Why are cats so understudied? A tail of superstition, persecution, and misconceptions
PUBLISHED ON December 13, 2024
Witches’ companions, nine lives, black cats that bring bad luck: the many superstitions surrounding cats, combined with the challenges of researching them in clinical settings, have left cats surprisingly understudied. Darwin’s Cats is using community science to shed superstition and misconception and to give cats the scientific attention they deserve. But to understand why cats have been scientifically neglected for so long, we first need to explore their complicated past, particularly during Europe’s Middle Ages when cat myths and misconceptions ran rampant.
Cats in the Middle Ages: Persecution and Superstition
Before the rise of the Medieval Church in the Middle Ages (c. 450 – 1500 AD), cats were generally viewed with reverence. In ancient Egypt, cats were considered sacred beings and beloved companions. Bastet, a goddess depicted as a woman with the head of a cat, symbolized protection, grace, and fertility in ancient Egyptian culture.
However, as the Medieval Church gained influence across Europe, it sought to discredit older religions, particularly Pagan traditions and values. The once-sacred cat became associated with darkness, witchcraft, and the occult.
Medieval treatment of cats was also deeply entwined with cultural views of gender. In ancient Egypt, cats’ association with the feminine was revered, but in medieval Europe, anything linked to female power and independence was seen as a threat to the patriarchal order. Because many older or unmarried medieval women kept cats as rodent-hunters and companions, owning a cat was often enough to accuse a woman of witchcraft. If she was found “guilty,” her cat was also punished, often fatally. This association of cats with powerful, mysterious women gave rise to the iconic Halloween image of a witch and her cat navigating the night sky by broomstick.
Despite their negative reputation, Medieval cats were appreciated for their pest control skills, most notably by curbing plague-carrying rat populations during Black Death. Cats’ European comeback came when the Rosetta Stone was translated in 1822, introducing ancient Egyptian culture—and their respect for cats—to the modern world. Queen Victoria became fascinated with ancient Egyptian culture, adopted two Blue Persian cats, and even became a show cat breeder. Victoria’s popularity and influence helped restore cats’ reputation in the Western world.
Low-Maintenance Misconceptions Lead to Limited Research
Today, cats are popular pets celebrated for their independence and self-reliance. While it’s true that cats are relatively low-maintenance and can fend for themselves when needed, these behavioral traits can lead us to pay less attention to cats than other pets.
Michelle White, a veterinarian scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, explains: “Cats come into our lives a lot less purposefully than some of our dogs. A lot of cats just show up and we can’t find who they belong to, so they just end up in our homes. That sometimes leads to a sense that cats seem low-maintenance.”
Unlike dogs, which were bred for specific tasks like hunting or herding, cats don’t usually have the same level of structured interaction with their owners.. Our relationships with cats tend to be less active. “We tend not to do sports with them. They don’t tend to follow us around as much,” said White. “We’re not always taking them out on walks…well, not most people, so we’re not going to see a limp as easily.”
Cats are both predators and prey. So, while they’re renowned for their hunting skills, they also have a strong prey animal instinct to mask signs of illness or injury. Because cats are adept at hiding weakness or pain, their owners may not realize something’s wrong until it becomes a more serious problem.
When cats do visit the vet, their behavior can be very different from how they act at home. Many cats find the vet’s office frightening or fascinating, making it difficult for vets or researchers to assess them accurately.
And if cats’ vet antics didn’t make them difficult enough to study, limited funding for pet science research poses additional challenges. Fortunately for cats and those who want to learn more about them, community science projects like Darwin’s Cats bypass logistical constraints of traditional research. Community-driven research enables cost-effective studies that can unlock answers to long-standing questions about cats—questions best answered by the people who live with them every day.
“There are some cat research projects out there, but they tend to be quite small,” said Elinor Karlsson, co-founder and chief scientist of Darwin’s Ark. “I don’t know that anybody’s ever asked tens of thousands of cat owners whether their cat likes to fetch things. How common is that behavior?” Darwin’s Cats hopes to find out.
Community Science: A New Era for Cat Research
Darwin’s Cats’ community science model provides an opportunity to gather cat data at an unprecedented scale. While most feline research focuses on small cohorts of purebred cats, Darwin’s Cats is open to cats of all backgrounds, most of which have no known pedigree. “When you include all cat populations, the potential to make discoveries gets much more powerful,” said Karlsson.
Through community science, Darwin’s Cats isn’t just advancing our understanding of cats—it’s redefining what’s possible when researchers and pet owners join forces. Through free, fun surveys, Darwin’s Cats community scientists help our researchers get to know their cats in their home environment. When thousands of cat owners answer the same survey questions, a robust picture of cat behavior begins to emerge, one that can help debunk some of the most persistent superstitions and misconceptions about cats.
Together, we can turn centuries of superstition into a brighter, science-filled future for our favorite felines.
Become a Darwin’s Cats Community Scientist
Ready to help unravel the mysteries of cats? Join Darwin’s Cats today and contribute to groundbreaking research that’s changing how we understand cats. Share your cat’s habits, quirks, and physical characteristics through our surveys, or donate to receive a DNA sequencing kit.
Follow Darwin’s Ark on Instagram and Facebook for research updates, science breakthroughs, and behind-the-scenes peeks at our work. Don't miss a post—check us out today!
0 Comments