The
cat (or domestic
cat, house cat) is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is
valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to destroy
vermin. A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species
for food. Intelligent, the cat can be trained to obey simple commands,
and has been known to teach itself to manipulate simple mechanisms (see
cat intelligence).
The trinomial name of the domestic cat is Felis silvestris catus. Its
closest pre-domesticated ancestor is believed to be the African wild
cat, Felis silvestris lybica. Humans have developed several dozen
breeds of cat, in a variety of colours.
Cats have lived in close association with humans for at least 9,500
years. Legends and myths about the cat exist in many cultures, from the
ancient Egyptians and Chinese to the Vikings. They have been both
revered and vilified by different cultures.
Cats use more than one hundred vocalizations and types of body language
for communication, including mewing ("meow" or "miaou"), purring,
hissing, growling, chirping, clicking, and grunting. Cats have even
been observed mimicking the calls of birds.
Like horses and other domesticated animals, cats can sometimes become
feral, living effectively in the wild. Feral cats will often form small
feral cat colonies. Animal welfare organizations note that few
abandoned cats are able to survive long enough to become feral, most
being killed by vehicles, or succumbing to starvation, predators,
exposure, or disease.
Nomenclature
A group of cats is referred to as a clowder, a male cat is called a
tom, and a female is called a queen. The male progenitor of a cat,
especially a pedigreed cat, is its sire, and its female progenitor is
its dam. An immature cat is called a kitten (which is also an
alternative name for young rats, rabbits, hedgehogs, beavers, squirrels
and skunks). In medieval Britain, the word kitten was interchangeable
with the word catling. A cat whose ancestry is formally registered is
called a pedigreed cat, purebred cat, or a show cat (although not all
show cats are pedigreed or purebred). In strict terms, a purebred cat
is one whose ancestry contains only individuals of the same breed. A
pedigreed cat is one whose ancestry is recorded, but may have ancestors
of different breeds (almost exclusively new breeds; cat registries are
very strict about which breeds can be mated together). Cats of mixed
ancestry are referred to as domestic longhairs and domestic shorthairs
or commonly as random-bred, moggies, mongrels, mutt-cats or alley cats.
The ratio of pedigree/purebred cats to random-bred cats varies from
country to country. However, generally speaking, purebreds are less
than ten percent of the total feline population.
The word cat derives from Old English catt, which belongs to a group of
related words in European languages, including Latin cattus, Byzantine
Greek κάττα, Old Irish cat, and Old Church Slavonic
kotka. The ultimate source of all these terms, however, is unknown.
However, it may be linked to the ancient Nubian kadis and the Berber
kadiska.
The term puss (as in pussycat or Puss in boots) may come from Dutch
(from "poes", a female cat, or the diminutive "poesje", an endearing
term for any cat) or from other Germanic languages.
Scientific classification
The domestic cat was named Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in his
Systema Naturae of 1758. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber named the
wild cat Felis silvestris in 1775. The domestic cat is now considered a
subspecies of the wild cat: by the strict rule of priority of the
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the name for the species
thus ought to be F. catus since Linnaeus published first. However, in
practice almost all biologists use F. silvestris for the wild species,
using F. catus only for the domesticated form.
In opinion 2027 (published in Volume 60, Part 1 of the Bulletin of
Zoological Nomenclature, March 31 2003) the International Commission on
Zoological Nomenclature "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based
on wild species, which are predated by or contemporary with those based
on domestic forms", thus confirming F. silvestris for the wild cat and
F. silvestris catus for its domesticated subspecies. (F. catus is still
valid if the domestic form is considered a separate species.)
Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben named the domestic cat Felis
domesticus in his Anfangsgründe der Naturlehre and Systema regni
animalis of 1777. This name, and its variants Felis catus domesticus
and Felis silvestris domesticus, are often seen, but they are not valid
scientific names under the rules of the International Code of
Zoological Nomenclature.
Characteristics
Physical features
A cat grooming itselfCats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg
(5.5–16 pounds); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon can
exceed 11.3 kg (25 pounds). Some have been known to reach up to 23 kg
(50 pounds) due to overfeeding. Conversely, very small cats (less than
1.8 kg / 4.0 lbs) have been reported.
In captivity, indoor cats typically live 14 to 20 years, though the
oldest-known cat lived to age 36. Domestic cats tend to live longer if
they are not permitted to go outdoors (reducing the risk of injury from
fights or accidents and exposure to diseases) and if they are spayed or
neutered. Some such benefits are: neutered male cats cannot develop
testicular cancer, spayed female cats cannot develop ovarian cancer,
and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer.
Cats also possess rather loose skin; this enables them to turn and
confront a predator or another cat in a fight, even when it has a grip
on them. This is also an advantage for veterinary purposes, as it
simplifies injections. In fact, the life of cats with kidney failure
can sometimes be extended for years by the regular injection of large
volumes of fluid subcutaneously, which serves as an alternative to
dialysis, The particular loose skin at the back of the neck is known as
the scruff, and is the area by which a mother cat grips her kittens to
carry them. As a result, cats have a tendency to relax and become quiet
and passive when gripped there which often extends into adulthood, and
can be useful when attempting to treat or move an uncooperative cat.
However, since the adult cat is quite a bit heavier than a kitten, she
should not be carried with her weight entirely hanging from the scruff,
but should also have her weight supported at the abdomen and hind legs.
Some advise against "scruffing" an adult cat at all.
Ears
Sixty-two individual muscles in the ear allow for a manner of
directional hearing: the cat can move each ear independently of the
other. Because of this mobility, a cat can move its body in one
direction and point its ears in another direction. Most cats have
straight ears pointing upward. Unlike dogs, flap-eared breeds are
extremely rare. (Scottish Folds are one such exceptional genetic
mutation.) When angry or frightened, a cat will lay its ears back, to
accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats will also turn
their ears back when they are playing, or occasionally to show interest
in a sound coming from behind them.
Metabolism
Cats commonly sleep curled into a tight ball.Cats conserve energy by
sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. Daily
durations of sleep vary, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14
being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour
period. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep
(lightly) for a brief period and has entered the English lexicon
– someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a
cat nap".
Due to their crepuscular nature, cats are often known to enter a period
of increased hyperactivity and playfulness during the evening and early
morning, dubbed the "evening crazies", "night crazies" or "mad
half-hour" by some.
The temperament of a cat can vary depending on the breed and
socialization. Cats with "oriental" body types tend to be thinner and
more active, while cats that have a "cobby" body type tend to be
heavier and less active.
The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 °C (101
and 102.2 °F). A cat is considered febrile (hyperthermic) if it has
a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if
less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). For comparison, humans have a
normal temperature of approximately 36.8 °C (98.2 °F). A
domestic cat's normal heart rate ranges from 140 to 220 beats per
minute, and is largely dependent on how excited the cat is. For a cat
at rest, the average heart rate should be between 150 and 180 bpm,
about twice that of a human.
Legs
A cat jumping.Cats, like dogs, are digitigrades: they walk directly on
their toes, the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the
visible leg. Cats are capable of walking very precisely, because like
all felines they directly register; that is, they place each hind paw
(almost) directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimizing
noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for their
hind paws when they navigate rough terrain.
Unlike dogs and most mammals, cats walk by moving both legs on one side
and then both legs on the other. Most mammals move legs on alternate
sides in sequence. Cats share this unusual gait with camels, giraffes,
and a select few other mammals. There is no known connection between
these animals which might explain this.
Like all members of family Felidae except the cheetah, cats have
retractable claws. In their normal, relaxed position the claws are
sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. This keeps the
claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows
the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically
sharper than those on the hind feet. Cats can extend their claws
voluntarily on one or more paws at will. Cats may extend their claws in
hunting or self-defense, climbing, "kneading", or for extra traction on
soft surfaces (bedspreads, thick rugs, etc.). The curved claws may
become entangled in carpet or thick fabric, which may cause injury if
the cat is unable to free itself.
Most cats have 5 claws at their front paws, and 4 or 5 at their rear
paws. But because of a mutation, cats are prone to polydactyly, and may
have 6 or 7 toes. The 5th front claw, the thumb, is on much higher
position than those of the other fingers. Then even higher, there seems
to be a 6th finger, but it is not. This special feature of the front
paws, on the inside of the wrists, is the carpal pad, also found on the
paws of big cats and dogs. It has no function in normal walking but is
thought to be an anti-skidding device during jumping. If present, the
5th claw at the rear legs, corresponding with the big toe, is called
the dew-claw.
Perching and
falling
A cat in a treeMost breeds of cat have a noted fondness for settling in
high places, or perching. Animal behaviorists have posited a number of
explanations, the most common being that height gives the cat a better
observation point, allowing it to survey its "territory" and become
aware of activities of people and other pets in the area. In the wild,
a higher place may serve as concealed site from which to hunt; domestic
cats are known to strike prey by pouncing from such a perch as a tree
branch, as does a leopard, or a fence rail. Height, therefore, can also
give cats a sense of security and prestige.
This fondness for high spaces, however, can dangerously test the
popular axiom that a cat "always lands on its feet." The American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warns owners to
safeguard the more dangerous perches in their homes, to avoid
"high-rise syndrome," where an overconfident cat falls from an extreme
height.
During a fall, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself
using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This is known as the
cat's "righting reflex." It always rights itself in the same way,
provided it has the time to do so during a fall. Thus, high
(multi-story) falls can be less dangerous to them than those of only a
few meters. Many cases are known of cats falling from substantial
heights (5 to 10 stories) and surviving almost unscathed. Contrary to
popular belief, cats without a tail also have this ability, since a cat
mostly moves its hindlegs and relies on conservation of angular
momentum to set up for landing, and the tail is in fact little used for
this feat.
Senses
A close-up of a cat's eyeMeasuring the senses of any animal can be
difficult because there is usually no explicit communication (e.g.,
reading aloud the letters of a Snellen chart) between the subject and
the tester.
While a cat's senses of smell may not be as keen as, say, that of a
mouse, it is superior in many ways to those of humans. These along with
the cat's highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors
make the cat extremely sensitive among mammals.
Sight
The tapetum lucidum reflecting green in the pupils of a cat.Testing
indicates that a cat's vision is superior at night in comparison to
humans, and inferior in daylight. Cats, like dogs and many other
animals, have a tapetum lucidum that reflects extra light to the
retina. While this enhances the ability to see in low light, it appears
to reduce net visual acuity, thus detracting when light is abundant. In
very bright light, the slit-like iris closes very narrowly over the
eye, reducing the amount of light on the sensitive retina, and
improving depth of field. The tapetum and other mechanisms give the cat
a minimum light detection threshold up to seven times lower than that
of humans. Variation in color of cats' eyes in flash photographs is
largely due to the interaction of the flash with the tapetum.
Average cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus
180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from
each eye) narrower than that of humans. As with most predators, their
eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field
of view. Field of view is largely dependent upon the placement of the
eyes, but may also be related to the eye's construction. Instead of the
fovea which gives humans sharp central vision, cats have a central band
known as the visual streak. Cats can apparently differentiate among
colors, especially at close range, but without appreciable subtlety.
A white cat with differently coloured eyes.Cats have a third eyelid,
the nictitating membrane, which is a thin cover that closes from the
side and appears when the cat's eyelid opens. This membrane partially
closes if the cat is sick; although in a sleepy, content cat this
membrane is often visible. If a cat chronically shows the third eyelid,
it should be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation.
Cats have a wide variation in eye color, the most typical colors being
golden, green and orange. Blue eyes are usually associated with the
Siamese breed, but they are also found in white cats. If a white cat
has two blue eyes, it is oftentimes deaf; however, orange eyes usually
indicate the cat is free of hearing problems. White cats having one
blue and one other-colored eye are called "odd-eyed" and may be deaf on
the same side as the blue eye. This is the result of the yellow iris
pigmentation rising to the surface of only one eye, as blue eyes are
normal at birth before the adult pigmentation has had a chance to
express itself in the eye(s).
Hearing
Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the
scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, up to 64 kHz,
which is 1.6 octaves above the range of a human, and even 1 octave
above the range of a dog. When listening for something, a cat's ears
will swivel in that direction; a cat's ear flaps (pinnae) can
independently point backwards as well as forwards and sideways to
pinpoint the source of the sound. Cats can judge within three inches
(7.5 cm) the location of a sound being made one yard (approximately one
meter) away - this can be useful for localizing prey, etc.
Smell
A cat using its senses for explorationA domestic cat's sense of smell
is about fourteen times as strong as a human's. Cats have
twice
as many smell-sensitive cells in their noses as people do, which means
they can smell things we are not even aware of. Cats also have a scent
organ in the roof of their mouths called the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's
organ. When a cat wrinkles its muzzle, lowers its chin, and lets its
tongue hang a bit, it is opening the passage to the vomeronasal. This
is called gaping, "sneering", or "flehming". Gaping is the equivalent
of the Flehmen response in other animals, such as dogs, horses and big
cats.
Touch
Whiskers clearly distinguishable on the wrist of even a long haired
catA cat has about twenty-four movable vibrissae ("whiskers"), in four
rows on each upper lip on each side of its nose (some cats may have
more), in addition to a few on each cheek, tufts over the eyes,
bristles on the chin, the cat's inner "wrists", and at the back of the
legs. The Sphynx (a nearly hairless breed) may have full
length,
short, or no whiskers at all.
Vibrissae aid with navigation and sensation. The upper two rows of
whiskers can move independently from the lower two rows for even more
precise measuring. Whiskers are more than twice as thick as ordinary
hairs, and their roots are set three times deeper than hairs in a cat's
tissue. Richly supplied with nerve endings, whiskers give cats
extraordinarily detailed information about air movements, air pressure
and anything they touch. Vibrissae possess exquisite sensitivity to
vibrations in air currents. As air swirls and eddies around objects,
whiskers vibrate too. Whiskers may detect very small shifts in air
currents, enabling a cat to know it is near obstructions without
actually seeing them. Cats use messages in these vibrations to sense
the presence, size, and shape of obstacles without seeing or touching
them.
Whiskers are also good hunting tools. The structure of the brain region
which receives information from the vibrissae is similar to that found
in the visual cortex, suggesting that the nature of the cat's
perception through its whiskers is similar to that via its
vision. Stop motion photography reveals that at the moment a
cat's prey is so close to its mouth to be too near for accurate vision,
its whiskers move so as to form a basket shape around its muzzle in
order to precisely detect the prey's location. A cat whose whiskers
have been damaged may bite the wrong part of a mouse it's attacking,
indicating that signals from these delicate structures provide cats
with vital information about the shape and activity of its prey —
interestingly, whiskers also help cats detect scents.
It is thought that a cat may choose to rely on the whiskers in dim
light where fully dilating the pupils would reduce its ability to focus
on close objects. The whiskers also spread out roughly as wide as the
cat's body making it able to judge if it can fit through an opening.
Whiskers are also an indication of the cat's attitude. Whiskers point
forward when the cat is inquisitive and friendly, and lie flat on the
face when the cat is being defensive or aggressive.
Whiskers can also be a bother to a cat, especially when the cat tries
to eat food out of a bowl. The end of the whiskers touching the side of
the bowl transfer irritating sensations to its brain, making it hard
for it to continue eating.
When a kitten is cleaned by its mother, she may chew off some or all of
the whiskers.
Taste
The cat family has been shown in 2005 to lack the T1R2 protein, one of
two required for function of the sweetness sensory receptor; a deletion
in the relevant gene (Tas1r2) causes a shift in the genetic reading
frame, leading to transcription stopping early and no detectable mRNA
or protein produced. The other protein, T1R3 is present and
identical to that of other animals, and the relevant taste buds are
still present but inactive. Such a genetic marker found in the entire
family and not other animals must be the result of a mutation in an
early ancestor of the entire family; as a deletion mutation it could
not revert, and thus would be inherited by all descendants, even as the
evolutionary tree branched out. Most scientists now believe this is the
root of the cat family's extremely specialized evolutionary niche as a
hunter and carnivore. Their modified sense of taste would cause them to
some degree to ignore plants, a large part of whose taste appeal
derives from their high sugar content, in favor of a high protein
carnivorous diet which would still stimulate their remaining taste
receptors.
Communication
Main article: Cat communication
Hunting and diet
Cat eating a mouseCats are evolutionarily highly specialized for
hunting, compared to other mammals such as dogs. This is now thought to
be the indirect result of the mutation which caused their ancestor to
lose the ability to taste sugars, thereby reducing their intake of
plant foods. Since they have a greatly reduced need to digest plants,
their digestive tract has evolved to be shorter, too short for
effective digestion of plants but less of a weight penalty for the
rapid movement required for hunting. Hunting has likewise become
central to their behavior patterns, even to their predeliction for
short burst of intense exercise punctuating long periods of rest.
Much like the big cats, domestic cats are very effective predators.
They ambush and immobilize vertebrate prey using tactics similar to
those of leopards and tigers by pouncing; then they deliver a lethal
neck bite with their long canine teeth that severs the victim's spinal
cord, causes fatal bleeding by puncturing the carotid artery or the
jugular vein, or asphyxiate it by crushing its trachea. The domestic
cat can hunt and eat about one thousand species—many big cats
will eat fewer than 100. Although, theoretically, big cats can kill
most of these species as well, they often do not due to the relatively
low nutritional content that smaller animals provide for the effort. An
exception is the leopard, which commonly hunts rabbits and many other
smaller animals.
Even well-fed domestic cats hunt and kill birds, mice, rats, scorpions,
and other small animals in the vicinity. They often present such
trophies to their owner. The motivation is not entirely clear, but
friendly bonding behaviors are often associated with such an action. It
is probable that cats in this situation expect to be praised for their
symbolic contribution to the group. Some theories suggest that cats see
their owners gone for long times of the day and assume they are out
hunting, as they always have plenty of food available. It is thought
that a cat presenting its owner with a dead animal thinks it's 'helping
out' by bringing home the kill. Ethologist Paul Leyhausen, in an
extensive study of social and predatory behavior in domestic cats
(documented in his book Cat Behavior), proposed a mechanism which
explains this presenting behavior. In simple terms, cats adopt humans
into their social group, and share excess kill with others in the group
according to the local pecking order, in which humans place at or near
the top.
Due to their hunting behaviour, in many countries feral cats are
considered pests. Domestic cats are occasionally also required to have
contained cat runs or to be kept inside entirely, as they can be
hazardous to locally endangered bird species. For instance, various
municipalities in Australia have enacted such legislation. In some
localities, owners fit their cat with a bell in order to warn prey of
its approach. Sometimes, the bell has the unwanted effect of "training"
the cat to be an even stealthier killer.
A cat yawning, showing characteristic canine teethCats have highly
specialized teeth and a digestive tract suitable to the digestion of
meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair
on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat
like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canines, it is highly
developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae,
useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass. These papillae
are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin and assist in
their grooming. Domesticated cats eat fairly little vegetable matter.
It is quite common, however, for cats to occasionally supplement their
carnivorous diets with small amounts of grass or other plant matter to
help their digestive tract. Whereas bears and dogs commonly supplement
their diet of meat with fruits, berries, roots, and honey when they can
get them, cats prefer to mostly feed on meat. All felines, including
the big cats, have a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting
sweetness, which, more than likely, is related to their meat-dominated
eating habits, and almost certainly related to their aversion to fruits
and berries. However, many domesticated cats are known to like
vegetables. The majority of brand-name cat foods are primarily meat
based, but often contain large amounts of corn or rice and supplemented
with meat byproducts and minerals and vitamins. Cats are also known to
munch on grass, leaves, shrubs and houseplants to facilitate
regurgitation of whatever may be upsetting their digestion.
Cats are obligate carnivores, and cannot live on an unsupplemented
vegetarian diet because they cannot synthesize several required
nutrients which are absent or rare in plant food. This applies mainly
to taurine, vitamin A (cats cannot convert the pro-vitamin A that is
abundant in plants to vitamin A proper) and to certain fatty acids. The
absence of taurine causes the cat's retina to slowly degenerate,
causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness. This
condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD). Cow's milk is a
poor source of taurine and adult cats are generally lactose intolerant.
Lactose-free milk is perfectly safe, but still not a substitute for
meat.
Some vegetarians, however, feed their cats a vegetarian diet, with a
supplement containing these specific nutrients and others tailored to
meet the needs of cats. Vegan pre-supplemented kibble is also available.
Some houseplants are harmful to cats. The leaves of the Easter Lily can
cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats.
Philodendron are also poisonous to cats. Cat Fancy has a full list of
plants harmful to cats.
Some cats have a fondness for catnip. While they generally do not
consume it, they will often roll in it, paw at it, and occasionally
chew on it (as catnip is sensed by the cat's vomeronasal organ). The
effect is usually relatively short, lasting for only a few minutes.
After two hours or less, susceptible cats gain interest again. Several
other species of plants cause this effect, to a lesser degree.
Cats can be fussy eaters, possibly due to the mutation which caused
their ancestor to lose the ability to taste sugars. Unlike most
mammals, cats can voluntarily starve themselves indefinitely despite
being presented with palatable food, even a food which they had
previously readily consumed. This can happen when the vomeronasal or
Jacobson's organ becomes accustomed to a specific food, or if the cats
are spoiled by their owners, in which case the cat will reject any food
that does not fit the pattern it is expecting. It is also known for
cats to merely become bored with their given food and decide to stop
eating until they are tempted into eating again. Although it is
extremely rare for a cat to deliberately starve itself to the point of
injury, the sudden loss of weight can cause a fatal condition called
hepatic lipidosis, a liver dysfunction which causes pathological loss
of appetite and reinforces the starvation, which can lead to death
within as little as 48 hours.
Additionally, cats have been known to develop a fondness for "people
food" such as chicken, bread, French fries, pizza, ice cream, tomato
soup, bacon, carrot juice, olives, mushrooms, and carnitas burritos, as
well as such cat diet exotica as corn kernels and diced cantaloupe or
cantaloupe skin. A diet consisting of people food or unlimited access
to normal cat food often leads to the cat becoming obese. This may lead
to several health complications, such as diabetes, especially in
neutered males. Such health conditions can be prevented through diet
and exercise (playing), especially for cats living exclusively indoors.
Cats can also develop pica. Pica is a condition in which animals chew
or eat unusual things such as fabric, plastic or wool. In cats, this is
mostly harmless as they do not digest most of it, but can be fatal or
require surgical removal if a large amount of foreign material is
ingested (for example, an entire sock). It tends to occur more often in
Siamese, Burmese, and breeds with these in their ancestry.
Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of
string play. Many cats cannot resist a dangling piece of string, or a
piece of rope drawn randomly and enticingly across the floor. This well
known love of string is often depicted in cartoons and photographs,
which show kittens or cats playing with balls of yarn. It is probably
related to hunting instincts, including the common practice of kittens
practice hunting of their mother's, and each other's, tail. If string
is ingested, however, it can become caught in the cat’s stomach
or intestines, causing illness, or in extreme cases, death. Due to
possible complications caused by ingesting a string, string play is
sometimes replaced with a laser pointer's dot, which some cats will
chase. Some also discourage the use of laser pointers for pet play,
however, because of the potential damage to sensitive eyes and/or the
possible loss of satisfaction associated with the successful capture of
an actual prey object, play or real.
Because of their small size, domestic cats pose almost no danger to
humans — the main hazard is the possibility of infection (e.g.,
cat scratch disease, or, rarely, rabies) from a cat bite or scratch.
Cats can also potentially inflict severe scratches or puncture an eye,
though this is quite rare. Dogs have been known to be blinded by cats
in fights, in which the cat specifically targeted the eyes of the
larger animal with some accuracy.
Cats can be destructive to ecosystems in which they are not native and
whose species have not had time to adapt to their introduction. In some
cases, cats have contributed to or caused extinctions -— for
example, see the case of the Stephens Island Wren.
Poisoning
The liver of a cat is less effective at detoxification than those of
humans or dogs, which limits the use of pesticides and medications
where they may be exposed. For instance, the common painkiller,
paracetamol, is extremely toxic to cats. Because they naturally lack
enzymes needed to digest it, even minute portions of doses safe for
humans can be fatal. Any suspected ingestion warrants immediate
veterinary attention. Similarly, phenol based products often used for
cleaning and disinfecting, such as Pine-Sol, Lysol, hexachlorophene,
etc., are more toxic to cats than to humans or dogs and
exposure
has been known to be fatal.
Many human foods are toxic to cats; chocolate, for example, can be
fatal due to the presence of theobromine (see theobromine poisoning),
although few cats will eat chocolate.
Hygiene
Grooming tabbyCats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. They
groom themselves by licking their fur, employing their hooked pappilae
and saliva. Their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent, but it can
provoke allergic reactions in humans. Some people who are allergic to
cats—typically manifested by hay fever, asthma or a skin rash
—quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live
comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to
cats in general. Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats.
Some cats occasionally regurgitate hair balls of fur that have
collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Longhair
cats are more prone to this than shorthairs. Hairballs can be prevented
with certain cat foods and remedies that ease elimination of the hair
and regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush. Cats
expend nearly as much fluid grooming as they do urinating.
Indoor cats are usually provided with a litter box containing litter,
typically bentonite, but sometimes other absorbent material such as
shredded paper or wood chips, or sometimes sand or similar material.
This arrangement serves the same purpose as a toilet for humans. It
should be cleaned daily and changed often, depending on the number of
cats in a household and the type of litter; if it is not kept clean, a
cat may be fastidious enough to find other locations in the house for
urination or defecation. This may also happen for other reasons; for
instance, if a cat becomes constipated and defecation is uncomfortable,
it may associate the discomfort with the litter box and avoid it in
favor of another location. A litterbox is recommended for
indoor-outdoor cats as well. Daily attention to the litter box also
serves as a monitor of the cat's health. Numerous variations on litter
and litter box design exist, including some which automatically sift
the litter after each use. Clumping litter is a variation which absorbs
urine into clumps which can be sifted out along with feces, and thus
stays cleaner longer with regular sifting, but has sometimes been
reported to cause health problems in some cats.
Toilet-trained catLitterboxes may pose a risk of toxoplasmosis
transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised
individuals, although this risk is greatly decreased in indoor-only
cats which would not normally be exposed to the disease. Transmission
risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning by someone other than
the susceptible individual.
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Some cats can be toilet trained, eliminating the litterbox and its
attendant expense and smell. Training involves two or three weeks of
incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litterbox until it
is near the toilet. For a short time, an adapter, such as a bowl or
small box, may be used to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl;
numerous kits and other aids are marketed to help toilet-train cats.
When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by perching over the
bowl. Occasional accidental dunkings, which can traumatize the cat to
the point of its avoidance of the toilet, urinating and defecating in
undesirable locations around the house, can be avoided by use of a
simple insert of one or two crossbars or a widely spaced grid to
prevent falling in but allow feces to pass; such safety devices have
recently become commercially available. Otherwise, if a cat is not
trained to use the toilet, it is wise to keep the lid shut to prevent
thirsty or curious cats from falling in.
Scratching
Cat scratching wooden post.Cats are naturally driven to periodically
hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards, in
order to sharpen the claws and remove the worn outer sheath as well as
exercising and stretching their muscles. This scratching behavior seems
enjoyable to the cat, and even declawed cats will go through elaborate
scratching routines with every evidence of great satisfaction, despite
the total lack of results. Indoor cats benefit from being provided with
a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or
furniture which they can easily ruin. Commercial scratching posts
typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery, but some authorities
advise against this practice, as not making it clear to the cat which
surfaces are permissible and which are not; they suggest using a plain
wooden surface, or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the
rougher texture of the carpet backing is a more attractive alternative
to the cat than the floor covering. Some indoor cats, however,
especially those that were taken as kittens from feral colonies, may
not understand the concept of a scratching post, and as a result will
ignore it.
Close-up of a cat's claw, with the quick clearly visibleAlthough
scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively
long, their nails can be trimmed if necessary, with a small nail
trimmer designed for humans, a small pair of electrical diagonal
cutting pliers, or a guillotine type cutter specifically designed for
animal nail trimming. Care must always be taken to avoid cutting the
quick of the claw, analogous to cutting into the tip of a finger and
equally painful and bloody. The position of the quick can be easily
seen through the translucent nail of a cat with light colored claws but
not in cats with dark colored nails, who therefore require carefully
trimming of only small amounts from the nails.
Declawing
Main article: Onychectomy
Declawing is a major surgery known as onychectomy, performed under
anesthesia, which removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle
out) of the cat's forepaws (and rarely the hind paws). The primary
reason for declawing cats is to prevent them from damaging furniture;
in the United States, some landlords may require that tenants' cats be
declawed. Rarely, vicious cats, cats that frequently fight with other
pets, or cats that are too efficient at predation of songbirds etc. are
declawed.
Many veterinarians are critical of the procedure, and some refuse to
perform it because the absence of claws in a cat:
Deprives it of its main defense abilities, both fighting as well as
escaping by climbing trees;
Can impair its stretching and exercise habits, leading to muscle
atrophy;
Compromises its ability to grip and balance on thin surfaces such as
railings and fence tops, leading to injury from falls;
Can cause insecurity and a subsequent tendency to bite.
For these reasons, all authorities recommend that declawed cats never
be allowed to freely roam outdoors. This surgery is generally not
recommended for an adult animal, and is rare outside of North America,
being considered an act of animal cruelty in many Western countries. In
Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, declawing is
forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals. In many other
European countries, it is forbidden under the terms of the European
Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless "a veterinarian
considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for
veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of (the) animal". In
Britain, animal shelters find it difficult to place imported cats that
have been declawed and subsequently most are euthanized. In 2003, West
Hollywood, California became the first U.S. jurisdiction to outlaw
declawing by veterinarians or animal groomers practicing in city limits.
While some people suggest cats not be declawed until 5-6 months of age,
many veterinarians who practice this surgery are of the opinion that it
is advantageous to declaw the cat as soon as it is old enough to
sustain surgery (around 2-3 months of age, depending on size),
reasoning that younger cats are more adaptable to the amputation, and
that distal phalanges in the cat at this age are still flexible
cartilage rather than bone, making the operation less severe.
Close-up of a declawed paw.After a cat has been declawed, it should be
allowed to rest, and restrained from jumping (if possible) for a few
days. After being declawed, as with after any surgery, there may be a
period of about a week, sometimes less, when the cat will be
uncomfortable being played with or picked up. As with any surgery,
there is a slight risk of death, as well as complications which may
leave the cat with an increased risk of infection and/or life-long
discomfort in its paws.
An alternative to declawing is the application of blunt, vinyl nail
caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring
periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (about every
four to six weeks). However, the cat will still experience difficulties
because the capped nails are not as effective as claws.
Environment
The wild cat, ancestor of the domestic cat, is believed to have evolved
in a desert climate, as evident in the behavior common to both the
domestic and wild forms. Wild cats are native to all continents other
than Australia and Antarctica. Their feces are usually dry, and cats
prefer to bury them in sandy places. Urine is highly concentrated,
which allows the cat to retain as much fluid as possible. They are able
to remain motionless for long periods, especially when observing prey
and preparing to pounce. In North Africa there are still small wildcats
that are probably related closely to the ancestors of today's
domesticated breeds.
Cats enjoy heat and solar exposure, often sleeping in a sunny area
during the heat of the day. Cats prefer warmer temperatures than humans
do. People start to feel uncomfortable when their skin's temperature
gets higher than about 44.5 °C (112 °F), but cats don't start
to show signs of discomfort until their skin reaches about 52 °C
(126 °F).
Being closely related to desert animals, cats can easily withstand the
heat and cold of a temperate climate, but not for extended periods.
Although certain breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coon
have developed heavier coats of fur than other cats, they have little
resistance against moist cold (eg, fog, rain and snow) and struggle to
maintain their 39 °C (102 °F) body temperature when wet.
Most cats dislike immersion in water; one major exception is the
Turkish Van breed which has an unusual fondness for water. Abyssinians
are also reported to be more tolerant of water than most cats.
Reproduction
and genetics
Four kittens being nursedCats are seasonally polyestrous, which means
they may have many periods of heat over the course of a year. A heat
period lasts about 4 to 7 days if the female is bred; if she is not,
the heat period lasts longer.
The male cat's penis has spines which point backwards. Upon withdrawal
of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina. The
female needs this stimulation for ovulation to begin. Because this does
not always occur, females are rarely impregnated by the first male with
which they mate. Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female
may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, meaning different
kittens in a litter may have different fathers.
The reproduction process can be very loud, as both cats vocalize
loudly. If one is not used to the sounds of cats mating, it will sound
like a cat fight.
The gestation period for cats is approximately 63-65 days. The size of
a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually
smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned at between six and
seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual maturity at 4-10 months
(females) and to 5-7 months (males).
A kitten that has opened its eyes for the very first time.The pregnant
cat will exhibit physical and personality changes. Pregnant cat
physical changes include abdominal enlargement, vomiting, increased
appetite, pinking of nipples, and cessation of heat cycle. Pregnant cat
personality changes include nesting behavior during the terminal stages
of pregnancy and also increased affection throughout the stages of
pregnancy.
Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks old (the
recommended minimum age by Fédération Internationale
Féline), or when they are ready to leave their mother. Cats can
be surgically sterilized (spayed or neutered) as early as 6-8 weeks to
limit unwanted reproduction. This surgery also prevents undesirable
sex-related behavior, such as territory marking (spraying urine) in
males and yowling (calling) in females. If an animal is neutered after
such behavior has been learned, however, it may persist.
Blue-eyed cats with white fur have a higher incidence of genetic
deafness.The domestic cat and its closest wild ancestor both possess 38
chromosomes, in which over 200 heritable genetic defects have been
identified, many homologous to human inborn errors. Specific metabolic
defects have been identified underlying many of these feline diseases.
There are several genes responsible for the hair color identified. The
combination of them gives different phenotypes. See Cat coat genetics.
Features like hair length, lack of tail or presence of a very short
tail (bobtail cat) are also determined by single alleles and modified
by polygenes.
The Cat Genome Project, sponsored by the Laboratory of Genomic
Diversity at the U.S. National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer
Research and Development Center in Frederick, Maryland, focuses on the
development of the cat as an animal model for human hereditary disease,
infectious disease, genome evolution, comparative research initiatives
within the family Felidae, and forensic potential.
Domestication
In 2004, a grave was excavated in Cyprus that contained the skeletons,
laid close to one another, of both a human and a cat. The grave is
estimated to be 9,500 years old, pushing back the earliest known
feline-human association significantly. Like some other domesticated
animals, cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. It is
believed that the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans' food
stores outweighed the trouble of extending the protection of a human
settlement to a formerly wild animal, almost certainly for humans who
had adopted a farming economy. Unlike the dog, which also hunts and
kills rodents, the cat does not eat grains, fruits, or vegetables. A
cat that is good at hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser.
The simile "like herding cats" refers to the seeming intractability of
the ordinary house cat to training in anything, unlike dogs. Despite
cohabitation in colonies, cats are lone hunters. It is no coincidence
that cats are also "clean" animals; the chemistry of their saliva,
expended during their frequent grooming, appears to be a natural
deodorant. If so, the function of this cleanliness is to decrease the
chance a prey animal will notice the cat's presence in time. In
contrast, dog's odour is an advantage in hunting, for a dog is a pack
hunter; part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its odour drives
prey towards the rest of the pack stationed downwind. This requires a
cooperative effort, which in turn requires communications skills. No
such communications skills are required of a lone hunter. It is likely
this is part of the reason interacting with such an animal is
problematic; cats in particular are labeled as opaque or inscrutable,
if not obtuse, as well as aloof and self-sufficient. However, cats can
be very affectionate towards their human companions, especially if they
imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent
affection.
Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some people keep cats for
companionship as pets. Others go to great lengths to pamper their cats,
sometimes treating them as if they were children. When a cat bonds with
its human guardian, the cat may, at times, display behaviors similar to
that of a human. Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box
before bedtime or snuggling up close to its companion in bed or on the
sofa. Other such behavior includes mimicking sounds of the owner or
using certain sounds the cat picks up from the human; sounds
representing specific needs of the cat, which the owner would
recognize, such as a specific tone of meow along with eye contact that
may represent "I'm hungry." The cat may also be capable of learning to
communicate with the human using non-spoken language or body language
such as rubbing for affection (confirmation), facial expressions and
making eye contact with the owner if something needs to be addressed
(e.g., finding a bug crawling on the floor for the owner to get rid
of). Some owners like to train their cat to perform "tricks" commonly
exhibited by dogs such as jumping, though this is rare.
Allergies to cat dander are one of the most common reasons people cite
for disliking cats. However, in some instances, humans find the rewards
of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated
with these allergies. Many choose to cope with cat allergies by taking
prescription allergy medicine and bathing their cats frequently, since
weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in
the environment. Recent studies have indicated that humans who are
exposed to cats or dogs within the first year of their lives develop
few animal allergies, while most adults who are allergic to animals did
not have a cat or a dog as a pet in childhood .
In urban areas, some people find feral and free-roaming pet cats
annoying and intrusive. Unaltered animals can engage in persistent
nighttime calling (termed caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" of
private property. Indoor confinement of pets and TNR (trap, neuter,
return) programs for feral cats can help; some people also use cat
deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property.
In rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-feral cats. Hunting in
the barns and the fields, they kill and eat rodents that would
otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop. Many pet cats
successfully hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs,
fish, and large insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey. They
may even present their kills, dead or maimed, to their humans, perhaps
expecting them to praise or reward them, or possibly even to complete
the kill and eat the mouse. Others speculate that the behavior is a
part of the odd relationship between human and cat, in which the cat is
sometimes a 'kitten' (playing, being picked up and carried) and
sometimes an adult (teaching these very large and peculiar kittens how
to hunt by demonstrating what the point of it all is).
Cat arching its back and hissingDespite its reputation as a solitary
animal, the domestic cat is social enough to form colonies, but does
not attack in groups as lions do. Some breeds like bengal, ocicat and
manx are very social, but are exceptions. While each cat holds a
distinct territory (sexually active males having the largest
territories, and neutered cats having the smallest), there are
"neutral" areas where cats watch and greet one another without
territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders
usually aggressively chase away stranger cats, at first by staring,
hissing, and growling, and if that does not work, by short but noisy
and violent attacks. Fighting cats make themselves appear more
impressive and threatening by raising their fur and arching their
backs, thus increasing their visual size. Cats also behave this way
while playing. Attacks usually comprise powerful slaps to the face and
body with the forepaws as well as bites, but serious damage is rare;
usually the loser runs away with little more than a few scratches to
the face, and perhaps the ears. Normally, serious negative effects will
be limited to possible infections of the scratches and bites; though
these have been known to sometimes kill cats if untreated. In addition,
such fighting is believed to be the primary route of transmission of
feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Sexually active males will usually
be in many fights during their lives, and often have decidedly battered
faces with obvious scars and cuts to the ears and nose. Not only males
will fight; females will also fight over territory or to defend their
kittens, and even neutered cats will defend their (smaller) territories
aggressively.
Feral cats
Main article: Feral cat
Feral cats are thought to be a major predator of Hawaiian coastal and
forest habitats, and are one species among many responsible for the
decline of endemic forest bird species as well as seabirds like the
Wedge-tailed Shearwater. In one study of 56 cat scats, the remains of
44 birds were found, 40 of which were endemic species.Feral cats may
live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies
with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Some lost
or abandoned pet cats succeed in joining these colonies, probably for
lack of an alternative. The average lifespan of such feral cats is much
shorter than a domestic housecat, which can live sixteen years or more.
Urban areas in the developed world are not friendly, nor adapted
environments for cats; most domestic cats are descended from cats in
desert climates and were distributed throughout the world by humans.
Nevertheless, some feral cat colonies are found in large cities, e.g.,
around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum in Rome.
Although cats are adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in
extreme cold and heat, and with a very high protein requirement, few
find adequate nutrition on their own in cities. They have little
protection or understanding of the dangers from dogs, coyotes, and even
automobiles. However, there are thousands of volunteers and
organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, spay or neuter
them, immunize the cats against rabies and feline leukemia, and treat
them with long-lasting flea products. Before release back into their
feral colonies, the attending veterinarian often nips the tip off one
ear to mark the feral as spayed/neutered and inoculated, since these
cats will more than likely find themselves trapped again. Volunteers
continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives,
and not only is their lifespan greatly increased, but behavior and
nuisance problems, due to competition for food, are also greatly
reduced. In time, if an entire colony is successfully spayed and
neutered, no additional kittens are born and the feral colony
disappears. Many hope to see an end to urban feral cat colonies through
these efforts.
Environmental
issues
There are two divergent views about cats’ relationship with the natural
environment.
The first says: The environmental impact of feral cat programs and of
indoor/outdoor cats is a subject of debate. Part of this stems from
humane concern for the cats themselves and part arises from concerns
about cat predation on endangered species. Nearly all studies agree
that abandoned animals lead hard lives. Owners who can no longer keep
their cats would do best to give them to friends, rescue organizations,
or shelters. The amount of ecological damage done by indoor/outdoor
cats depends on local conditions. The most severe effect occurs to
island ecologies. Serious concerns also exist in places such as Florida
where housecats are not native, where several small-sized endangered
species live near human populations, and where the climate allows cats
to breed throughout the year. Environmental concerns may be minimal in
most of the UK where cats are an established species and few to none of
the local prey species are endangered. Pet owners can contact
veterinarians, ecological organizations, and universities for opinions
about whether local conditions are suitable for outdoor cats.
Additional concerns include potential dangers from larger predators and
infectious diseases. Coyotes kill large numbers of housecats in the
Southwestern United States, even in urban zones. FELV (feline
leukemia), FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), or rabies may be
present in the area. If faced with conflicting evidence, the safe
choice is to keep a cat indoors. Experts recommend a gradual transition
to indoor life for cats who are accustomed to going outside.
Those opposing this view stress this allegation has never been proved.
They say that damaging effects do not follow necessarily from the fact
that cats are predators. They point out that cats have played a useful
role in vermin control for centuries, and that for many animals,
especially in urban areas, cats are the only animal available to fill
the vital role of predator. Without cats these species would
overpopulate.
Overpopulation
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3-4 million cats
and dogs are euthanized each year in the United States and many more
are confined to cages in shelters because there are significantly more
animals being born than there are homes. Spaying or neutering pets
helps keep the overpopulation down. Local humane societies,
SPCA's and other animal protection organizations urge people to spay or
neuter their pets and to adopt animals from shelters instead of
purchasing them.
Varieties of
domestic cat
Cat with a van pattern.The list of cat breeds is quite large: most cat
registries recognize between 35 and 70 breeds of cats, and several more
are in development, with one or more new breeds being recognized each
year on average, having distinct features and heritage. The owners and
breeders of show cats compete to see whose animal bears the closest
resemblance to the "ideal" definition of the breed (see selective
breeding). Because of common crossbreeding in populated areas, many
cats are simply identified as belonging to the homogeneous breeds of
domestic longhair and domestic shorthair, depending on their type of
fur. In the United Kingdom and Australia, non-purebred cats are
referred in slang as moggies (derived from "Maggie", short for
Margaret, reputed to have been a common name for cows and calves in
18th-century England and latter applied to housecats during the
Victorian era). In the United States, a non-purebred cat is sometimes
referred to in slang as a barn or alley cat, even if it is not a stray.
Cats come in a variety of colors and patterns. These are physical
properties and should not be confused with a breed of cat.
Household cats are divided into:
Domestic longhaired
Domestic shorthaired
Coat patterns
Cat coat genetics can produce a variety of coat patterns. Some of the
most common are:
A male tuxedo cat.
A male bicolor cat.Bicolor, Tuxedo and Van
This pattern varies between the tuxedo cat which is mostly black with a
white chest, and possibly markings on the face and paws/legs, all the
way to the Van pattern (so named after the Lake Van area in Turkey,
which gave rise to the Turkish Van breed), where the only colored parts
of the cat are the tail (usually including the base of the tail
proper), and the top of the head (often including the ears). There are
several other terms for amounts of white between these two extremes,
such as harlequin or jellicle cat. Bicolor cats can have as their
primary (non-white) color black, red, any dilution thereof and
tortoiseshell (see below for definition).
A classic example of a mackerel tabby.Tabby cat
Striped, with a variety of patterns. The classic "blotched" tabby (or
"marbled") pattern is the most common and consists of butterflies and
bullseyes. The "mackerel" or "striped" tabby is a series of vertical
stripes down the cat's side (resembling the fish). This pattern broken
into spots is referred to as a "spotted" tabby. Finally, the tabby
markings may look like a series of ticks on the fur, thus the "ticked"
tabby, which is almost exclusively associated with the Abyssinian breed
of cats. The worldwide evolution of the cat means that certain types of
tabby are associated with certain countries; for instance, blotched
tabbies are quite rare outside NW Europe, where they are the most
common type.
This tortoiseshell cat has black-orange-white fur and green
eyes.Tortoiseshell and Calico
This cat is also known as a Calimanco cat or Clouded Tiger cat, and by
the nickname "tortie". In the cat fancy, a tortoiseshell cat is
randomly patched over with red (or its dilute form, cream) and black
(or its dilute blue) mottled throughout the coat. Additionally, the cat
may have white spots in its fur, which make it a "tortoiseshell and
white" cat or, if there is a significant amount of white in the fur and
the red and black colors form a patchwork rather than a mottled aspect,
the cat will be called a "calico". All calicos are tortoiseshell (as
they carry both black and red), but not all tortoiseshells are calicos
(which requires a significant amount of white in the fur and patching
rather than mottling of the colors). The calico is also sometimes
called a "tricolor cat". The Japanese refer to this pattern as mi-ke
(meaning "triple fur"), while the Dutch call these cats lapjeskat
(meaning "patches cat"). A true tricolor must consist of three colors:
a reddish color, dark or light; white; and one other color, typically a
brown, black or blue, as described by American breeder Barbara French,
writing for the Cat Fanciers community.Both tortoiseshell and calico
cats are typically female because the coat pattern is the result of
differential X chromosome inactivation in females (which, as with all
normal female mammals, have two X chromosomes). Those male
tortoiseshells that are created are usually sterile; conversely, cats
where the overall color is ginger (orange) are commonly male (roughly
in a 3:1 ratio). In a litter sired by a ginger tom, the females will be
tortoiseshell or ginger. See "Tortoiseshell and Tricolour Cats" for an
extensive genetic explanation for tricolor cats, and detailing the
possible combinations of coloring.
Colorpoint
A flame point Siamese mix.The colorpoint pattern is most commonly
associated with Siamese cats, but may also appear in any domestic cat.
A colorpoint cat has dark colors on the face, ears, feet, and tail,
with a lighter version of the same color on the rest of the body, and
possibly some white. The exact name of the colorpoint pattern depends
on the actual color, so there are seal points (dark brown), chocolate
points (warm lighter brown), blue points (dark gray), lilac points
(silvery gray-pink), flame points (orange), and tortie (tortoiseshell
mottling) points, among others. It should also be noted that colorpoint
cats tend to darken with age, and the fur over a significant injury may
sometimes darken or lighten depending on circumstances because pigment
synthesis in the fur is temperature-sensitive.
Body types
Cats can also come in several body types, ranging between two extremes:
Oriental
Not a specific breed, but any cat with an elongated slender build,
almond-shaped eyes, long nose, large ears (the Siamese and oriental
shorthair breeds are examples of this).
Cobby
Any cat with a short, muscular, compact build, roundish eyes, short
nose, and small ears. Persians and Exotics are two prime examples of
such a body type.
History and
mythology
Main article: History of cats
Egyptian sculpture at the LouvreCats have been kept by humans since at
least ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, the cat god, Bast, was a goddess
of the home and of the domestic cat, although she sometimes took on the
war-like aspect of a lioness. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra,
although she was sometimes regarded as the daughter of Amun. She was
the wife of Ptah and mother of the lion-god Mihos. Her cult was
centered on her sanctuary at Bubastis in the Nile Delta, where a
necropolis has been found containing mummified cats. Bast was also
associated with the "eye of Ra," acting as the instrument of the sun
god's vengeance. She was depicted as a cat or in human form with the
head of a cat, often holding the sacred rattle known as the sistrum.
It has been speculated that because of circumstantial evidence (which
to date is unproved by DNA testing) cats resident in Kenya's Islands in
the Lamu Archipelago may be the last living direct descendants of the
sacred cats of ancient Egypt. The suggestive evidence is: similar body
conformation, archeologically proven history of 1000 years habitation,
ancient Red Sea trade between Lamu and Egypt, genetic insular
isolation.
According to Norse legend, Gleipnir (the fine ribbon used to bind
Fenrir) was crafted by dwarfs from, among other items, the sound a cat
makes when walking.
Several ancient religions believe that cats are exalted souls,
companions or guides for humans, that they are all-knowing but are mute
so they cannot influence decisions made by humans.
Muezza (Arabic: ﻣﻮﻴﺰا ) was the Prophet Muhammad's favorite cat.
The most famous story about Muezza recounts how the call to prayer was
given, and as Muhammad went to put on one of his robes, he found his
cat sleeping on one of the sleeves, and instead of disturbing the cat
he cut off the sleeve and let him sleep. When he returned, Muezza awoke
and bowed down to Muhammad, and in return he stroked him three times. A
similar story is told about an unnamed Emperor of China.
It is common lore that cats have nine lives. It is a tribute to their
perceived durability, their occasional apparent lack of instinct for
self-preservation, and their seeming ability to survive falls that
would be fatal to other animals.
A medieval King of Wales, Hywel Dda (the Good) passed legislation
making it illegal to kill or harm a cat. Other cultures of the time
considered them evil, unlucky, or the consorts of witches.
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