A genetic research reveals your house cat shares a staggering 95.6% of its DNA with a wild tiger. Beneath the soft purrs and playful antics, domestic cats retain the essence of apex predators. A landmark genomic study published in Nature Communications reveals that tigers and domestic cats share approximately 95.6% of their genome sequence. This high degree of similarity stems from their divergence from a common feline ancestor roughly 10.8 million years ago—a relatively recent split in evolutionary terms. Despite the vast size difference—a typical house cat weighs around 10 pounds, while a tiger can exceed 600 pounds—both species are constructed from nearly identical genetic foundations. The minor differences (about 4.4%) primarily influence traits like body size, metabolic rate, and muscle mass, rather than core biological processes or predatory instincts. This explains why house cats instinctively stalk, pounce, ambush "prey," and mark territory with the same fervor as their wild relatives. These aren't mere cute habits; they are deeply ingrained, ancient behaviors encoded in their shared DNA. Recognizing this close genetic kinship allows owners to better understand their pets: far from being mere companions, domestic cats are miniature versions of formidable hunters, equipped with essentially the same biological toolkit as tigers and other big cats. [Cho, Y. S. et al. (including Jong Bhak and team). The tiger genome and comparative analysis with lion and snow leopard genomes. Nature Communications 4, 2433 (2013). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3433]