How to Stroke a Cat, According to Science
via Phys.org
This social shift in the human-cat relationship is thought to have occurred around 4,000 years ago—a little later than “man’s best friend” –- the domestic dog. Although this might seem like a sufficient amount of time for a species to fully adjust to increased social demands, this is unlikely to be the case for your feline friend. Domestic cats also display relatively modest genetic divergence from their ancestors, meaning their brains are probably still wired to think like a wildcat’s.
Wildcats live solitary lives and invest considerable time and effort communicating indirectly—via visual and chemical messages—just to avoid having to see each other. So it’s unlikely that domestic cats inherited many complex social skillsfrom their relatives.