Let’s face it – our society is obsessed with cats. And it’s not hard to see why: nearly every inch of the internet is plastered with photos and videos of these cuddly, curious critters doing cute things that fill our hearts with joy.
But did you know that the little predator curled up on your couch is just a miniature version of the big cats you see on Nat Geo? Or that “indoor cats” didn’t exist until the 1950’s?
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These are more than just fun facts to help you win your next team trivia night. They point to a more important yet often overlooked truth about our furry feline family members:
There is a “raw cat” living inside each of them, whether we like it or not.
It has urges, preferences, and needs that were crucial for survival of the species over the millennia. Collectively, these form the ‘raw cat rhythm’. Ignore them at your cat’s (and your own) peril.
It would be naive to think that because we plucked a wild animal from the bush and plopped it down in our living room (within the last century, nonetheless), that suddenly it would become a different creature. This is simply not the case.
Understanding how cats, and our relationship with them, have evolved over time changes everything. You will finally be able to see the world through their eyes.
Armed with this new perspective, it becomes clear why it would be foolish to expect certain things from our pets. After all, they weren’t even really pets until fairly recently.
Up until the invention of the color TV, cats spent most of their time outdoors. And so this is where our journey back in time must begin.
As it turns out, humans and cats have been living in harmony for even longer than many historians believed.
Living Wild to Living Room: A Brief History of Cats
Before they were Gods
For many years, the widely accepted belief was that ancient Egyptians were the first humans to cohabitate with cats. Recently however, scientists have discovered remains on what is now the island of Cyprus that seem to invalidate this claim.
This evidence suggests that thousands of years before they were revered by Cleopatra and friends, felines began seeking employment in the Mediterranean basin from a newly emerging class of bipeds, the farmers.
With the advent of farming came the first ever notion of “food safety”. But there were also unintended consequences, namely – a sharp rise in vermin. Some clever cats began to notice and swiftly took advantage, becoming the first (and likely only) species to self-domesticate itself.
Thus, our unspoken arrangement was born: cats would protect our crops from rodents and other unwanted intruders. In return, we would let them eat whatever they caught and provide them with shelter and safety from other predators.
This interspecies quid pro quo remained relatively unchanged for almost 10,000 years. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that we decided to abruptly revise the terms.
Thank Mew fur Your Service
Technological innovations and the Industrial Revolution eventually led to a sharp decline in farming as a way of life. With this shift came increased mobility and the opportunity for humans to specialize in various trades.
Specialization is essential for progress but it cannot succeed without trade. To maximize efficiency and solidify this new way of life, centers of commerce were established, and the city was born.
Unlike modern metropolises, living conditions in the earliest cities were far from ideal. There was no running water, plumbing, or sewerage. Without an efficient way to remove waste, streets and other common areas became unsanitary breeding grounds for filth and disease.
As more humans adopted this new way of life, so too did the rodents that were such a menace before. What was once a problem in the fields had now become a problem in our homes.
So of course, to combat this influx of unwanted invaders, we started inviting our cats inside with increasing frequency.
Litter-ly a Game Changer
The thing that ultimately solidified cats’ transition to “domesticated” status was the invention of cat litter in the 1950s.
By providing an indoor option for them to “do their business”, we effectively eliminated (pun intended) the final reason that they needed to go outside.
Even with the widespread adoption of litter boxes, many households continued to let their cats outside. However, a gradual shift had begun that would gain momentum throughout the remainder of the 21st century.
Can I Live (The Shocking Longevity Gap)?!
A major benefit of bringing cats inside was that it vastly expanded our ability to study and learn about these notoriously secretive creatures.
This gave researchers a chance to understand many of cats’ quirks, dispelling myths and uncovering insights about their behavior along the way.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the vast difference in life expectancy between indoor-only cats (15+ years) and those that go outside (2-5 years).
The magnitude of this difference clearly illustrates an unfortunate reality: there are countless dangers lurking outside. Everything from wild/feral cats, to other predators and vehicular traffic represents an existential threat.
If we assume the optimistic end of the outdoor cat range (5 years), then the cost of this “privilege” is approximately 66% or 2/3 of their life. There is simply nothing outside has to offer that can justify such an exorbitant risk.
However, that’s not to say that making the decision to keep our cats safely indoors comes without tradeoffs. By placing them in a protective “bubble”, we simultaneously become responsible for finding creative ways to satisfy their needs.
Before we can be of much assistance though, we first need to understand what those needs are. The good news is that every kitty comes pre-programmed with this knowledge. The ‘raw cat’ is already there inside your little furball, just waiting to be unleashed.
The tricky part is figuring out how to let them be that raw cat, within the confines of our artificial, manmade environment.
Raw Cat Rhythm: Breaking it Down
In stark contrast to dogs, who have been fully domesticated and selectively bred for countless generations, cats have largely chosen their mates and went from sleeping in the streets to sleeping in our sheets as recently as 70 years ago.
Thanks to heavy-handed human intervention our pet dogs share few similarities with wolves and other canines. Cats, on the other hand, have managed to largely avoid such genetic manipulation. This explains why they remain nearly identical to their wild cousins.
The striking similarity that cats share with other members of their biological family is perhaps one of the main reasons why we adore them. In Germany, for example, cats are affectionately called ‘stubentiger’, which literally means ‘living room tiger’.
Ironically, it is also the main factor that sharply divides cat lovers from the faction that equally loathes them. It is precisely the “wild” in them that makes cats who they are. This wild is what I will refer to subsequently as ‘the raw cat rhythm’.
The raw cat rhythm is what makes your cat “tick”. It is their biological programming, optimized over millennia, to assist all cats in satisfying their instinctual needs.
Everything from cats’ attitude towards getting wet to their finicky need for cleanliness is rooted in their intuitive drive to do whatever it takes to survive, thrive, and procreate.
[(Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat); (Groom, Sleep)]
If you spend enough time around cats, you will observe them going through each step of the raw cat rhythm – oftentimes in this exact order (I was amazed when I first observed this after reading about it in Total Cat Mojo)!
After you’ve witnessed it once, you will recognize this pattern every time you interact with a cat; it is that universally true. So, what exactly is this rhythm that plays on repeat inside every kitty like a broken record? We thought you’d never ask…
At its most granular level there are six distinct “steps” which can be grouped together into two buckets:
1) Securing food, and,
2) Everything else – AKA ‘Kitty R&R’.
Securing Food (Hunt – Catch – Kill – Eat)
Hunt. This is where wild cats spend most of their time and energy. Stalking and chasing prey is their main outlet for both physical exercise and mental stimulation. As such, it is also the primary sacrifice we must make on our (indoor) cats’ behalf, in return for their safety.
This is also where our cats needs us the most. While some cats and most kittens will entertain themselves for a while with a toy mouse or plastic spring, there is absolutely no substitution for interactive play between you and your pet (remember, play = prey).
Catch. Probably not much explanation needed here. If the cat is going to eat, then it must eventually catch and secure its prey. This is an obvious prerequisite to the next step – actually killing it.
Kill. All successful hunting expeditions end with a proper kill. No, your fluffy kitten isn’t a sociopathic murderer. While they probably do get some sort of satisfaction, it is more like scratching an instinctual itch, per se, than it is a happy moment of blissful joy.
Cats have been pre-programmed to execute the hunting sequence, in its entirety, to satisfy the ultimate need of every animal: survival. This just so happens to be the last step.
Eat. Ahh, the fun part. Perhaps this is where our cats need us if I’m being literal. That is, of course, because they don’t have thumbs. This may also be the main reason many of us have not been eaten yet. …gotta keep us around until those cans start opening themselves!
Kitty R&R (Groom – Sleep)
Groom. Every healthy cat will groom itself. Certain breeds, such as those with longer fur, will require some help in keeping their fur clean and untangled. But for the most part, cats are self-cleaning pets.
Sleep. The last step is the least involved but possibly the most important. Getting enough sleep shouldn’t be difficult unless your cat feels extremely vulnerable in its environment or has some other serious health issue.
With indoor cats, the other end of the spectrum is where we need to keep an eye – it’s important to make sure they aren’t sleeping too much, as this could be a sign of boredom or even depression.
Raw Cat Rhythm: Bringing it Home
And there you have it, folks: Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. Probably no surprise to anyone who’s had a cat.
The first four parts culminate with a meal, and then it’s time for a bath and nap. Rinse, repeat, throw in a few trips to the litter box, and you have just described a typical day in the life of pretty much every cat, ever.
But do you see the inherent problem with this formula for feline felicity, now that we have relieved our cats of their former duties?
Without the need for pest control in most modern households, we have effectively eliminated any opportunity for them to satisfy their instinctual drive. And herein lies the root cause of many, if not most, of the common behavioral issues we observe.
Conclusion
Unlike dogs, which have been domesticated for tens of thousands of years, cats remain nearly identical to their wild brethren. Despite this marked similarity, keeping your cats indoors is the best thing you can do for their health and longevity.
That said, being inside can make it more difficult for a cat to organically satisfy some of its instinctual needs, such as the desire to hunt and catch prey. And this is precisely where we come in – to provide a helping hand (or two) where our cats need it most.
By learning about your cats’ unique preferences and biological requirements, you will be better equipped to help them thrive.
The raw cat rhythm is the “cheat sheet” that can guide us along the way.
Happy hunting.