Cats – Felis catus

Cat is a small furry, domesticated carnivorous mammal and a skillful predator.  No matter their breed, all domestic cats belong to one species (Felis catus). The scientific name for cat is Felis catus, where Felis is genus name.  Cats are known by their companionship with humans and the ability to hunt household pests. Cats outnumber dogs as the favorite pet of Americans. Cats have had a long known relationship with humans since ancient times.

Nearly 4000 years ago, ancient Egyptians may have domesticated cats. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that early Egyptians worshiped a cat goddess and mummified their beloved cats along with them for their journey to their next life as well. Cats were once feared and hated in Europe. In that time, cats were believed to be connected with witches and the devil. Fear of cats led to the superstition that a black cat crossing your path brings bad luck.

Cats are most likely originated from African wild cats or Asian dessert cats. They are closely typical to their fossil ancestors of 34 million years ago. Unlike humans (206 bones), cat’s skeleton has more than 230 bones. In general, cats are 28 inches (71cm) long with a wait of 5 to 20 lbs. (2.3 to 9 kg) Cat’s tail is a part of its spine. The hips and shoulders of a cat are loosely attached to its spine. Tail provides balance which makes cats extremely nimble. So a cat can survive falls by twisting in the air and landing on its feet, which is very useful while hunting. Cats have powerful muscles to aid it in leaping and running. The muscle in which claws are attached, can extend the claws from cat’s paw. The claws are designed for catching and holding its prey.

Cats have sharp teeth with strong jaws. The teeth is use to kill and tear its prey up. Besides, it uses its rough tongue to strip meat from bones and to clean up its body. A cat can pick up a smell from hundreds of meters away. Moreover, it can hear a wide range of sounds, including those too high for human ears. It focuses on sound by turning its ear to the direction of sound. Cats have excellent vision, especially at night times. It can see well to its sides and can accurately estimate distances.

By the age of nine or ten months, female cats are suitable to have a baby kitten. She carries her baby kitten for about nine weeks before giving birth. Usually, an average litter is about four kittens. Kittens’ eyes open about eight to ten days after the birth. For about six weeks, their only food is their mother’s milk. Then the mother starts bringing them scraps of food. She may bring back live prey.

Any cat will hunt—it’s their instinctive behavior. Kittens develop their hunting skills by watching their mother and imitating what she does. This is how they become good “mousers.” :)

Due to friendliness with humans, cats are found all over the world except Antarctica. Domestic cats live in areas of human habitation and are somewhat constrained to developed areas. Most of feral populations live in close to current or past human settlements.

If a cat is upset it will growl, hiss or even spit at another cat or animal. Scientists are not sure why, or how, a cat purrs. It is not even certain whether a cat controls its purring. Your pet cat probably hates to get wet. But cats are natural swimmers.