--- title: "Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say" description: "Cats, ever the mischievous and frisky pets, may be harboring a lot more human DNA than once thought, possibly tampering crime scenes, a new study says." date: "2022-11-03" modified: "2022-11-03" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/cats-tampering-crime-scenes" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "crime" - "dna" - "forensics" - "the digest" --- # Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say ![Cats, ever the mischievous and frisky pets, may be harboring a lot more human DNA than once thought, possibly tampering crime scenes, a new study says.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Cat Burglar Cats are known for not really minding their own business, getting their furry paws on just about anything they can. And it turns out, this makes them effective vectors for DNA evidence, according to a [study published last month]() in the journal *Forensic Science International: Genetic Supplement Series*. Researchers collaborating with the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department in Australia found detectable human DNA in 80 percent of the samples collected from 20 pet cats, with 70 percent of the samples strong enough that they could be linked to a person of interest in a crime scene investigation. "Collection of human DNA needs to become very important in crime scene investigations, but there is a lack of data on companion animals such as cats and dogs in their relationship to human DNA transfer," said study lead author Heidi Monkman, a forensic scientist at Flinders University, in a [statement]()*.* "These companion animals can be highly relevant in assessing the presence and activities of the inhabitants of the household, or any recent visitors to the scene." ## Here Kitty One possible takeaway is that cats — and other companion pets like dogs — could be harboring DNA that could help solve a case. The bigger issue, though, is that pets could introduce foreign DNA that muddles a crime scene, possibly leading to an innocent person being implicated. A pet could be carrying the DNA of a complete stranger, or it might bring the DNA of its owner into a crime scene that they had nothing to do with. Monkman's colleague and co-author of the paper, Maria Goray, is an experienced crime scene investigator and an expert in DNA transfer. She believes their findings could help clear up how pets might tamper a crime scene by carrying outside DNA. "Are these DNA findings a result of a criminal activity or could they have been transferred and deposited at the scene via a pet?" Goray asked. It's a question worth asking — especially because [innocent people have been jailed off botched DNA science]() far too often. **More on DNA evidence:** *[Cops Upload Image of Suspect Generated From DNA, Then Delete After Mass Criticism]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()