Cat -

People have long adored cats, from the ancient Egyptians to modern Internet users.

Table of Contents

Domestic cat

COMMON NAME: Domestic Cat
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Felis catus
TYPE: Mammals
DIET: Carnivore
SIZE: 30 inches
WEIGHT: 6 to 22 pounds
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6.5-FT MAN

Where do cats come from?

Cats are the dominant pet in 45.3 million American households alone. The Cat Fancier’s Association estimates that there are at least 45 domestic breeds, each with distinctive characteristics such as coat color, tail length, hair texture, and temperament.
The largest is the Maine Coon, with males growing to an average length of 3.5 feet. The Singapura is the tiniest breed; it is indigenous to Singapore and adult females can weigh as low as four pounds. The Sphynx, a totally hairless cat renowned for being strong and intelligent, is among the oddest-looking cats.
House cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must consume meat in order to maintain good health, just like their large cat relatives. While they’ve Despite being domesticated for countless years, these predators still have a keen sense of hunting, using stealth to follow food and attacking with fangs and claws that are razor-sharp. (Discover interesting facts about your cat that you didn’t know.)
Cats are mostly nocturnal creatures with superb vision, hearing, and ears that can rotate like satellite dishes. Their ability to handle challenging conditions, such as utilizing their tail to balance and generally landing their slender, muscular bodies on all fours, contributes to their reputation for having nine lives. The flexible and quick bodies of cats are also a result of the cushioning discs between their vertebrae.

Cat photos

Kitty origins

According to DNA analysis, domestication of cats started in the Fertile Crescent some 10,000 years ago. The most prevalent and ubiquitous subspecies of wildcat in existence today, Felis silvestris lybica, is where modern cats descended from. (Read more information about obscure little wildcats.)
These wildcats were probably drawn to human settlements thousands of years ago by the abundance of rodents and food scraps. When people recognized how useful these rodent traps were, the two species gradually started coexisting. Later, as humans traversed the world by ship, they started bringing felines with them. (Read about the remains of domestic cats discovered in Polish caves.)
A second, independent attempt at domesticating cats took place in China with the leopard cat around 5,000 years ago. The harmony doesn’t seem to have persisted, as domestic cats today are not linked to leopard cats.

Reproduction

At just four months old, females are sexually mature, and they go into heat multiple times a year. The typical litter size is four kittens, and the gestation period lasts roughly 64 days. Young are typically weaned at two months of age, grow quickly, and achieve adult size by 10 months to a year of age.
Due to crowding and lesser male hostility, city cats are more likely to have many dads for a single litter of kittens.

Speaking feline

Cats are experts at communicating with both their human carers and other cats. For instance, a tail that moves fast denotes hostility, but a tail that is tucked denotes nervousness.
A cat’s ears will move forward when it is at ease, and its tail will be pointed upward or perpendicular to the ground. What your cat is attempting to tell you is related to the question. Veterans weigh in.
Bunting is a habit when cats rub their faces on objects like furniture, other cats, or people. Because cats have scent glands in their faces, they can mark their territory, form bonds with other cats, or express affection by bunting.
Speaking about making your cat feel at ease, give them your whole attention while blinking your eyes slowly. They respond with a slow blink, which is a show of contentment since they understand that this is a friendly gesture.