this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] magic_internet_wizard@lemmy.world 29 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Domestic cats are not actually much different than wild cats in any way. they're just too small to eat us and raised to be more tame. If your loveable housecat was as big as a cheetah, they might not intentionally attack you out of aggression, but their predator instincts would kick in and would probably play with you until you died and possibly eat you like they do insects, lizards, and any other small creature.

[–] sangriaferret@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I read an interview with a zoologist which described cats as evolutionarily perfect. Their dna really only varies primarily for size. All cats all over the world have survived with no need to seriously adapt to their environment.

[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

no need to seriously adapt to their environment.

Yeah, cats make everyone and everything adapt to their environment. You have to completely go outside the environment to avoid their influence.

[–] luciferofastora@feddit.org 8 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

go outside the environment

Isn't that where the wrecked oil tanker is?

[–] remotelove@lemmy.ca 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

The one where the the front fell off?

[–] luciferofastora@feddit.org 4 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

It's very unusual

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Or snakes. Like, big snakes.

I swear, if a housecat sees a noodle, some "I'm born to paw this to death" switch goes off in their heads.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rH5GxeyusM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIcpg_pFbF8

Interestingly, big cats aren't like that. They don't like snakes, and I think they're too big to dodge them.

[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Kinda funny how cats can basically parry things.

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 9 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Cheetahs are apparently the most chill of the big cats, people do keep them as pets.

My local zoo will actually let people meet the cheetahs, and I can't imagine that happening with the tigers.

[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 15 hours ago

Apparently cheetahs aren't "big cats", they're just large versions of small cats. They share features like purring and meowing, and their temperaments are closer to housecats than a tiger or lion.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 5 points 22 hours ago

If my cat was that size, I might actually die from the farts in my face in the morning (like now), the signal he uses to say he's hungry.