The Economic Times

Did America's indoor cats always live inside, or did centuries outdoors shape the secret ways they still communicate with humans today?

Cats lived outdoors for centuries before becoming indoor pets in the US. The biggest shift came after the 1950s as safer homes, cat litter, commercial pet food, and better veterinary care changed how Americans raised cats. Yet modern house cats still communicate through body language, meows, and scent markingjust like their wild ancestors.