
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.
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Date: 2023-06-09 12:00 am (UTC):) So, it remains a mystery. Just one argument: no cats bones in the caves.
See, I was also wondering, e.g. in Arizona or NM, around the caves where ancient people lived... no cemetery! Nobody buried nobody.