Slog - Comments on All Our Cats Are Iraqi Americans http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans From the New York Times: Some 10,000 years ago, somewhere in the Near East, an audacious wildcat crept into one of the crude villages of early human settlers, the first to domesticate wheat and barley. There she felt safe from her many predators in the region, such as hyenas and larger cats. The rodents that infested the settlers’ homes and granaries were sufficient prey. Seeing that she was earning her keep, the settlers tolerated her, and their children greeted her kittens with delight. At least five females of the wildcat subspecies known as Felis silvestris lybica accomplished this delicate transition... Copyright 2008 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:50:34 -0800 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:58:51 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Mr. Poe Not mine.

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754716 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754716 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:51:31 -0800 Comment by Callie This is probably totally inappropriate, but here goes: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/mattoly/CATZ5.jpg

]]> Callie http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754719 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754719 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:55:17 -0800 Comment by bitch on heels Whatsamatter, Mr. Poe? Did someone insult your pussy?

]]> bitch on heels http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754720 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754720 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:55:31 -0800 Comment by Fnarf That's about to be one sorry, sorry pussycat in that picture, Callie. I wouldn't mess with an eagle if I was wearing an iron suit. Puss there is about the size of dinner, too.

Your cats, and your laws, and your concept of agriculture: yeah, Mesopotamia was important.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754724 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754724 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:58:52 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Yes, bitch! I'm furious!

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754742 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754742 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:16:12 -0800 Comment by crazycatguy Interesting article, particularily the hypothesis that cats chose to be domesticated by man, thus their apparent indifference to overt efforts to tame them. I for one am glad that the wildness still exists in my Pete and Sam, but I personally think the article overlooked the attraction cats have for warmth. My fireplace is an irresisitable cat-magnet, and I think that is why cats chose to befriend us - for a warm spot by the fire. The rodents were just an added perk.

]]> crazycatguy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754780 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754780 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:44:47 -0800 Comment by :: shawn :: actually...isn't all humanity "Iraqi". Isn't Iraq the "cradle of civilization"?

]]> :: shawn :: http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754815 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754815 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:13:10 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon there were no iraqis then.

akkadians
assyrians
babylonians
and so on.

the current iraqi populace is likely descended from invaders who chopped the genitals off the men, paraded them through their capital, & raped & enslaved the women who first domesticated the kitty cat.

its how things got done back then.

]]> maxsolomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754829 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754829 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:24:05 -0800 Comment by Mr. Poe Tower of Babel!!1! LLLLLLOLZORTRAINZZZ

]]> Mr. Poe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754842 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754842 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:28:55 -0800 Comment by monkey If only I could just walk into someone's house and get them to feed and pet me. I'd say cats have domesticated humans, not the other way around.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754859 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754859 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:35:46 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi @7,

It's more accurate to say that all of humanity is African. Mesopotamia may have been the cradle of civilization, but not all humans are descended from Mesopotamians. We are, however, all descended from Africans.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754874 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754874 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:45:07 -0800 Comment by Patrilicious Okay, so cat's have had 10,000 years now to evolve into what they are. Why the fuck haven't they figured out how to clean their fur without hacking up a hairball later? Fucking digest the thing or something! Vile creature! And quite puking on my carpet!

]]> Patrilicious http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754890 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754890 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:54:22 -0800 Comment by Cascadian Co-evolution: cats and people chose each other. That's always the way it works. We like to think we chose to domesticate dogs. No, our trash piles attracted a friendly breed of wolves, and the nicer ones got an easy source of food and access to a really smart pack.

The same goes for agriculture. Grains evolved to be attractive to people, who then transformed their entire way of living to meet the needs of grain. Neither could have succeeded without the other. Read Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

]]> Cascadian http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754934 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c754934 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:21:15 -0800 Comment by COMTE Clearly this is completely false.

Everyone KNOWS the Earth is only 6,000 years old.

]]> COMTE http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c755004 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c755004 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:11:39 -0800 Comment by Mike in MO Robin Quivers once said (paraphrasing), "having a cat is the closest thing to having a wild animal in your home." That is exactly the feeling I have for my cats.

I love this post. Thinking about my kittys' ancestors domesticating their human feeders is great!

]]> Mike in MO http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c755066 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/all_our_cats_are_iraqi_americans#c755066 Life Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:58:51 -0800