What separates the king of the jungle from the king of your couch? A recent study, led by Wes Warren of The Genome Institute at Washington University, compared the genomes of wild and house cats (and dogs) to find out.
New Cat on the Block: Unlike dogs, whose “domestication event” came 30,000 years ago, it’s estimated that cats were tamed a relatively recent 9,000 years ago. Even so, researchers found several genetic signatures differentiating the domestic cat, which Warren describes as “a bit of a surprise.”
Cool Cat: The most notable genetic differences between domestic and wild cats came in genes that mediate aggressive behavior, generate memories, and control the ability to learn from fear and rewards. As Warren puts it, these genes are “associated with docility phenotypes.”
Smelly Cat: The study found that overall, dogs have a more powerful sense of smell than do cats, which was no surprise. But when it comes to a specific type of scent—pheromones related to mating—cats have more smell receptors. Warren explains that this is because cats are solitary animals, making it a challenge for them to locate mates.
Fat Cat: In the wild, both dogs and cats are carnivores, eating diets high in protein and fat. Over time, the dog genome has changed to permit more starch consumption, but Warren’s team did not observe a similar shift in cats. So to make your kitty happy, feed it meat.
