Explanations for cats- creationism vs reality.

Why are cats so adorable? Supposedly God made them for our benefit. Their fur is nice and soft for petting, which lowers our blood pressure. They're made to be affectionate companions for us, uplifting our spirits. And playful kittens fill our days with smiles and laughter.

So why the hell do they have sharp razor blades at the end of each digit? They're affectionate only when they feel like it. The rest of the time they don't give a damn about us. And the games kittens play consist entirely of pretending to kill each other. The more they enjoy chasing, pouncing, biting and fake-disembowelling each other the better killers they'll be as adults. That's what they're obsessed with- Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Seriously God, (or Yahweh, Jehovah, Vishnu, Hutta Moomoo or...) WTF??

The real explanation is far more sensible, lacking any of those eternally-unanswerable mysteries. It's an awe-inspiring story, an epic tale of survival. That's what it is to me. Whereas several of the large felines are apex predators the ancestors of our cats were both predators and prey, with the threat of violent death always near. The granaries built by our farming ancestors greatly alleviated the struggle for food, the grain storages being magnets for rodents. Those humans that saw the value of these furry non-baby-eating killers in turn repelled larger predators, increasing their chances for life. Human villages provided havens for them, and they in turn evolved and adapted to become closer to us, then more ideal as members of human families.

There is much, much more to this story, but I'll close with my observation that explanations based on scientific research, discoveries made through endless trial and error are more enriching for our minds than anything religious story tellers can make up. I love my feline family with all my heart, with full appreciation for how they came to be.