Oct. 28, 2024
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photo by Abbie Lankitus
At the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, cats aren’t just patients, they’re VIPs (very important pets). And that world-class care extends far beyond campus, as the research conducted by Mizzou veterinarians is improving feline health worldwide.
To celebrate National Cat Day on Oct. 29, here are four purr-fect examples of how research from Mizzou cat geneticist Leslie Lyons and Gretchen Carlisle, from Mizzou’s Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, has improved the way we understand and interact with these whiskered wonders.
1. Ancient pest control.
Cats have been helping humans for a long time. In a 2022 study, Lyons determined that cats first became domesticated nearly 10,000 years ago. That’s when humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers in the fertile land surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East. Mice were attracted to the crops, cats were attracted to the mice, and humans and cats soon developed a symbiotic relationship.
2. Copycats.
While dogs might be “man’s best friend,” a 2021 study conducted by Lyons found that cats are more genetically similar to humans than nearly any other mammal. The discovery is helping advance treatments of inherited diseases for both cats and humans.
3. Here, kitty, kitty.
Cats can increase empathy and decrease separation anxiety for kids with autism. The finding, which Carlisle released in a 2020 study, could help families wanting to adopt a pet make better-informed decisions.
4. Destressing cats.
And the benefits are mutual. In 2021, Carlisle led a study showing that shelter cats screened for calm temperaments become less stressed after adoption by families with children with autism. By measuring both cortisol levels and the weight of shelter cats before and after being adopted by Missouri families with at least one child with autism, she found the cats acclimated well to their new families and became significantly less stressed over time.
