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The white "bib" on a cat's chest, and the white paw tips? Is there any evolutionary reason?
Thanks!
MargeCat
Thanks!
MargeCat
Then maybe, it makes them so darn cute to us that we adopt them.Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45
If that were true, more wild cats would have white on them
Actually, cats have not been bred intentionally until relatively recently. And most cats do not come from a breed line but from common ancestors of the breeds. It could be that some trait that made cats compatible with humans was associated with the gene that introduced white (which is recessive). Wild cats can develop a white mutation though natural selection does put them at a disadvantage. So as the cats developed the trait that made them more compatible with humans, the white gene became more common.Originally Posted by Naturestee
Yes, the wild species closest to domestic cats are usually tabby/spotted because they're good camoflauge colors. Some are agouti, but that's another camo color. I have yet to see pics of one that has white. All our other colors are there because someone saw a cat with a neat color mutation and bred it to get more. That's how all domestic animals get their non-wild colors.