Therapeutic cats? Yes, recent studies show cats may be useful to those who suffer from bone problems. The domestic cat has been around for 1000s of years and was worshiped by the Egyptians as gods because they killed the mice and rats surrounding their grain stocks. It was illegal to kill a cat and the penalty was death. They were the cats that got the cream.
During the middle ages it was a totally different story, superstition was rife and cats were believed to be agents of the devil and possess magical powers. They were subsequently beaten, killed and/or driven away. Some of that superstition still survives today with regard to the black cat crossing your path, thus, bringing you bad luck.
Until recently, It was widely believed that cats were first domesticated by the Egyptians about 3,600 years ago, however more recent genetic and archaeological studies indicate that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent (middle east) as much as 10,000 years ago, as agriculture was just beginning.
DNA Focus on the Origins of Cats
Experiments have recently been done on DNA samples from 979 wildcats and domestic cats in Southern Africa, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and the Middle East. It was expected that the genetic composition of the wildcat groups would vary across geography but not change over time. If the DNA distinguished a difference from one particular group there would be clear evidence for where and when domestication began.
In the Genetic Analysis published in 2007, they focused on two kinds of DNA used to examine different subgroups of mammal species: DNA from Mitochondria (from the mother) and short, repetitive sequences of nuclear DNA known as microsatellites. Assessing the ancestry of the 979 samples based on their genetic signatures, they measured how similar cats' DNA was to that of the other cats and grouped the animals having similar DNA together. They then looked to see if most of the animals in the group lived in the same region.
The results showed 5 genetic lineages of wildcats. 4 lineages corresponded with 4 known species of wildcat from – Europe, China, Central Asia and Southern Africa. The 5th lineage, however included the known subspecies of wildcat from the Middle East but also hundreds of domestic cats sampled, including purebred and mixed breeds from US, UK & Japan. Genetically, wildcats collected from Israel, UAE and Saudi Arabia were indistinguishable from domestic cats. Thus, wildcats and domestic cats originated from the same place, in the Middle East, not in other places where wildcats are common.
Therapeutic Purring
Whilst cats remain around humans, they can be aloof, exasperating and sometimes rather savage. A purring cat has always been considered a happy cat because we tend to notice it when a cat is being patted or fed.
Scientists have now found that cats produce the purr through intermittent signalling of the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles. Cats purr during inhalation and exhalation with consistent pattern and frequency - between 25 & 150 Hertz. Various studies have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.
It is now believed that cats purrs improve the healing of bones and muscles and may provide help for humans. Bone density loss and muscle atrophy is a serious condition for astronauts during extended periods at zero gravity. Their musculo-skeletal systems do not experience normal stresses of physical activity, including normal standing or sitting, which requires strength for posture control.
Because cats have adapted to conserve energy by sleeping for long periods of time, it is possible that purring is a low energy mechanism that stimulates muscles and bones without a lot of energy. This could be the reason cats have few bone problems or abnormalities. The mythology of a cat having 9 lives was born from the cats durability, purring may be the root of this mythology.
Perhaps humans need to develop purring at these frequencies to see if this theory works, if so, it has the potential to, not only change our attitudes but change our lives as well. This being the case, cats may not be so good for nothing after all.
Rhonda Chalmers - Rhonda has a BSc in Geology, graduating from the University of Auckland in 2007. Rhonda lives in Brisbane and works full-time as an ...
