Your Cat is Too Small, Otherwise it Would Kill You
By AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16676)
Boston, Massachusetts
October 31, 2015 5:38pm CST
That's the conclusion of some researchers who compared the behavior of domestic cats with their larger, wild cousins, the big cats.
According to this study from researchers at the University of Edinburgh, cats have neurotic personalities and the only reason they don't maul their owners to death is that they are much too small to be effective predators in a house full of humans.
I think it's a very strange thing to study, myself. Although, I can't argue with the conclusion that cats are neurotic. I think they are also narcissistic. And sometimes they are cuddly. But they can go right from cuddly to catching a baby rabbit and playing with it until it's dead. And it may be that it's your size and that can of cat food that keeps you, the owner, from suffering the same fate.
I don't own a cat, but I have in the past. My first cat was a hunter who couldn't care less if I lived or died but loved to find small animals to torment and kill. My last cat was neurotic, no doubt about that. He wanted to be near me, but he showed that by sitting on my head while I was at the computer and chewing on my hair. He did stalk The Boy when he was a toddler, but once The Boy went completely bipedal, the cat backed off.
So what do you think? Is this study a load of cat litter, or do you think that they've nailed your cat's personality?
They are well loved for their immaculate fluffy coats and unique personalities but new research suggests cats do have a much darker side. A new study has found cats are similar to wild cats.
19 people like this
19 responses
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
1 Nov 15
My husband and I have sometimes discussed that if we were smaller our cat would eat us, although she would regret it come tea time 
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
1 Nov 15
@Dragonairy1 I suppose you need to keep her entertained with toys so she is not anxious to make you her toy.
2 people like this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
1 Nov 15
@Rollo1 Thanks that makes me feel safer 
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Nov 15
I agree with Anja. "Herding cats" is an expression that could be used here to emphasize the point.
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
31 Oct 15
I have never had a cat and I never will. I think that all animals, except dogs, are wild. So, give me a good dog any minute, if I have to choose.
@rebelann (117220)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Nov 15
Dogs are also opportunists in some cases @Rollo1 which is why it is wise to know what characteristics are common to the breed(s) you're getting, some will challenge you for dominance and if you're unfamiliar with canine behavior you could well end up being the beta in the family.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (502398)
• Italy
1 Nov 15
Cats are neurotic, I am sure! I know that they hunt for fun, they torment the poor creature that they capture until it moves, then they lose their interest. I have no cats, but I see how the young cat of my neighbor behave, he is completely nut! This morning, when I have opened the door, he was under our car with an expression of terror as he had seen a big monster. Ten seconds later he was rubbing against my legs purring like crazy. I will never understand him.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Nov 15
Because I live near wild cats -- cougars and bobcats to be specific -- I can verify that house cats behave much like their larger cousins. It has actually endeared me to the wild ones, though I know not to act like a mouse when I'm walking outdoors and to make myself bigger and noisier than I usually am.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
1 Nov 15
That is a good take away from this discussion.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Nov 15
@GardenGerty Most of us live separate from wildlife, but when you observe them close up, they can be much like the smaller ones we share our lives with. Dogs have a lot of wolf characteristics as well.
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
1 Nov 15
Well, Princess would enjoy bossing us around more, but would still be somewhat dependent as she does not drive the car to get the foods and treats.
2 people like this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Nov 15
@GardenGerty Until they learn how to use a can opener, cats will still need humans.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Nov 15
thats a bunch of cat hater's hooe y but of co rse theta my opinion and i will respect all others of course. I h ave had cat most of m y lofe not here as this is aq c entter and not a place for a cat to be comfortqable in either. of course they are predators but they are also peole lovers too. i h ave never had a mean cat, but my few were both sweethearts.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
2 Nov 15
Despite all I've said above, Patsie @Hatley, I love sitting with a cat purring on my lap. They can be very affectionate creatures. My husband works in a center that adopted two little kittens. At first some of the staff protested, but after they saw how much the residents loved them, they have become everyone's pets.
@jerzgirl (9384)
• United States
1 Nov 15
Cats are my favorite animal, but I think that if they were larger, similar to cheetahs or mountain lions in size, that they would probably hurt us - but I don't think they would deliberately kill us. Not if we've been the food providers and they were still as domesticated as they are now. It would just be their size that would be the danger.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Nov 15
Some people have kept big cats as pets, and sometimes it works out for a while, but even those that seem quite tame sometimes get those wild urges and hurt someone. I think cats have to deal with a dual nature - domestic and wild. Their ancient wild instincts show up here and there.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
1 Nov 15
I don't know. I don't think it's true, I think domestic cats just have different traits than their wild counterparts. That would be like saying dogs and wolves are exactly the same, which is not true as dogs are big enough to maul humans but most don't.. only the few who have aggression issues.
2 people like this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Nov 15
I think domestic cats have to try to balance those wild instincts with their domesticated lives. That's why they are sometimes aloof and sometimes attention-hungry. Dogs are pack animals and you can be their leader. But some dogs can be just too aggressive.
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Nov 15
@katsmeow1213 Wolves and coyotes don't hurt members of their own pack or family, just those pesky intruders. Alpha dogs can be scary to visitors to your home, while less aggressive, submissive dogs can endear themselves to everyone who comes by. If you study wolf behavior, you can see those same patterns. Dog behavior specialists I've read have said that a puppy must be taught who is boss and any aggressive tendencies nipped in the bud. That's so they don't grow up thinking they are the leader of the pack. Those "leaders" are the ones that have a hard time getting along with humans. Of course, because humans have domesticated many breeds of dogs to get along well with us, many of the more extreme behaviors have been bred out. Still, some dogs can revert to dangerous behavior, especially when abused, while most just want to get along with their owners/leaders.
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
1 Nov 15
No I don't agree although I would say that the bottom line is that they are predators. I have one cat that is a pleasure seeker and home lover, another is an athletic out in the wild world sort of cat, but absolutely adorable when she is relaxed. The third is young, he is a bully to my home lover but from the way he treats the other animals, including the dogs, I am thankful that he is small!
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
1 Nov 15
We have always joked that our cat would eat us if he were bigger or we were smaller, but that he would feel bad about it.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
1 Nov 15
pretty sure that most cats would hunt us if they were bigger, I dont think the majority of cats have the loyality and love for their hoomans that dogs do
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
1 Nov 15
@Rollo1 I have a feeling you are right, now I have seen cats befriend rabbits and things smaller, like parrots and not hunt them, so I cant say all cats, but I bet most cats
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
1 Nov 15
This is pretty funny. My cat had been a stray and was grateful for a safe place to live with food. She was young when she joined the household and was raised with our dog, who was also young and a rescue. They played together. When either was ill or injured, they came to me and sat in front of me until I noticed. I have always been an "earth mother" especially for my pets.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
2 Nov 15
@ElizabethWallace I don't think people have auras. But animals can tell if you're kind. With me, animals know that I pay enough attention to them to make sure they get food and water and whatever is necessary to keep them alive, but I am not overly interested in them and won't spend all my time picking them up and bothering them. It's a good formula for cats and guinea pigs who don't really want too much out of you. Dogs want a bit more, they are more emotionally needy. A little bit like toddlers.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
2 Nov 15
@Rollo1 Small children, animals and very old men have a sense of who will take care of them. Do you think they can see our aura, or is it something else?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382034)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Nov 15
Cats are certainly independent creatures. While I think the study is a bit of a waste of time and effort, I think the result is probably spot on. Some cats can be very aggressive and can inflict quite bad injuries although not to the point of killing someone.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
1 Nov 15
Cats, like everyone and everything else, really want their own way. If we stand in the way we are in danger.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
2 Nov 15
my cat is quite cranky and anti-social - she never sits on a knee, and only communicates at all if she wants feeding
@antonbunot (11146)
• Calgary, Alberta
1 Nov 15
I am not a cat-love but I love dogs . . not big dogs but small dogs like our shitsu.
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
1 Nov 15
I don't know what to think about that study. My cat Allie would be devastated without us. She acts like she is starved for attention every morning. Captain would probably love to kill me when I bring out the squirt bottle. He's still young and loves to get where he shouldn't.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Nov 15
Cats are like everyone else, they have different personalities. But they do have those wild instincts that make them act certain ways. For instance, when cats rub up against you, it isn't because they love you. It's because they are marking you with their scent, making you become their property.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
1 Nov 15
I never had a violent cat and all the ones I did have were very loving and kind and loved to be cuddled and stay close to home.
