Cats – Process little or no enzymes that will break down the plant-produced carotenoids. Must eat preformed active Vitamin A (that is, Vitamin A that already has been converted from carotenoids to its active form by some other creature such as a mouse or rabbit). Here’s a good example of why cats are called strict carnivores ... they need to eat some other animal in order to "borrow" its active Vitamin A!

Dogs – Have enzymes in the lining of the intestine that can break down plant carotenoids and convert these into active Vitamin A.

NIACIN

An essential B vitamin (essential means must be eaten, can’t be made inside the body’s chemical factory.)

Cats – Can obtain Niacin only by eating the preformed vitamin. Cannot convert Tryptophan to niacin.

Dogs – Obtain Niacin in two ways. One is by converting a dietary amino acid call Tryptophan into Niacin, and the other way is by eating preformed Niacin.

ARGININE

A building block for proteins, it is an amino acid. Arginine is vital to many of the animal’s internal chemical factory’s functions. No Arginine and the entire factory goes on strike!

Cats – Are extremely sensitive to even a single meal deficient in Arginine and are unable to make their own Arginine within their chemical factory. Cats need lots of protein, and Arginine is involved in aiding the elimination of the protein waste products so the wastes don’t pollute the whole factory!

Dogs - Are not very sensitive to low levels of Arginine in their diets and produce enzymes internally that can aid production of Arginine.

TAURINE

An amino acid that is not built into proteins, but is distributed throughout most body tissues. Taurine is important for healthy functioning of the heart, retina, bile fluid and certain aspects of reproduction.

Cats – Must eat preformed Taurine. And since it is not found in plant tissues, cats must consume meat to obtain Taurine. Therefore, Taurine is essential in the diets of cats. Here again, meat has to be supplied to the factory so the Taurine can be extracted for its many uses.

Dogs – Make their own in their internal chemical factory.

FELININE

It is a compound made from a sulfur amino acid (SAA) called Cysteine.

Cats – Have a much higher requirement for SAA than other Mammalia and are the only creatures to manufacture the Felinine chemical. Felinine’s role in the overall function of the chemical factory is unknown, but like most factories whose wastes generate offensive odors, any Felinine present in the male cat’s urine alerts the neighbors that the factory is up and runnin’!

Dogs – Don’t know and don’t care what this stuff is.

DIETARY PROTEIN

Cats – If fed a perfectly balanced and 100-percent digestible protein in a diet, the cat will use 20 percent of that protein for growth metabolism and 12 percent for maintenance. Here’s any easy way to say it ... cats need more protein in their diets than dogs do.

Dogs – If fed a perfectly balanced and 100-percent digestible protein in a diet, the dog will use 12 percent of that protein for growth metabolism and only 4 percent of that protein for maintenance. Here's an easy way to say this ... dogs need less protein in their diets than cats.
http://m.petmd.com/cat/nutrition/evr_ct_cat_nutritional_needs_different?page=2

Nice and educative piece

Does Your Cat Act More Human Than Animal? It May Not Be Your Imagination

Researchers have recently identified five feline personality traits that have similarities with those of humans
The five feline traits are skittishness, outgoingness, dominance, spontaneity, and friendliness. These closely align with the “Big Five” human traits, with the exception of dominance and spontaneity
The researchers believe an understanding of the Feline Five can help cat guardians improve their relationships with their pets while simultaneously addressing quality of life issues
By Dr. Becker

Do you think of your cat as a member of your family? If so, you're in good company. Many people who share their lives with a feline companion feel their pet is more like a furry little human than a member of another species.

And there may be more to this notion than we thought. A team of researchers in Australia has come up with a list of five feline personality traits that are intriguingly similar to those of humans.

According to University of South Australia (UniSA) Discovery Circle research leader Dr. Philip Roetman, the results of 3,000 cat personality tests show that kitties display a range of human-like behaviors, including extroversion and sociability.

The 'Feline Five' Personality Traits

The kitty personality tests were part of the Cat Tracker project, which was launched few years ago to monitor the movement and behavior of cats. Cat Tracker describes its mission on its website:

"Cats are mysterious, dangerous and far more unpredictable than one might expect from an animal that is, theoretically, domesticated. Some of the mysteries of cats relate to where they go and what they do; this is especially true of cats that go outdoors.

We open our doors. They leave. Just where they go, we can't be sure. Or rather we couldn't be sure, until now. With your help, we're investigating the movement of domesticated cats across the landscape.

We want to know: Where do they go? What are they eating? What do they bring home, microbially speaking?"1

The Discovery Circle researchers modified an existing questionnaire that has been used with both captive wildcats and domestic shelter cats. However, this would be the first time the questionnaire was used with such a large population of domestic kitties.

The scientists completed a complex statistical evaluation of survey responses and arrived at the "Feline Five" factors of cat personality:

Skittishness
Outgoingness
Dominance
Spontaneity
Friendliness
This Score May Indicate Mr. Whiskers Is a Bit of a Bully

These five factors have some overlap with what are known as the "Big Five" human personality traits.

"Skittishness is similar to neuroticism in people," explained Roetman. "Outgoingness is similar to extroversion and friendliness is akin to agreeableness."2

Two significant differences between the Feline Five and the Big Five are in the areas of dominance and spontaneity. Roetman feels this knowledge could be useful for cat guardians looking to improve their relationships with their pets.

For example, cats with high dominance scores tend to be bullies who are aggressive with other kitties, whereas a low dominance score indicates a submissive, friendly cat. According to Roetman, if you have a cat at home who scores high on dominance, you may want to think twice about adding another kitty to the household.

If, however, your cat scores low on dominance, he may do quite well sharing space with one or more feline housemates.

Another intriguing finding was what the researchers learned when comparing indoor to outdoor cats. It seems the indoor cats were slightly friendlier than their outdoor counterparts. Roetman thinks this could be welcome news for some guardian of indoor cats

"People are often concerned about keeping cats indoors too much because it might have a negative impact on them, but this suggests there isn't a negative impact on cat personality by keeping them indoors.

If people want to keep their cats indoors, they can feel a bit more confident about it."3

If Fluffy Is Highly Spontaneous, It Means This …

Cats who scored high on spontaneity tended to be impulsive and erratic. A low spontaneity score suggests a kitty who is predictable and reserved. The researchers suggest a high-scoring cat could be reacting to a stressful environment. The same kinds of stressors that affect you can affect your cat, including:

Noisy environments
Aggression among members of the household, including pets
Poor-quality diet
Competing with other pets at mealtime
Social isolation
If your cat behaves impulsively and you suspect stress is at the root of it, there are several things you can do to create an environment that is more conducive to helping kitty enjoy a comfortable, more serene lifestyle. For sensory stress reduction tips, read my article "Stress Busters for Kitties."

Cats with low spontaneity scores are probably well-adjusted to an environment that features minimal stress and maximum day-to-day consistency.

What to Do If a Friendly Cat Turns Suddenly Not-So-Friendly

When it comes to the trait of outgoingness, the Discovery Circle researchers describe high-scoring cats as curious and active, whereas kitties with low scores are "aimless" and "quitting" (resigned). The latter group is relatively small, and consists of cats who may be showing signs of aging or health-related issues, according to researchers.

Outgoing cats can benefit from interactive toys, plenty of playtime with their humans, and other efforts to enrich their environment. The cats considered high-scoring in friendliness are those who are approachable and affectionate with people. They adjust well to other members of the household, both the two- and four-legged variety.

Kitties with low scores in this trait may be loners or poorly socialized, say the researchers. However, if a friendly cat suddenly turns aloof or hostile, a trip to the veterinarian is in order to rule out an underlying illness or painful condition.

If Scooter Is Skittish, He May Need More of These …

The fifth trait of the Feline Five is skittishness. Kitties who score high in this trait tend to be anxious and fearful of other cats as well as people. Low-scoring kitties are described as calm and trusting. The scientists suggest that skittish cats need plenty of hiding spots around the home. They may also need stressors in their environment eliminated or at least minimized.