 In comparison to dogs , cats have not undergone major changes during the domestication process , as the form and behavior of the domestic cat is not radically different from those of wildcats and domestic cats are perfectly capable of surviving in the wild . Fully domesticated house cats often interbreed with feral F. catus populations . This limited evolution during domestication means that hybridisation can occur with many other felids , notably the Asian leopard cat . Several natural behaviors and characteristics of wildcats may have predisposed them for domestication as pets . These traits include their small size , social nature , obvious body language , love of play and relatively high intelligence . Several small felid species may have an inborn tendency towards tameness . 
