Research overview: the self-domestication hypothesis in cats

The idea that cats domesticated themselves holds that wildcats with reduced fear of humans gained access to abundant rodents and food scraps, reproduced more successfully near settlements, and thereby selected themselves for tameness without human breeding intent. This overview examines the evidence and limits of that hypothesis, drawing on genetics, behaviour and archaeology. It considers how weak human-directed selection explains why cats retain wild morphology, solitary-flexible social systems and strong hunting drive, while still forming bonds with people. The survey also weighs critiques that emphasize some degree of human agency, such as feeding, transport by ship and protection, suggesting the truth lies between pure self-domestication and active management, and that cats occupy a distinctive semi-domesticated position among companion animals.