As Different As Cats and Dogs

Time for a confession. while I quite like dogs - particularly big boofy dogs, I'm basically a cat person. For years I put that foible down to cats like independence and general insouciance. Thanks to the U.s. National Science Foundation and some ex-Duke dudes, I realize its really because cats are curious and creep up on objects of interest. According to the study; 'Dogs Chase Efficiently, But Cats Skulk Counterintuitively', cast have just trashed the assumption by biologists that natural selection is all about energy efficiency. Here I was admiring my cats' ability to sleep 20 hours a day (2 hours play, 2 hours snacking) when in reality they were following their evolutionary path to success! While dogs are all balanced if bouncy kinetic energy, cats have traded off efficiency in exchange for the ability to slink along before pouncing on an unsuspecting cloth mouse and give it a good pummeling. Dogs like humans, have a gait that reduces their muscular workload by 70% while your cat manage only 37% at best. This explains why cats operate in short bursts and need so much sleep to recharge the batteries - here I was putting it down to pure laziness!  So te next time your feline has their paws up, remember they're only skulking counterintuitively! http://news.duke.edu/2008/12/catwalk.html   Image: Seti demonstrating counterintuitive skulking!, David Rymer, 2008