The Story of the Feline

BARF is the foundation of Bella & Boots, that is biologically appropriate raw food – to ensure our food is biologically appropriate, we need to understand what our pet’s biology is and how it impacts our modern furbabies. To do that, we’ve had to go as far back as humanly possible and understand how they came here from before. 

We’ve taken this journey with our furry canine friends before, and now it’s time for our fine feline friends.

We can follow the pattern for domestication the same way we can follow the general attitude of our pets: dogs want to impress us, they want our attention, they’re by our side every step of the way (as evidenced by Bunnings dogs!) but cats, on the other hand, they live alongside us. Friendly? Sure. Symbiotic? Yes. But did we force (gently encourage) domestication on them the way we did dogs? Definitely not.  

Dogs were being actively bred by humans for thousands of years before cats became a feature in human life. It was only in the 18th century, however, that felines began to become truly domestic cats, and in the 19th century, cat fanciers began selecting cats with particular traits to create fancy breeds. 1

The modern domesticated cat, felis catus, comes from a wild cat subspecies, Felis lybica lybica from East and North Africa. 2 This feline was drawn to human settlements due to the number of rodents, attracted by grain stores. This was about eight to 10 thousand years ago. Just like canine, humans generally welcomed the presence of these pest hunters and allowed the species to flourish. The divergence from dogs and cats begins here, though. Unlike dogs, who ancient humans trained and domesticated for specific tasks, cats “self-domesticated”, choosing to endear themselves to humans and grow alongside their settlements. 3

Because cats came into homes on a “let’s share the space” basis, rather than being selected for tasks (herding, hunting, guarding), their evolution is distinct. Some of the contrasts:

• Dogs underwent strong artificial selection for behaviours (e.g., cooperation with humans) and physical traits whereas cats did not until a couple of thousands of years ago.
  

• Many domestic cats still retain strong wild-cat behaviours: independence, hunting instincts, territoriality and the distinctive aloof nature.
  

• Physically, domestic cats haven’t changed enormously from their wild ancestors, compared with many other domesticated animals.

So how does this history influence how we feed and care for cats today? 

First of all it shows us one very important thing: cats haven’t changed that much from when they were wild hunters. Their teeth, jaws, gut and stomachs are designed to process raw meat from rodents and smaller animals with fur, bones, fat and muscle, as well as a small amount of roughage like grass and plants from what the rodents ate. Their bodies have not yet adapted to the current modern diet of grains, soy, filler and highly processed, cooked meat. Their bodies are not able to draw the nutrients from this food. 

Alongside how they should eat, this history gives us clues to how they play, sleep and engage with others. Cats are not broadly known for being affectionate animals, but they show their love for you in different ways, including sleeping near you, trying to share their catches (has your cat ever brought you a mouse, bird or lizard thinking you’d be happy?) and playing near you.

When you look at your cat curled up on the couch, you’re looking into a story that spans thousands of years and includes the gradual transformation from essentially co-workers to family. That history shapes how cats think, feel and behave today. 

Feeding them based on what their teeth, gut and stomach show they need is the number one way to honour the relationship between cats and humans that have changed the course of time. And the number one way to feed your pet well is Bella & Boots. Get the most out of organic and wild-caught local food by shopping online or coming in-store.