A thing to keep in mind as you go about today!

[garote]

Every time you indulge in the basic wonderful act of petting a cat who is sitting on your lap, you are cashing in on a very long-term investment. One made by humanity and cats, training each other to enjoy their company; an investment that has been going on for tens of thousands of years. Longer than anyone can even really comprehend.

That’s a thousand generations of your ancestors laying groundwork, so you can enjoy this weird connection. (And the more you think about it, the weirder it is.)

Even more delightful: For the vast majority of that time, your ancestors didn’t have this particular goal in mind. They just wanted a cheap mouse exterminator.

In my cat book, I recently read that domestic cats have been shaped over time to emit sounds that more closely resemble those of a crying child, and that even extends to the purr: Many cats add a little bit of their "meow" voice to it on the out-breath, for an extra splash of those endearing high frequencies.