Idolised in Ancient Egypt, then vilified in Medieval Europe, the domestication of cats has taken them on an interesting route from uninvited guests chasing mice in our grain stores to the moggies we cuddle today. At John Bradshaw’s talk at Blackwell’s in Oxford last month, evidence of their interesting history was just around the corner at the Pitt Rivers Museum, where mummified cats are part of its unusual collection. Dogs, on the other hand, have a long history of being companions to humans, bred into many shapes and sizes to make them capable of a number of tasks that have played a key role both in human and canine evolution.
Following John’s recent publications and a rising public profile from shows such as BBC’s Horizon programme and Radio 4’s Just So Science, Oxford’s pet owners braved last month’s cold snap in search of answers about the differences between dogs and cats, and how this impacts their relationships with us. Drawing on research for his books The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat and In Defence of Dogs, John contrasted the unique behavioural characteristics of both animals, and linked these to their evolutionary history. Compared with dogs, cats have only been domesticated a short time, and their behaviour reflects this. They are adapted to eat just meat, but until only very recently, our poor understanding of cats’ diets meant they needed to hunt to supplement what we fed them. Only in the last 40 years have we really understood, and catered for, their dietary needs. So hunting behaviour - once valued, then tolerated, but now disliked by owners - has not yet had time to evolve out of cats.
Audience members asked what is best for their pets while they’re away: do cats want company, and can another dog keep an anxious hound calm at home alone? Not so, according to John: cats are solitary animals, and while fond of us, need their space and their own hunting territory. Another cat is instantly a rival. Dogs, on the other hand, feel profound attachment to their owner: they don’t care where they are as long as they’re with master. Another dog doesn’t fulfil a need for human contact, and, rather than calm an anxious dog down, may even follow their example of how to behave when master is away! John emphasised that training a dog to be alone is an integral part of their training, and would like to see this practice more widespread.
Andy Hughes concluded the talk with images from his book, I, Jack Russell, to which John contributed a paper on their behaviour.
A concluding poll for audience members wrapped up the night with somewhat of a surprise when it was revealed a small number of owners owners preferred either cats or dogs while the majority were just as fond of both!
The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat, 2nd Edition is available from CABI with a 10% online discount
In Defence of Dogs and I, Jack Russell are available from Penguin and Booth-Clibborn Editions respectively.
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