6 Our Wild Pets-Mid

Our Wild Pets FOCUS Question How did certain wild animals become pets?

Where Did Pets Come From? Pets seem right at home with us. Cats cuddle on our beds. Dogs ride on car trips Hamsters curl up and sleep in our hands. But each of these friendly animals came from wild ancestors. Pets are domesticated animals. That means they live with and rely on people. To change wild animals into pets, people use breeding. They choose which animals can reproduce. Yet even in your favorite cat or dog, some wild traits remain.

Where Did Dogs Come From? Thousands of years ago, dogs started off as wolves. Humans and these wolves had many things in common that made it easy for them to live together. The wolves had a broad diet so they happily ate leftover human food. The wolves lived in family groups. They easily bonded with human partners. The wolves hunted in teams, so they worked well with human hunters. Usually, people domesticate wild animals by taming them. Then they breed those that have certain traits. Scientists think these wolves self- domesticated and became dogs. But how?

The bravest, friendliest wolves got more food from people than fearful wolves did. With easy access to food, these wolves raised more pups. The pups had the same less-threatening personality as their parents. Over time, the friendliest wolves became what we now call dogs. Much later, people began breeding dogs for special jobs. They bred some dogs to have a keen nose for hunting. They bred others to have a strong body for pulling loads. Some were bred to have lots of energy for catching rats. These dogs became today's bloodhounds, huskies, and terriers.

Where Did Cats Come From? The house cat's ancestors are called wildcats. There are several kinds of wildcats. They live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. At first glance they look just like pet cats. They are small, solitary hunters with large eyes and striped tabby-like coats. However, wildcats are larger and stronger than pet cats. Their coats are always brown or gray. Most notable, they are very independent and avoid people.

Like the first friendly wolves, wildcats may have self- domesticated. When humans started farming, mice and rats became a big problem. They ate stored food and made it spoil. Wildcats were naturally drawn to these prey. The wildcats that were bold enough to live on farms caught more prey. Over time, cats lived closer to humans. Now they live in our homes. People have also created different breeds of cats Most cats. are bred for looks rather than work. They have traits like long fur, colorful coats, and flat faces. Do You Know? Pet cats likely came from wildcats that lived in the desert. Even now, cats prefer warm, dry places. They also prefer to use dry sand as a bathroom.