I’m living the “Trouble with Tribbles” episode of Star Trek. The plot of this episode revolves around cute, little, furry animals introduced on board the star ship Enterprise as pets. A problem arises when they reproduce so rapidly, they clog the engines and foul the food supply. The plot must have been inspired by house cats. Two years ago, animal control (without my knowledge at the time) removed most of the cats living near my house. Years before this, I started feeding just a couple of stray cats, and my neighbors love cats and feed them too. The population exploded. After so many cats were removed it didn’t take long for them to replenish their population. I’m attached to 3 of the cats, but I wish a coyote would come along and get rid of the rest. They swarm the front door, and when I have to take my disabled wife to an appointment, it is a nuisance to try and get her wheelchair out of the house when the cats get in the way. I’m going to research birth control cat food because I don’t have the heart to do anything else about it.
Scene from the “Trouble with Tribbles” episode of Star Trek. It seems as if I am living in the episode.
Cats are cute and entertaining, and I am attached to some of the cats, but they can be a real nuisance when I am trying to roll my wife’s wheelchair in and out of the house.
House cats are a commensal species that thrive near human habitations. They descend from a North African subspecies of wild cat, but scientists have determined it is the same species as the European wild cat. The ancestors of this subspecies of wild cat first started living near man in the Middle East (also known as the Levant) about 9500 years ago when humans transformed forest into farmland, thus increasing populations of the mice that feed upon cereal crops. An isotopic study of 6 cat remains found in caves located in Poland determined this Middle Eastern subspecies of wild cat followed human farmers into central Europe between 6200-4300 years ago. These are the oldest known cat remains (of this subspecies) in Europe. They occupied the same ecological niche as the European subspecies of wild cat and had a similar diet. The specimens found in Polish caves were living wild and their diets were not supplemented by humans. There are no cat remains in this region near human habitations from this time period, so scientists aren’t sure if tame populations occurred here this early.
The transformation of forest into wheat, barley, rye, and fallow fields greatly increased the population of house mice (Mus musculus), a primary food of both subspecies of wild cats. Wild cats also fed upon rabbits, hares, and birds; especially black grouse, migratory thrushes, and woodcocks. The latter species spends much time on the ground and is particularly vulnerable to cat predation.
Image from the below referenced study. The North African subspecies of wild cat followed humans into Europe where a different subspecies of wild cat already occurred. Remains of the former were found in Polish caves and date to about 5,000 years ago. From the below referenced study.
Chart showing species fed upon by wildcats in Europe based on isotopic evidence. These are species of mice and voles that lived in the wilderness rather than near farmland. From the below referenced study.
Both subspecies of wild cats interbreed on occasion, but they have somewhat different behavior patterns. House cats sleep more; European wild cats spend more time scent marking and are more vigilant.
Reference:
Krajcarz, M.; M. Krajcarz, M. Baca, and H. Bocherens
“Ancestors of Domestic Cat in Neolithic Central Europe: Isotopic Evidence of a Synanthropic Diet”
PNAS 117 (30) July 2020
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