Cats are among the first animals domesticated by humans. About 8,000 years ago, humans tamed this type of animal, and a mutually beneficial relationship arose between the two parties, as it was used to eliminate rodents that surrounded their places of residence.
As for domestic cats, their ancestors spread from southwest Asia to Europe 4400 BC, according to the National Geographic platform.
Cat breeding is spread all over the world, and many people reach the stage of obsession with cats, with interest, care, pampering, and petting.
English writer Charles Dickens: There is no greater gift than the love of a cat (Shutterstock)
English writer Charles Dickens said, “There is no greater gift than the love of a cat.” The American writer William S.
Burroughs says, "My relationships with my cats have saved me from loneliness and deadly neglect."
The Jordanian writer, Jawaher Al-Rifai'ah, has a real, moving story about her, saying, "At the veterinary clinic where I treat street cats, a man used to come every day, sit for hours in front of his sick cat's cage, and call to her with wounded sadness: Kitty... Kitty. He would feed her with tenderness, then go home sad and not find someone to receive him."
Cats have engineered things in a way that most humans cannot resist emotionally (Shutterstock)
Cats pass the test of survival
The number of cats in the world is estimated at 600 million cats, and in 2018 humans kept about 373 million pet cats in their homes, and this huge number represents a success in the animal kingdom that is only rivaled by the success of humans and dogs in preserving their kind, so what makes cats so popular with humans ?
According to the "Open Culture" platform, most humans cannot resist cats emotionally;
"With their little heads, their big enchanting eyes, their sad looks eliciting pity and sympathy, their soft fur, their emotional rubbing against human feet at their mercy, our ability to carry them easily, to play with them, to humanize them by dressing them in dolls and dolls, their meows reminiscent of the voice of children, their care for us and their jumping To our arms in our moments of gloom.
In 2018, humans kept about 373 million pet cats in their homes (the island)
How do cats think?
This question was raised by the British writer Serene Kali, in an article she wrote in the British newspaper "The Guardian", answering that she loves her cat Larry;
"And he looks at me with his lovely eyes and meows softly, he's my favorite sound in the world. I love my little kitten Cuddly as she follows me around the house, meows in a low melodious voice that she wants to play with me, I love the feel of Larry's hair on my feet at night, and I love the cuddly caress of my eyelids, It wakes me up in the morning."
Then the author wonders: How can I know what these young people really think and feel?
Dr. Carlo Siracusa of the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine answers the question, "Although cats are the most common household pet after dogs, we know relatively little about them, partly due to practical issues."
However, Siracusa believes that "there is a historical stigma attached to humanity in its dealings with cats," as they have been abused and have not received fair treatment over time.
In the Middle Ages, cats were seen as companions of witches ("Gargamel" and his cat "Harhour" in the children's series "The Smurfs", for example), and sometimes they were tortured and burned.
"They have been stigmatized as evil, even though cats only want to live according to their own nature," says philosopher and writer John Gray, author of Cats' Philosophy and the Meaning of Life.
Cats give you companionship and may help you reduce your general stress level (Al Jazeera)
A study conducted by French researchers and published in Animal Cognition found that there is a close relationship between cats and their owners.
"We found that when cats heard their owners use a high-pitched sound directed at them, they reacted more strongly than when they heard their owner speaking normally to another adult," said study author Charlotte de Mouzon. "But what was very surprising about our results is that the cats did not react." When the sound came from a stranger, cats only interact with their owners."
The study, published in The New York Times, stated that cats "pay close attention to their caretakers, not only what they say, but how they say it as well."
Cats can make you laugh, make you feel happy, and improve your mood and life in general (the island)
Pros and Cons
The Environmental-Conscience platform has published a number of pros and cons in raising cats, the most important of which are the following:
Positives
Cats give you companionship, and may help you reduce your overall stress level.
It can help you deal with emotional issues and get through difficult times in your life.
Owning a cat can help you become more responsible.
Cats can make you laugh, make you feel happy, and improve your mood and life in general.
Cats are extremely important to elderly people who have been left by their children and are living alone.
Having a cat can be great if you have young children, as they can spend a lot of time playing with it.
Negatives
You have to take care of your cat, and this can take a lot of time and effort from you.
Taking care of cats costs money, especially when they get sick due to the high costs of the vet.
You have to clean your cat's litter box frequently, and your house can smell a bit stinky.
Cats may scratch your new furniture.
Cats can lose a lot of hair and make your house dirty.
Traveling with cats is not easy and it costs money.
Having a cat is a long-term commitment, you can't give it away or throw it out on the street.