Brigitte Osterath discusses cat behavior, their status as loners and how that affects interactions. Her article and photos are worthy of social media posts targeting new cat owners.
There is a simple reason for why cats are so different from dogs — and thus also in their relationships to humans: “Cats are originally loners and independent,” explains Dennis Turner. They did not live in large packs with a clear social structure like the ancestors of the dogs — the wolves.
Source: Deutsche Welle, August 8, 2018. Link.
Cats have a reputation for cruelty for one reason in particular: they have a tendency to play with mice and other prey until the victims are totally overcome with fear. “Cats are opportunistic hunters and must be ready to stalk and catch any prey they discover by chance — even if they’re not hungry,” Turner explains. By playing with the live prey, the cat is acting out this inner conflict. “It seems cruel, but it is a necessary process developed by evolutionary selection.”