9781422274972

INTRODUCT ION

Every object, whether living or inanimate, is cause for new exploration by the kitten. Initial contact usually is tentative and probing, allowing plenty of possibility for escape.

F ew of us can resist the allure that a kitten brings—its tiny, wide-eyed, cuddly presence is something we all respond to. In part we’re reacting to a long-standing human emotion toward small, seemingly helpless creatures. Our affection for kittens extends back millennia to our ancient forebears. The earliest recorded linkage between humans and cats dates back to Egypt in 3000 B.C. African wildcats (Felis libyca) were naturally drawn to the huge populations of rats, mice, and other vermin that infested the grain stores of the Egyptians. In turn the keepers of those stores came to recognize the cats’ abilities in rodent control. They encouraged these wild cats to take up residence within and around their granaries. At first this was a separate although complementary relation- ship. The cats kept their distance from the humans and spent most of their time in the shadows, quietly going about their task as mousers. Gradually, however, exposure to humans wore down the cats’ comfortable distance, and direct physical encounters began to occur.

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