Mary Allen
As cuddly, cozy, and loving as most domestic cats are – the wild animal in them is omnipresent. A study has now shown that the term house tiger is not far-fetched, because domestic cats are genetically 95 percent identical to tigers!
So 95 percent of tigers and domestic cats share the same genes. This was found by researchers from China and South Korea who examined the genetic structures of several wild cat species, including those of tigers.
Cats & Tigers “Separated” 11 Million Years Ago
Evolution separated cats and tigers around 11 million years ago – but the genes of the two species are still exactly 95.6 percent identical. Large wild cats sometimes have mutated genes that take them to a completely different level in terms of muscle mass and performance, for example. Incidentally, humans also have “genetic counterparts” in the wild: gorillas. Our DNA and that of gorillas are 94.8 percent identical – just a few genes that make the difference. But back to our velvet paws: Compared to other domesticated animals, domestic cats are actually very few “pets” and more “wild animals” from a genetic point of view.
Cats are Genetically Very Wild
The targeted and intentional domestication and breeding of cats as cuddly tigers has only been taking place for around 150 years. Since the history of the domestication of fur noses is so young, relatively few genes have changed compared to their ancestor, the wild cat. The dog has been a loyal companion to humans for a long time, which means that significantly more could change genetically. This is not to say that cats have not changed at all. Studies show that at least 13 genes change when we live with humans. These all play a role in the feline brain, such as cat memory, the reward system, or fear processing. Domestic cats are generally more relaxed and relaxed than wild cats, who have to worry a lot more about dangers such as predators in the wild. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of tigers and very little room in our house for tigers.