New research shows why cats are more independent than dogs

Felis – Lost Constellation of the Cat

Domestic cats do not generally see their owners as a focus of safety and security in the same way that dogs do, according to new research.  The study by animal behaviour specialists at the University of Lincoln, UK, shows that while dogs perceive their owners as a safe base, the relationship between people and their feline friends appears to be quite different. While it is increasingly recognised that cats are more social and more capable of shared relationships than traditionally thought, this latest research shows that adult cats appear to be more autonomous -- even in their social relationships -- and not necessarily dependent on others to provide a sense of protection. The research, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, was led by Professor Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln's School of Life Sciences, along with Alice Potter -- who studied as a postgraduate at Lincoln and now works with the Companion Animals Science Group at the RSPCA. Sept.3 http://www.sott.net/article/301085-New-research-shows-why-cats-are-more-independent-than-dogs

The news comes to us during  the disseminating Moon phase  of Sept. 2. A chart for the phase at Lincoln  has the Sun and Jupiter on the IC opposite Neptune forming a T-square with Saturn in the 6^th house linked to pets [1]. Saturn is a planet we associate with self-reliance and autonomy while Neptune is about dependence so that the square brings out the contrast which is what the new research is about.

 But where is the cat? We don’t have to look far for that. On the IC are stars of the  constellation Felis, the Cat [1].

Today, only 88 constellations in the night sky are formally recognised by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), but many additional ones were once described and named too. One of these was Felis, the Cat, which was originally designated in 1799 by French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande, a noted cat-lover who had lamented the domestic cat's absence in a sky populated by no less than three different domestic dog constellations (Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Canes Venatici), as well as three wild cats (Leo, Leo Minor, and Lynx). And so Felis, situated between the constellations of Antlia (the Air Pump) and Hydra (the Water Snake), was duly added to the list, becoming the thirty-fourth animal constellation (albeit a rather small one).

[1] http://karlshuker.blogspot.in/2012/01/felis-lost-constellation-of-cat.html