Cats Are the Consummate Domesticate: Origins and Evolution of Our Feline Friends [Pilot]

6 Degrees of Cats

Welcome to 6 Degrees of Cats, the world's #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast. From a playful yet rigorously researched angle, join host Amanda B. and her team as we explore the fascinating world of felines and their connections to history, culture, and more. Starting with the question: ARE CATS ACTUALLY DOMESTICATED?

In our first episode, renowned anthro archaeologist Melinda Zeder, Ph.D., and Netflix star animal cognition expert Kristyn Vitale, Ph.D. educate and correct understandings of our little haus panthers.

With their help, discover the true definition of domestication and the possible regions where domestic cats may have originated. And correct common misconceptions about cat behavior and intelligence, helping us understand domestication behaviors and their implications on (cat)titude!

Join us as we journey across time and regions to appreciate how cats are THE consummate domesticate.

Special thanks to Christina Choi, Graham Griffith, Rekha Murthy, Natalie Tulloch and Jane Zumwalt.

Support the podcast, sign up for The Captain’s Log, the companion podcast newsletter and more here: linktr.ee/6degreesofcats.

About the experts:

• Kristyn Vitale, Ph.D. is the founder of Maueyes and star of Netflix’s hit feature film, “The Mind of a Cat”. Her innovative research on cat behavior and human-animal interaction has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and been covered by such international publications as Science, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Times of London.
• Melinda A. Zeder, Ph.D. is an American archaeologist and Curator Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Her zooarchaeological research has revolutionized understandings of animal domestication.

Producer, writer, editor, sound designer, host, basically everything*

• Captain Kitty (Amanda B.)

* with co-executive producers Binky & Snuggles

Animal voices include:

• Binky & Snuggles _^..^_

Opening and closing credits:

• Leathered: "Look Alive" (c) 2022
• Samples licensed via Loopcloud
• Additional sound effects from Pixabay.com

Logo design:

• Edward Anthony © 2024 (Instagram: @itsmyunzii)

Research used:

• Nilson, S.M., Gandolfi, B., Grahn, R.A. et al. Genetics of randomly bred cats support the cradle of cat domestication being in the Near East. Heredity 129, 346–355 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-022-00568-4
• Zeder, M.A. (1982). The Domestication of Animals. Journal of Anthropological Research 9(4):321-327. DOI:10.1080/00988157.1982.9977605