A research project in the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David has discovered a remarkable difference between Welsh and English cats.
When they curl up to rest you can tell with 90% accuracy which side of the border your cat is from.
Welsh cats curl up clockwise while English curl up anti-clockwise. Professor Cath Felix (research team leader) said “This result was a complete surprise and we are struggling to explain it.
The working theory is that once Offa’s Dyke was constructed the two populations of cats were separated and stopped interbreeding and natural selection caused the difference in behaviour.
It is possible that the Celtic preference for round houses versus the Anglo-Saxon choice of rectangular houses played a significant role”.
The University is seeking a 6 figure grant from the Welsh Assembly and the European Union to fund continued the research that will included a UK wide survey of cat owners.
