There is a recurring question for cat owners, one that might even be voiced aloud, perhaps while looking down at the shattered remains of a wineglass that has been tap-tap-tapped off the counter: Why are you like this?
Yet in the centuries since their domestication, cats and their mysterious quirks have rarely been the subjects of serious scientific study — until now.
Researchers from the community science nonprofit Darwin’s Ark have embarked on an initiative to help humans better understand their feline friends. The project, Darwin’s Cats, involves compiling an expansive database of survey results and DNA samples that scientists can mine for answers to some of the most pressing cat-related questions: Are certain cats more at risk for kidney disease or diabetes? Are orange cats really predisposed to being kooky snugglebugs?
“We’re basically trying to understand more about how genetics influences not only health but behavior and what your cat looks like,” said Elinor Karlsson, cofounder and chief scientist at Darwin’s Ark.
Such research requires a massive amount of data, so Darwin’s Ark has been recruiting cat owners from across the U.S. to participate. Vermont, which has a higher than average level of cat ownership, would be a helpful addition to the project, Karlsson said. To date, only 43 cats from the Green Mountain State have been enrolled.
Cat owners interested in participating can go to darwinsark.org and fill out a questionnaire about their pets’ behavior and traits. For a $100 tax-deductible donation, they can also send in a sample of their cat’s DNA.
In exchange, the project hopes to eventually provide these cat owners more information about their furry companions, such as their genetic history, their ancestry and, yes, whether it is a specific gene that drives them to sit on your head at 4 a.m.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Here Kitty, Kitty”
This article appears in May 27 • 2026.
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