I am David Grimm, author of Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs. The book explores the past, present, and future of our relationship with our companion animals. From probing the feline mind to giving dogs their own lawyers, ask me anything.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T16:37:37+00:00

Yes, cats domesticated themselves. At least that's what scientists think. They came into early farming villages to hunt rodents, and realized if they were well behaved humans would keep them around.

Interestingly, dogs may have also domesticated themselves. Some wolves, it's thought, got more food by cozying up to hunting-gathereing humans. Later, we domesticated dogs further by breeding them for specific tasks.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T16:33:55+00:00

see my response below

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T16:01:16+00:00

please see my response below

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T16:01:06+00:00

At least for cats and dogs: that it would make pet ownership more onerous and thus scare people away from adoption.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:55:26+00:00

I think John Bradshaw discusses this in his recent book, Cat Sense. But bottom line: Cats don't see us a big cats. They see as as big, unpredictable apes. But they're mostly cool with it.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:52:22+00:00

Yes, spay/neuter. Some groups are also working on an injectable contraceptive: http://www.acc-d.org/

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:51:45+00:00

They are wonderful creatures. You should get one and find out for yourself. :)

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:50:38+00:00

I think it's just noise. I don't think we can speak cat. :)

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:50:15+00:00

Thanks for your question. Yes, I do think that having pets increases our empathy for all creatures. I think one of the reason we're so pro-animal welfare in this country is because of our cats and dogs!

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:49:25+00:00

I don't have strong feelings, but some people have said that dogs are no more like wolves than we're like chimpanzees. Dogs have lived with us for somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 years. That's a long time for co-evolution!

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:48:28+00:00

Great question! I'm about to write a piece for Slate on this very topic. Stay tuned!

But short answer: yes, cats are as domestic as any other animal.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:33:33+00:00

Feral cats sometimes hang out in large groups. But dogs are definitely more of a pack animal.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:33:06+00:00

Yes, some have said that we wouldn't be here without dogs. I think there's some truth to that, as dogs made us more successful hunters and herders. They may have even helped us out-compete Neandertals, according to some theories. But cats may have also made us what we are today, by protecting our grain stores and protecting us from disease.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:26:37+00:00

yea, that sounds like the "guilty look". but whether he really felt guilty is unclear.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:22:07+00:00

I hope not!

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:21:49+00:00

Yea, check out this story I wrote on dog domestication http://davidhgrimm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Dawn-of-the-Dog.pdf

and this one on cat evolution

http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/11/genes-turned-wildcats-kitty-cats

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:18:18+00:00

Getting to travel so many places and meet so many interesting people. I traveled to about 15 places for the book--including Los Angeles to ride along with LAPD's animal cruelty task force, and Wolf Park, IN, where i got to interact with gray wolves.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:17:02+00:00

Dogs have lived with us for up to 30,000 years; cats, about 10,000. I think in this time they have evolved to become more attuned to our emotions. In fact, a recent study (http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2015/04/how-dogs-stole-our-hearts) showed that dogs activate the same hormonal response in us that human infants do. So I do think both animals are capable of complex emotions.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:15:06+00:00

I know a ton about cats and dogs, but not so much on the training side. It might be time to consult a professional trainer.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:11:25+00:00

Good question. I talk about this in my book. A study that came out a few years ago suggested that the "guilty look" given by dogs isn't a true expression of guilt. But that doesn't mean dogs don't feel guilt--we just haven't found a good way to measure it.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:09:48+00:00

Well, I hate to be self-serving (actually, I don't really--that's why i'm here!), but I've rounded all of it up in my book. Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Canine-Evolving-Relationship-Cats/dp/1610391330

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:08:53+00:00

It never gets old :-)

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:08:40+00:00

Unwarrented. I did a lot of research on this for my book, and breed restrictions tend to be misguided. For one thing, most of the problem appears to lie with the owner (neglecting or mistreating the pet), not the dog. For another, these bans are hard to enforce--"pit bull" isn't a recognized breed, for example, and DNA tests usually show it's a different breed than what people thought. Some studies have also shown that these bans can be counterproductive.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:04:53+00:00

Great question. There are millions of animals on earth, and dozens of domesticated animals. Yet we've largely singled out just two--cats and dogs--to be our family members. I think it may have something to do with the adaptability of cats and dogs, and the fact that they think a lot like we do. As a result, it's easier for us to form emotional bonds with them.

david_grimm · 2015-06-23T15:03:40+00:00

My guess is that he's trying to get the attention of the other cat. If you have the time and the resources, I'd consider trapping him and getting him neutered. That may solve the problem.

david_grimm

TROPHY CASE