Cat: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Small domesticated mammal}} |
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{{about|domestic felines}} |
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{{About|the species commonly kept as a pet|the cat family|Felidae|other uses|Cat (disambiguation)|and|Cats (disambiguation)}} |
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{{sprotect|small=yes}} |
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{{Good article}} |
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<!--- per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style (spelling)]], articles should conform to one overall spelling style of English, typically the one most linked to the article topic (if it is geographic based in some way) or the one it was created in. This article was created with American English. Please do not change the image in the infobox without prior discussion on the talk page.--> |
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{{Taxobox |
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| name = Cat<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft}}</ref> |
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{{Use American English|date=October 2024}} |
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| status = DOM |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}<!-- Per MOS:ENGVAR and MOS:DATEVAR, articles should conform to one overall spelling of English and date format, typically the ones with which it was created when the topic has no strong national ties. This article was created with American English, using international date format (DD Month YYYY), and should continue to be written that way. If there is a compelling reason to change it propose a change on the talk page. --> |
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<!-- I WISH MY CAT WAS THE POSTER CAT FOR WIKIPEDIA TOO! |
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{{Speciesbox |
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There has been extensive discussion about the choice of image in this infobox. Before replacing this image with something else, consider if it actually improves on the ENCYCLOPEDIC CRITERIA which led to this choice. See [[Talk:Cat]] and [[Talk:Cat/Lead_photo]] and if in doubt, DISCUSS IT FIRST! --> |
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|name=Cat |
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| image = Domestic cat cropped.jpg |
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<!-- There has been extensive discussion about the choice of image in this infobox. Before replacing this image with something else, consider if it actually improves on the ENCYCLOPEDIC CRITERIA that led to this choice. See [[Talk:Cat]] and [[Talk:Cat/Lead photo]] and if in doubt, DISCUSS IT FIRST! --> |
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| image_caption = [[commons:Category:Felis silvestris catus|other images of cats]] |
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|fossil_range= {{fossil range|0.0095|0}}<br/> [[Holocene]] to present (9,500 years ago) |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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|image={{Multiple image |
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |
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|perrow=2/2/2 |
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| classis = [[Mammal]]ia |
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|total_width=275 |
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| ordo = [[Carnivora]] |
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|image1=Cat August 2010-4.jpg |
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| familia = [[Felidae]] |
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|image2=Gustav chocolate.jpg |
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| genus = ''[[Felis]]'' |
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|image3=Orange tabby cat sitting on fallen leaves-Hisashi-01A.jpg |
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| species = '''''F. catus''''' |
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|image4=Siam lilacpoint.jpg |
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| binomial = ''Felis catus'' |
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|image5=Felis catus-cat on snow.jpg |
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| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758) |
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|image6=Sheba1.JPG |
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| synonyms = <small>''Felis catus domestica'' (invalid junior synonym)<ref>{{cite web |
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|border=infobox |
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| url = http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=727487 |
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|footer=Various types of cats |
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| title = ITIS Standard Report Page: Felis catus domestica |
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}} |
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| author = [[Integrated Taxonomic Information System|ITIS]]}}</ref><br />''Felis silvestris catus''<ref name="SciencemagNEO" /></small> |
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|status=DOM |
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|genus=Felis |
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|species=catus<ref name="Linnaeus1758"/> |
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|authority=[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]<ref name="MSW3fc"/> |
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|synonyms=*''Catus domesticus'' {{small|[[Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben|Erxleben]], 1777}}<ref name=Erxleben>{{Cite book |last=Erxleben |first=J. C. P. |date=1777 |title=Systema regni animalis per classes, ordines, genera, species, varietates cvm synonymia et historia animalivm. Classis I. Mammalia |location=Lipsiae |publisher=Weygandt |pages=520–521 |chapter=Felis Catus domesticus |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/iochristpolycerx00erxl/page/520}}</ref> |
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* ''F. angorensis'' {{small|[[Karl Christian Gmelin|Gmelin]], 1788}} |
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* ''F. vulgaris'' {{small|Fischer, 1829}} |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''cat''' (''Felis catus''), also known as the '''domestic cat''' or '''house cat''' to distinguish it from other [[Felidae|felines]], is a small [[carnivore|carnivorous]] [[species]] of [[crepuscular]] [[mammal]] that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt [[vermin]]. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.<ref name="9500 years">{{cite web | title = Oldest Known Pet Cat? 9500-Year-Old Burial Found on Cyprus | url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0408_040408_oldestpetcat.html | accessdate = 2007-03-06 |date=2004-04-08 | publisher = National Geographic News}}</ref> |
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The '''cat''' ('''''Felis catus'''''), also referred to as the '''domestic cat''', is a small [[Domestication|domesticated]] carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated [[species]] of the family [[Felidae]]. Advances in [[archaeology]] and [[genetics]] have shown that the [[domestication of the cat]] occurred in the [[Near East]] around 7500 BC. It is commonly kept as a [[pet]] and [[farm cat]], but also ranges freely as a [[feral cat]] avoiding human contact. It is valued by humans for companionship and its ability to kill [[vermin]]. Its retractable [[claw]]s are adapted to killing small prey species such as [[mice]] and [[rat]]s. It has a strong, flexible body, quick [[reflex]]es, and sharp teeth, and its [[night vision]] and [[sense of smell]] are well developed. It is a [[social species]], but a solitary hunter and a [[crepuscular]] [[predator]]. [[Cat communication]] includes vocalizations—including [[meow]]ing, [[purr]]ing, trilling, [[Wiktionary:hiss|hissing]], [[growling]], and [[Wiktionary:grunt|grunting]]—as well as [[cat body language|body language]]. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in [[frequency]] for human ears, such as those made by [[small mammal]]s. It secretes and perceives [[pheromone]]s. |
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A skilled [[predator]], the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of [[Cat body language|body language]] for [[cat communication|communication]], including [[meow]]ing, [[purr]]ing, [[hissing]], [[growling]], squeaking, [[chirp]]ing, [[click consonant|clicking]], and grunting.<ref name=Channel3000Meows>{{cite web | url = http://www.channel3000.com/news/1472741/detail.html | title = Meows Mean More To Cat Lovers | publisher = Channel3000.com | accessdate = 2006-06-14}}</ref> With 69 million of them present in American homes<ref>[http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/magazine_articles/jan_feb_2003/cat_is_top_dog.html AVMA Survey Confirms Cat's Status as Top Dog<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, cats are the most or the second most popular pets in that country. They are also bred and shown as [[Cat registry|registered]] pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "[[Cat Fancy]]". |
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Female domestic cats can have [[kitten]]s from [[Spring (season)|spring]] to late [[autumn]] in [[temperate zones]] and throughout the year in [[equatorial region]]s, with [[Litter (zoology)|litter]] sizes often ranging from two to five kittens. Domestic cats are bred and shown at events as registered [[pedigreed cat]]s, a hobby known as [[cat fancy]]. [[Animal population control]] of cats may be achieved by [[spaying]] and [[neutering]], but their proliferation and the abandonment of pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, contributing to the extinction of [[bird]], [[mammal]], and [[reptile]] species. |
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Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in [[ancient Egypt]], where it was a [[cult]] animal.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |
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|url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html?em&ex=1183348800&en=46920e3fe2f7c649&ei=5087%0A |
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|title = Study Traces Cat's Ancestry to Middle East |
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|last = Wade |
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|first = Nicholas |
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|date=2007-06-29 |
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|work = ''[[The New York Times]]'' |
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|accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref> However a 2007 study found that all house cats are probably descended from a group of as few as five self-domesticating [[African Wildcat]]s ''Felis silvestris lybica'' circa 8000 BC, in the [[Near East]].<ref name="SciencemagNEO" /> |
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{{As of|2017|post=,}} the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States, with 95.6 million cats owned and around 42 million households owning at least one cat. In the United Kingdom, 26% of adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats {{As of|2020|lc=y|post=.}} {{As of|2021|post=,}} there were an estimated 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats in the world. |
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==Physiology== |
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===Size=== |
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== Etymology and naming == |
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[[Image:Cat anatomy diagram.svg|right|thumb|Diagram of the general anatomy of a male cat.]] |
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The origin of the English word ''cat'', [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|catt}}, is thought to be the [[Late Latin]] word {{lang|la|cattus}}, which was first used at the beginning of the 6th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKnight |first=G. H. |title=English Words and Their Background |publisher=[[D. Appleton and Company]]|location=New York, London |date=1923 |chapter=Words and Archaeology |pages=293–311 |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/englishwordsthei00mckn/page/300}}</ref> The Late Latin word may be derived from an unidentified [[Languages of Africa|African language]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pictet |first=A. |date=1859 |title=Les origines indo-européennes ou les Aryas primitifs : essai de paléontologie linguistique |language=fr |volume=1 |location=Paris |publisher=Joël Cherbuliez |page=381}}</ref> The [[Nubian languages|Nubian]] word {{lang|nub|kaddîska}} 'wildcat' and [[Nobiin language|Nobiin]] {{lang|nub|kadīs}} are possible sources or cognates.<ref>{{cite book |last=Keller |first=O. |date=1909 |title=Die antike Tierwelt |language=de |volume=Säugetiere |location=Leipzig |page=75 |publisher=[[Walther von Wartburg]]}}</ref> |
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Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5–16 pounds); however, some [[:Category:Cat breeds|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 lb)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.messybeast.com/dwarfcats.html | title = DWARF, MIDGET AND MINIATURE CATS | accessdate = 2007-03-06}}</ref> have been reported. |
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The forms might also have derived from an ancient Germanic word that was absorbed into Latin and then into Greek, Syriac, and Arabic.<ref>{{Cite book |first=J. |last=Huehnergard |chapter=Qitta: Arabic Cats |pages=407–418 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1_qqgNTsX8C&pg=PA407 |title=Classical Arabic Humanities in Their Own Terms: Festschrift for Wolfhart Heinrichs on his 65th Birthday |date=2008 |publisher=[[Brill (publisher)|Brill]] |location=Leiden, Boston |editor1-last=Gruendler |editor1-first=B. |editor2-last=Cooperson |editor2-first=M. |isbn=9789004165731 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331062414/https://books.google.com/books?id=n1_qqgNTsX8C&pg=PA407 |url-status=live}}</ref> The word may be derived from Germanic and Northern European languages, and ultimately be borrowed from [[Uralic languages|Uralic]], {{Cf.}}[[Northern Sámi]] {{lang|se|gáđfi}}, 'female [[stoat]]', and [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] {{lang|hu|hölgy}}, 'lady, female stoat'; from [[Proto-Uralic language|Proto-Uralic]] {{Lang|mis|*käďwä}}, 'female (of a furred animal)'.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kroonen |first1=G. |title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic |date=2013 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |location=Leiden, Netherlands |isbn=9789004183407 |page=281f}}</ref> |
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===Skeleton=== |
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The English ''[[wikt:puss#English|puss]]'', extended as ''pussy'' and ''pussycat'', is attested from the 16th century and may have been introduced from [[Dutch language|Dutch]] {{lang|nl|poes}} or from [[Low German]] {{lang|nds|puuskatte}}, related to [[Swedish language|Swedish]] {{lang|sv|kattepus}}, or [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] {{lang|no|pus}}, {{lang|no|pusekatt}}. Similar forms exist in [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] {{lang|lt|puižė}} and [[Irish language|Irish]] {{lang|ga|puisín}} or {{lang|ga|puiscín}}. The etymology of this word is unknown, but it may have [[Onomatopoeia|arisen from a sound]] used to attract a cat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/155147#eid27609702 |title=Puss |work=The Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |access-date=1 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903215025/http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/155147#eid27609702 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gramercy Unabridged">{{Cite book |title=Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language |chapter=puss |location=New York |publisher=[[Random House|Gramercy (Random House)]] |date=1996 |page=1571}}</ref> |
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Cats have 7 [[cervical vertebrae]] like almost all mammals, 13 [[thoracic vertebrae]] (humans have 12), 7 [[lumbar vertebrae]] (humans have 5), 3 [[sacral vertebrae]] like most mammals (humans have 5 because of their bipedal posture), and, except for [[Manx cat]]s, 22 or 23 [[caudal vertebrae]] (humans have 3 to 5, fused into an internal [[coccyx]]). The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility, compared with humans. The caudal vertebrae form the [[tail (anatomy)|tail]], used by the cat as a counterbalance to the body during quick movements. Cats also have free-floating [[clavicle|clavicle bones]], which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.<ref>{{cite web | title = Cat Skeleton | url = http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/zoolab/Table_of_Contents/Lab-9b/Cat_Skeleton_1/cat_skeleton_1.htm | accessdate = 2006-12-12}}</ref> |
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A male cat is called a ''tom'' or ''tomcat''<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203100#eid18281825 |title=tom cat, tom-cat |work=The Oxford English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=1 October 2012 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> (or a ''gib'',<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/78103?rskey=Z7UU0G&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid |title=gib, n.2 |work=The Oxford English Dictionary |access-date=1 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180918111545/http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/78103?rskey=Z7UU0G&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid |archive-date=18 September 2018 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> if [[Neutering|neutered]]). A female is called a ''queen''<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/156212?rskey=c2khr1&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid27437294 |title=queen cat |work=The Oxford English Dictionary |access-date=1 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150903215025/http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/156212?rskey=c2khr1&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid27437294 |archive-date=3 September 2015 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>Some sources wrote that ''queen'' refers to unspayed cats that are in an [[Estrous cycle|oestrus cycle]]. {{Cite web |last=Grosskopf |first=Shane |date=23 June 2022 |title=What is a Female Cat Called? A Guide to the Fascinating Terms |url=https://spotpet.com/blog/cat-tips/what-is-a-female-cat-called |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411035905/https://spotpet.com/blog/cat-tips/what-is-a-female-cat-called |archive-date=11 April 2024 |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=Spot Pet Insurance}} {{Cite web |last=Scamporrino |first=Christina |date=12 December 2018 |title=Cat Parenting 101: Special Considerations for Your Female Cat |url=https://www.prettylitter.com/blog/cat-parenting-101-special-considerations-for-your-female-cat |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001160548/https://www.prettylitter.com/blog/cat-parenting-101-special-considerations-for-your-female-cat |archive-date=1 October 2023 |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=PrettyLitter}}</ref> (or sometimes a ''molly'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 March 2020 |title=7 fascinating facts about female cats |url=https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/7-facts-about-female-cats |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216143959/https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/7-facts-about-female-cats |archive-date=16 December 2023 |access-date=30 April 2024 |website=Cats Protection |language=en}}</ref> if [[Spaying|spayed]]). A juvenile cat is referred to as a ''[[kitten]]''. In [[Early Modern English]], the word ''kitten'' was interchangeable with the now-obsolete word ''catling''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/28995?redirectedFrom=catling#eid |title=catling |work=The Oxford English Dictionary |access-date=1 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150903215025/http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/28995?redirectedFrom=catling#eid |archive-date=3 September 2015 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> A group of cats can be referred to as a ''clowder'', a ''glaring'',<ref>{{cite web |url= http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-do-you-call-a-group-of |title=What do you call a group of ...? |work=[[Oxford Dictionaries Online]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=1 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012112007/http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-do-you-call-a-group-of |archive-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> or a ''colony''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Terms we use for cats |url=https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/terms-we-use-cats |website=The Humane Society of the United States |access-date=2 August 2024}}</ref> |
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===Mouth=== |
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== Taxonomy == |
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Cats have highly specialized [[tooth|teeth]] for the tearing of meat. The [[premolar]] and [[Molar (tooth)|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 [[Canidae|canids]], it is highly developed in felines. The cat's [[tongue]] has sharp spines, or [[Filiform papilla|papillae]], useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain [[keratin]] which also assist in their [[Personal grooming|groom]]ing. |
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The [[scientific name]] ''Felis catus'' was proposed by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758 for a domestic cat.<ref name="Linnaeus1758">{{Cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=C. |title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |location=Holmiae |publisher=Laurentii Salvii |date=1758 |page=42 |chapter=Felis Catus |language=la |volume=1 |edition=10th reformed |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/mobot31753000798865/page/42}}</ref><ref name="MSW3fc">{{MSW3 Wozencraft |id=14000031 |pages=534–535 |heading=Species ''Felis catus''}}</ref> ''Felis catus domesticus'' was proposed by [[Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben]] in 1777.<ref name="Erxleben" /> ''Felis daemon'' proposed by [[Konstantin Satunin]] in 1904 was a black cat from the [[Transcaucasus]], later identified as a domestic cat.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Satunin |first1=C. |title=The Black Wild Cat of Transcaucasia |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |year=1904 |volume=II |pages=[https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofzoo19042zool/page/162 162]–163 |url= https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofzoo19042zool}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Bukhnikashvili |editor1-first=A. |editor2-last=Yevlampiev |editor2-first=I. |title=Catalogue of the Specimens of Caucasian Large Mammalian Fauna in the Collection |publisher=[[National Museum of Georgia]] |location=Tbilisi |url= http://caucasian-large-mammalian.narod.ru/catalogue_english.pdf |access-date=19 January 2019 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073023/http://caucasian-large-mammalian.narod.ru/catalogue_english.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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In 2003, the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] ruled that the domestic cat is a distinct species, namely ''Felis catus''.<ref name="ICZN">{{Cite journal |publisher=[[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] |title=Opinion 2027 |journal=Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |volume=60 |year=2003 |page=81−82 |url= https://archive.org/details/bulletinofzoolog602003int/page/81}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gentry |first1=A. |last2=Clutton-Brock |first2=J. |last3=Groves |first3=C. P. |name-list-style=amp |year=2004 |title=The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=645–651 |doi=10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006 |bibcode=2004JArSc..31..645G |url=http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/129/1297897712.pdf |access-date=19 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052316/http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/129/1297897712.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, the modern domesticated subspecies ''F. silvestris catus'' sampled worldwide was considered to have probably descended from the [[African wildcat]] (''F. lybica''), following results of [[phylogenetic]] research.<ref name="Driscoll">{{Cite journal |title=In the Light of Evolution III: Two Centuries of Darwin Sackler Colloquium: From Wild Animals to Domestic Pets – An Evolutionary View of Domestication |last1=Driscoll |first1=C. A. |last2=Macdonald |first2=D. W. |last3=O'Brien |first3=S. J. |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |year=2009 |volume=106 |issue=S1 |pages=9971–9978 |pmid=19528637 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0901586106 |pmc=2702791 |bibcode=2009PNAS..106.9971D|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="MSW3fs">{{MSW3 Wozencraft |pages=536–537 |id=14000057 |heading=Species ''Felis silvestris''}}</ref>{{efn|{{harvnb|Driscoll|Macdonald|O'Brien|2009}} did not conclude a date for genetic divergence, noting from archaeological evidence that "the broadest range of dates for domestication to be from 11,000 to 4,000 B.P.".}} In 2017, the IUCN Cat Classification Taskforce followed the recommendation of the ICZN in regarding the domestic cat as a distinct species, ''Felis catus''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Breitenmoser-Würsten |first2=C. |last3=Eizirik |first3=E. |last4=Gentry |first4=A. |last5=Werdelin |first5=L. |last6=Wilting |first6=A. |last7=Yamaguchi |first7=N. |last8=Abramov |first8=A. V. |last9=Christiansen |first9=P. |last10=Driscoll |first10=C. |last11=Duckworth |first11=J. W. |last12=Johnson |first12=W. |last13=Luo |first13=S.-J. |last14=Meijaard |first14=E. |last15=O'Donoghue |first15=P. |last16=Sanderson |first16=J. |last17=Seymour |first17=K. |last18=Bruford |first18=M. |last19=Groves |first19=C. |last20=Hoffmann |first20=M. |last21=Nowell |first21=K. |last22=Timmons |first22=Z. |last23=Tobe |first23=S. |year=2017 |title=A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group |journal=Cat News |volume=Special Issue 11 |page=21 |url= https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=21 December 2018 |archive-date=17 January 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200117172708/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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As facilitated by their oral structure, cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of [[Cat body language|body language]] for [[cat communication|communication]], including mewing ("meow" or "miaow"), purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.<ref name=Channel3000Meows/> |
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== |
== Evolution == |
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{{Main|Felidae#Evolution|l1=Cat evolution}} |
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Thirty-two individual muscles in each ear allow for a manner of directional hearing:<ref>{{cite web | title = At Home: Care / Health: Understanding Cats | url = http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_pets_care_health/article/0,1801,HGTV_3152_1380540,00.html | accessdate = 2005-08-15}}</ref> a 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 [[dog]]s, flap-eared breeds are extremely rare. ([[Scottish Fold]]s are one such exceptional [[mutation]].) When angry or frightened, a cat will lay back its ears, to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats also turn their ears back when they are playing, or to listen to a sound coming from behind them. The angle of cats' ears is an important clue to their mood. |
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[[File:Wild-domestic-hybrid cat skulls.png|thumb|Skulls of a wildcat (top left), a housecat (top right), and a hybrid between the two (bottom center)]] |
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===Legs=== |
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The domestic cat is a member of the Felidae, a [[Family (biology)|family]] that had a [[common ancestor]] about {{mya|10|15}}.<ref name="Johnson 1997">{{Cite journal |title=Phylogenetic Reconstruction of the Felidae Using 16S rRNA and NADH-5 Mitochondrial Genes |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=O'Brien |first2=S. J. |journal=Journal of Molecular Evolution |year=1997 |volume=44 |issue=S1 |pages=S98–S116 |doi=10.1007/PL00000060 |pmid=9071018 |bibcode=1997JMolE..44S..98J |s2cid=40185850 |url= https://zenodo.org/record/1232587 |access-date=1 October 2018 |archive-date=4 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075723/https://zenodo.org/record/1232587 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[evolutionary radiation]] of the Felidae began in Asia during the [[Miocene]] around {{mya|8.38|14.45}}.<ref name=Johnson2006>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.1122277 |volume=311 |issue=5757 |pages=73–77 |title=The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |year=2006 |pmid=16400146 |last1=Johnson |first1=W. E. |last2=Eizirik |first2=E. |last3=Pecon-Slattery |first3=J. |last4=Murphy |first4=W. J. |last5=Antunes |first5=A. |last6=Teeling |first6=E. |last7=O'Brien |first7=S. J. |bibcode=2006Sci...311...73J |s2cid=41672825 |url= https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |access-date=1 October 2018 |archive-date=4 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201004075725/https://zenodo.org/record/1230866 |url-status=live}}</ref> Analysis of [[mitochondrial DNA]] of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at {{mya|6.46|16.76}}.<ref name=Li_al2016>{{cite journal |author=Li, G. |author2=Davis, B. W. |author3=Eizirik, E. |name-list-style=amp |author4=Murphy, W. J. |year=2016 |title=Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae) |journal=Genome Research |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1101/gr.186668.114 |pmid=26518481 |pmc=4691742}}</ref> The [[Genus (biology)|genus]] ''Felis'' [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]] from other Felidae around {{mya|6|7}}.<ref name=Johnson2006/> Results of [[phylogenetic]] research shows that the wild members of this genus evolved through [[sympatric speciation|sympatric]] or [[parapatric speciation]], whereas the domestic cat evolved through [[artificial selection]].<ref name="Mattern">{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1096-0031.2000.tb00354.x |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=232–253 |last1=Mattern |first1=M.Y. |last2=McLennan |first2=D.A. |title=Phylogeny and speciation of Felids |journal=Cladistics |year=2000 |pmid=34902955 |s2cid=85043293|doi-access=free }}</ref> The domestic cat and its closest wild ancestor are [[diploid]] and both possess 38 [[chromosome]]s<ref name="Nie 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Nie |first1=W. |last2=Wang |first2=J. |last3=O'Brien |first3=P. C. |title=The genome phylogeny of domestic cat, red panda and five Mustelid species revealed by comparative chromosome painting and G-banding |journal=Chromosome Research |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=209–222 |year=2002 |pmid=12067210 |doi=10.1023/A:1015292005631|s2cid=9660694}}</ref> and roughly 20,000 genes.<ref name=Pontius2007>{{cite journal |last1=Pontius |first1=J. U. |last2=Mullikin |first2=J. C. |last3=Smith |first3=D. R. |author4=Agencourt Sequencing Team |collaboration=NISC Comparative Sequencing Program |title=Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome |journal=Genome Research |volume=17 |issue=11 |pages=1675–1689 |year=2007 |pmid=17975172 |pmc=2045150 |doi=10.1101/gr.6380007}}</ref> |
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{{clade gallery |main-caption=Phylogenetic relationships of the domestic cat as derived through analysis of |header1=nuclear DNA:<ref name=Johnson2006/><ref name=Li_al2016/> |header2=mitochondrial DNA:<ref name="DriscollMenotti-Raymond2007"/> |height=325px |
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Cats, like dogs, are [[digitigrade]]s: they walk directly on their [[toe]]s, 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. |
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|cladogram1={{clade |
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|label1=[[Felidae]] |
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|1={{clade |
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|1=[[Pantherinae]] |
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|label2=[[Felinae]] |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=other Felinae [[Lineage (genetic)|lineages]] |
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|label2=''[[Felis]]'' |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[Jungle cat]] (''F. chaus'') [[File:Felis chaus - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam -(White Background).jpg|79px]] |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[Black-footed cat]] (''F. nigripes'') |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[Sand cat]] (''F. margarita'') |
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|2={{clade |
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|1={{clade |
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|1=[[Chinese mountain cat]] (''F. bieti'') |
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|2=[[African wildcat]] (''F. lybica'') |
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}} |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[European wildcat]] (''F. silvestris'') [[File:Anatomie descriptive et comparative du chat (1845) Pl-I (white background & colourised).jpg|52px]] |
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|2='''Domestic cat''' <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:202104 Cat.svg|60px]]</span> |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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|cladogram2={{clade |
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|label1=''[[Felis]]'' |
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|1={{clade |
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|1=[[Sand cat]] (''F. margarita'') |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[Chinese mountain cat]] (''F. bieti'') |
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|2={{clade |
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|1=[[European wildcat]] (''F. silvestris'') [[File:Anatomie descriptive et comparative du chat (1845) Pl-I (white background & colourised).jpg|52px]] |
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|2={{clade <!--extra dummy clade--> |
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|label1=[[African wildcat]] |
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|1={{clade |
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|1=[[Southern African wildcat]] ''(F. l. cafra)'' |
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|2=[[Asiatic wildcat]] ''(F. l. ornata)'' |
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|3={{clade |
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|1=Near Eastern wildcat |
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|2='''Domestic cat''' <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:202104 Cat.svg|60px]]</span> |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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}} |
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{{clear}} |
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=== Domestication === |
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Like nearly all members of [[family (biology)|family]] [[Felidae]], cats have retractable [[claw]]s. In their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the [[skin]] and [[fur]] around the [[paw|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.<ref> {{cite journal|title=Outline of Cat Lessons|journal=The School Journal|date=1900-12-22|first=Annetta F.|last=Armes|coauthors=|volume=LXI|issue=|pages=659|id= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-_gBAAAAYAAJ|format=|accessdate=2007-11-12 }}</ref> Cats can extend their claws voluntarily on one or more paws at will. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, "[[Kneading (cats)|kneading]]", or for extra traction on soft surfaces (bedspreads, thick rugs, etc.). It is also possible to make a cooperative cat extend its claws by carefully pressing both the top and bottom of the paw. The curved claws may become entangled in carpet or thick fabric, which may cause injury if the cat is unable to free itself. |
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{{See also|Domestication of the cat|Cats in ancient Egypt}} |
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[[File:Tomb of Nakht (7).jpg|thumb|A cat eating a fish under a chair, a [[mural]] in an Egyptian tomb dating to the 15th century BC]] |
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It was long thought that the [[domestication of the cat]] began in [[ancient Egypt]], where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Cat in ancient Egypt, illustrated from the collection of cat and other Egyptian figures formed |publisher=Cambridge University Press |last1=Langton |first1=N. |last2=Langton |first2=M. B. |date=1940}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Cat in Ancient Egypt |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |last=Malek |first=J. |date=1997 |edition=Revised |location=Philadelphia}}</ref> However, the earliest known indication for the [[taming]] of an African wildcat was [[Excavation (archaeology)|excavated]] close by a human [[Neolithic]] grave in [[Shillourokambos]], southern [[Cyprus]], dating to about 7500–7200 BC. Since there is no evidence of native mammalian [[fauna]] on Cyprus, the inhabitants of this Neolithic village most likely brought the cat and other wild mammals to the island from the [[Middle East]]ern mainland.<ref name="Vigne_al2004">{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1=J. D. |last2=Guilaine |first2=J. |last3=Debue |first3=K. |last4=Haye |first4=L. |last5=Gérard |first5=P. |s2cid=28294367 |title=Early taming of the cat in Cyprus |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=304 |issue=5668 |page=259 |year=2004 |pmid=15073370 |doi=10.1126/science.1095335}}</ref> Scientists therefore assume that African wildcats were attracted to early human settlements in the [[Fertile Crescent]] by rodents, in particular the [[house mouse]] (''Mus musculus''), and were tamed by Neolithic farmers. This [[Mutualism (biology)|mutual]] relationship between early farmers and tamed cats lasted thousands of years. As [[agricultural practices]] spread, so did tame and domesticated cats.<ref name="DriscollMenotti-Raymond2007">{{Cite journal |title=The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication |last1=Driscoll |first1=C. A. |last2=Menotti-Raymond |first2=M. |last3=Roca '|first3=A. L. |last4=Hupe |first4=K. |last5=Johnson |first5=W. E. |last6=Geffen |first6=E. |last7=Harley |first7=E. H. |last8=Delibes |first8=M. |last9=Pontier |first9=D. |last10=Kitchener |first10=A. C. |last11=Yamaguchi |first11=N. |last12=O'Brien |first12=S. J. |last13=Macdonald |first13=D. W. |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |year=2007 |volume=317 |issue=5837 |pages=519–523 |pmid=17600185 |pmc=5612713 |doi=10.1126/science.1139518 |oclc=808298830 |bibcode=2007Sci...317..519D}}</ref><ref name="Driscoll_al2009">{{cite journal |last1=Driscoll |first1=C. A. |last2=Clutton-Brock |first2=J. |last3=Kitchener |first3=A. C. |last4=O'Brien |first4=S. J. |year=2009 |title=The taming of the cat |journal=Scientific American |volume=300 |issue=6 |pages=68–75 |doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0609-68 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |pmid=19485091 |pmc=5790555 |bibcode=2009SciAm.300f..68D |jstor=26001382}}</ref> Wildcats of Egypt contributed to the maternal [[gene pool]] of the domestic cat at a later time.<ref name="OttoniVan Neer2017">{{cite journal |last1=Ottoni |first1=C. |last2=van Neer |first2=W. |last3=de Cupere |first3=B. |last4=Daligault |first4=J. |last5=Guimaraes |first5=S. |last6=Peters |first6=J. |last7=Spassov |first7=N. |last8=Prendergast |first8=M. E. |last9=Boivin |first9=N. |last10=Morales-Muñiz |first10=A. |last11=Bălăşescu |first11=A. |last12=Becker |first12=C. |last13=Benecke |first13=N. |last14=Boroneant |first14=A. |last15=Buitenhuis |first15=H. |last16=Chahoud |first16=J. |last17=Crowther |first17=A. |last18=Llorente |first18=L. |last19=Manaseryan |first19=N. |last20=Monchot |first20=H. |last21=Onar |first21=V. |last22=Osypińska |first22=M. |last23=Putelat |first23=O. |last24=Quintana Morales |first24=E.M. |last25=Studer |first25=J. |last26=Wierer |first26=U. |last27=Decorte |first27=R. |last28=Grange |first28=T. |last29=Geigl |first29=E. |s2cid=44041769 |title=The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |volume=1 |issue=7 |year=2017 |page=0139 |doi=10.1038/s41559-017-0139 |bibcode=2017NatEE...1..139O |url= https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/the-paleogenetics-of-cat-dispersal-in-the-ancient-world(04942e78-fa48-4700-ad97-29fcdf9077a1).html |access-date=18 October 2021 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220307214831/https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/the-paleogenetics-of-cat-dispersal-in-the-ancient-world |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The earliest known evidence for the occurrence of the domestic cat in [[Greece]] dates to around 1200 BC. Greek, [[Phoenicia]]n, [[Carthaginia]]n and [[Etrusca]]n traders introduced domestic cats to southern Europe.<ref name=Faure2009>{{cite journal |last1=Faure |first1=E. |last2=Kitchener |first2=A. C. |year=2009 |title=An archaeological and historical review of the relationships between Felids and people |journal=Anthrozoös |volume=22 |issue=3 |page=221−238 |doi=10.2752/175303709X457577|s2cid=84308532}}</ref> By the 5th century BC, they were familiar animals around settlements in [[Magna Graecia]] and [[Etruria]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ragni |first1=B. |last2=Possenti |first2=M. |last3=Sforzi |first3=A. |last4=Zavalloni |first4=D. |last5=Ciani |first5=F. |year=1994 |title=The wildcat in central-northern Italian peninsula: a biogeographical dilemma |journal=Biogeographia |volume=17 |issue=1 |doi=10.21426/B617110417 |url= https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt1dz6x5xf/qt1dz6x5xf.pdf |doi-access=free |access-date=29 August 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180726121432/https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt1dz6x5xf/qt1dz6x5xf.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[Roman Empire]], they were introduced to [[Corsica]] and [[Sardinia]] before the beginning of the 1st century AD.<ref name=Vigne1992>{{cite journal |last1=Vigne |first1=J.-D. |title=Zooarchaeology and the biogeographical history of the mammals of Corsica and Sardinia since the last ice age |year=1992 |journal=Mammal Review |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=87–96 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00124.x}}</ref> By the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Egyptian domestic cat lineage had arrived in a [[Baltic Sea]] port in northern [[Germany]].<ref name="OttoniVan Neer2017" /> |
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Most cats have five claws on their front paws, and four or five on their rear paws. Because of an ancient mutation, however, domestic cats are prone to [[Polydactyl cat|polydactyly]], and may have six or seven toes. The fifth front claw (the [[dewclaw]]) is [[Anatomical terms of location|proximal]]to the other claws. More proximally, there is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws, on the inside of the wrists, is the carpal pad, also found on the paws of [[big cat]]s and dogs. It has no function in normal walking, but is thought to be an anti-skidding device used while jumping. |
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The [[leopard cat]] (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') was [[tamed]] independently in China around 5500 BC. This line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domestic cat populations of today.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Earliest 'domestic' cats in China identified as leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') |journal=PLOS ONE |year=2016 |page=e0147295 |volume=11 |issue=1 |first1=J.-D. |last1=Vigne |first2=A. |last2=Evin |first3=T. |last3=Cucchi |first4=L. |last4=Dai |first5=C. |last5=Yu |first6=S. |last6=Hu |first7=N. |last7=Soulages |first8=W. |last8=Wang |first9=Z. |last9=Sun |pmid=26799955 |pmc=4723238 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1147295V |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0147295 |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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===Skin=== |
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During domestication, cats have undergone only minor changes in anatomy and behavior, and they are still capable of surviving in the wild. Several natural behaviors and characteristics of wildcats may have [[Preadaptation|pre-adapted]] them for domestication as pets. These traits include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play, and high intelligence. Since they practice rigorous grooming habits and have an instinctual drive to bury and hide their urine and feces, they are generally much less messy than other domesticated animals. Captive ''[[Leopardus]]'' cats may also display affectionate behavior toward humans but were not domesticated.<ref name=CameronBeaumont>{{cite journal |title=Evidence suggesting pre-adaptation to domestication throughout the small Felidae |last1=Cameron-Beaumont |first1=C. |last2=Lowe |first2=S. E. |last3=Bradshaw |first3=J. W. S. |journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |year=2002 |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=361–366 |doi=10.1046/j.1095-8312.2002.00028.x |url= https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/2002-cameronbeaumont.pdf |doi-access=free |access-date=10 October 2019 |archive-date=10 October 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191010072239/https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/2002-cameronbeaumont.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> House cats often mate with feral cats.<ref name=Bradshaw1999>{{cite journal |title=Feral cats: Their role in the population dynamics of ''Felis catus'' |last1=Bradshaw |first1=J. W. S. |last2=Horsfield |first2=G. F. |last3=Allen |first3=J. A. |last4=Robinson |first4=I. H. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1999 |volume=65 |issue=3 |pages=273–283 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(99)00086-6 |url=https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1999-bradshaw.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190130202509/https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1999-bradshaw.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 January 2019}}</ref> [[Felid hybrid#Domestic cat and hybridization|Hybridization between domestic and other Felinae species]] is also possible, producing hybrids such as the [[Kellas cat]] in [[Scotland]].<ref name=Oliveira/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kitchener |first1=C. |last2=Easterbee |first2=N. |year=1992 |title=The taxonomic status of black wild felids in Scotland |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=227 |issue=2 |pages=342–346 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1992.tb04832.x}}</ref> |
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Cats possess rather loose skin; this allows 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 medicine|veterinary]] purposes, as it simplifies [[Injection (medicine)|injections]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Vaccinate Your Cat at Home | url = http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=87 | accessdate = 2006-10-18}}</ref> In fact, the lives 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]].<ref>{{cite web | title = The Cat Comes Back | url = http://www.wgrz.com/news/columnist/RKellman/KellmansCorner_article.aspx?storyid=37606 | accessdate = 2006-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids to a Cat | url = http://www.wikihow.com/Give-Subcutaneous-Fluids-to-a-Cat | accessdate = 2006-10-18}}</ref> |
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Development of [[cat breeds]] started in the mid 19th century.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wastlhuber |first=J. |date=1991 |chapter=History of domestic cats and cat breeds |pages=1–59 |title=Feline Husbandry: Diseases and management in the multiple-cat environment |editor1-last=Pedersen |editor1-first=N. C. |publisher=American Veterinary Publications |location=Goleta |isbn=9780939674299}}</ref> An analysis of the domestic cat [[genome]] revealed that the ancestral wildcat genome was significantly altered in the process of domestication, as specific [[mutation]]s were selected to develop cat breeds.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Montague |first1=M. J. |last2=Li |first2=G. |last3=Gandolfi |first3=B. |last4=Khan |first4=R. |last5=Aken |first5=B. L. |last6=Searle |first6=S. M. |last7=Minx |first7=P. |last8=Hillier |first8=L. W. |last9=Koboldt |first9=D. C. |last10=Davis |first10=B. W. |last11=Driscoll |first11=C. A. |year=2014 |title=Comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome reveals genetic signatures underlying feline biology and domestication |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=111 |issue=48 |pages=17230–17235 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1410083111 |pmid=25385592 |pmc=4260561 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2014PNAS..11117230M}}</ref> Most breeds are founded on random-bred domestic cats. [[Genetic diversity]] of these breeds varies between regions, and is lowest in purebred populations, which show more than 20 deleterious [[genetic disorder]]s.<ref name=Lipinski>{{cite journal |title=The ascent of cat breeds: Genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations |last1=Lipinski |first1=M.J. |last2=Froenicke |first2=L. |last3=Baysac |first3=K. C. |last4=Billings |first4=N. C. |last5=Leutenegger |first5=C. M. |last6=Levy |first6=A. M. |last7=Longeri |first7=M. |last8=Niini |first8=T. |last9=Ozpinar |first9=H. |last10=Slater |first10=M.R. |last11=Pedersen |first11=N. C. |last12=Lyons |first12=L. A. |journal=Genomics |year=2008 |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=12–21 |doi=10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.10.009 |pmid=18060738 |pmc=2267438}}</ref> |
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The particularly loose skin at the back of the neck is known as the ''[[nape|scruff]]'', and is the area by which a mother cat grips her [[kitten]]s to carry them. As a result, cats tend to become quiet and passive when gripped there. This behavior also extends into adulthood, when a male will grab the female by the scruff to immobilize her while he mounts, and to prevent her from running away as the mating process takes place. <ref>{{cite web | title = Scruffing your dog or cat | url = http://www.pets.ca/articles/article_scruffing.htm | accessdate = 2008-02-26}}</ref> |
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== Characteristics == |
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This technique can be useful when attempting to treat or move an uncooperative cat. However, since an adult cat is heavier than a kitten, a pet cat should never be carried by the scruff, but should instead have their weight supported at the rump and hind legs, and at the chest and front paws. Often (much like a small child) a cat will lie with its head and front paws over a person's shoulder, and its back legs and rump supported under the person's arm. |
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{{Main|Cat anatomy}} |
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=== |
=== Size === |
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[[File:Scheme cat anatomy.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Diagram of the general [[anatomy]] of a male domestic cat]] |
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{{main|Cat senses}} |
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The domestic cat has a smaller [[skull]] and shorter bones than the [[European wildcat]].<ref name="OConnor">{{cite journal |title=Wild or domestic? Biometric variation in the cat ''Felis silvestris'' |last=O'Connor |first=T. P. |journal=International Journal of Osteoarchaeology |year=2007 |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=581–595 |doi=10.1002/oa.913 |url= http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/3700/1/OConnor_Cats-IJOA-submitted.pdf |access-date=20 January 2019 |archive-date=21 January 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190121010849/http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/3700/1/OConnor_Cats-IJOA-submitted.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> It averages about {{convert|46|cm|in|abbr=on}} in head-to-body length and {{convert|23|-|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} in height, with about {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}} long tails. Males are larger than females.<ref name="WCoW">{{cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |date=2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=9780226779997 |chapter=Domestic cat |pages=[https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00sunq/page/99 99–112] |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA99 |url= https://archive.org/details/wildcatsofworld00sunq/page/99}}</ref> Adult domestic cats typically weigh {{convert|4|-|5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Mattern" /> |
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Cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors, making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. Cats' [[night vision]] is superior to humans although their [[Visual perception|vision]] in daylight is inferior. Humans and cats have a similar range of [[Hearing (sense)|hearing]] on the low end of the scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, up to 64 [[Hertz|kHz]], which is 1.6 [[octave]]s above the range of a human, and even one octave above the range of a dog.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html | author=Strain, G.M. | title=How Well Do Dogs and Other Animals Hear? | publisher=Louisiana State University | accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref> A domestic cat's [[olfaction|sense of smell]] is about fourteen times as strong as a human's.<ref name="senseofsmell">{{cite web | url = http://cats.about.com/cs/felineanatomy/a/catsnose_scent.htm | title = The Nose Knows | publisher = About.com | accessdate = 2006-11-29}}</ref> To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable [[vibrissae]] (whiskers) over their body, especially their face. Due to a mutation in an early cat ancestor, one of two genes necessary to taste [[sweetness]] may have been lost by the cat family.<ref name=sugar>{{cite journal | last = Li | first = Xia | coauthors = Weihua Li, Hong Wang, Jie Cao, Kenji Maehashi, Liquan Huang, Alexander A. Bachmanov, Danielle R. Reed, Véronique Legrand-Defretin, Gary K. Beauchamp, Joseph G. Brand | title = Pseudogenization of a Sweet-Receptor Gene Accounts for Cats' Indifference toward Sugar | journal = PLOS Genetics | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | publisher = [[Public Library of Science]] | month = July | year = 2005 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pgen.0010003 | accessdate = 2006-11-08}}</ref> |
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=== Skeleton === |
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Cats have seven [[cervical vertebrae]] (as do most [[mammal]]s); 13 [[thoracic vertebrae]] (humans have 12); seven [[lumbar vertebrae]] (humans have five); three [[sacrum|sacral vertebrae]] (as do most mammals, but humans have five); and a variable number of [[caudal vertebrae]] in the tail (humans have only three to five vestigial caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal [[coccyx]]).<ref name="Walker">{{cite book |title=Study of the Cat with Reference to Human Beings |last=Walker |first=W.F. |edition=4th revised |date=1982 |publisher=[[Cengage|Thomson Learning/Cengage]] |isbn=9780030579141}}</ref>{{rp|11}} The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the [[pelvis]].<ref name="Walker" />{{rp|16}} Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating [[clavicle]] bones which allow them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.<ref name="Gillis 2002">{{cite web |title=Cat Skeleton |editor-last=Gillis |editor-first=R. |work=Zoolab |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin]] Press |location=La Crosse |year=2002 |url= http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/zoolab/Table_of_Contents/Lab-9b/Cat_Skeleton_1/cat_skeleton_1.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061206105542/http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/zoolab/Table_of_Contents/Lab-9b/Cat_Skeleton_1/cat_skeleton_1.htm |archive-date=6 December 2006 |access-date=7 September 2012}}</ref> |
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[[Image:2 russian street cats-crop.jpg|thumb|right|Two cats curled up together.]] |
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Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, 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". |
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=== Skull === |
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Due to their crepuscular nature, cats are often known to enter a period of increased activity and playfulness during the evening and early morning, dubbed the "evening crazies", "night crazies", "elevenses" or "mad half-hour" by some.<ref>Animal Doctor (July 9 2002). "Dear Dr. Fox". ''The Washington Post'', p. C10.</ref><ref>{{cite book | author = Ring, Ken and Romhany, Paul | date = [[1999-08-01]] | title = Pawmistry: How to Read Your Cat's Paws | publisher = Ten Speed Press | location = Berkeley, California | pages = p. 10 | id = ISBN 1-58008-111-8}}</ref> |
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[[File:Cat skull.jpg|thumb|Cat skull|left]] |
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[[File:Cat yawn with exposed teeth and claws.jpg|thumb|A cat with exposed teeth and claws]] |
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The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large [[eye socket]]s and a powerful specialized jaw.<ref name="Case">{{cite book |title=The Cat: Its behavior, nutrition, and health |last=Case |first=Linda P. |date=2003 |publisher=[[Iowa State University]] Press |location=Ames |isbn=9780813803319}}</ref>{{rp|35}} Within the jaw, cats have teeth adapted for killing prey and tearing meat. When it overpowers its prey, a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its two long [[Canine tooth|canine teeth]], inserting them between two of the prey's [[vertebra]]e and severing its [[spinal cord]], causing irreversible [[paralysis]] and death.<ref name="Smith1992">{{cite book |title=Structure, Function, and Evolution of Teeth |last1=Smith |first1=Patricia |last2=Tchernov |first2=Eitan |date=1992 |page=217 |publisher=Freund Publishing House |isbn=9789652222701}}</ref> Compared to other felines, domestic cats have narrowly spaced canine teeth relative to the size of their jaw, which is an adaptation to their preferred prey of small rodents, which have small vertebrae.<ref name="Smith1992" /> |
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The [[premolar]] and first [[Molar (tooth)|molar]] together compose the [[carnassial]] pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently shears meat into small pieces, like a pair of scissors. These are vital in feeding, since cats' small [[molar (tooth)|molars]] cannot chew food effectively, and cats are largely incapable of mastication.<ref name="Case" />{{rp|37}} Cats tend to have better teeth than most humans, with decay generally less likely because of a thicker protective layer of [[Tooth enamel|enamel]], a less damaging saliva, less retention of food particles between teeth, and a diet mostly devoid of sugar. Nonetheless, they are subject to occasional tooth loss and infection.<ref name="Carr1978">{{cite book |first=William H. A. |last=Carr |title=The New Basic Book of the Cat |date=1 January 1978 |publisher=[[Scribner's]] |isbn=9780684155494 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newbasicbookofca00carr/page/174 174] |url= https://archive.org/details/newbasicbookofca00carr/page/174}}</ref> |
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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. |
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=== Claws === |
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The normal [[thermoregulation|body temperature]] of a cat is between 38 and 39 °[[Celsius|C]] (101 and 102.2 °[[Fahrenheit|F]]).<ref>{{cite web | title = Normal Values For Dog and Cat Temperature, Blood Tests, Urine and other information in ThePetCenter.com | url = http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/nv.html | accessdate = 2005-08-01}}</ref> A cat is considered [[febrile]] ([[hyperthermia|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 (98.6 °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. |
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[[File:Shed domestic cat claw sheaths.tiff|thumb|Shed claw sheaths]] |
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Cats have protractible and retractable claws.<ref name="Kitchener2010">{{cite book |last1=Kitchener |first1=A. C. |last2=Van Valkenburgh |first2=B. |last3=Yamaguchi |first3=N. |date=2010 |chapter-url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266753114 |chapter=Felid form and function |title=Biology and Conservation of wild felids |editor1-first=D. |editor1-last=Macdonald |editor2-last=Loveridge |editor2-first=A. |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=83–106 |access-date=10 October 2019 |archive-date=16 February 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210216135340/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266753114_Felid_form_and_function |url-status=live}}</ref> In their normal, relaxed position, the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the paw's toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows for the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hindfeet.<ref name="Armes 1900">{{cite journal |title=Outline of cat lessons |last=Armes |first=A.F. |journal=The School Journal |year=1900 |volume=LXI |page=659 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-_gBAAAAYAAJ |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=6 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210806133121/https://books.google.com/books?id=-_gBAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref> Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, [[kneading (cats)|kneading]], or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Cats shed the outside layer of their claw sheaths when scratching rough surfaces.<ref name="pmid19422432">{{cite journal |last1=Homberger |first1=D. G. |last2=Ham |first2=K. |last3=Ogunbakin |first3=T. |last4=Bonin |first4=J. A. |last5=Hopkins |first5=B. A. |last6=Osborn |first6=M. L. |display-authors=etal |title=The structure of the cornified claw sheath in the domesticated cat (''Felis catus''): Implications for the claw-shedding mechanism and the evolution of cornified digital end organs |journal=J Anat |year=2009 |volume=214 |issue=4 |pages=620–43 |pmid=19422432 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01068.x |pmc=2736126}}</ref> |
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Most cats have five claws on their front paws and four on their rear paws. The [[dewclaw]] is [[proximal]] to the other claws. More proximally is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws on the inside of the wrists has no function in normal walking but is thought to be an antiskidding device used while jumping. Some cat breeds are prone to having extra digits ("[[Polydactyl cat|polydactyly]]").<ref name="Danforth1947">{{cite journal |last=Danforth |first=C. H. |title=Heredity of polydactyly in the cat |journal=The Journal of Heredity |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=107–112 |year=1947 |pmid=20242531 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a105701}}</ref> Polydactylous cats occur along North America's northeast coast and in Great Britain.<ref name="Lettice 2008">{{cite journal |last1=Lettice |first1=L. A. |last2=Hill |first2=A. E. |last3=Devenney |first3=P. S. |last4=Hill |first4=R. E. |title=Point mutations in a distant sonic hedgehog cis-regulator generate a variable regulatory output responsible for preaxial polydactyly |journal=Human Molecular Genetics |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=978–985 |year=2008 |pmid=18156157 |doi=10.1093/hmg/ddm370 |doi-access=free|hdl=20.500.11820/76c18e1b-ba87-49c6-9da7-c837187646a5 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> |
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===Genetics=== |
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{{See also|Cat coat genetics}}<!--original contents here were out-of-date genetics and incorrect. ---> |
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[[Image:WhiteCat.jpg|left|thumb|Blue-eyed cats with white fur have a reputation for having greater incidence of [[genetics|genetic]] [[Hearing impairment|deafness]].]] |
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=== Ambulation === |
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A 2007 study published in the journal ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' asserts that all house cats are descended from a group of self-domesticating [[Felis silvestris lybica|desert wildcat]]s ''Felis silvestris lybica'' circa 10,000 years ago, in the [[Near East]].<ref name="SciencemagNEO">{{cite journal | author = Driscoll, Carlos A. et al | title = The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication | date = 2007-07-27 | journal = [[Science (journal)|''Science'']] | url = http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1139518 | accessdate = 2008-04-02 | doi = 10.1126/science.1139518<!--Retrieved from URL by DOI bot-->}}</ref> |
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The cat is [[digitigrade]]. It walks on the toes, with the bones of the feet making up the lower part of the visible leg.<ref name="Pocock1917">{{cite journal |last=Pocock |first=R. I. |year=1917 |title=VII — On the external characters of the Felidæ |url= https://archive.org/details/ser8annalsmagazi19londuoft |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |series=8 |volume=19 |issue=109 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ser8annalsmagazi19londuoft/page/113 113–136] |doi=10.1080/00222931709486916}}</ref> Unlike most mammals, it uses a "pacing" [[gait]] and moves both legs on one side of the body before the legs on the other side. It registers directly by placing each hind paw close to the track of the corresponding fore paw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for hind paws when navigating rough terrain. As it speeds up from walking to trotting, its gait changes to a "diagonal" gait: The diagonally opposite hind and fore legs move simultaneously.<ref name="Christensen 2004">{{Cite book |last=Christensen |first=W. |url= https://archive.org/details/outwittingcatsti0000chri/page/22 |title=Outwitting Cats |publisher=[[Globe Pequot]] |date=2004 |isbn=9781592282401 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/outwittingcatsti0000chri/page/22 22–45] |chapter=The physical cat |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WmuQQXU6EtAC&pg=PA27}}</ref> |
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=== Balance === |
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The domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are both [[diploid]] organisms that possess 38 [[chromosome]]s,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Nie W, Wang J, O'Brien PC, ''et al'' |title=The genome phylogeny of domestic cat, red panda and five mustelid species revealed by comparative chromosome painting and G-banding |journal=Chromosome Res. |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=209–22 |year=2002 |pmid=12067210}}</ref> 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 [[gene]]s responsible for the hair color identified. The combination of them gives different [[phenotype]]s. |
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[[File:BIOASTRONAUTICS_RESEARCH_Gov.archives.arc.68700.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=4:00|right|start=3:38|end=4:11|Comparison of cat righting reflexes in [[gravity]] and zero gravity]] |
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Cats are generally fond of sitting in high places or ''perching''. A higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats strike prey by pouncing from a perch such as a tree branch. Another possible explanation is that height gives the cat a better observation point, allowing it to survey its territory. A cat falling from heights of up to {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} can right itself and land on its paws.<ref name="Kent et al. 2010">{{Cite journal |last1=Kent |first1=Marc |last2=Platt |first2=Simon R. |date=September 2010 |title=The neurology of balance: Function and dysfunction of the vestibular system in dogs and cats |journal=The Veterinary Journal |volume=185 |issue=3 |pages=247–249 |doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.10.029 |pmid=19944632}}</ref> |
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During a fall from a high place, a cat reflexively twists its body and rights itself to land on its feet using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This reflex is known as the [[cat righting reflex]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gerathewohl |first1=S. J. |last2=Stallings |first2=H. D. |year=1957 |title=The labyrinthine posture reflex (righting reflex) in the cat during weightlessness |url= https://spacemedicineassociation.org/download/history/history_files_1957/28040345-1.pdf |journal=The Journal of Aviation Medicine |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=345–355 |pmid=13462942 |access-date=27 April 2019 |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201003155151/https://spacemedicineassociation.org/download/history/history_files_1957/28040345-1.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> A cat always rights itself in the same way during a fall, if it has enough time to do so, which is the case in falls of {{convert|90|cm|ft|abbr=on}} or more.<ref name="Nguyen 1998">{{cite web |last=Nguyen |first=H. D. |year=1998 |title=How does a cat always land on its feet? |url= http://helix.gatech.edu/Classes/ME3760/1998Q3/Projects/Nguyen/ |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010410235503/http://helix.gatech.edu/Classes/ME3760/1998Q3/Projects/Nguyen/ |archive-date=10 April 2001 |access-date=15 May 2007 |series=Dynamics II (ME 3760) course materials |publisher=[[Georgia Institute of Technology]] |department=School of Medical Engineering}} {{tertiary source|date=December 2011}}</ref> How cats are able to right themselves when falling has been investigated as the "[[falling cat problem]]".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Falling cats, parallel parking, and polarized light |last=Batterman |first=R. |year=2003 |journal=Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=527–557 |url=http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/794/1/falling-cats.pdf |bibcode=2003SHPMP..34..527B |doi=10.1016/s1355-2198(03)00062-5 |access-date=13 September 2022 |archive-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720140329/http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/794/1/falling-cats.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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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. |
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=== Coats === |
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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. |
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{{Main|Cat coat genetics}} |
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[[File:Nursing Cat 01.jpg|thumb|Mother cat with her different-colored offspring]] |
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The cat family (Felidae) can pass down many colors and patterns to their offspring. The domestic cat genes ''MC1R'' and ''ASIP'' allow color variety in their coats. The feline ''ASIP'' gene consists of three coding exons.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=Eduardo |last2=Yuhki |first2=Naoya |last3=Johnson |first3=Warren E. |last4=Menotti-Raymond |first4=Marilyn |last5=Hannah |first5=Steven S. |last6=O'Brien |first6=Stephen J. |date=4 March 2003 |title=Molecular Genetics and Evolution of Melanism in the Cat Family |journal=Current Biology |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=448–453 |doi=10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00128-3 |pmid=12620197 |s2cid=19021807 |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free|bibcode=2003CBio...13..448E }}</ref> Three novel [[microsatellite]] markers linked to ''ASIP'' were isolated from a domestic cat BAC clone containing this gene to perform [[linkage analysis]] on 89 domestic cats segregated for [[melanism]]. The domestic cat family demonstrated a cosegregation between the ''ASIP'' allele and coat black coloration.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eizirik |first1=Eduardo |last2=Yuhki |first2=Naoya |last3=Johnson |first3=Warren E. |last4=Menotti-Raymond |first4=Marilyn |last5=Hannah |first5=Steven S. |last6=O'Brien |first6=Stephen J. |date=4 March 2003 |title=Molecular Genetics and Evolution of Melanism in the Cat Family |url=https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(03)00128-3.pdf |journal=Cell Press |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=448–453 |doi=10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00128-3 |pmid=12620197 |bibcode=2003CBio...13..448E |access-date=26 March 2024 |archive-date=26 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326122953/https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(03)00128-3.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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== Senses == |
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All felines, including the big cats, have a genetic anomaly that may prevent them from tasting sweetness,<ref name=sugar/> which is a likely factor for their indifference to or avoidance of fruits, berries, and other sugary foods. |
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{{Main|Cat senses}} |
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=== Vision === |
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[[Image:TapetumLucidum.JPG|thumb|right|Reflection of camera flash from the ''[[tapetum lucidum]]'']] |
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{{Refimprovesect|date=March 2008}} |
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[[File:Tabby cat with visible nictitating membrane.jpg|alt=A tabby cat with a third, translucent eyelid covering part of either eye|thumb|A cat's nictitating membrane shown as it blinks]] |
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Cats are classified as [[carnivore#obligate|obligate]] [[carnivore]]s, because their [[physiology]] is geared toward efficient processing of meat, and lacks efficient processes for digesting plant matter. The cat cannot produce its own [[taurine]] (an essential organic acid) in its own body and as it is contained in flesh, the cat must eat flesh to survive (see [[Taurine#Taurine_and_cats|Taurine and cats]]). Similarly as with its teeth, a cat's [[gastrointestinal tract|digestive tract]] has become specialized over time to suit meat eating, having shortened in length only to those segments of intestine best able to break down proteins and fats from animal flesh.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Zoran DL |title=The carnivore connection to nutrition in cats |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=221 |issue=11 |pages=1559-67 |year=2002 |doi=10.2460/javma.2002.221.1559 |url=http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf}}</ref> The trait severely limits the cat's ability properly to digest, metabolize, and absorb plant-derived nutrients, as well as certain [[fatty acids]]. For example, taurine is scarce in plants but abundant in meats. It is a key amino sulfonic acid for eye health in cats. Taurine deficiency can cause a condition called [[macular degeneration]] wherein the cat's retina slowly degenerates, eventually causing irreversible blindness. |
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Cats have excellent [[night vision]] and can see at one sixth the light level required for human vision.<ref name="Case" />{{rp|43}} This is partly the result of cat eyes having a ''[[tapetum lucidum]]'', which reflects any light that passes through the [[retina]] back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to dim light.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Comparative morphology of the ''Tapetum Lucidum'' (among selected species) |last1=Ollivier |first1=F. J. |last2=Samuelson |first2=D. A. |last3=Brooks |first3=D. E. |last4=Lewis |first4=P. A. |last5=Kallberg |first5=M. E. |last6=Komaromy |first6=A. M. |s2cid=15419778 |journal=Veterinary Ophthalmology |year=2004 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=11–22 |doi=10.1111/j.1463-5224.2004.00318.x |pmid=14738502}}</ref> Large pupils are an adaptation to dim light. The domestic cat has [[Pupil#In other animals|slit pupils]], which allow it to focus bright light without [[chromatic aberration]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malmström |first1=T. |last2=Kröger |first2=R. H. |title=Pupil shapes and lens optics in the eyes of terrestrial vertebrates |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=209 |issue=1 |pages=18–25 |year=2006 |pmid=16354774 |doi=10.1242/jeb.01959|doi-access=free|bibcode=2006JExpB.209...18M }}</ref> At low light, a cat's pupils expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hammond |first1=P. |last2=Mouat |first2=G. S. V. |title=The relationship between feline pupil size and luminance |journal=Experimental Brain Research |year=1985 |volume=59 |issue=3 |pages=485–490 |doi=10.1007/BF00261338|pmid=4029324|s2cid=11858455}}</ref> The domestic cat has rather poor [[color vision]] and only two types of [[cone cell]]s, optimized for sensitivity to blue and yellowish green; its ability to distinguish between red and green is limited.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Cat color vision: The effect of stimulus size |last1=Loop |first1=M. S. |last2=Bruce |first2=L. L. |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=199 |issue=4334 |pages=1221–1222 |year=1978 |pmid=628838 |doi=10.1126/science.628838 |bibcode=1978Sci...199.1221L}}</ref> A response to middle wavelengths from a system other than the [[rod cell]]s might be due to a third type of cone. This appears to be an adaptation to low light levels rather than representing true [[Trichromacy|trichromatic]] vision.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Guenther |first1=E. |last2=Zrenner |first2=E. |title=The spectral sensitivity of dark- and light-adapted cat retinal ganglion cells |journal=Journal of Neuroscience |volume=13 |pages=1543–1550 |year=1993 |issue=4 |pmid=8463834 |pmc=6576706 |doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.13-04-01543.1993 }}</ref> Cats also have a [[nictitating membrane]], allowing them to blink without hindering their vision. |
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[[Image:Mouse kill.jpg|thumb|200 px|A cat eating a [[house mouse]]]] |
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Despite the cat's meat-oriented physiology, it is still quite common for a cat to supplement its carnivorous diet with small amounts of grass, leaves, shrubs, houseplants, or other plant matter. One theory suggests this behavior helps cats regurgitate if their digestion is upset; another is that it introduces fiber or trace minerals into the diet. In this context, caution is recommended for cat owners because some houseplants are harmful to cats. For example, the leaves of the [[Lilium longiflorum|Easter Lily]] can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats, and [[Philodendron]] are also poisonous to cats. The [[Cat Fanciers' Association]] has a full list of plants harmful to cats.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html | title = Plants and Your Cat | publisher = The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. | accessdate = 2007-05-15}}</ref> |
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=== Hearing === |
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There are several vegetarian or vegan commercially-available cat foods supplemented with [[chemical synthesis|chemically-synthesized]] taurine and other added nutrients that attempt to address [[nutrition]]al shortfalls. |
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The domestic cat's hearing is most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Hearing range of the domestic cat |last=Heffner |first=R. S. |journal=Hearing Research |year=1985 |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=85–88 |doi=10.1016/0378-5955(85)90100-5 |pmid=4066516 |s2cid=4763009 |url= https://www.utoledo.edu/al/psychology/pdfs/comphearaudio/HearingRangeOfTheDomesticCat_1985.pdf |access-date=10 October 2019 |archive-date=7 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210707001511/https://www.utoledo.edu/al/psychology/pdfs/comphearaudio/HearingRangeOfTheDomesticCat_1985.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> It can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies ranging from 55 Hz to 79 kHz, whereas humans can only detect frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. It can hear a range of 10.5 [[octave]]s, while humans and dogs can hear ranges of about 9 octaves.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Auditory awareness |last=Heffner |first=H. E. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1998 |volume=57 |issue=3–4 |pages=259–268 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00101-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Primate hearing from a mammalian perspective |last=Heffner |first=R. S. |s2cid=4991969 |journal=The Anatomical Record Part A: Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology |year=2004 |volume=281 |issue=1 |pages=1111–1122 |pmid=15472899 |doi=10.1002/ar.a.20117|doi-access=free}}</ref> Its hearing sensitivity is enhanced by its large movable outer ears, the [[Pinna (anatomy)|pinnae]], which amplify sounds and help detect the location of a noise. It can detect [[ultrasound]], which enables it to detect ultrasonic calls made by [[rodent]] prey.<ref name="Sunquist">{{cite book |last1=Sunquist |first1=M. |last2=Sunquist |first2=F. |date=2002 |title=Wild Cats of the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=9780226779997 |chapter=What is a Cat? |pages=5–18 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA3 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719111036/https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Blumberg |first=M. S. |title=Rodent ultrasonic short calls: Locomotion, biomechanics, and communication |journal=Journal of Comparative Psychology |year=1992 |volume=106 |issue=4 |pages=360–365 |pmid=1451418 |doi=10.1037/0735-7036.106.4.360}}</ref> Recent research has shown that cats have socio-spatial cognitive abilities to create mental maps of owners' locations based on hearing owners' voices.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Takagi |first1=S. |last2=Chijiiwa |first2=H. |last3=Arahori |first3=M. |last4=Saito|first4=A. |last5=Fujita |first5=K. |last6=Kuroshima |first6=H. |year=2021|title=Socio-spatial cognition in cats: Mentally mapping owner's location from voice |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=16 |issue=11 |page=e0257611 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0257611 |pmc=8580247 |pmid=34758043 |bibcode=2021PLoSO..1657611T |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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=== Smell === |
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Cats can be selective eaters (which may be due in some way to the aforementioned mutation which caused their species to lose sugar-tasting ability). Unlike most mammals, cats can voluntarily starve themselves indefinitely despite being presented with palatable food, even a food which they had previously readily consumed. |
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Cats have an acute sense of smell, due in part to their well-developed [[olfactory bulb]] and a large surface of [[olfactory mucosa]], about {{convert|5.8|cm2|in2|abbr=on}} in area, which is about twice that of humans<!-- impossible logic and only 1.7-fold less than the average dog. -->.<ref name="Moulton 1967">{{cite journal |last=Moulton |first=David G. |date=1 August 1967 |title=Olfaction in mammals |url= https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/7/3/421/244992 |journal=American Zoologist |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=421–429 |doi=10.1093/icb/7.3.421 |pmid=6077376 |issn=0003-1569 |doi-access=free |access-date=22 November 2019 |archive-date=6 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210806144530/https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/7/3/421/244992 |url-status=live}}</ref> Cats and many other animals have a [[Jacobson's organ]] in their mouths that is used in the behavioral process of [[Flehmen response|flehmening]]. It allows them to sense certain aromas in a way that humans cannot. Cats are sensitive to [[Cat pheromone|pheromones]] such as [[3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol]],<ref name="felinine">{{cite journal |last1=Miyazaki |first1=Masao |last2=Yamashita |first2=Tetsuro |last3=Suzuki |first3=Yusuke |last4=Saito |first4=Yoshihiro |last5=Soeta |first5=Satoshi |last6=Taira |first6=Hideharu |last7=Suzuki |first7=Akemi |date=October 2006 |title=A major urinary protein of the domestic cat regulates the production of felinine, a putative pheromone precursor |journal=Chemistry & Biology |volume=13 |issue=10 |pages=1071–1079 |doi=10.1016/j.chembiol.2006.08.013 |pmid=17052611 |doi-access=free}}</ref> which they use to communicate through [[urine spraying]] and marking with [[scent gland]]s.<ref name="Sommerville" /> Many cats also respond strongly to plants that contain [[nepetalactone]], especially [[catnip]], as they can detect that substance at less than one part per billion.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Grognet |first=Jeff |title=Catnip: Its uses and effects, past and present |journal=The Canadian Veterinary Journal |date=June 1990 |volume=31 |issue=6 |pages=455–456 |pmc=1480656 |pmid=17423611}}</ref> About 70–80% of cats are affected by nepetalactone.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats |title=How does catnip work its magic on cats? |date=29 May 2007 |last=Turner |first=Ramona |magazine=[[Scientific American]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131022023257/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats |archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref> This response is also produced by other plants, such as silver vine (''[[Actinidia polygama]]'') and the herb [[Valerian (herb)|valerian]]; it may be caused by the smell of these plants mimicking a pheromone and stimulating cats' social or sexual behaviors.<ref name="Tucker">{{cite journal |title=Catnip and the catnip response |last1=Tucker |first1=Arthur |last2=Tucker |first2=Sharon |journal=Economic Botany |year=1988 |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=214–231 |doi=10.1007/BF02858923|bibcode=1988EcBot..42..214T |s2cid=34777592}}</ref> |
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=== Taste === |
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Some cats have a fondness for [[catnip]], which is sensed by their [[olfactory system]]s. While they generally do not consume it, they will often roll in it, paw at it, and occasionally chew on it. |
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Cats have relatively few [[taste bud]]s compared to humans (470 or so, compared to more than 9,000 on the human tongue).<ref name="sch">{{cite web |title=Do cats have a sense of taste? |url= http://www.cathealth.com/nutrition/do-cats-have-a-sense-of-taste |website=CatHealth.com |last=Schelling |first=Christianne |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160128163535/http://www.cathealth.com/nutrition/do-cats-have-a-sense-of-taste|archive-date=28 January 2016}}</ref> Domestic and wild cats share a [[Taste receptor#Loss of function|taste receptor gene mutation]] that keeps their sweet taste buds from binding to sugary molecules, leaving them with no ability to taste [[sweetness]].<ref>{{Citation |last1=Jiang |first1=Peihua |last2=Josue |first2=Jesusa |last3=Li |first3=Xia |last4=Glaser |first4=Dieter |last5=Li |first5=Weihua |last6=Brand |first6=Joseph G. |last7=Margolskee |first7=Robert F. |last8=Reed |first8=Danielle R. |last9=Beauchamp |first9=Gary K. |title=Major taste loss in carnivorous mammals |journal=PNAS |volume=13 |issue=109 |pages=4956–4961 |date=12 March 2012 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1118360109 |pmid=22411809 |pmc=3324019 |doi-access=free}}</ref> They, however, possess taste bud receptors specialized for [[acid]]s, [[amino acid]]s such as protein, and bitter tastes.<ref name="Bradshaw2006">{{cite journal |volume=136 |issue=7 |pages=1927S–1931 |last=Bradshaw |first=John W. S. |title=The evolutionary basis for the feeding behavior of domestic dogs (''Canis familiaris'') and cats (''Felis catus'') |journal=Journal of Nutrition |date=1 July 2006 |pmid=16772461 |doi=10.1093/jn/136.7.1927S |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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Their taste buds possess the receptors needed to detect [[umami]]. However, these receptors contain molecular changes that make cat taste umami different from that of humans. In humans, they detect the [[amino acid]]s [[glutamic acid]] and [[aspartic acid]], but in cats, they instead detect [[inosine monophosphate]] and [[l-Histidine]].<ref name="McGrane Gibbs Hernangomez de Alvaro Dunlop">{{cite journal |last1=McGrane |first1=Scott J. |last2=Gibbs |first2=Matthew |last3=Hernangomez de Alvaro |first3=Carlos |last4=Dunlop |first4=Nicola |last5=Winnig |first5=Marcel |last6=Klebansky |first6=Boris |last7=Waller |first7=Daniel |title=Umami taste perception and preferences of the domestic cat (''Felis catus''), an obligate carnivore |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=48 |date=1 January 2023 |issn=0379-864X |doi=10.1093/chemse/bjad026 |pmid=37551788 |pmc=10468298}}</ref> These molecules are particularly enriched in [[tuna]].<ref name="McGrane Gibbs Hernangomez de Alvaro Dunlop" /> This, it has been argued, is why cats find tuna so [[Palatability|palatable]]: as put by researchers into cat taste, "the specific combination of the high IMP and free l-Histidine contents of tuna, which produces a strong umami taste synergy that is highly preferred by cats."<ref name="McGrane Gibbs Hernangomez de Alvaro Dunlop" /> One of the researchers in this research has stated, "I think umami is as important for cats as sweet is for humans."<ref name="Science Tuna Cat">{{cite journal |last=Grimm |first=David |title=Why do cats love tuna so much? |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=381 |date=1 October 2023 |issue=6661 |issn=0036-8075 |doi=10.1126/science.adk5725 |page=935|pmid=37651517 |bibcode=2023Sci...381..935G |s2cid=261395204}}</ref> |
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====Toxic sensitivity==== |
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The liver of a cat is less effective at [[detoxification]] than those of other animals, including humans and dogs; therefore exposure to many common substances considered safe for households may be dangerous to them.<ref name="judy"/><ref name="vetinfo"/> In general, the cat's environment should be examined for the presence of such toxins and the problem corrected or alleviated as much as possible; in addition, where sudden or prolonged serious illness without obvious cause is observed, the possibility of toxicity must be considered, and the [[veterinarian]] informed of any such substances to which the cat may have had access. |
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Cats also have a distinct temperature preference for their food, preferring food with a temperature around {{convert|38|C|F|abbr=on}} which is similar to that of a fresh kill; some cats reject cold food (which would signal to the cat that the "prey" item is long dead and therefore possibly toxic or decomposing).<ref name="sch" /> |
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For instance, the common painkiller [[paracetamol]] or [[acetaminophen]], sold under brand names such as [[Tylenol]] and [[Panadol]], 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<ref name="CanVetJ2003-Allen">{{cite journal | author = Allen AL | title = The diagnosis of acetaminophen toxicosis in a cat | journal = Canadian Veterinary Journal | year = 2003 | pages = 509-10 | volume = 44 | issue = 6 | id = PMID 12839249 | url = http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=12839249}}</ref><ref name="vetinfo"/> and any suspected ingestion warrants immediate veterinary attention.<ref name="VetHumToxicol1998-Villar">{{cite journal | author = Villar D, Buck WB, Gonzalez JM | title = Ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen toxicosis and treatment in Dogs and Cats | journal = Vet Hum Toxicol | year = 1998 | pages = 156-62 | volume = 40 | issue = 3 | id = PMID 9610496}}</ref> Even [[aspirin]], which is sometimes used to treat [[arthritis]] in cats, is much more toxic to them than to humans and must be administered cautiously.<ref name="vetinfo"/> Similarly, application of [[minoxidil]] ([[Rogaine (drug)|Rogaine]]) to the skin of cats, either accidental or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur, has sometimes proved fatal.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Camille DeClementi | coauthors = Keith L. Bailey, Spencer C. Goldstein, and Michael Scott Orser | title = Suspected toxicosis after topical administration of minoxidil in 2 cats | journal = Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care | year = 2004 | month = December | pages = 287–292 | volume = 14 | issue = 4 | id = {{doi|10.1111/j.1476-4431.2004.04014.x}} | accessdate= 2007-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/minoxidil.htm | title = Minoxidil Warning | accessdate = 2007-01-18 | publisher = ShowCatsOnline.com | quote = Very small amounts of Minoxidil can result [in] serious problems or death}}</ref> |
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=== Whiskers === |
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In addition to such obvious dangers as [[insecticide]]s and [[weed killer]]s, other common household substances that should be used with caution in areas where cats may be exposed to them include [[mothball]]s and other [[naphthalene]] products,<ref name="vetinfo"/> as well as [[phenol]] based products often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats' feeding areas or litter boxes, such as [[Pine-Sol]], [[Dettol]] (Lysol), [[hexachlorophene]], ''etc.''<ref name="vetinfo">{{cite web | url = http://www.vetinfo4cats.com/ctoxin.html | title = Toxic to Cats | accessdate = 2007-01-18 | publisher = Vetinfo4Cats}}</ref> which, although they are widely used without problem, have been sometimes seen to be fatal.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Rousseaux CG, Smith RA, Nicholson S | title = Acute Pinesol toxicity in a domestic cat | journal = Vet Hum Toxicol | year = 1986 | pages = 316-7 | volume = 28 | issue = 4 | id = PMID 3750813 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3750813&dopt=Abstract}}</ref> [[Ethylene glycol]], often used as an automotive [[antifreeze]], is particularly appealing to cats, and as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cfainc.org/articles/antifreeze.html | title = Antifreeze Warning | publisher = The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. |accessdate = 2007-05-15}}</ref> |
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[[File:Kittyply edit1.jpg|thumb|right|The whiskers of a cat are highly sensitive to touch.]] |
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To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable [[vibrissa|whiskers (vibrissae)]] over their body, especially their faces. These provide information on the width of gaps and on the location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents; they also trigger protective [[blink reflex]]es to protect the eyes from damage.<ref name="Case" />{{rp|47}} |
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== Behavior == |
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Many human foods are somewhat toxic to cats; [[theobromine]] in [[chocolate]] can cause [[theobromine poisoning]], for instance, although few cats will eat chocolate. Toxicity in cats ingesting relatively large amounts of [[onion]]s or [[garlic]] has also been reported.<ref name="vetinfo"/> Even such seemingly safe items as [[cat food]] packaged in pull tab [[tin can]]s have been statistically linked to [[hyperthyroidism]]; although the connection is far from proven, suspicion has fallen on the use of [[bisphenol A]]-based plastics, another phenol based product as discussed above, to seal such cans.<ref name="vetinfo"/> |
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{{See also|Cat behavior}} |
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[[File:Black and gray mackerel tabby cat at night in Tuntorp 7.jpg|thumb|An alert cat at night, with pupils dilated and ears directed at a sound]] |
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Outdoor cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Spatio-temporal Sharing between the European Wildcat, the Domestic Cat and their Hybrids |last1=Germain |first1=E. |last2=Benhamou |first2=S. |last3=Poulle |first3=M.-L. |journal=Journal of Zoology |year=2008 |volume=276 |issue=2 |pages=195–203 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00479.x|doi-access=free }}</ref> Domestic cats spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their homes but can range many hundreds of meters from this central point. They establish [[Territory (animal)|territories]] that vary considerably in size, in one study ranging {{cvt|7|-|28|ha|acre}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barratt |first=D. G. |title=Home Range Size, Habitat Utilisation and Movement Patterns of Suburban and Farm Cats ''Felis catus'' |journal=Ecography |year=1997 |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0587.1997.tb00371.x |jstor=3682838 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=271–280|bibcode=1997Ecogr..20..271B }}</ref> The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied but being low-light predators, they are generally [[Crepuscular animal|crepuscular]], which means they tend to be more active near dawn and dusk. However, house cats' behavior is also influenced by human activity and they may adapt to their owners' sleeping patterns to some extent.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Circadian rhythms in food intake and activity in domestic cats |last1=Randall |first1=W. |last2=Johnson |first2=R. F. |last3=Randall |first3=S. |last4=Cunningham |first4=J. T. |journal=Behavioral Neuroscience |year=1985 |volume=99 |issue=6 |pmid=3843546 |doi=10.1037/0735-7044.99.6.1162 |pages=1162–1175}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ling |first=Thomas |date=2 June 2021 |title=Why do cats sleep so much? |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-cats-sleep-so-much/ |access-date=3 April 2023 |website=BBC Science Focus Magazine |archive-date=3 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403180235/https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-cats-sleep-so-much/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually between 12 and 16 hours, with 13 and 14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours. The term "cat nap" for a short rest refers to the cat's tendency to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period. While asleep, cats experience short periods of [[rapid eye movement sleep]] often accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests they are dreaming.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/0166-2236(79)90110-3 |volume=2 |pages=280–282 |last=Jouvet |first=M. |title=What Does a Cat Dream About? |journal=Trends in Neurosciences |year=1979|s2cid=53161799}}</ref> |
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Many [[houseplant]]s are at least somewhat toxic to many species, cats included<ref name="judy">{{cite web | url = http://www.judyshealthcafe.com/articles/substances.html | title = Substances That Are Poison to Pets | accessdate = 2007-01-18 | publisher = Judy's Health Cafe.com}}</ref> and the consumption of such plants by cats is to be avoided. |
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A common misconception is that a cat's behavioral and personality traits correspond to its coat color. These traits instead depend on a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Udell | first1=Monique | last2=Delgado | first2=Mikel | last3=Ekenstedt | first3=Kari | last4=Shoveller | first4=Anna Kate | last5=Croney | first5=Candace | title=CATastrophic myths part 2: Common misconceptions about the environmental, nutritional, and genetic management of domestic cats and their welfare implications | journal=The Veterinary Journal | volume=300-302 |year=2023 | doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.106029 | page=106029| doi-access=free | pmid=37683762 }}</ref> |
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==Behavior== |
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{{Refimprovesect|date=November 2007}} |
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{{Original research}} |
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{{seealso|Cat behavior|cat communication}} |
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===Sociability=== |
=== Sociability === |
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The social behavior of the domestic cat ranges from widely dispersed individuals to [[Feral cat colony|feral cat colonies]] that gather around a food source, based on groups of co-operating females.<ref name="Crowell-davis2004">{{Cite journal |title=Social Organization in the Cat: A Modern Understanding |last1=Crowell-Davis |first1=S. L. |last2=Curtis |first2=T. M. |last3=Knowles |first3=R. J. |year=2004 |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=19–28 |doi=10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013 |pmid=15123163 |pmc=10822437 |s2cid=25719922 |url=http://zoopsy.free.fr/veille_biblio/social_organization_cat_2004.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720231305/http://zoopsy.free.fr/veille_biblio/social_organization_cat_2004.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Liberg_al2014">{{Cite book |last1=Liberg |first1=O. |last2=Sandell |first2=M. |last3=Pontier |first3=D. |last4=Natoli |first4=E. |chapter=Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids |title=The domestic cat: the biology of its behaviour |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=2000 |edition=2nd |isbn=9780521636483 |editor1-last=Turner |editor1-first=D. C. |editor2-last=Bateson |editor2-first=P. |pages=119–147 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GgUwg6gU7n4C&pg=PA119 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210331062218/https://books.google.com/books?id=GgUwg6gU7n4C&pg=PA119 |url-status=live}}</ref> Within such groups, one cat is usually dominant over the others.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Patterns of social interaction in cats (''Felis domestica'') |last1=Baron |first1=A. |last2=Stewart |first2=C. N. |last3=Warren |first3=J. M. |journal=Behaviour |date=1 January 1957 |doi=10.1163/156853956X00084 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=56–66 |jstor=4532869}}</ref> Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males having the largest territories, which are about 10 times larger than those of female cats and may overlap with several females' territories. These territories are marked by [[urine spraying]], rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands, and by [[defecation]].<ref name="Sommerville">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00102-6 |volume=57 |issue=3–4 |pages=269–286 |last=Sommerville |first=B. A. |title=Olfactory Awareness |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1998}}</ref> Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually chase away stranger cats, at first by staring, hissing, and [[growling]], and, if that does not work, by short and violent, noisy attacks. Although cats do not have a social survival strategy or [[herd behavior]], they always hunt alone.<ref name="Bradshaw" /> |
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[[Image:Listen, do you want to know a secret.jpg|right|thumb|Cats can befriend other cats. Here, one cat grooms the other.]] |
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For cats, life in close proximity with humans (and other animals kept by humans as pets) amounts to a "symbiotic social adaptation" which has developed over thousands of years. The sort of social relationship cats have with their human keepers is hard to map onto more generalized wild cat (Felis spp.) behavior, but it is certain that the cat thinks of humans differently than it does of cats (i.e., it does not think of itself as human, nor that humans are cats). It has been suggested that, [[ethology|ethologically]], the human keeper of a cat functions as a sort of surrogate for the cat's mother, and that adult domestic cats live their lives in a kind of extended kittenhood,<ref>[http://animal.discovery.com/guides/cats/body/maturity.html Cat Guide: Adolescence and Sexual Maturity] Animal Planet</ref> a form of behavioral [[neoteny]]. |
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Life in proximity to humans and other domestic animals has led to a symbiotic social adaptation in cats, and cats may express great affection toward humans or other animals. [[Ethology|Ethologically]], a cat's human keeper functions as a mother surrogate.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrueZDfPUzoC&pg=PA518 |last1=Mills |first1=D. S. |last2=Marchant-Forde |first2=J. |date=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare |page=518 |isbn=9780851997247 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407004417/https://books.google.com/books?id=vrueZDfPUzoC&pg=PA518 |archive-date=7 April 2017}}</ref> Adult cats live their lives in a type of extended kittenhood, a form of behavioral [[neoteny]]. Their high-pitched sounds may mimic the cries of a hungry human infant, making them particularly difficult for humans to ignore.<ref name="McComb 2009">{{Cite journal |last1=McComb |first1=K. |last2=Taylor |first2=A. M. |last3=Wilson |first3=C. |last4=Charlton |first4=B. D. |title=The Cry Embedded within the Purr |journal=Current Biology |volume=19 |issue=13 |pages=R507–508 |year=2009 |pmid=19602409 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.033|s2cid=10972076 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2009CBio...19.R507M }}</ref> Some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular, older cats show aggressiveness toward newly arrived kittens, which include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as feline asocial aggression.<ref name="Levine 2005">{{Cite journal |title=Intercat aggression in households following the introduction of a new cat |last1=Levine |first1=E. |last2=Perry |first2=P. |last3=Scarlett |first3=J. |last4=Houpt |first4=K. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |issue=3–4 |year=2005 |pages=325–336 |doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2004.07.006 |volume=90 |url=http://faculty.washington.edu/jcha/330_cats_introducing.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090326225932/http://faculty.washington.edu/jcha/330_cats_introducing.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2009}}</ref> |
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Cats may express affection towards their human companions, especially if they [[Imprinting (psychology)|imprint]] on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection. |
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[[Redirected aggression]] is a common form of aggression which can occur in multiple cat households. In redirected aggression, there is usually something that agitates the cat: this could be a sight, sound, or another source of stimuli which causes a heightened level of anxiety or arousal. If the cat cannot attack the stimuli, it may direct anger elsewhere by attacking or directing aggression to the nearest cat, pet, human or other being.<ref name="Horwitz">{{cite news |last1=Horwitz |first1=Debra |title=Cat Behavior Problems - Aggression Redirected |url= https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-behavior-problems-aggression-redirected#:~:text=What%20is%20redirected%20aggression%3F,cat%20out%20on%20the%20property |access-date=16 June 2022 |publisher=VCA Animal Hospitals |year=2022 |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319184510/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-behavior-problems-aggression-redirected#:~:text=What%20is%20redirected%20aggression%3F,cat%20out%20on%20the%20property |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Behaviorist">{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Ingrid |title=Redirected Aggression in Cats: Recognition and Treatment Strategies |url= https://iaabc.org/cat/redirected-aggression-in-cats |access-date=16 June 2022 |publisher=International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants |date=17 May 2014 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220307001045/https://iaabc.org/cat/redirected-aggression-in-cats |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Regardless of the average sociability of any given cat or of cats in general, there are still any number of cats who meet or exceed the negative feline stereotype insofar as being poorly socialized. Older cats have also been reported to sometimes develop aggressiveness towards kittens, which may include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as Feline Asocial Aggression.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://faculty.washington.edu/jcha/330_cats_introducing.pdf | format = pdf | title = Intercat aggression in households following the introduction of a new cat | author = E. Levine | coauthors = P. Perry, J. Scarlett, K.A. Houpt | journal = Applied Animal Behaviour Science | issue = 90 | year = 2005 | pages = 325–336 | doi = 10.1016/j.applanim.2004.07.006 <!--Retrieved from URL by DOI bot-->}}</ref> |
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Domestic cats' [[scent rubbing]] behavior toward humans or other cats is thought to be a feline means of social bonding.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Soennichsen |first1=S. |last2=Chamove |first2=A. S. |year=2015 |title=Responses of cats to petting by humans |journal=Anthrozoös |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=258–265 |doi=10.2752/089279302786992577|s2cid=144843766}}</ref> |
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===Cohabitation=== |
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One way that it is possible to see how house cats are naturally meant to behave is to observe feral domestic cats, which are social enough to form [[feral cat colony|colonies]].<ref name=Crowell-davis2004>{{cite journal | author = Crowell-davis, S.L. | coauthors = Curtis, T.M.; Knowles, R.J. | year = 2004 | title = Social organization in the cat: a modern understanding | journal = Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 19-28 | url = http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1098612X0300127X | accessdate = 2008-05-21}}</ref> Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males having the largest territories, and neutered cats having the smallest. Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually [[aggressive]]ly chase away stranger cats, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and if that does not work, by short but noisy and violent attacks. |
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=== Communication === |
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Despite cohabitation in colonies, cats do not have a social survival strategy, or a [[pack mentality]]. This mainly means that an individual cat takes care of all basic needs on its own (e.g., finding food, and defending itself), and thus cats are always lone hunters; they do not hunt in groups as dogs or [[lion]]s do. (Of further note in this context is that it is no coincidence how cats frequently tonguebathe themselves (see Hygiene): the chemistry of their [[saliva]], expended during their frequent grooming, appears to be a natural [[deodorant]]. Thus, a cat's cleanliness would aid in decreasing the chance a prey animal could notice the cat's presence. By contrast, dog odor is an advantage in hunting, for a dog is a pack hunter; part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its odor 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.) |
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{{Main|Cat communication}} |
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{{Listen image |
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===Fighting=== |
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| main_image = Domestic Cat Face Shot.jpg |
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[[Image:GAto.jpg|thumb|right|Cats' acts of self defence involve arching their backs, turning sideways, and hissing]] |
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| main_image_caption = Vocalizing domestic cat |
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When engaged in feline-to-feline combat for self-defense, territory, reproduction, or dominance, [[Catfight (animal behavior)|fighting cats]] make themselves appear more impressive and threatening by raising their fur and arching their backs, thus increasing their apparent 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. Cats will also throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake with their powerful hind legs. 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. |
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| filename = Meow domestic cat.ogg |
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| title = A meow |
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Domestic cats use many [[Animal communication|vocalizations]] for communication, including [[purr]]ing, [[Trill consonant|trilling]], hissing, growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing.<ref name=Moelk1944>{{Cite journal |title=Vocalizing in the House-cat; A Phonetic and Functional Study |last=Moelk |first=M. |journal=The American Journal of Psychology |year=1944 |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=184–205 |doi=10.2307/1416947 |jstor=1416947}}</ref> Their [[Cat body language|body language]], including position of ears and tail, relaxation of the whole body, and kneading of the paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are particularly important social signal mechanisms; a raised tail indicates a friendly greeting, and flattened ears indicate hostility. Tail-raising also indicates the cat's position in the group's [[social hierarchy]], with dominant individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate ones.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cafazzo |first1=S. |last2=Natoli |first2=E. |title=The Social Function of Tail Up in the Domestic Cat (''Felis silvestris catus'') |journal=Behavioural Processes |volume=80 |issue=1 |pages=60–66 |year=2009 |pmid=18930121 |doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2008.09.008 |s2cid=19883549}}</ref> Feral cats are generally silent.<ref name="Jensen">{{Cite book |last=Jensen |first=P. |title=The Ethology of Domestic Animals |series="Modular Text" series |publisher=[[Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International]] |location=Wallingford, England |date=2009 |isbn=9781845935368}}</ref>{{rp|208}} Nose-to-nose touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by [[social grooming]], which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head.<ref name="Crowell-davis2004" /> |
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===Play=== |
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Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to [[stalk]], [[capture]] and [[kill]] prey.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Poirier FE, Hussey LK |title=Nonhuman Primate Learning: The Importance of Learning from an Evolutionary Perspective |journal=Anthropology & Education Quarterly |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=133–148 |year=1982 |url=http://www.jstor.org/view/01617761/sp050045/05x1830j/0}}</ref> 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 [[cartoon]]s and photographs, which show kittens or cats playing with balls of [[yarn]]. It is probably related to hunting [[instinct]]s, including the common practice of kittens hunting their mother's and each other's tails. If string is ingested, however, it can become caught in the cat’s [[stomach]] or [[intestine]]s, 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. While caution is called for, there are no documented cases of feline eye damage from a laser pointer, and the combination of precision needed and low energy involved make it a remote risk. A common compromise is to use the laser pointer to draw the cat to a prepositioned toy so the cat gets a [[reward]] at the end of the chase. A regular [[flashlight]] with a well-focused light spot has been commonly used in such play for decades, preceding the availability of consumer laser pointers. |
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[[Purring]] may have developed as an evolutionary advantage as a signaling mechanism of reassurance between mother cats and [[Breastfeeding|nursing]] kittens, who are thought to use it as a care-soliciting signal.<ref name="bradshaw2012"/> Post-nursing cats also often purr as a sign of contentment: when being petted, becoming relaxed,<ref name="BruelKjaer">{{cite web |first1=E. |last1=von Muggenthaler |first2=B. |last2=Wright |url=http://www.bksv.com/catspurr |title=Solving the Cat's Purr Mystery Using Accelerometers |work=BKSV |publisher=[[Brüel & Kjær]] |access-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722131617/http://www.bksv.com/catspurr |archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="IsnareCom">{{cite web |url= http://www.isnare.com/?aid=195293&ca=Pets |title=The Cat's Remarkable Purr |work=ISnare |access-date=6 August 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110713063142/http://www.isnare.com/?aid=195293&ca=Pets |archive-date=13 July 2011}}</ref> or eating. Although purring is popularly interpreted as indicative of pleasure, it has been recorded in a wide variety of circumstances, most of which involve physical contact between the cat and another, presumably trusted individual.<ref name="bradshaw2012"/> Some cats have been observed to purr continuously when chronically ill or in apparent pain.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Beaver |first1=Bonnie V. G. |title=Feline behavior : a guide for veterinarians |date=2003 |publisher=Saunders |location=St. Louis, Missouri |isbn=9780721694986 |edition=2nd}}</ref> |
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Cats will also engage in play fighting, with each other and with human partners. Humans "wrestling" with a supine cat, however, should be wary: if the cat is overstimulated or startled it may decide that the play has turned serious and cease to pull its punches; this can lead to serious scratches and occasionally even bites. |
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The exact mechanism by which cats purr has long been elusive, but it has been proposed that purring is generated via a series of sudden build-ups and releases of pressure as the [[glottis]] is opened and closed, which causes the [[vocal folds]] to separate forcefully. The [[Larynx|laryngeal muscles]] in control of the glottis are thought to be driven by a [[neural oscillation|neural oscillator]] which generates a cycle of contraction and release every 30–40 [[millisecond]]s (giving a frequency of 33 to 25 Hz).<ref name="bradshaw2012">{{cite book |last=Bradshaw |first=John W. S. |title=The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat |date=2012 |publisher=CABI |location=Wallingford |isbn=9781780641201 |pages=71–72 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CMQdnrR0xEsC |access-date=6 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Remmers |first1=J. E. |last2=Gautier |first2=H. |title=Neural and mechanical mechanisms of feline purring |journal=Respiration Physiology |year=1972 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=351–361 |doi=10.1016/0034-5687(72)90064-3 |pmid=4644061}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Frazer Sissom |first1=D. E. |last2=Rice |first2=D. A. |last3=Peters |first3=G. |title=How cats purr |journal=Journal of Zoology |year=1991 |volume=223 |issue=1 |pages=67–78 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb04749.x |s2cid=32350871}}</ref> |
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===Hunting=== |
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[[Image:Cat-eating-prey.jpg|right|thumb|Domestic cat presenting a bird to its owner.]] Cats are carnivores and are highly specialized for hunting. Their style of hunting uses short bursts of intense exercise punctuating long periods of rest. Much like their big cat relatives, domestic and feral cats are very effective predators.<ref>[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fwt/back_issues/december98/cats.html Fish & Wildlife Today: Winter 1998: Minnesota's killer kitties: Minnesota DNR<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Domestic felines ambush or pounce upon and immobilize vertebrate [[Predation|prey]] using tactics similar to those of [[leopard]]s and [[tiger]]s. Having overpowered such prey, a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its long [[canine tooth|canine teeth]] that either severs the prey's [[spinal cord]], causes fatal bleeding by puncturing the [[carotid artery]] or the [[jugular vein]], or [[asphyxiates]] the prey by crushing its [[Vertebrate trachea|trachea]]. |
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Domestic cats observed in rescue facilities have 276 morphologically distinct [[facial expression]]s based on 26 facial movements; each facial expression corresponds to different social functions that are probably influenced by domestication.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=L. |last2=Florkiewicz |first2=B. N. |year=2023 |title=Feline Faces: Unraveling the Social Function of Domestic Cat Facial Signals |journal=Behavioural Processes |volume=213 |page=104959 |doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104959|pmid=37858844 |s2cid=264176390}}</ref> Facial expressions have helped researchers detect pain in cats. The feline [[grimace scale]]'s five criteria—ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whisker change, and head position—indicated the presence of acute pain in cats.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Evangelista |first1=M. C. |last2=Watanabe |first2=R. |last3=Leung |first3=V. S. Y. |last4=Monteiro |first4=B. P. |last5=O'Toole |first5=E. |last6=Pang |first6=D. S. J. |last7=Steagall |first7=P. V. |year=2019 |title=Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=19128 |doi=10.1038/s41598-019-55693-8 |pmc=6911058 |pmid=31836868|bibcode=2019NatSR...919128E}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Monteiro |first1=B. P |last2=Lee |first2=N. H.Y. |last3=Steagall |first3=P. V. |year=2023 |title=Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? A large bilingual global survey |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=1098612X221145499 |doi=10.1177/1098612X221145499 |pmid=36649089|pmc=10812049 }}</ref> |
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One poorly-understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of killed prey to human owners. [[Ethology|Ethologist]] Paul Leyhausen proposed that 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 are placed at or near the top.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leyhausen |first=Paul |title=Cat Behavior: The Predatory and Social Behavior of Domestic and Wild Cats |year=1978 |isbn=978-0824070175}}</ref> Another possibility is that presenting the kill might be a relic of a kitten's behavior of demonstrating for its mother's approval that it has developed the necessary skill for hunting. Indoor cats will often retain their hunting [[instinct]] and deliver small household items to their owners, such as watches, pens, pencils, and other objects they can carry in their mouths. |
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=== Grooming === |
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[[File:Cat tongue macro.jpg|thumb|Cat tongue]] |
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{{Refimprovesect|date=December 2007}} |
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Cats are known for spending considerable amounts of time licking their coats to keep them clean.<ref name="hairballs" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Noel |first1=A. C. |last2=Hu |first2=D. L. |title=Cats use hollow papillae to wick saliva into fur |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America]] |year=2018 |volume=115 |issue=49 |pages=12377–12382 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1809544115 |pmid=30455290 |pmc=6298077 |bibcode=2018PNAS..11512377N |doi-access=free}}</ref> The cat's tongue has backward-facing spines about 0.5 millimeter long, called [[lingual papilla]]e, which contain [[keratin]] making them rigid.<ref name="Boshel 1982">{{Cite journal |title=Filiform Papillae of Cat Tongue |last1=Boshel |first1=J. |last2=Wilborn |first2=W. H. |last3=Singh |first3=B. B. |last4=Peter |first4=S. |last5=Stur |first5=M. |s2cid=36216103 |journal=Acta Anatomica |year=1982 |volume=114 |issue=2 |pages=97–105 |doi=10.1159/000145583 |pmid=7180385}}</ref> The papillae act like a hairbrush, and some cats, particularly [[Domestic long-haired cat|long-haired cats]], occasionally regurgitate sausage-shaped {{cvt|2|–|3|cm}} long [[hairball]]s of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming. Hairballs can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair through the [[gut (anatomy)|gut]], as well as regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.<ref name="hairballs">{{cite web |last=Hadzima |first=E. |title=Everything You Need to Know About Hairballs |year=2016 |url= http://www.dewintonvet.com/everything-you-need-know-about-hairballs/ |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104436/http://www.dewintonvet.com/everything-you-need-know-about-hairballs/ |archive-date=6 October 2016 |access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref> |
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=== Fighting === |
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Cats are seasonally [[polyestrous]], <!-- I created a redirect to the [[Estrus cycle]] article - but that claims cats are diestrous. Copyediting for consistency needed between the two articles! -->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. |
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[[File:GAto.jpg|thumb|A domestic cat hissing and arching its back]] |
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Among domestic cats, males are more likely to fight than females.<ref name="Lindell">{{Cite journal |last=Lindell |first=E. M. |title=Intercat Aggression: A Retrospective Study Examining Types of Aggression, Sexes of Fighting Pairs, and Effectiveness of Treatment |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1997 |volume=55 |issue=1–2 |pages=153–162 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00032-4 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Among feral cats, the most common reason for [[Catfight (animal behavior)|cat fighting]] is competition between two males to mate with a female. In such cases, most fights are won by the heavier male.<ref name="courtship">{{Cite journal |title=Mating Behaviors, Courtship Rank and Mating Success of Male Feral Cat (''Felis catus'') |first1=A. |last1=Yamane |first2=T. |last2=Doi |first3=Y. |last3=Ono |journal=Journal of Ethology |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=35–44 |year=1996 |doi=10.1007/BF02350090 |s2cid=27456926}}</ref> Another common reason for fighting in domestic cats is the difficulty of establishing territories within a small home.<ref name="Lindell" /> Female cats also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Neutering will decrease or eliminate this behavior in many cases, suggesting that the behavior is linked to [[sex hormone]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Determining the Optimal age for Gonadectomy of Dogs and Cats |doi=10.2460/javma.231.11.1665 |year=2007 |last1=Kustritz |first1=M. V. R. |s2cid=4651194 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=231 |issue=11 |pages=1665–1675 |pmid=18052800 |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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When cats become aggressive, they try to make themselves appear larger and more threatening by raising their fur, arching their backs, turning sideways, and hissing or spitting.<ref name="behaviourguide">{{cite web |year=2007 |title=Cat Behavior: Body Language |url=http://animal.discovery.com/guides/cats/behavior/bodylanguageintro.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224154137/http://animal.discovery.com/guides/cats/behavior/bodylanguageintro.html |archive-date=24 February 2009 |access-date=7 September 2012 |work=AnimalPlanet}}</ref> Often, the ears are pointed down and back to avoid damage to the inner ear and potentially listen for any changes behind them while focused forward. Cats may also vocalize loudly and bare their teeth in an effort to further intimidate their opponents. Fights usually consist of grappling and delivering slaps to the face and body with the forepaws, as well as bites. Cats also throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their hind legs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aggression Between Family Cats and Feline Social Behavior |url=https://www.paws.org/resources/aggression/ |website=PAWS |access-date=6 September 2022 |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828003314/https://www.paws.org/resources/aggression/ |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Multiple males will be attracted to a female in heat. The males will fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the female will reject the male, but eventually the female will allow the male to mate. The female will give a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her. After mating, the female will give herself a thorough wash. If a male attempts to breed with her at this point, the female will attack him. Once the female is done grooming, the cycle will repeat. |
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Serious damage is rare, as the fights are usually short in duration, with the loser running away with little more than a few scratches to the face and ears. Fights for mating rights are typically more severe, and injuries may include deep puncture wounds and lacerations. Normally, serious injuries from fighting are limited to infections from scratches and bites, although these can occasionally kill cats if untreated. In addition, bites are probably the main route of transmission of the [[feline immunodeficiency virus]].<ref name="Pederson 1989">{{Cite journal |title=Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection |last1=Pedersen |first1=N. C. |last2=Yamamoto |first2=J. K. |last3=Ishida |first3=T. |last4=Hansen |first4=H. |journal=Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology |year=1989 |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=111–129 |pmid=2549690 |doi=10.1016/0165-2427(89)90134-7}}</ref> Sexually active males are usually involved in many fights during their lives and often have decidedly battered faces with obvious scars and cuts to their ears and nose.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whiteley |first=H. E. |date=1994 |chapter=Correcting misbehavior |title=Understanding and Training Your Cat or Kitten |publisher=Sunstone Press |location=Santa Fe |pages=146–147 |isbn=9781611390803}}</ref> Cats are willing to threaten animals larger than them to defend their territory, such as dogs and [[Red fox|foxes]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Devlin |first1=Hannah |author-link=Hannah Devlin |title=Cat v fox: what made Downing Street's Larry so brave? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/13/cat-v-fox-what-made-downing-streets-larry-so-brave |access-date=16 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=16 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221016011130/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/13/cat-v-fox-what-made-downing-streets-larry-so-brave |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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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]], which may cause [[ovulation]]. Because this does not always occur, females are rarely impregnated by the first male with which they mate. Furthermore, cats are [[superfecundation|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. |
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=== Hunting and feeding === |
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[[Image:Wurf katze 1day.jpg|thumb|left|right|An adult cat with kittens a few hours old]] |
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{{See also|Cat food}} |
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[[Image:Youngkitten.JPG|thumb|right|A kitten with [[eye]]s open for the first time.]] The [[gestation]] period for cats is approximately 63–65 days. The size of a [[litter (animal)|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). |
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[[File:Kot z myszą.jpg|thumb|right|A domestic cat with its prey, a [[deermouse]]]] |
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The shape and structure of cats' cheeks is insufficient to allow them to take in liquids using suction. Therefore, when drinking, they lap with the tongue to draw liquid upward into their mouths. Lapping at a rate of four times a second, the cat touches the smooth tip of its tongue to the surface of the water, and quickly retracts it like a corkscrew, drawing water upward.<ref name="Reis 2010">{{cite journal |last1=Reis |first1=P. M. |last2=Jung |first2=S. |last3=Aristoff |first3=J. M. |last4=Stocker |first4=R. |s2cid=1917972 |title=How cats lap: Water uptake by ''Felis catus'' |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |year=2010 |volume=330 |issue=6008 |pages=1231–1234 |doi=10.1126/science.1195421 |pmid=21071630 |bibcode=2010Sci...330.1231R |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Kim 2012">{{cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=W. |last2=Bush |first2=J.W.M. |title=Natural drinking strategies |journal=Journal of Fluid Mechanics |year=2012 |volume=705 |pages=7–25 |doi=10.1017/jfm.2012.122 |url= https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/1721.1/80405/2/Bush_Natural%20drinking%20strategies.pdf |bibcode=2012JFM...705....7K |hdl=1721.1/80405 |s2cid=14895835 |hdl-access=free |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220307214820/https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/80405/Bush_Natural |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Feral cats and free-fed house cats consume several small meals in a day. The frequency and size of meals varies between individuals. They select food based on its temperature, smell, and texture; they dislike chilled foods and respond most strongly to moist foods rich in amino acids, which are similar to meat. Cats reject novel flavors (a response termed [[neophobia]]) and learn quickly to [[conditioned taste aversion|avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant]] in the past.<ref name="Bradshaw">{{cite journal |last1=Bradshaw |first1=J. W. |last2=Goodwin |first2=D. |last3=Legrand-Defrétin |first3=V. |last4=Nott |first4=H. M. |title=Food selection by the domestic cat, an obligate carnivore |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology – Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology |volume=114 |issue=3 |pages=205–209 |year=1996 |pmid=8759144 |doi=10.1016/0300-9629(95)02133-7}}</ref><ref name="Zaghini">{{cite journal |title=Nutritional peculiarities and diet palatability in the cat |last1=Zaghini |first1=G. |last2=Biagi |first2=G. |journal=Veterinary Res. Commun. |volume=29 |issue=Supplement 2 |pages=39–44 |year=2005 |pmid=16244923 |doi=10.1007/s11259-005-0009-1|s2cid=23633719}}</ref> It is also a common misconception that cats like milk/cream, as they tend to avoid sweet food and milk. Most adult cats are [[lactose intolerant]]; the sugar in milk is not easily digested and may cause soft stools or [[diarrhea]].<ref name="Kienzle 1994">{{cite journal |title=Blood sugar levels and renal sugar excretion after the intake of high carbohydrate diets in cats |last=Kienzle |first=E. |journal=Journal of Nutrition |year=1994 |volume=124 |issue=12 Supplement |pages=2563S–2567S |pmid=7996238 |doi=10.1093/jn/124.suppl_12.2563S |url= http://jn.nutrition.org/content/124/12_Suppl/2563S.full.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130903163949/http://jn.nutrition.org/content/124/12_Suppl/2563S.full.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> Some also develop odd eating habits and like to eat or chew on things such as wool, plastic, cables, paper, string, aluminum foil, or even coal. This condition, [[pica (disorder)|pica]], can threaten their health, depending on the amount and toxicity of the items eaten.<ref name="Bradshaw 1997">{{cite journal |title=Factors affecting pica in the domestic cat |last=Bradshaw |first=J. W. S. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1997 |volume=52 |issue=3–4 |pages=373–379 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01136-7}}</ref> |
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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 [[Sterilization (surgical procedure)|sterilized]] (spayed or [[castrated]]) as early as 6–8 weeks to limit unwanted reproduction. This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as [[Territorial marking|territory marking]] (spraying urine) in males and yowling (calling) in females. If a cat is neutered after such behavior has been learned, however, then the behavior may persist. |
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Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents,<ref name="Woods">{{cite journal |last1=Woods |first1=M. |last2=McDonald |first2=R. A. |last3=Harris |first3=S. |s2cid=42095020 |title=Predation of wildlife by domestic cats ''Felis catus'' in Great Britain |journal=Mammal Review |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=174–188 |year=2003 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2907.2003.00017.x}}</ref> and are often used as a form of pest control.<ref>{{cite book |title=Clones, Cats, and Chemicals: Thinking scientifically about controversial issues |page=9 |url-access=limited |url= https://archive.org/details/clonescatschemic00sles/page/n16 |first=I. L. |last=Slesnick |date=2004|publisher= NSTA Press |isbn=9780873552370}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=D. S. |last=Hill |date=2008 |title=Pests of Crops in Warmer Climates and their Control |publisher=Springer |edition=First |isbn=9781402067372 |page=120 |url= https://archive.org/details/pestscropswarmer00hill/page/n125 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Other common small creatures, such as lizards and snakes, may also become prey.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-kill-reptiles-populations-australia-animals |title=Cats Have A Killer Impact on Reptiles: Experiments in Australia reveal that kitties are catching more than birds |first=Joshua Rapp |last=Learn |date=17 August 2018 |work=[[National Geographic Society|NationalGeographic]] |access-date=24 November 2023 |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124225514/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-kill-reptiles-populations-australia-animals |url-status=live }}</ref> Cats use two hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or [[Ambush predator|waiting in ambush]] until an animal comes close enough to be captured.<ref name="How Cats Evolved to Win the Internet">{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=A. |title=How cats evolved to win the Internet |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/opinion/sunday/how-cats-evolved-to-win-the-internet.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |year=2016 |access-date=13 November 2016|url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161019204937/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/opinion/sunday/how-cats-evolved-to-win-the-internet.html |archive-date=19 October 2016}}</ref> The strategy used depends on the prey species in the area, with cats waiting in ambush outside burrows, but tending to actively stalk birds.<ref name="Turner 2000">{{cite book |editor-last1=Turner |editor-first1=D. C. |editor-last2=Bateson |editor-first2=P. |title=The Domestic Cat: The biology of its behaviour |date=2000 |edition=2nd |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521636483}}</ref>{{rp|153}} Domestic cats are a major [[Cat predation on wildlife|predator of wildlife]] in the United States, killing an estimated 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.<ref name="NC012913">{{cite journal |last1=Loss |first1=S. R. |first2=T. |last2=Will |first3=P. P. |last3=Marra |title=The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States |journal=[[Nature Communications]] |year=2013 |volume=4 |page=1396 |doi=10.1038/ncomms2380 |pmid=23360987 |bibcode=2013NatCo...4.1396L |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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===Hygiene=== |
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[[Image:Cat tongue macro.jpg|thumb|right|The hooked papillae on a cat tongue act like a [[hairbrush]] to help clean and detangle fur.]] |
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Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. They groom themselves by licking their fur, employing their hooked [[Filiform papilla|papilla]]e and saliva. As mentioned, their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent and deodorant. Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats. Sometimes the act of grooming another cat is initiated as an assertion of superior position in the pecking order of a group (dominance grooming). |
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Certain species appear more susceptible than others; in one English village, for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality was linked to the domestic cat.<ref name="Chucher 1987">{{cite journal |last1=Chucher |first1=P. B. |last2=Lawton |first2=J. H. |year=1987 |title=Predation by domestic cats in an English village |journal=Journal of Zoology, London |volume=212 |issue=3 |pages=439–455 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb02915.x}}</ref> In the recovery of ringed robins (''[[Erithacus rubecula]]'') and dunnocks (''[[Prunella modularis]]'') in Britain, 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.<ref name="Mead 1982 183–186">{{cite journal |title=Ringed birds killed by cats |last=Mead |first=C. J. |journal=Mammal Review |year=1982 |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=183–186 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2907.1982.tb00014.x}}</ref> In parts of North America, the presence of larger carnivores such as [[coyote]]s, which prey on cats and other small predators, reduces the effect of predation by cats and other small predators such as [[opossum]]s and [[raccoon]]s on bird numbers and variety.<ref name="Crooks 1999">{{cite journal |title=Mesopredator release and avifaunal extinctions in a fragmented system |last1=Crooks |first1=K. R. |last2=Soul |first2=M. E. |journal=Nature |year=1999 |volume=400 |issue=6744 |pages=563–566 |doi=10.1038/23028 |bibcode=1999Natur.400..563C |s2cid=4417607 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |url-status=dead |url= http://www38.homepage.villanova.edu/jameson.chace/Urban%20Ecology/Crooks%26Soule_Mesopredator_release.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720110246/http://www38.homepage.villanova.edu/jameson.chace/Urban%20Ecology/Crooks%26Soule_Mesopredator_release.pdf}}</ref> |
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Some cats occasionally regurgitate [[hairball]]s of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Longhaired cats are more prone to this than shorthaired cats. 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. |
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Another poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human guardians. One explanation is that cats adopt humans into their social group and share excess kill with others in the group according to the [[dominance hierarchy]], in which humans are reacted to as if they are at or near the top.<ref name="Leyhausen 1978">{{cite book |title=Cat Behavior: The predatory and social behavior of domestic and wild cats |last=Leyhausen |first=P. |date=1978 |publisher=[[Garland STPM Press]] |location=New York |isbn=9780824070175}}</ref> Another explanation is that they attempt to teach their guardians to hunt or to help their human as if feeding "an elderly cat, or an inept kitten".<ref name="Morris Catwatching 1">{{cite book |title=Catwatching: Why cats purr and everything else you ever wanted to know |last=Desmond |first=M. |date=2002 |publisher=Ebury Press |edition=2nd |location=London |chapter=Why does a cat play with its prey before killing it? |pages=51–52 |isbn=9781409022213 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3ysT6xTJu4C&pg=PA51 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210331062240/https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3ysT6xTJu4C&pg=PA51 |url-status=live}}</ref> This hypothesis is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey, despite males having negligible involvement in raising kittens.<ref name="Turner 2000" />{{rp|153}} |
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===Scratching=== |
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Cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards, in order to clean the claws and remove the worn outer sheath as well as exercise and stretch their muscles. This scratching behavior seems enjoyable to the cat, and even [[#Declawing|declawed]] cats will go through elaborate scratching routines with every evidence of great satisfaction, despite the total lack of results. Some researchers believe this is due to scent glands located in their pads, and that scratching is effectively a part of marking territory. |
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=== Play === |
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{{Main|Cat play and toys}} |
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[[Image:Cat in tree03.jpg|thumb|A cat in a tree.]] |
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[[File:Play fight between cats.webmhd.webm|thumbnail|thumbtime=4|alt=Play fight between kittens, age 14 weeks|Play fight between kittens aged 14 weeks]] |
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Most 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 a 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]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Why Do Cats Like High Places? | publisher = Dr. Holly Nash, DVM, MS | url = http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1313&articleid=1125 | work = Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.}}</ref> Height, therefore, can also give cats a sense of security and prestige. |
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Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to stalk, capture, and kill prey.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Poirier |first1=F. E. |last2=Hussey |first2=L. K. |title=Nonhuman Primate Learning: The Importance of Learning from an Evolutionary Perspective |journal=Anthropology and Education Quarterly |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=133–148 |year=1982 |doi=10.1525/aeq.1982.13.2.05x1830j |jstor=3216627|doi-access=free}}</ref> Cats also engage in [[Rough-and-tumble play|play fighting]], both with each other and with humans. This behavior may be a way for cats to practice the skills needed for real combat, and it might also reduce the fear that they associate with launching attacks on other animals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hall |first=S. L. |chapter=Object play by adult animals |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jkiTQ8dIIHsC&pg=PA45 |title=Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative, and Ecological Perspectives |editor1=Byers, J. A. |editor2=Bekoff, M. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=1998 |pages=45–60 |isbn=9780521586566 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126043154/https://books.google.com/books?id=jkiTQ8dIIHsC&pg=PA45 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Cats also tend to play with toys more when they are hungry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hall |first=S. L. |title=The Influence of Hunger on Object Play by Adult Domestic Cats |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=1998 |volume=58 |issue=1–2 |pages=143–150 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00136-6}}</ref> Owing to the close similarity between play and hunting, cats prefer to play with objects that resemble prey, such as small furry toys that move rapidly, but rapidly lose interest. They become [[habituation|habituated]] to a toy they have played with before.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Object Play in Adult Domestic Cats: The Roles of Habituation and Disinhibition |last=Hall |first=S. L. |journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science |year=2002 |volume=79 |issue=3 |pages=263–271 |doi=10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00153-3}}</ref> String is often used as a toy, but if it is eaten, it can become caught at the base of the cat's tongue and then move into the [[intestine]]s, a medical emergency which can cause serious illness, even death.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=MacPhail |first=C. |title=Gastrointestinal obstruction |journal=Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice |year=2002 |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=178–183 |doi=10.1053/svms.2002.36606 |pmid=12587284|s2cid=24977450}}</ref> |
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During a fall from a high place, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute [[equilibrioception|sense of balance]] and flexibility.<ref>{{cite web | title = Falling Cats | url = http://www.verrueckte-experimente.de/leseproben_e.html | accessdate = 2005-10-24}}</ref> This is known as the cat's "[[cat righting reflex|righting reflex]]". It always rights itself in the same way, provided it has the time to do so, during a fall. The height required for this to occur in most cats (safely) is around 3 feet (90 cm). Cats without a tail also have this ability, since a cat mostly moves its hind legs and relies on conservation of [[angular momentum]] to set up for landing, and the tail is in fact little used for this feat.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://helix.gatech.edu/Classes/ME3760/1998Q3/Projects/Nguyen/ | title=How does a Cat always land on its feet? | author = Huy D. Nguyen | publisher = Georgia Tech University, School of Medical Engineering | accessdate = 2007-05-15}}</ref> |
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=== Reproduction === |
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However, cats' fondness for high spaces can dangerously test the righting reflex. 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=2032&articleid=3409 | title = High-Rise Syndrome: Cats Injured Due to Falls | author = Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department | work = Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.}}</ref> |
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{{See also|Kitten}} |
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[[File:Cats having sex in Israel.jpg|thumb|When cats mate, the tomcat (male) bites the scruff of the female's neck as she assumes a position conducive to [[mating]] known as [[lordosis behavior]].]] |
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==Ecology== |
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The cat secretes and perceives [[pheromone]]s.<ref name="Bland1979">{{cite journal |last1=Bland |first1=K. P. |year=1979 |title=Tom-cat odour and other pheromones in feline reproduction |journal=Veterinary Science Communications |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=125–136 |url= https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1979-bland.pdf |doi=10.1007/BF02268958 |s2cid=22484090 |access-date=15 May 2019 |archive-date=30 January 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190130202521/https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1979-bland.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Female cats, called ''queens'', are [[polyestrous]] with several [[estrus]] cycles during a year, lasting usually 21 days. They are usually ready to mate between early February and August<ref name="Jemmett1977">{{cite journal |last1=Jemmett |first1=J. E. |last2=Evans |first2=J. M. |year=1977 |title=A survey of sexual behaviour and reproduction of female cats |journal=Journal of Small Animal Practice |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=31–37 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-5827.1977.tb05821.x |pmid=853730}}</ref> in northern temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions.<ref name="estrous_cycle">{{Cite book |title=Feline Reproduction |chapter=Feline Estrous Cycle |series=CABI Books |date=2022 |pages=11–22 |doi=10.1079/9781789247107.0002 |isbn=9781789247084 |editor-last1=Johnson |editor-first1=A.K |editor-last2=Kutzler |editor-first2=M.A |url=https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789247107.0002 |access-date=18 August 2023 |archive-date=20 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820105417/https://cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789247107.0002 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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===Habitat=== |
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Several males, called tomcats, are attracted to a female in heat. They fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the female rejects the male, but eventually, the female allows the male to mate. The female utters a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her because a male cat's [[penis]] has a band of about 120–150 backward-pointing [[penile spines]], which are about {{convert|1|mm|in|abbr=on}} long; upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines may provide the female with increased sexual stimulation, which acts to [[Induced ovulation (animals)|induce ovulation]].<ref name="Aronson 1967">{{Cite journal |title=Penile Spines of the Domestic Cat: Their Endocrine-behavior Relations |last1=Aronson |first1=L. R. |last2=Cooper |first2=M. L. |journal=The Anatomical Record |year=1967 |volume=157 |issue=1 |pages=71–78 |pmid=6030760 |doi=10.1002/ar.1091570111 |s2cid=13070242 |url= http://www.catcollection.org/files/PenileSpines.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150319031546/http://www.catcollection.org/files/PenileSpines.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2015}}</ref> |
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The [[African Wildcat]] (''Felis sylvestris lybica''), 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. Wildcats (''Felis sylvestris'') are native to all continents other than Australia and Antarctica, although feral cats have become [[apex predator]]s in the Australian Outback where they are menaces to wildlife.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s64308.htm | title = www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s64308.htm<!--INSERT TITLE--> | accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> 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 cat breeds. |
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[[File:Radiography of a pregnant cat.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Radiography of a pregnant cat; the skeletons of two fetuses are visible on the left and right of the uterus.]] |
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Being closely related to desert animals, cats enjoy heat and solar exposure, often sleeping in a sunny area during the heat of the day, as part of a general preference for warm temperatures. Where humans typically start to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature gets higher than about 44.5 °C (112 °F), by contrast cats do not start to show signs of discomfort until their skin reaches about 52 °C (126 °F). |
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After mating, the female cleans her [[vulva]] thoroughly. If a male attempts to mate with her at this point, the female attacks him. After about 20 to 30 minutes, once the female is finished grooming, the cycle will repeat.<ref name="compendium" /> Because ovulation is not always triggered by a single mating, females may not be impregnated by the first male with which they mate.<ref name="Wildt 1980">{{Cite journal |last1=Wildt |first1=D. E. |last2=Seager |first2=S. W. |last3=Chakraborty |first3=P. K. |title=Effect of Copulatory Stimuli on Incidence of Ovulation and on Serum Luteinizing Hormone in the Cat |journal=Endocrinology |year=1980 |volume=107 |issue=4 |pages=1212–1217 |pmid=7190893 |doi=10.1210/endo-107-4-1212}}</ref> Furthermore, cats are [[Superfecundation|superfecund]]; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, with the result that different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.<ref name="compendium">{{cite web |title=Prolific Cats: The Estrous Cycle |url= http://vlsstore.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/PV_23_12_1049.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161209220101/http://vlsstore.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/PV_23_12_1049.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 December 2016 |publisher=Veterinary Learning Systems |access-date=19 June 2009}}</ref> |
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The [[morula]] forms 124 hours after conception. At 148 hours, early [[blastocyst]]s form. At 10–12 days, implantation occurs.<ref>{{Cite journal |journal=Biology of Reproduction |title=In Vivo Embryogenesis, Embryo Migration and Embryonic Mortality in the Domestic Cat |first1=W. F. |last1=Swanson |first2=T. L. |last2=Roth |first3=D. E. |last3=Wilt |doi=10.1095/biolreprod51.3.452 |pmid=7803616 |volume=51 |issue=3 |year=1994 |pages=452–464|doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[gestation]] of queens lasts between 64 and 67 days, with an average of 65 days.<ref name="Jemmett1977" /><ref name="Tsutsui 1993">{{Cite journal |last1=Tsutsui |first1=T. |last2=Stabenfeldt |first2=G. H. |title=Biology of Ovarian Cycles, Pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in the Domestic Cat |journal=Journal of Reproduction and Fertility |volume=Supplement 47 |pages=29–35 |year=1993 |pmid=8229938}}</ref> |
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Overall, cats can easily withstand the heat and cold of a [[temperate]] climate, so long as the cold is 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 (e.g., fog, rain and snow) and struggle to maintain their 39 °C (102 °F) body temperature when wet. In direct relation to that fact, most cats dislike immersion in water. One major exception is the [[Turkish Van]] breed which has an unusual fondness for water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swimmingcats.com/faqs.html|title=www.swimmingcats.com/faqs.html<!--INSERT TITLE-->|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> [[Abyssinian (cat)|Abyssinians]] and [[Bengal (cat)|Bengals]] are also reported to be more tolerant of water than most cats. |
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[[File:1dayoldkitten.JPG|thumb|A newborn kitten]] |
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===Impact of hunting=== |
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Based on a study of 2,300 free-ranging queens conducted from May 1998 and October{{Nbsp}}2000, they had one to six kittens per [[Litter (animal)|litter]], with an average of three kittens. They produced a mean of 1.4 litters per year, but a maximum of three litters in a year. Of 169 kittens, 127 died before they were six months old due to a trauma caused in most cases by dog attacks and road accidents.<ref name="Nutter2004">{{cite journal |last1=Nutter |first1=F. B. |last2=Levine |first2=J. F. |last3=Stoskopf |first3=M. K. |s2cid=1903272 |year=2004 |title=Reproductive capacity of free-roaming domestic cats and kitten survival rate |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=225 |issue=9 |pages=1399–1402 |doi=10.2460/javma.2004.225.1399 |pmid=15552315 |citeseerx=10.1.1.204.1281}}</ref> The first litter is usually smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned between six and seven weeks of age. Queens normally reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months, and males at 5–7 months. This varies depending on breed.<ref name="compendium" /> Kittens reach [[puberty]] at the age of 9–10 months.<ref name="Jemmett1977" /> |
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The domestic cat hunts and eats over a thousand species, many of them [[invertebrate]]s, especially insects — many big cats will eat fewer than a hundred different species. 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 may hunt and kill birds, mice, rats, scorpions, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and other small animals in their environment. |
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Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks of age, when they are ready to leave their mother.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Complete Book of Cat Care: How to Raise a Happy and Healthy Cat |last1=Behrend |first1=K. |last2=Wegler |first2=M. |date=1991 |publisher=[[Barron's Educational Series]] |location=Hauppauge, New York |isbn=9780812046137 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/completebookofca00behr/page/28 28–29] |chapter=Living with a Cat |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/completebookofca00behr/page/28}}</ref> They can be surgically [[neutering|sterilized]] (spayed or [[castration|castrated]]) as early as seven weeks to limit unwanted reproduction.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Early-age Neutering of Dogs and Cats in the United States (A Review) |last1=Olson |first1=P. N. |last2=Kustritz |first2=M. V. |last3=Johnston |first3=S. D. |journal=Journal of Reproduction and Fertility |year=2001 |volume=Supplement 57 |pages=223–232 |pmid=11787153}}</ref> This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as aggression, [[spraying (animal behavior)|territory marking]] (spraying urine) in males, and yowling (calling) in females. Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age, but it is increasingly being performed before [[puberty]], at about three to six months.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats |last=Root Kustritz |first=M. V. |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|year=2007 |volume=231 |issue=11 |pages=1665–1675 |doi=10.2460/javma.231.11.1665 |pmid=18052800 |s2cid=4651194 |url= http://www.imom.org/spay-neuter/pdf/kustritz.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100713133619/http://www.imom.org/spay-neuter/pdf/kustritz.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 July 2010}}</ref> In the United States, about 80% of household cats are neutered.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Population characteristics and neuter status of cats living in households in the United States |last1=Chu |first1=K. |last2=Anderson |first2=W. M. |last3=Rieser |first3=M. Y. |s2cid=39208758 |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|year=2009 |volume=234 |issue=8 |pages=1023–1030 |doi=10.2460/javma.234.8.1023 |pmid=19366332|doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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As a consequence of their exceptional hunting ability, cats can be quite destructive to [[ecosystem]]s in which they are not native, where local species have not had time to adapt to feline [[introduced species|introduction]]. In some cases, cats have contributed to or caused [[extinction]]s — for example, see the case of the [[Stephens Island Wren]]. Due to their hunting behavior, 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 (although some cats may figure out how and when the bell works, thereby learning more careful movements to avoid the ringing). |
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== Lifespan and health == |
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==House cats== |
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{{Main|Cat health|Aging in cats}} |
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===Domestication=== |
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The average lifespan of pet cats has risen in recent decades. In the early 1980s, it was about seven years,<ref name="Kraft1998">{{Cite journal |last=Kraft |first=W. |title=Geriatrics in canine and feline internal medicine |journal=European Journal of Medical Research |volume=3 |issue=1–2 |pages=31–41 |year=1998 |pmid=9512965}}</ref>{{rp|33}}<ref name="Nassar 1984">{{Cite journal |last1=Nassar |first1=R. |last2=Mosier |first2=J. E. |last3=Williams |first3=L. W. |title=Study of the feline and canine populations in the greater Las Vegas area |journal=American Journal of Veterinary Research |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=282–287 |year=1984 |pmid=6711951}}</ref> rising to 9.4 years in 1995<ref name=Kraft1998/>{{rp|33}} and an average of about 13 years as of 2014 and 2023.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=O'Neill |first1=Dan G |last2=Church |first2=David B |last3=McGreevy |first3=Paul D |last4=Thomson |first4=Peter C |last5=Brodbelt |first5=David C |year=2014 |title=Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=125–133 |doi=10.1177/1098612X14536176 |pmid=24925771|doi-access=free |pmc=10816413 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Montoya |first1=M. |last2=Morrison |first2=J. A. |last3=Arrignon |first3=F. |last4=Spofford |first4=N. |last5=C. |first5=H. |last6=Hours |first6=M.-A. |last7=Biourge |first7=V. |year=2023 |title=Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data |journal=Frontiers in Veterinary Science |volume=10 |pages=1082102 |doi=10.3389/fvets.2023.1082102 |doi-access=free |pmc=9989186 |pmid=36896289}}</ref> |
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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.<ref name="9500 years"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Hazel |last=Muir |
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|authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Ancient remains could be oldest pet cat |url=http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4867.html |work= |publisher=[[New Scientist]] |date=8 April 2004 |accessdate=2007-11-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Marsha|last=Walton |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Ancient burial looks like human and pet cat |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/04/08/cats.cyprus/index.html |work= |publisher=[[CNN]]|date=Friday, April 9, 2004|accessdate=2007-11-23 }} </ref> |
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Neutering increases life expectancy; one study found castrated male cats live twice as long as intact males, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact females.<ref name="Kraft1998" />{{rp|35}} Having a cat [[Neutering|neutered]] confers some health benefits, such as a greater life expectancy and a decreased incidence of reproductive [[neoplasia]].<ref name="Obesity1">{{cite journal | last1=Vendramini | first1=Thiago H. A. | last2=Amaral | first2=Andressa R. | last3=Pedrinelli | first3=Vivian | last4=Zafalon | first4=Rafael V. A. | last5=Rodrigues | first5=Roberta B. A. | last6=Brunetto | first6=Marcio A. | title=Neutering in dogs and cats: current scientific evidence and importance of adequate nutritional management | journal=Nutrition Research Reviews | publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) | volume=33 | issue=1 | date=14 January 2020 | issn=0954-4224 | doi=10.1017/s0954422419000271 | pages=134–144| pmid=31931899 }}</ref> However, neutering decreases metabolism<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Hoenig | first1=Margarethe | last2=Ferguson | first2=Duncan C. | title=Effects of neutering on hormonal concentrations and energy requirements in male and female cats | journal=American Journal of Veterinary Research | publisher=American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) | volume=63 | issue=5 | date=1 May 2002 | issn=0002-9645 | doi=10.2460/ajvr.2002.63.634 | pages=634–639| pmid=12013460 }}</ref><ref name="Obesity2">{{cite journal | last1=Harper | first1=E. J. | last2=Stack | first2=D. M. | last3=Watson | first3=T. D. G. | last4=Moxham | first4=G. | title=Effects of feeding regimens on bodyweight, composition and condition score in cats following ovariohysterectomy | journal=Journal of Small Animal Practice | publisher=Wiley | volume=42 | issue=9 | year=2001 | issn=0022-4510 | doi=10.1111/j.1748-5827.2001.tb02496.x | pages=433–438| pmid=11570385 }}</ref><ref name="Obesity3">{{cite journal | last1=Fettman | first1=M.J | last2=Stanton | first2=C.A | last3=Banks | first3=L.L | last4=Hamar | first4=D.W | last5=Johnson | first5=D.E | last6=Hegstad | first6=R.L | last7=Johnston | first7=S | title=Effects of neutering on bodyweight, metabolic rate and glucose tolerance of domestic cats | journal=Research in Veterinary Science | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=62 | issue=2 | year=1997 | issn=0034-5288 | doi=10.1016/s0034-5288(97)90134-x | pages=131–136| pmid=9243711 }}</ref> and increases food intake,<ref name="Obesity3"/><ref name="Obesity4">{{cite journal | last1=Kanchuk | first1=Marc L. | last2=Backus | first2=Robert C. | last3=Morris | first3=James G. | last4=Rogers | first4=Quinton R. | last5=Calvert | first5=Christopher C. | title=Weight Gain in Gonadectomized Normal and Lipoprotein Lipase–Deficient Male Domestic Cats Results from Increased Food Intake and Not Decreased Energy Expenditure | journal=The Journal of Nutrition | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=133 | issue=6 | year=2003 | issn=0022-3166 | doi=10.1093/jn/133.6.1866 | pages=1866–1874| doi-access=free | pmid=12771331 }}</ref> both of which can cause obesity in neutered cats.<ref name="Obesity5">{{cite journal | last1=Öhlund | first1=Malin | last2=Palmgren | first2=Malin | last3=Holst | first3=Bodil Ström | title=Overweight in adult cats: a cross-sectional study | journal=Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica | volume=60 | issue=1 | date=19 January 2018 | issn=1751-0147 | doi=10.1186/s13028-018-0359-7 | doi-access=free | page=5| pmid=29351768 | pmc=5775588 }}</ref> Pre-pubertal neutering (neutering at 4 months or earlier) was only recommended by 28% of American veterinarians in one study. Some concerns of early neutering were metabolic, retarded [[Epiphyseal plate|physeal closure]], and urinary tract disease related.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Murray | first1=J. K. | last2=Skillings | first2=E. | last3=Gruffydd-Jones | first3=T. J. | title=Opinions of veterinarians about the age at which kittens should be neutered | journal=Veterinary Record | volume=163 | issue=13 |year=2008 | issn=0042-4900 | doi=10.1136/vr.163.13.381 | pages=381–385| pmid=18820325 }}</ref> |
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In captivity, indoor cats typically live 14 to 20 years, though the oldest-known cat lived to age 36.<ref>{{cite web | title = Feline Statistics | url = http://www.pawsonline.info/feline_statistics.htm | accessdate = 2005-08-15}}</ref> Domesticated 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 [[neutering|neutered]]. Some such benefits are: castrated male cats cannot develop [[testicular cancer]], spayed female cats cannot develop [[ovarian cancer]], and both have a reduced risk of [[mammary tumor|mammary cancer]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Spay and Neuter Your Pet Cats | url=http://cats.about.com/od/reproduction/a/spay_neuter.htm}}</ref> |
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=== Disease === |
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Like some other [[domesticate]]d animals, cats live in a [[mutualism|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. |
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{{Main|List of feline diseases}} |
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About 250 heritable [[genetic disorder]]s have been identified in cats; many are similar to human [[inborn errors of metabolism]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=State of Cat Genomics |last1=O'Brien |first1=S. J. |last2=Johnson |first2=W. |last3=Driscoll |first3=C. |last4=Pontius |first4=J. |last5=Pecon-Slattery |first5=J. |last6=Menotti-Raymond |first6=M. |journal=Trends in Genetics |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=268–279 |year=2008 |pmid=18471926 |doi=10.1016/j.tig.2008.03.004|pmc=7126825}}</ref> The high level of similarity among the [[metabolism]] of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using [[Genetic testing|genetic tests]] that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats as [[animal model]]s in the study of the human diseases.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Inherited Metabolic Disease in Companion Animals: Searching for Nature's Mistakes |last1=Sewell |first1=A. C. |last2=Haskins |first2=M. E. |last3=Giger |first3=U. |journal=Veterinary Journal |volume=174 |issue=2 |pages=252–259 |year=2007 |pmid=17085062 |doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.08.017 |pmc=3132193}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=O'Brien |first1=S. J. |last2=Menotti-Raymond |first2=M. |last3=Murphy |first3=W. J. |last4=Yuhki |first4=N. |title=The Feline Genome Project |journal=Annual Review of Genetics |volume=36 |pages=657–686 |year=2002 |pmid=12359739 |doi=10.1146/annurev.genet.36.060602.145553 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1234973 |access-date=11 July 2019 |archive-date=5 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005230324/https://zenodo.org/record/1234973 |url-status=live}}</ref> Diseases affecting domestic cats include acute infections, [[parasitic disease|parasitic infestation]]s, injuries, and chronic diseases such as [[Chronic kidney disease in cats|kidney disease]], [[thyroid disease]], and [[arthritis]]. [[Feline vaccination|Vaccinations]] are available for many infectious diseases, as are treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms, ticks, and fleas.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/dec/veterinary-care-for-your-new-cat-29565 |title=Veterinary Care for Your New Cat |first=L. |last=Huston |work=PetMD |year=2012 |access-date=31 January 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508122739/http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/dec/veterinary-care-for-your-new-cat-29565 |archive-date=8 May 2017}}</ref> |
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== Ecology == |
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In modern rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-[[feral cat]]s. 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]], [[bird]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[frog]]s, [[fish]], and large [[insect]]s by [[instinct]], but might not eat their prey. |
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=== Habitats === |
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[[File:Siamese cat of Altai shepherds.jpg|thumb|A [[Siamese cat]] living among the [[yurts]] of shepherds in the [[Altai Mountains]], Russia]] |
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The domestic cat is a [[cosmopolitan species]] and occurs across much of the world.<ref name="Lipinski" /> It is adaptable and now present on all continents except [[Antarctica]], and on 118 of the 131 main groups of islands, even on the isolated [[Kerguelen Islands]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Spatio-temporal variation in cat population density in a sub-Antarctic environment |last=Say |first=L. |journal=Polar Biology |year=2002 |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=90–95 |doi=10.1007/s003000100316|bibcode=2002PoBio..25...90S |s2cid=22448763}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Biological Invasions in the Antarctic: Extent, Impacts and Implications |last1=Frenot |first1=Y. |last2=Chown |first2=S. L. |last3=Whinam |first3=J. |last4=Selkirk |first4=P. M. |last5=Convey |first5=P. |last6=Skotnicki |first6=M. |last7=Bergstrom |first7=D. M. |s2cid=5574897 |journal=Biological Reviews |year=2005 |volume=80 |issue=1 |pages=45–72 |doi=10.1017/S1464793104006542 |pmid=15727038 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Due to its ability to thrive in almost any terrestrial habitat, it is among the world's most [[invasive species]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Medina |first1=F. M. |last2=Bonnaud |first2=E. |last3=Vidal |first3=E. |last4=Tershy |first4=B. R. |author-link5=Erika Zavaleta |last5=Zavaleta |first5=E. |last6=Josh Donlan |first6=C. |last7=Keitt |first7=B. S. |last8=Le Corre |first8=M. |last9=Horwath |first9=S. V. |last10=Nogales |first10=M. |year=2011 |title=A global review of the impacts of invasive cats on island endangered vertebrates |journal=Global Change Biology |volume=17 |issue=11 |pages=3503–3510 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02464.x |citeseerx=10.1.1.701.4082 |bibcode=2011GCBio..17.3503M|s2cid=323316}}</ref> It lives on small islands with no human inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=A Review of Feral Cat Eradication on Islands |last1=Nogales |first1=M. |last2=Martin |first2=A. |last3=Tershy |first3=B. R. |last4=Donlan |first4=C. J. |last5=Veitch |first5=D. |last6=Uerta |first6=N. |last7=Wood |first7=B. |last8=Alonso |first8=J. |journal=Conservation Biology |year=2004 |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=310–319 |doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00442.x |bibcode=2004ConBi..18..310N |hdl=10261/22249 |s2cid=11594286 |url= https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/22249/1/CBL-2004-18-310.pdf |hdl-access=free |access-date=24 September 2019 |archive-date=6 December 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191206034647/https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/22249/1/CBL-2004-18-310.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas, and wetlands.<ref name="ISSG 2006">{{cite web |url= http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=24&fr=1&sts=sss |work=Global Invasive Species Database |title=Ecology of ''Felis catus'' |author=Invasive Species Specialist Group |publisher=[[IUCN Species Survival Commission|Species Survival Commission]], [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] |year=2006 |access-date=31 August 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091027123405/http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=24&fr=1&sts=sss |archive-date=27 October 2009}}</ref> |
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The unwantedness that leads to the domestic cat being [[Cat predation on wildlife#Impact by location|treated as an invasive species]] is twofold. As it is little altered from the wildcat, it can readily interbreed with the wildcat. This [[hybrid (biology)|hybridization]] poses a danger to the genetic distinctiveness of some wildcat populations, particularly in [[Scotland]] and [[Hungary]], possibly also the [[Iberian Peninsula]], and where protected natural areas are close to human-dominated landscapes, such as [[Kruger National Park]] in [[South Africa]].<ref name="Kruger">{{cite journal |url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270912183 |title=Genetic analysis shows low levels of hybridization between African wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) and domestic cats (F. s. catus) in South Africa |last1=Le Roux |first1=Johannes J. |last2=Foxcraft |first2=Llewellyn C. |last3=Herbst |first3=Marna |last4=Macfadyen |first4=Sandra |date=19 August 2014 |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=288–299 |doi=10.1002/ece3.1275 |pmid=25691958 |pmc=4314262 |access-date=14 November 2021 |archive-date=7 March 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220307214831/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270912183_Genetic_analysis_shows_low_levels_of_hybridization_between_African_wildcats_Felis_silvestris_lybica_and_domestic_cats_F_s_catus_in_South_Africa |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Oliveira">{{Cite journal |last1=Oliveira |first1=R. |last2=Godinho |first2=R. |last3=Randi |first3=E. |last4=Alves |first4=P. C. |title=Hybridization Versus Conservation: Are Domestic Cats Threatening the Genetic Integrity of Wildcats (''Felis silvestris silvestris'') in Iberian Peninsula? |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences |volume=363 |issue=1505 |pages=2953–2961 |year=2008 |pmid=18522917 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2008.0052 |pmc=2606743}}</ref> However, its introduction to places where no native felines are present also contributes to the decline of native species.<ref name="contr-ext" /> |
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In modern urban areas, some people find feral and free-roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered cats can engage in persistent nighttime calling (termed [[caterwauling]]) and defecation or "marking" of private property. Indoor confinement of pets and [[Trap-Neuter-Return|TNR]] programs for feral cats can help; some people also use [[cat deterrent]]s to discourage cats from entering their property. |
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=== Ferality === |
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{{Main|Feral cat}} |
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Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some people keep cats for casual companionship as [[pet]]s. Others go to great lengths to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them as if they were children. Cats are also bred and shown as [[Cat registry|registered]] pedigree pets, in a hobby known as the [[animal fancy|cat fancy]]. |
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[[File:Feral cat Virginia crop.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Feral [[farm cat]]]] |
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Feral cats are domestic cats that were born in or have reverted to a wild state. They are unfamiliar with and wary of humans and roam freely in urban and rural areas.<ref name="Rochlitz">{{Cite book |title=The Welfare of Cats |last=Rochlitz |first=I. |date=2007 |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |isbn=9781402061431 |series="Animal Welfare" series |location=Berlin |pages=141–175 |oclc=262679891}}</ref> The numbers of feral cats is not known, but estimates of the United States feral population range from 25 to 60 million.<ref name="Rochlitz" /> Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large [[feral cat colonies|colonies]], which occupy a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food.<ref name="hsus-feral">{{cite web |url= http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/feral_cats/feral_cats_frequently_asked_questions.html#1_What_is_a_feral_cat |title=What is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat? |date=2 January 2008 |work=HSUS.org |publisher=[[Humane Society of the United States]] |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080501093143/http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/feral_cats/feral_cats_frequently_asked_questions.html#1_What_is_a_feral_cat |archive-date=1 May 2008}}</ref> Famous feral cat colonies are found in Rome around the [[Colosseum]] and [[Forum Romanum]], with cats at some of these sites being fed and given medical attention by volunteers.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.romancats.com/index_eng.php |title=Torre Argentina cat shelter. |access-date=17 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090122203413/http://www.romancats.com/index_eng.php |archive-date=22 January 2009}}</ref> |
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Public attitudes toward feral cats vary widely, from seeing them as free-ranging pets to regarding them as [[vermin]].<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Humane Society of the United States |isbn=9780965894272 |editor-last1=Rowan |editor-first1=Andrew N. |editor-last2=Salem |editor-first2=Deborah J. |first1=Margaret R. |last1=Slater |first2=Stephanie |last2=Shain |title=The State of the Animals II: 2003 |date=November 2003 |chapter=Feral Cats: An Overview (4) |chapter-url= http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/SOA_3-2005_Chap4.pdf |
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Because of their small size, domesticated house cats pose almost no danger to adult 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 (although dogs have been known to be blinded by cats in fights, where the cat specifically and accurately targeted the eyes of the larger animal). |
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|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061110230426/http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/SOA_3-2005_Chap4.pdf |
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|archive-date=10 November 2006}}</ref> |
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=== |
=== Impact on wildlife === |
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{{main|Cat predation on wildlife}} |
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[[Allergy|Allergic]] reactions to cat [[dander]] and/or cat saliva inspire one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. Some humans who are [[Cat allergy|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animaltrustees.org/ATA_Web/pdfs/dealingwithcatallergies.pdf | title=Dealing with cat allergies | work=animaltrustees.org}}</ref> However, this should not be depended upon. |
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[[File:Causes of bird deaths.png|thumb|Outdoor cats are the largest human cause of bird mortality.]] |
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On islands, birds can contribute as much as 60% of a cat's diet.<ref name="Fitzgerald">{{Cite book |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=M. B. |last2=Turner |first2=Dennis C. |title=The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour |editor-last1=Turner |editor-first1=Dennis C. |editor2-last=Bateson |editor2-first=Patrick P. G. |pages=151–175 |chapter=Hunting Behaviour of Domestic Cats and Their Impact on Prey Populations}}</ref> In nearly all cases, the cat cannot be identified as the sole cause for reducing the numbers of island birds, and in some instances, eradication of cats has caused a "[[mesopredator release]]" effect;<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Courchamp |first1=F. |last2=Langlais |first2=M. |last3=Sugihara |first3=G. |year=1999 |title=Cats protecting birds: Modelling the mesopredator release effect |journal=Journal of Animal Ecology |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=282–292 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2656.1999.00285.x |doi-access=free |bibcode=1999JAnEc..68..282C |s2cid=31313856}}</ref> where the suppression of top carnivores creates an abundance of smaller predators that cause a severe decline in their shared prey. Domestic cats are a contributing factor to the decline of several species, a factor that has ultimately led, in some cases, to extinction. [[Turnagra capensis|The South Island piopio]], [[Rallus modestus|Chatham rail]],<ref name="Mead 1982 183–186" /> and the [[New Zealand merganser]]<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stattersfield |first1=A. J. |last2=Crosby |first2=M. J. |last3=Long |first3=A. J. |last4=Wege |first4=D. C. |title=Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation |date=1998 |publisher=Burlington Press |isbn=9780946888337 |series="BirdLife Conservation" series No. 7 |location=Cambridge, England}}</ref> are a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless [[Lyall's wren]], which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Falla |first=R. A. |title=New Zealand Bird Life Past and Present |date=1955 |publisher=[[Cawthron Institute]]}}{{page needed|date=November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Galbreath |first1=R. |last2=Brown |first2=D. |year=2004 |title=The Tale of the Lighthouse-keeper's Cat: Discovery and Extinction of the Stephens Island Wren (''Traversia lyalli'') |url= http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_51-2004/Notornis_51_4_193.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Notornis |volume=51 |pages=193–200 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081017221501/http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_51-2004/Notornis_51_4_193.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2008}}</ref> One feral cat in New Zealand killed 102 [[New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat]]s in seven days.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Scrimgeour |first1=J. |last2=Beath |first2=A. |last3=Swanney |first3=M. |year=2012 |title=Cat predation of short-tailed bats (''Mystacina tuberculata rhyocobia'') in Rangataua Forest, Mount Ruapehu, Central North Island, New Zealand |journal=New Zealand Journal of Zoology |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=257–260 |doi=10.1080/03014223.2011.649770 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In the United States, feral and free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually.<ref name="NC012913" /> |
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In Australia, one study found feral cats to kill 466 million reptiles per year. More than 258 reptile species were identified as being predated by cats.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Woinarski | first1=J. C. Z. | last2=Murphy | first2=B. P. | last3=Palmer | first3=R. | last4=Legge | first4=S. M. | last5=Dickman | first5=C. R. | last6=Doherty | first6=T. S. | last7=Edwards | first7=G. | last8=Nankivell | first8=A. | last9=Read | first9=J. L. | last10=Stokeld | first10=D. | title=How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia? | journal=Wildlife Research | publisher=CSIRO Publishing | volume=45 | issue=3 | year=2018 | issn=1035-3712 | doi=10.1071/wr17160 | page=247}}</ref> Cats have contributed to the extinction of the [[Navassa curly-tailed lizard]] and ''[[Chioninia coctei]].''<ref name="contr-ext">{{Cite journal |last1=Doherty |first1=T. S. |last2=Glen |first2=A. S. |last3=Nimmo |first3=D. G. |last4=Ritchie |first4=E. G. |last5=Dickman |first5=C. R. |year=2016 |title=Invasive predators and global biodiversity loss |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=113 |issue=40 |pages=11261–11265 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1602480113 |pmc=5056110 |pmid=27638204 |bibcode=2016PNAS..11311261D |doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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Many humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with these allergens. Some cope with the problem by taking prescription allergy medicine, along with bathing their cats frequently (weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in the environment). There are also attempts to breed [[Cat allergy#Hypoallergenic cats|cats that are less likely to provoke an allergic reaction]]. |
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== Interaction with humans == |
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====Trainability==== |
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{{Main|Human interaction with cats}} |
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Some owners seek to train their cat in performing tricks commonly exhibited by dogs, such as jumping, though this is rare. Individual cats have been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms, like sink faucets, by themselves or after prompting/encouraging. With effort and patience on the part of an owner, the average cat can usually be trained to at least obey simple commands such as "get off the furniture" or "come to dinner". In general though, the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to training has long inspired the [[simile]] "[[Herding cats (phrase)|like herding cats]]", as a general expression to describe any situation with a stubborn or uncooperative learner. |
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[[File:Mainecoon-lap.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|left|alt=A long-haired calico cat sat in the lap of a man who is sat cross-legged on the floor.|A cat lying on a man's lap]] |
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Cats are common [[pet]]s throughout the world, and their worldwide population as of 2007 exceeded 500 million.<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news |last=Wade |first=N. |year=2007 |title=Study Traces Cat's Ancestry to Middle East |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2 April 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090418082840/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html |archive-date=18 April 2009}}</ref> {{As of|2017|post=,}} the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the [[United States]], with 95.6 million cats owned<ref>{{cite web |title=Pet Industry Market Size & Ownership Statistics |url= https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp |publisher=[[American Pet Products Association]] |access-date=25 February 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190225161902/https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp |archive-date=25 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The 5 Most Expensive Cat Breeds in America |url= https://www.moneytalksnews.com/the-5-most-expensive-cat-breeds-in-america/ |work=moneytalksnews.com |access-date=25 February 2019 |year=2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190225103150/https://www.moneytalksnews.com/the-5-most-expensive-cat-breeds-in-america/ |archive-date=25 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> and around 42 million households owning at least one cat.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 December 2020|title=61 Fun Cat Statistics That Are the Cat's Meow! (2022 UPDATE)|url= https://petpedia.co/cat-statistics/|access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-date=18 February 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220218184821/https://petpedia.co/cat-statistics/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]], 26% of adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats {{As of|2020|lc=y|post=.}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=How many pets are there in the UK? |url= https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits |access-date=29 March 2021 |website=PDSA.org.uk |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210303184319/https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits |url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2021|post=,}} there were an estimated 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://carocat.eu/statistics-on-cats-and-dogs/ |title=Statistics on cats |year=2021 |website=carocat.eu |access-date=15 February 2021 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210225150136/https://carocat.eu/statistics-on-cats-and-dogs/ |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Cats have been used for millennia to control rodents, notably [[Farm cat|around grain stores]] and [[Ship's cat|aboard ships]], and both uses extend to the present day.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Beadle|first=Muriel|title=Cat|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=1979|isbn=9780671251901|pages=93–96}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mayers |first=Barbara |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=q3LvHwAACAAJ |title=Toolbox: Ship's Cat on the Kalmar Nyckel|date=2007|publisher=Bay Oak Publishers |isbn=9780974171395 |access-date=17 July 2020 |archive-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210331062435/https://books.google.com/books?id=q3LvHwAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Cats are also used in the international [[fur trade]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061201153853/http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf |archive-date=1 December 2006 |title=What Is That They're Wearing? |publisher=[[Humane Society of the United States]] |access-date=22 October 2009}}</ref> and leather industries for making coats, hats, blankets, stuffed toys,<ref>{{Cite book |title=A Primer on Animal Rights: Leading Experts Write about Animal Cruelty and Exploitation |editor-first=K. W. |editor-last=Stallwood |publisher=[[Lantern Books]] |date=2002}}</ref> shoes, gloves, and musical instruments.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/japan-finale-for-the-worlds-most-elegant-use-of-a-dead-cat-1294096.html |title=Japan: Finale for the world's most elegant use of a dead cat |date=15 November 1997 |work=[[The Independent]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170621114633/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/japan-finale-for-the-worlds-most-elegant-use-of-a-dead-cat-1294096.html|archive-date=21 June 2017}}</ref> About 24 cats are needed to make a cat-fur coat.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6165786.stm |title=EU proposes cat and dog fur ban |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=22 October 2009 |year=2006 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090102231651/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6165786.stm |archive-date=2 January 2009}}</ref> This use has been outlawed in the United States since 2000 and in the European Union (as well as the United Kingdom) since 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/dog_cat_fur/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090217153420/http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/dog_cat_fur/ |archive-date=17 February 2009 |title=EU Announces Strict Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Imports and Exports |year=2007 |first=C. |last=Ikuma |work=[[Humane Society International]] |access-date=14 December 2011}}</ref> |
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===Indoor scratching=== |
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As mentioned, cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards, in order to clean the claws. 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Scratching or clawing in the house | url=http://www.fabcats.org/scratching/index.php|accessdate=2005-08-14 }}</ref> 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. Scratching posts made of [[sisal]] rope or [[corrugated cardboard]] are also commonly found. 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. |
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Cat pelts have been used for superstitious purposes as part of the practice of [[witchcraft]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Witchcraft and Magic in Europe |volume=3: ''The Middle Ages'' |last1=Jolly |first1=K. L. |last2=Raudvere |first2=C. |last3=Peters |first3=E. |publisher=Athlone |date=2002 |isbn=9780567574466 |location=London |oclc=747103210}}</ref> and they are still made into blankets in [[Switzerland]] as [[traditional medicine]]s thought to cure [[rheumatism]].<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerland-finds-a-way-to-skin-a-cat-for-the-fur-trade-and-high-fashion-815426.html |title=Switzerland Finds a Way to Skin a Cat for the Fur Trade and High Fashion |last=Paterson |first=T. |year=2008 |work=The Independent |access-date=23 October 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090707080420/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerland-finds-a-way-to-skin-a-cat-for-the-fur-trade-and-high-fashion-815426.html |archive-date=7 July 2009 |location=London}}</ref> |
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[[Image:Cat claw closeup.jpg|right|thumb|Close-up of a cat's claw, with the quick clearly visible.]] |
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Although 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, or a small pair of electrician's [[diagonal pliers|diagonal cutting pliers]], or a guillotine type cutter specifically designed for animal nail trimming. Care must always be taken to avoid cutting the [[Wiktionary:quick#Noun|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. |
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[[File:Man holding Calico cat.jpg|thumb|A man holding a calico cat]] |
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Scratching can be reduced and even eliminated by disciplining the cat with a quick spritz from a water bottle when the cat is scratching or by applying a product called Sticky Paws (similar to double-sided tape) to the surface the cat is prone to scratch. Cats are also repelled by citrus scents, and a citrus-scented product may also help stop unwanted furniture destruction. Pet supply stores also sell bitter apple spray, which cats do not like and will generally avoid. |
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A few attempts to build a cat census have been made over the years, both through associations or national and international organizations (such as that of the [[Canadian Federation of Humane Societies]]<ref name="Canadian">{{Cite news |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/humane-society-launches-national-cat-census-1.1185950 |title=Humane society launches national cat census |access-date=18 September 2012 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121024184326/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/07/17/nb-cat-census-1000.html |archive-date=24 October 2012}}</ref>) and over the Internet.<ref name="catsbe">{{cite web |url= http://www.catsbe.com |title=Cats Be |access-date=18 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120922235823/http://www.catsbe.com/ |archive-date=22 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="SupremeCatCensus">{{cite web |url= http://www.supremecatcensus.co.za/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120316024409/http://www.supremecatcensus.co.za/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 March 2012 |title=The Supreme Cat Census |access-date=18 September 2012}}</ref> General estimates for the global population of domestic cats range widely from anywhere between 200 million to 600 million.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Pets |work=IFAHEurope.org |publisher=Animal Health Europe |url= http://www.ifaheurope.org/companion-animals/about-pets.html |access-date=3 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074439/http://www.ifaheurope.org/companion-animals/about-pets.html|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Legay |first=J. M. |title=Sur une tentative d'estimation du nombre total de chats domestiques dans le monde |trans-title=Tentative estimation of the total number of domestic cats in the world |language=fr |journal=Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série III |volume=303 |issue=17 |pages=709–712 |year=1986 |id={{INIST|7950138}} |pmid=3101986}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xYKqluO6c8UC&q=million%20cats%20worldwide&pg=PA157 |first1=S. D. |last1=Gehrt |first2=S. P. D. |last2=Riley |first3=B. L. |last3=Cypher |title=Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation |date=2010 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University]] Press |access-date=3 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151231224128/https://books.google.com/books?id=xYKqluO6c8UC&lpg=PA157&pg=PA157&q=million%20cats%20worldwide |archive-date=31 December 2015 |isbn=9780801893896}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0HmB3ix5IQ8C&q=million%20cats%20worldwide&pg=PA47 |first=I. |last=Rochlitz |title=The Welfare of Cats |date=2007 |publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]] |access-date=3 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151231224128/https://books.google.com/books?id=0HmB3ix5IQ8C&lpg=PA47&pg=PA47&q=million%20cats%20worldwide |archive-date=31 December 2015 |isbn=9781402032271}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cats: Most interesting facts about common domestic pets |url= http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/09-01-2006/9478-cats-0/ |work=[[Pravda]] |access-date=3 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105806/http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/09-01-2006/9478-cats-0/ |archive-date=6 October 2014 |date=9 January 2006}}</ref> [[Walter Chandoha]] made his career photographing cats after his 1949 images of ''Loco'', a stray cat, were published. He is reported to have photographed 90,000 cats during his career and maintained an archive of 225,000 images that he drew from for publications during his lifetime.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sandomir |first=R. |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/obituaries/walter-chandoha-dead.html?emc=edit_th_190119&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=686341800119/ |title=Walter Chandoha, Photographer Whose Specialty Was Cats, Dies at 98 |work=The New York Times |date=18 January 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190119231032/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/obituaries/walter-chandoha-dead.html?emc=edit_th_190119&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=686341800119%2FWalter |archive-date=19 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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[[Pet humanization]] is a form of [[anthropomorphism]] in which cats are kept for companionship and treated more like human family members than traditional pets.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/57f414e0b8a79bc04e0a2729/t/6081b71ec312977485a24fa4/1619113759478/CD-The+Rise+of+Pet+Humanization.pdf |title=The Rise of Pet Humanization |access-date=29 March 2024 |archive-date=2 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402002609/https://static1.squarespace.com/enwiki/static/57f414e0b8a79bc04e0a2729/t/6081b71ec312977485a24fa4/1619113759478/CD-The+Rise+of+Pet+Humanization.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> This trend of [[pet culture]] involves providing cats with a higher level of care, attention and often even luxury, similar to the way humans are treated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://advantagesolutions.net/news/the-humanization-of-pets/ |title=The Humanization of Pets |access-date=29 March 2024 |archive-date=6 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206214159/https://advantagesolutions.net/news/the-humanization-of-pets/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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====Declawing==== |
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{{main|Onychectomy}} |
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Declawing is a surgical procedure, known as ''onychectomy'', to remove the claw and first bone of each digit of a cat's paws. Declawing is most commonly only performed on front feet. |
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=== Shows === |
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Declawing may be performed to prevent the cat from damaging furniture. Additionally, declawing may be performed on vicious cats, cats that frequently fight with other pets, or cats that are too efficient at predation of animals. In the United States, [[landlord]]s sometimes require that tenants' cats be [[declaw]]ed. |
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{{main|Cat show}} |
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A [[cat show]] is a judged event in which the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat-registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url= https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/cat-show1.htm |title=All About Cat Shows |year=2008 |work=How Stuff Works |access-date=8 June 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143813/https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/cat-show1.htm |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> It is often required that a cat must be healthy and vaccinated to participate in a cat show.<ref name=":0" /> Both [[Pedigree (cat)|pedigreed]] and non-[[purebred]] companion ("moggy") cats are admissible, although the rules differ depending on the organization. Competing cats are compared to the applicable breed standard, and assessed for temperament.<ref name=":0" /> |
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=== Infection === |
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Declawing is controversial and is uncommon outside of North America. It is sometimes prohibited by [[Onychectomy#Declawing practices|animal cruelty laws]]. |
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{{Main|Feline zoonosis}} |
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Cats can be [[Cat predation on wildlife|infected]] or infested with [[virus]]es, [[pathogenic bacteria|bacteria]], [[fungus]], [[protozoans]], [[arthropod]]s or worms that can transmit diseases to humans.<ref name="Chomel2014" /> In some cases, the cat exhibits no [[symptoms]] of the disease.<ref name="Ohio2016">{{cite web |title=Cats |publisher=Ohio Department of Health|url= http://www.odh.ohio.gov/en/odhprograms/bid/zdp/animals/cats |access-date=26 November 2016 |date=21 January 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161127023823/https://www.odh.ohio.gov/en/odhprograms/bid/zdp/animals/cats|archive-date=27 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The same disease can then become evident in a human.<ref name="Goldstein2015">{{cite journal |last1=Goldstein |first1=Ellie J. C. |last2=Abrahamian |first2=Fredrick M. |year=2015 |title=Diseases Transmitted by Cats |url=https://journals.asm.org/doi/epub/10.1128/microbiolspec.iol5-0013-2015 |journal=Microbiology Spectrum |volume=3 |issue=5 |doi=10.1128/microbiolspec.iol5-0013-2015 |pmid=26542039 |issn=2165-0497 |access-date=8 August 2023 |archive-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810225116/https://journals.asm.org/doi/epub/10.1128/microbiolspec.iol5-0013-2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The likelihood that a person will become diseased depends on the age and [[Immunocompetence|immune status]] of the person. Humans who have cats living in their home or in close association are more likely to become infected. Others might also acquire infections from cat [[feces]] and [[parasite]]s exiting the cat's body.<ref name="Chomel2014">{{Cite journal |last=Chomel |first=B. |title=Emerging and Re-Emerging Zoonoses of Dogs and Cats |journal=Animals |volume=4 |issue=3 |year=2014 |pages=434–445 |issn=2076-2615 |doi=10.3390/ani4030434 |pmid=26480316 |pmc=4494318|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="StullBrophy2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Stull |first1=J. W. |last2=Brophy |first2=J. |last3=Weese |first3=J. S. |title=Reducing the risk of pet-associated zoonotic infections |journal=Canadian Medical Association Journal |volume=187 |issue=10 |year=2015 |pages=736–743 |issn=0820-3946 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.141020 |pmid=25897046|pmc=4500695}}</ref> Some of the infections of most concern include [[salmonella]], [[cat-scratch disease]], and [[toxoplasmosis]].<ref name="Ohio2016" /> |
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=== |
=== History and mythology === |
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{{Main|Cultural depictions of cats|Cats in ancient Egypt}} |
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Indoor cats are usually provided with a [[litter box]] containing [[cat litter|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 [[constipation|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. |
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In [[ancient Egypt]], cats were [[animal worship|revered]], and the goddess [[Bastet]] often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness. The Greek historian [[Herodotus]] reported that killing a cat was forbidden, and when a household cat died, the entire family mourned and shaved their eyebrows. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of [[Bubastis]], where they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories. Herodotus expressed astonishment at the domestic cats in Egypt, because he had only ever seen wildcats.<ref name="Malek1997">{{cite book |title=The Cat in Ancient Egypt |last=Malek |first=J. |date=1997 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=9780812216325 |edition=Revised}}</ref> |
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Ancient Greeks and Romans kept [[weasel]]s as pets, which were seen as the ideal rodent-killers. The earliest unmistakable evidence of the Greeks having domestic cats comes from two coins from [[Magna Graecia]] dating to the mid-fifth century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of [[Reggio Calabria|Rhegion]] and [[Taranto|Taras]] respectively, playing with their pet cats. The usual ancient Greek word for 'cat' was {{lang|grc-Latn|ailouros}}, meaning 'thing with the waving tail'. Cats are rarely mentioned in [[ancient Greek literature]]. [[Aristotle]] remarked in his ''[[History of Animals]]'' that "female cats are naturally [[Promiscuity|lecherous]]". The Greeks later [[Interpretatio graeca|syncretized]] their own goddess [[Artemis]] with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, adopting Bastet's associations with cats and ascribing them to Artemis. In [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', when the deities flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]] turns into a cat.<ref name="Engels2001">{{Cite book |last=Engels |first=D. W. |title=Classical Cats: The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat |date=2001 |orig-year=1999 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=9780415261623 |chapter=Greece |pages=[https://archive.org/details/classicalcats00dona/page/48 48–87] |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XAkeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA68 |url= https://archive.org/details/classicalcats00dona/page/48}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Rogers |first=K. M. |title=Cat |date=2006 |publisher=Reaktion Books |location=London |isbn=9781861892928 |chapter=Wildcat to Domestic Mousecatcher |pages=7–48 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=16ZsW4QLKlUC&pg=PA19 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200727182342/https://books.google.com/books?id=16ZsW4QLKlUC&pg=PA19 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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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. Bentonite or 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Suspected bentonite toxicosis in a cat from ingestion of clay cat litter | url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8888544&dopt=Abstract|accessdate=2005-09-10 }}</ref> Those with toxoplasmosis-infected cats living in habitat areas of [[sea otter]]s<ref name=mag72>{{cite news|url=http://www.magazine.noaa.gov/stories/mag72.htm|title=Parasite in cats killing sea otters|publisher=[[National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration]]|date=January 21, 2003|work=NOAA magazine|accessdate=2007-11-24}}</ref> may wish to dispose of droppings in the trash, rather than flushing them down the toilet. <ref>[http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/seaotter_savior07.asp The Sea Otter Savior<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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Cats eventually displaced [[weasel]]s as the pest control of choice because they were more pleasant to have around the house and were more enthusiastic hunters of mice. During the [[Middle Ages]], many of Artemis's associations with cats were grafted onto the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]]. Cats are often shown in icons of [[Annunciation]] and of the [[Holy Family]] and, according to [[Folklore of Italy|Italian folklore]], on the same night that Mary gave birth to [[Jesus]], a cat in [[Bethlehem]] gave birth to a kitten.<ref name="Beadle1977">{{Cite book |last=Beadle |first=M. |title=Cat |date=1977 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |location=New York |isbn=9780671224516 |chapter=Ups and Downs |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cathistorybiolog00bead/page/75 75–88] |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tnjgqpNKYksC&pg=PA75 |url= https://archive.org/details/cathistorybiolog00bead/page/75}}</ref> Domestic cats were spread throughout much of the rest of the world during the [[Age of Discovery]], as [[Ship's cat|ships' cats]] were carried on [[sailing ship]]s to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.<ref name="Faure2009" /> |
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[[Image:Toilet Trained Cat 22 Aug 2005.jpg|thumb|left|Toilet-trained house cat.]] |
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Litterboxes may pose a risk of [[toxoplasmosis]] transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. Most indoor-only cats are not normally exposed to the disease and are not carriers. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning by someone other than the susceptible individual. |
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Several ancient religions believed cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that are all-knowing but mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the {{lang|ja-Latn|[[maneki neko]]}} cat is a symbol of good fortune.<ref>{{cite journal |url= http://www.darumamagazine.com/new/articles-excerpts/maneki-neko-feline-fact-fiction/ |title=Maneki Neko: Feline Fact & Fiction |first=A. |last=Pate |journal=Daruma Magazine |year=2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130314191210/http://www.darumamagazine.com/new/articles-excerpts/maneki-neko-feline-fact-fiction/ |archive-date=14 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In [[Norse mythology]], [[Freyja]], the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Faulkes |first=A. |date=1995 |title=Edda |page=24 |isbn=9780460876162}}</ref> In [[Legends of the Jews|Jewish legend]], the first cat was living in the house of the first man [[Adam]] as a pet that got rid of [[mice]]. The cat was once partnering with the first dog before the latter broke an oath they had made which resulted in enmity between the descendants of these two animals. It is also written that neither cats nor [[fox]]es are represented in the water, while every other animal has an incarnation species in the water.<ref name="Ginzberg">{{Cite book |last=Ginzberg |first=L. |date=1909 |title=The Legends of the Jews, Vol. I: The Sixth Day |url= http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/e-books/misc/Legends/Legends%20of%20the%20Jews.pdf |translator-first=H. |translator-last=Szold |location=Philadelphia |publisher=[[Jewish Publication Society]] |access-date=19 February 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180516120617/http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/e-books/misc/Legends/Legends%20of%20the%20Jews.pdf |archive-date=16 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Although no species are sacred in Islam, [[Islam and cats|cats are revered by Muslims]]. Some Western writers have stated [[Muhammad]] had a favorite cat, ''[[Muezza]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geyer |first=G. A. |title=When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |location=Kansas City, Missouri |date=2004 |isbn=9780740746970 |url= https://archive.org/details/whencatsreignedl00geor}}</ref> He is reported to have loved cats so much, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".<ref name="Reeves">{{Cite book |first=M. |last=Reeves |title=Muhammad in Europe |publisher=[[New York University Press]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/muhammadineurope0000reev/page/52 52] |isbn=9780814775332 |date=2000 |url= https://archive.org/details/muhammadineurope0000reev/page/52}}</ref> The story has no origin in early Muslim writers, and seems to confuse a story of a later [[Sufi]] saint, [[Ahmed ar-Rifa'i]], centuries after Muhammad.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?idfrom=5401&idto=5401&bk_no=60&ID=5263 |title=Biography of al-Rifai |last=Al-Thahabi |first=S. |work=سير أعلام النبلاء |language=ar |access-date=11 November 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141025030332/http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?idfrom=5401&idto=5401&bk_no=60&ID=5263 |archive-date=25 October 2014}}</ref> One of the companions of Muhammad was known as [[Abu Hurayrah]] ("father of the kitten"), in reference to his documented affection to cats.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://pictures-of-cats.org/abu-hurairah-and-cats.html |title=Abu Hurairah and Cats |date=13 January 2015 |first1=Michael |last1=Broad |work=Pictures-of-Cats.org |access-date=5 March 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180305203105/http://pictures-of-cats.org/abu-hurairah-and-cats.html |archive-date=5 March 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Some cats can be trained to use the human toilet, eliminating the litter box and its attendant expense, unpleasant odor, and the need to use landfill space for disposal. Training may involve four to six weeks of incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litter box until it is near the toilet, as well as employing an adapter such as a bowl or small box to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl.<ref>[http://www.toilettrainedcat.com The Toilet Trained Cat: A Step-By-Step Guide on How To Train Your Cat to Use the Human Toilet<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Several kits and other aids are marketed to help toilet-train cats. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by squatting on the toilet seat over the bowl. |
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{{Image frame|align=center|border=no|content=<gallery mode="packed"> |
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===Domesticated varieties=== |
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File:Louvre egyptologie 21.jpg|The ancient Egyptians [[Mummy|mummified]] dead cats out of respect in the same way that they mummified people.<ref name="Clutton-Brock1999">{{Cite book |title=A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals |last=Clutton-Brock |first=J. |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |location=Cambridge, England<!--This is not redundant; there's a Cambridge, Massachusetts, also, with academic publishers.--> |date=1999 |isbn=9780521634953 |edition=2nd |pages=133–140 |chapter=Cats |oclc=39786571 |orig-year=1987 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cgL-EbbB8a0C&pg=PA133 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210122145647/https://books.google.com/books?id=cgL-EbbB8a0C&pg=PA133 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The [[list of cat breeds]] is quite large: most cat registries actually recognize between 30 and 40 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 & standard 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 cat|domestic longhair]] and [[domestic shorthair cat|domestic shorthair]], depending on their type of fur. In the United Kingdom and Australia, non-purebred cats are referred in slang as [[moggy|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).<ref>{{cite web |
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File:Cat birds MAN Napoli Inv9993.jpg|Ancient [[Roman mosaic]] of a cat killing a [[partridge]] from the [[House of the Faun]] in [[Pompeii]] |
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|url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mog1.htm |
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File:PSM V37 D105 English tabby cat.jpg|A 19th-century drawing of a tabby cat |
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|title=Moggie |
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File:Black Cat (7983739954).jpg|Some cultures are superstitious about black cats, ascribing either good or bad luck to them. |
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|publisher=Worldwidewords.org |
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</gallery>}} |
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|accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref> 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 [[feral cat|stray]]. |
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Cats come in a variety of colors and patterns. These are physical properties and should not be confused with a breed of cat. |
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Some original cat breeds that have a distinct phenotype that is the main type occurring naturally as the dominant domesticated cat type in their region of origin are sometimes considered as subspecies and also have received names as such in nomenclature, although this is not supported by feline biologists. Some of these cat breeds are: |
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*''F. catus anura'' - the Manx |
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*''F. catus siamensis'' - the Siamese |
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*''F. catus cartusenensis'' - the Chartreux |
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*''F. catus angorensis'' - the Turkish Angora |
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=== Superstitions and rituals === |
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[[Image:Greece-Cat.jpg|thumb|Cat with a [[bicolor cat|van]] pattern.]] |
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[[File:The Love Potion.jpg|thumb|''[[The Love Potion]]'', a 1903 painting by [[Evelyn De Morgan]] depicting a [[witch]] with a black cat]] |
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====Coat patterns==== |
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Many cultures have negative [[superstition]]s about cats. An example would be the belief that encountering a [[black cat]] ("crossing one's path") leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches' [[familiar spirit]]s used to augment a witch's powers and skills. The killing of cats in Medieval [[Ypres]], [[Belgium]], is commemorated in the innocuous present-day [[Kattenstoet]] (cat parade).<ref>{{cite web |title=Are Black Cats Really Bad Luck? [Hoax] |url=http://socialnewsdaily.com/58901/are-black-cats-really-bad-luck-hoax/ |work=Social News Daily |first1= K. |last1=Adzo |date=2015 |access-date=19 December 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222141607/http://socialnewsdaily.com/58901/are-black-cats-really-bad-luck-hoax/ |archive-date=22 December 2015}}</ref> In mid-16th century France, [[Cat-burning|cats would allegedly be burnt alive]] as a form of entertainment, particularly during midsummer festivals. According to [[Norman Davies]], the assembled people "shrieked with laughter as the animals, howling with pain, were singed, roasted, and finally [[Carbonization|carbonized]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=N. |title=Europe: A History |date=1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |place=Oxford |isbn=9780198201717 |page=543 |url=https://archive.org/details/europehistory00davi_0/page/543}}</ref> The remaining ashes were sometimes taken back home by the people for good luck.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.bartleby.com/196/164.html |title=The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion |last=Frazer |first=J. G. |publisher=Dover Publications |date=2002 |isbn=0486424928 |edition=Abridged |location=Mineola, New York |oclc=49942157 |orig-year=1922 |access-date=28 February 2017 |archive-date=8 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208190208/http://www.bartleby.com/196/164.html |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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[[Cat coat genetics]] can produce a variety of coat patterns. Some of the most common are: |
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According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil and some Spanish-speaking regions, they are said to have seven lives,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Las vidas del gato |year=2010 |url= http://elcomercio.pe/impresa/notas/vidas-gato/20100307/423959 |access-date=19 March 2010 |first=N. |last=Sugobono |language=es |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)]] |location=Lima, Peru |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 January 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120127052854/http://elcomercio.pe/impresa/notas/vidas-gato/20100307/423959}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Qual é a origem da lenda de que os gatos teriam sete vidas? |language=pt-BR |work=[[Mundo Estranho]] |publisher=[[Abril Media]] |location=São Paulo, Brazil |access-date=15 November 2015 |url= http://mundoestranho.abril.com.br/materia/qual-e-a-origem-da-lenda-de-que-os-gatos-teriam-sete-vidas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031757/http://mundoestranho.abril.com.br/materia/qual-e-a-origem-da-lenda-de-que-os-gatos-teriam-sete-vidas |archive-date=17 November 2015}}</ref> while in Arabic traditions, the number of lives is six.<ref>{{Cite news |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/mar/18/guide-to-pets-pet-myths?picture=360591960 |access-date=15 November 2023 |first=T. |last=Dowling |title=Tall tails: Pet myths busted |date=2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909160834/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/mar/18/guide-to-pets-pet-myths?picture=360591960|archive-date=9 September 2013}}</ref> An early mention of the myth can be found in [[John Heywood]]'s ''The Proverbs of John Heywood'' (1546):<ref>{{cite book |first=J. |last=Heywood |author-link=John Heywood |editor-first=J. |editor-last=Sharman |url=https://archive.org/details/proverbsofjohnhe00heywrich/page/104/mode/2up |title=The Proverbs of John Heywood |date=1874 |page=104}}</ref> |
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; [[Bicolor cat|Bicolor, Tuxedo and Van]] :This pattern varies between the [[Bicolor cat#Tuxedo cats|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). |
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{{Poem quote|text=Husband, ([[:wikt:quoth#Verb 2|quoth]] she), ye studie, be merrie now, |
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And even as ye thinke now, so come to yow. |
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Nay not so, (quoth he), for my thought to tell right, |
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I thinke how you lay [[:wikt:groning#English|groning]], wife, all last night. |
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Husband, ''a groning horse and a groning wife'' |
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''Never faile their master'', (quoth she), for my life. |
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No wife, ''a woman [[:wikt:hath#English|hath]] nine lives like a cat''.}} |
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The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Can Cats Cheat Death? |url=https://be.chewy.com/behavior-pet-facts-do-cats-really-have-nine-lives/ |website=BeChewy |date=6 October 2017 |access-date=25 September 2023 |archive-date=25 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925171409/https://be.chewy.com/behavior-pet-facts-do-cats-really-have-nine-lives/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Also lending credence to this myth is the fact that falling cats often land on their feet, using an instinctive [[cat righting reflex|righting reflex]] to twist their bodies around. Nonetheless, cats can still be injured or killed by a high fall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cats.about.com/od/catsafety/a/highrisefalls.htm |title=The ASPCA Warns About High-rise Falls by Cats: High-rise Apartments, Windows, Terraces and Fire Escapes Pose Risk to Urban Cats |date=2005 |author=<!--staff writer(s)--> |publisher=[[American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] |via=About.com |access-date=6 June 2018 |location=New York |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522014805/http://cats.about.com/od/catsafety/a/highrisefalls.htm |archive-date=22 May 2012}} (Press release.)</ref> |
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[[Image:Felis silvestris - July 2007-1.jpg|thumb|Mackerel tabby cat, showing the characteristic "M" on its forehead.]] |
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{{clear}} |
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; [[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. |
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== See also == |
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[[Image:Curly calico2.gif|thumb|Female tortoiseshell-and-white cat.]] |
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{{Portal|Cats|Mammals|Animals}} |
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; [[Tortoiseshell cat|Tortoiseshell and Calico]] |
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{{div col|colwidth=22em}} |
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: 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.<ref>{{cite web | title=Torties, Calicos and Tricolor cats | url=http://www.fanciers.com/cat-faqs/tricolors.shtml| accessdate=2005-10-24 }}</ref> Both tortoiseshell and calico cats are typically female because the [[Coat (animal)|coat]] pattern is the result of differential [[X chromosome]] [[Lyonization|inactivation]] in [[female]]s (which, as with all normal female [[mammals]], have two X [[chromosomes]]). 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. Male tortoiseshells can occur as a result of chromosomal abnormalities (often linked to sterility) or by a phenomenon known as chimericism, where two early stage embryos are merged into a single kitten. |
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* [[Aging in cats]] |
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* [[Ailurophobia]] |
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[[Image:Niobe050905-Siamese Cat.jpeg|thumb|Siamese cat, classical colorpoint pattern.]] |
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* [[Animal testing on cats]] |
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;[[Point (coat color)|Colorpoint]] |
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* [[Cancer in cats]] |
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: The colorpoint pattern is most commonly associated with [[Siamese (cat)|Siamese]] cats, but may also appear in any domesticated cat. A colorpointed 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 or frost points (silvery gray-pink), red or flame points (orange), and tortie (tortoiseshell mottling) points, among others. This pattern is the result of a [[Mutation#Special classes|temperature sensitive mutation]] in one of the [[enzyme]]s in the [[metabolic pathway]] from [[tyrosine]] to pigment, such as [[melanin]]; thus, little or no pigment is produced except in the extremities or "points," where the skin is slightly cooler. For this reason, colorpointed cats tend to darken with age as bodily temperature drops; also, the fur over a significant injury may sometimes darken or lighten as a result of temperature change. |
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* [[Cat bite]] |
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* [[Cat café]] |
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:The tyrosine pathway also produces [[neurotransmitter]]s, thus mutations in the early parts of that pathway may affect not only pigment, but also neurological development. This results in a higher frequency of [[strabismus|cross-eyes]] among colorpointed cats, as well as the [[White tiger#Inbreeding depression|high frequency of cross-eyes in white tigers]]. |
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* [[Cat collar]] |
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* [[Cat fancy]] |
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;White cats |
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* [[Cat lady]] |
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:True albinism (a mutation of the tyrosinase gene) is quite rare in cats. Much more common is the appearance of white coat color due to a lack of [[melanocytes]] in the skin. A [[Melanin#Melanin deficiency in genetic disorders and disease states|higher frequency of deafness in white cats]] is due to a reduction in the population and survival of melanoblast stem cells, which in addition to creating pigment producing cells, develop into a variety of neurological cell types. White cats with one or two blue eyes have a particularly high likelihood of being deaf. |
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* [[Cat food]] |
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====Body types==== |
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Cats can also come in several body types, ranging between two extremes: |
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; Oriental: Not a specific breed, but any cat with an elongated slender build, almond-shaped eyes, long nose, large ears (the [[Siamese (cat)|Siamese]] and [[Oriental cat|Oriental Shorthair]] breeds are examples of this). |
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; Cobby: Any cat with a short, muscular, compact build, roundish eyes, short nose, and small ears. [[Persian cat]]s and [[Exotic cat]]s are two prime examples of such a body type. |
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==Feral cats== |
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{{main|Feral cat}} |
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{{refimprovesection|date=May 2008}} |
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[[Image:Feral cat Virginia crop.jpg|thumb|Feral [[farm cat]] showing effects of a rough life.]] |
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[[Feral cat]]s may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Most abandoned cats probably have little alternative to joining a feral colony. Some feral cat colonies are found in large cities such as around the [[Colosseum]] and [[Forum Romanum]] in Rome. The Roman cats are not truly feral because they are partly fed and vetted by the local authority. Because cats are adaptable, those in residential areas know that if they are friendly to humans they need not worry about food or shelter. Some urban "stray" cats have many houses/humans to support them. |
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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 are often killed by dogs, [[coyote]]s, and automobiles. However, there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, [[neutering]] them, [[immunization|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 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 neutered, no additional kittens are born and the feral colony disappears. |
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===Environmental effects=== |
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<!-- This section has been subject to extensive debate. Do not make changes to this section without first obtaining consensus on the Talk:Cat page. --> |
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[[Image:Feral cat gl3.gif|thumb|Trapped Feral cat]] |
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Feral cats are thought to be a major predator of [[Hawaii]]an 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/XShearwaterkills2.htm|title=www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/XShearwaterkills2.htm<!--INSERT TITLE-->|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> In one study of 56 cats' [[feces]], the remains of 44 birds were found, 40 of which were [[Endemic birds of Hawaii|endemic species]].<ref>{{cite web |
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|url=http://www.earlham.edu/~biol/hawaii/mammals.htm |
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|title=Introduced Species in Hawaii (Senior Seminar 2002) |
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|year=2002 |
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|publisher=Earlham college, Department of Biology |
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|accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref> |
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In the [[Southern Hemisphere]] there are many landmasses including [[Australia]] where cat species have never been native, and other placental mammalian predators were rare or absent. Native species there tend to be more ecologically vulnerable and behaviorally "naive" to predation by feral cats. Feral cats have had serious affects on these wildlife species and have played a leading role in the endangerment and extinction of many of them. In Australia a large quantity of native birds, lizards and small marsupials are taken every year by feral cats, and feral cats have played a role in driving some small marsupial species to extinction. Some organizations in Australia are now going to effort of creating fenced islands of habitat for endangered species that are free of feral cats and foxes.<ref>[http://www.numbat.org.au/ Community awareness and involvement in the conservation of our unique mammal emblem], [[Numbat|Project Numbat]]</ref> |
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===Ethical and humane concerns over feral cats=== |
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There are two divergent views about the relationship of cats with the [[environment (biophysical)|environment]]. The first argues that 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, and part stems from concerns about cat predation on endangered species. The amount of ecological damage done by indoor/outdoor cats depends on local conditions. As suggested above, the most severe effect occurs to island ecologies. 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. |
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<!-- This section has been subject to extensive debate. Do not make changes to this section without first obtaining consensus on the Talk:Cat page. --> |
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Cats present a risk of overpopulation, as well. According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3–4 million cats and dogs are [[Animal euthanasia|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. |
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Neutering pets helps keep the overpopulation down. A study in 1992 found that in the USA, 12,893 (29.4%) of pets, 26.9% of dogs and 32.6% of cats were sterilized.<ref>{{cite web |
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|url=http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/02-facts_and_education/stats_surveys/javma_articles/02dogs-cats-sterilized.asp |
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|title=Estimation of the proportions of dogs and cats that are surgically sterilized |
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|author=Jane C. Mahlow, DVM, MS |
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|publisher=www.spayusa.org, summarizing J Am Vet Med Assoc 1992;215;640–643 |
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|accessdate=2007-05-15}}</ref> |
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Local humane societies, [[SPCA]]s, and other animal protection organizations urge people to neuter their pets and to adopt from shelters instead of purchasing elsewhere. |
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==Etymology and taxonomic history== |
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===Scientific classification=== |
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The domestic cat was first classified as ''Felis catus'' by [[Carolus Linnaeus]] in the tenth edition of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]'' of 1758.<ref name="MSW3-catus">{{MSW3 Wozencraft |
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| pages = 534–535 |
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| id = 14000031 |
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}}</ref><ref>{{la icon}} {{cite book |
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| last = Linnaeus |
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| first = Carolus |
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| authorlink = Carolus Linnaeus |
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| title = Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |
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| publisher = Holmiae (Laurentii Salvii) |
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| year = 1766 |
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| pages = 62 |
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| url = http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k99004c/f62.chemindefer |
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| accessdate = 2008-04-02 |
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| volume = 1 |
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| edition = 12th edition |
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| origyear = 1758}}</ref> However, some contemporary studies have revealed evidence that domestic cats may be [[conspecificity|conspecific]] with (belong to the same species as) the [[Wildcat]],<ref name="MSW3-catus" /> classified as ''Felis silvestris'' by [[Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber|Schreber]] in 1777<ref name="MSW3-silvestris">{{MSW3 Wozencraft |
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| pages = 536–537 |
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| id = 14000057 |
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}}</ref>. This has resulted in mixed usage of the terms. The domestic cat is sometimes considered to be a subspecies, ''F. s. catus'', of the species ''F. silvestris''.<ref name="SciencemagNEO" /> Wildcats have also been referred to as various subspecies of ''F. catus''<ref name="MSW3-silvestris" />, but in 2003, Opinion 2027 of the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature|ICZN]] fixed the name for Wildcats as ''F. silvestris''.<ref>{{cite journal |
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| author = ICZN |
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| title = Opinions |
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| journal = Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |
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| volume = 60 |
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| publisher = [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] |
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| date = [[2003-03-31]] |
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| accessdate = 2008-04-02 |
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| url = http://www.iczn.org/BZNMar2003opinions.htm#opinion2027}}</ref>. The predominant usage for the domestic cat remains to be ''F. catus'', treating it as a separate species and following the convention of using the earliest (the senior) [[synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] proposed. |
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[[Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben]] classified the domesticated cat as ''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]]. |
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===Nomenclature=== |
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A group of cats is referred to as a '''clowder''', a male cat is called a '''tom''' (or a '''gib''', if neutered), 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 [[rat]]s, [[rabbit]]s, [[hedgehog]]s, [[beaver]]s, [[squirrel]]s and [[skunk]]s). In [[Britain in the Middle Ages|medieval Britain]], the word ''kitten'' was interchangeable with the word ''catling''. A cat whose [[genealogy|ancestry]] is formally registered is called a [[pedigree (cat)|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 unrecorded mixed ancestry are referred to as [[domestic longhair cat|domestic longhairs]] and [[domestic shorthair cat|domestic shorthairs]] or commonly as random-bred, moggies, [[mongrel]]s, 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.<ref>''ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats'' by James R. Richards,, DVM</ref> |
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===Etymology=== |
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The word ''cat'' derives from [[Old English]] ''catt'', which belongs to a group of related words in European languages, including Welsh ''cath'', Spanish ''gato'', Basque ''katu'', [[Byzantine Greek]] ''kátia'', [[Old Irish]] ''cat'', [[German language|German]] ''Katze'', and [[Old Church Slavonic]] ''kotka''. The ultimate source of all these terms is [[Vulgar Latin|Late Latin]] ''catus, cattus, catta'' "domestic cat", as opposed to ''feles'' "European wildcat". It is unclear whether the Greek or the Latin came first, but they were undoubtedly borrowed from an [[Afro-Asiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]] language akin to [[Old Nubian language|Nubian]] ''kadís'' and [[Berber languages|Berber]] ''kaddîska'', both meaning "wildcat".<ref>{{cite web | title = Cat | url = http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cat | work = [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php The Online etymology dictionary] | accessdate = 2007-05-15}}</ref> This term was either cognate with or borrowed from [[Late Egyptian]] ''čaus'' "jungle cat, African wildcat" (later giving [[Coptic language|Coptic]] ''šau'' "tomcat"<ref>Crum, Walter Ewing. ''A Coptic Dictionary''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1939: 601 <http://www.metalog.org/files/crum/601.gif></ref>), itself from earlier [[Ancient Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''tešau'' "female cat"<ref>"Le chat: origines et étymologie." ''Chat et compagnie''. 2006. <http://www.chat-et-cie.fr/chat.htm></ref> (vs. ''miew'' "tomcat"<ref>SenenAnep Meritamen. "English to Egyptian Dictionary." posted 29 August 2004. ''Ancient Worlds''. AncientWorlds LLC, 2002 <http://www.ancientworlds.net/399761>.</ref>). |
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The term ''puss'' (as in pussycat) may come from [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''poes'' or from [[Low German]] ''Puuskatte'', dialectal [[Swedish language|Swedish]] ''kattepus'', or [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] ''pus'', ''pusekatt'', all of which primarily denote a woman and, by extension, a female cat.<ref>''Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language''. New York: Gramercy Books, 1996: 1571.</ref> |
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==History and mythology== |
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[[Image:Egypte louvre 058.jpg|thumb|Egyptian sculpture at the [[Louvre]].]] |
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{{main|History of cats|Cats in ancient Egypt}} |
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Cats have been kept by humans since at least [[ancient Egypt]], where [[Bast (goddess)|Bast]] in cat form was goddess of the home, the domesticated cat, protector of the fields and home from vermin infestations, and sometimes took on the warlike aspect of a lioness. The first domesticated cats may have saved early Egyptians from many rodent infestations and likewise, Bast developed from the adoration for her feline companions. She was the daughter of the sun god [[Ra]] and played significant role in [[Ancient Egyptian religion]]. It has been speculated that cats resident in Kenya's Islands in the [[Lamu Archipelago]] may be the last living direct descendants of the cats of ancient Egypt.<ref name = lamu>{{cite book| last = Couffer | first = Jack| title = The Cats of Lamu| publisher = The Lyons Press |date=1998 | location = New York| id = ISBN 1558216626 }}</ref> |
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Several ancient religions believed 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. In [[Japan]], the [[Maneki Neko]] is a cat that is a symbol of "good fortune". While in Islam there is not a sacred species, it is said by some writers that [[Muhammad]] had a favorite cat, [[Muezza]].<ref>{{cite book | author = Geyer, Georgie Anne | year = 2004 | title = When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats}}</ref> It is said he loved cats so much that "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".<ref name="Reeves">{{cite book | author = Minou Reeves | title = Muhammad in Europe | publisher = New York University (NYU) Press | pages = p.52}}</ref> |
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[[Freyja]] — the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility in [[Norse mythology]] — is riding a chariot driven by cats. |
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=== Nine lives === |
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It is common myth that cats have nine lives, in some cultures it is seven. The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.<ref name=myth>[http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-myths.html Cat Myths, Misinformation and Untruths]</ref> Also lending credence to this myth is that falling cats often land on their feet because of an inbuilt automatic twisting reaction and are able to twist their bodies around to land feet first, though they can still be injured or killed by a high fall.<ref>[http://cats.about.com/od/catsafety/a/highrisefalls.htm The ASPCA Warns About High-Rise Falls by Cats.] About.com</ref> |
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==See also== |
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{{portal|Cats|Cat03.jpg}} |
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{{portal|Mammals|Okapi2.jpg}} |
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* [[Cat breed]] |
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* [[Cat Fanciers' Association]] |
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* [[Cat genetics]] |
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* [[Cat intelligence]] |
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* [[Cat meat]] |
* [[Cat meat]] |
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* [[Cat |
* [[Cat repeller]] |
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* [[ |
* [[Cats and the Internet]] |
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* [[ |
* [[Cats in Australia]] |
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* [[ |
* [[Cats in New Zealand]] |
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* [[Cats in the United States]] |
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* [[Cat–dog relationship]] |
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* [[Dog]] |
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* [[Dried cat]] |
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* [[Feral cats in Istanbul]] |
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* [[List of cat breeds]] |
* [[List of cat breeds]] |
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* [[List of |
* [[List of cat documentaries, television series and cartoons]] |
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* [[List of |
* [[List of individual cats]] |
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* [[ |
* [[List of fictional felines]] |
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* [[List of feline diseases]] |
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* [[Neko-dera]] |
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* [[Perlorian]] |
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* [[Pet door]] |
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* [[Pet first aid]] |
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* [[Popular cat names]] |
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{{div col end}} |
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== |
== Notes == |
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{{ |
{{notelist}} |
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== |
== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{Spoken Wikipedia-3|2007-05-13|En-Cat_(part_1).ogg|En-Cat_(part_2).ogg|En-Cat_(part_3).ogg|}} |
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{{wiktionarypar|cat|kitty|meow}} |
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{{Wikibooks|Animal Care}} |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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{{commonscat|Felis silvestris catus}} |
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{{wikispecies|Felis sylvestris catus|Cat}} |
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== External links == |
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<!--Please add the links and sources in alphabetical order. This is an encyclopedia.--> |
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{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=13 May 2007|En-Cat_(part_1).ogg|En-Cat_(part_2).ogg|En-Cat_(part_3).ogg}} |
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=== Anatomy === |
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* {{Wiktionary-inline|cat}} |
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* [http://brainmaps.org/index.php?p=speciesdata&species=felis-catus High-Resolution Images of the Cat Brain] |
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* {{Wikispecies-inline|Felis catus|''Felis catus''}} |
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* {{Commons-inline}} |
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* {{Wikibooks inline|Animal Care}} |
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* {{Wikiquote-inline}} |
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* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Cat, Domestic, The |short=x}} |
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* [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/name/Felis_catus Biodiversity Heritage Library bibliography] for ''Felis catus'' |
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* View the [http://www.ensembl.org/Felis_catus/Info/Index/ cat genome] in [[Ensembl]] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190520030950/http://brainmaps.org/index.php?p=speciesdata&species=felis-catus High-resolution images of the cat's brain] |
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* ''[[Scientific American]]''. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=YIE9AQAAIAAJ&q=carbonic+oxide The Origin of the Cat]". 1881. p. 120. |
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{{Cat nav|state=uncollapsed}} |
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=== Articles === |
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{{Carnivora|Fe.}} |
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* [http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/whycat.htm Cat behavior explained] |
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q20980826}} |
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* [http://www.catpert.com Catpert. The Cat Expert] - Cat articles |
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{{Authority control}} |
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* [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Choosing_a_cat Choosing a cat] - article at ''[[Citizendium]]'' |
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=== Veterinary related === |
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* [http://www.aafponline.org/ American Association of Feline Practitioners] |
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* [http://home.ncifcrf.gov/ccr/lgd/comparative_genome/catgenome/index_n.asp Cat Genome Project] at the US [http://www.cancer.gov/ The National Cancer Institute] |
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* [http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/cats/cat_vaccination.html Cat Vaccination and Health Care Schedule] |
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* [http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/ Cornell Feline Health Center] |
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* [http://www.aafponline.org/resources/guidelines/Feline_Behavior_Guidelines.pdf Feline Behavior Guidelines] An [[AAFP]] publication |
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* [http://maxshouse.com/Database_toc.htm Feline Medical & Behaviour Database] (large number of short articles) |
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* [http://www.petcat.us/questions.shtml Information about the third eyelid of cats, and the problem of Kertao, or "dry eye".] |
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* [http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1763&articleid=1108 Onions are Toxic to Cats] |
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Revision as of 12:42, 25 December 2024
Cat Temporal range:
Holocene to present (9,500 years ago) | |
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Various types of cats | |
Domesticated
| |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | Felis |
Species: | F. catus[1]
|
Binomial name | |
Felis catus[1] | |
Synonyms | |
The cat (Felis catus), also referred to as the domestic cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC. It is commonly kept as a pet and farm cat, but also ranges freely as a feral cat avoiding human contact. It is valued by humans for companionship and its ability to kill vermin. Its retractable claws are adapted to killing small prey species such as mice and rats. It has a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes, and sharp teeth, and its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. It is a social species, but a solitary hunter and a crepuscular predator. Cat communication includes vocalizations—including meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting—as well as body language. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by small mammals. It secretes and perceives pheromones.
Female domestic cats can have kittens from spring to late autumn in temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions, with litter sizes often ranging from two to five kittens. Domestic cats are bred and shown at events as registered pedigreed cats, a hobby known as cat fancy. Animal population control of cats may be achieved by spaying and neutering, but their proliferation and the abandonment of pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, contributing to the extinction of bird, mammal, and reptile species.
As of 2017,[update] the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States, with 95.6 million cats owned and around 42 million households owning at least one cat. In the United Kingdom, 26% of adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats as of 2020.[update] As of 2021,[update] there were an estimated 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats in the world.
Etymology and naming
The origin of the English word cat, Old English catt, is thought to be the Late Latin word cattus, which was first used at the beginning of the 6th century.[4] The Late Latin word may be derived from an unidentified African language.[5] The Nubian word kaddîska 'wildcat' and Nobiin kadīs are possible sources or cognates.[6]
The forms might also have derived from an ancient Germanic word that was absorbed into Latin and then into Greek, Syriac, and Arabic.[7] The word may be derived from Germanic and Northern European languages, and ultimately be borrowed from Uralic, cf. Northern Sámi gáđfi, 'female stoat', and Hungarian hölgy, 'lady, female stoat'; from Proto-Uralic *käďwä, 'female (of a furred animal)'.[8]
The English puss, extended as pussy and pussycat, is attested from the 16th century and may have been introduced from Dutch poes or from Low German puuskatte, related to Swedish kattepus, or Norwegian pus, pusekatt. Similar forms exist in Lithuanian puižė and Irish puisín or puiscín. The etymology of this word is unknown, but it may have arisen from a sound used to attract a cat.[9][10]
A male cat is called a tom or tomcat[11] (or a gib,[12] if neutered). A female is called a queen[13][14] (or sometimes a molly,[15] if spayed). A juvenile cat is referred to as a kitten. In Early Modern English, the word kitten was interchangeable with the now-obsolete word catling.[16] A group of cats can be referred to as a clowder, a glaring,[17] or a colony.[18]
Taxonomy
The scientific name Felis catus was proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for a domestic cat.[1][2] Felis catus domesticus was proposed by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.[3] Felis daemon proposed by Konstantin Satunin in 1904 was a black cat from the Transcaucasus, later identified as a domestic cat.[19][20]
In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruled that the domestic cat is a distinct species, namely Felis catus.[21][22] In 2007, the modern domesticated subspecies F. silvestris catus sampled worldwide was considered to have probably descended from the African wildcat (F. lybica), following results of phylogenetic research.[23][24][a] In 2017, the IUCN Cat Classification Taskforce followed the recommendation of the ICZN in regarding the domestic cat as a distinct species, Felis catus.[25]
Evolution
The domestic cat is a member of the Felidae, a family that had a common ancestor about 10 to 15 million years ago.[26] The evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia during the Miocene around 8.38 to 14.45 million years ago.[27] Analysis of mitochondrial DNA of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at 6.46 to 16.76 million years ago.[28] The genus Felis genetically diverged from other Felidae around 6 to 7 million years ago.[27] Results of phylogenetic research shows that the wild members of this genus evolved through sympatric or parapatric speciation, whereas the domestic cat evolved through artificial selection.[29] The domestic cat and its closest wild ancestor are diploid and both possess 38 chromosomes[30] and roughly 20,000 genes.[31]
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Domestication
It was long thought that the domestication of the cat began in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC.[33][34] However, the earliest known indication for the taming of an African wildcat was excavated close by a human Neolithic grave in Shillourokambos, southern Cyprus, dating to about 7500–7200 BC. Since there is no evidence of native mammalian fauna on Cyprus, the inhabitants of this Neolithic village most likely brought the cat and other wild mammals to the island from the Middle Eastern mainland.[35] Scientists therefore assume that African wildcats were attracted to early human settlements in the Fertile Crescent by rodents, in particular the house mouse (Mus musculus), and were tamed by Neolithic farmers. This mutual relationship between early farmers and tamed cats lasted thousands of years. As agricultural practices spread, so did tame and domesticated cats.[32][36] Wildcats of Egypt contributed to the maternal gene pool of the domestic cat at a later time.[37]
The earliest known evidence for the occurrence of the domestic cat in Greece dates to around 1200 BC. Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian and Etruscan traders introduced domestic cats to southern Europe.[38] By the 5th century BC, they were familiar animals around settlements in Magna Graecia and Etruria.[39] During the Roman Empire, they were introduced to Corsica and Sardinia before the beginning of the 1st century AD.[40] By the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Egyptian domestic cat lineage had arrived in a Baltic Sea port in northern Germany.[37]
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was tamed independently in China around 5500 BC. This line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domestic cat populations of today.[41]
During domestication, cats have undergone only minor changes in anatomy and behavior, and they are still capable of surviving in the wild. Several natural behaviors and characteristics of wildcats may have pre-adapted them for domestication as pets. These traits include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play, and high intelligence. Since they practice rigorous grooming habits and have an instinctual drive to bury and hide their urine and feces, they are generally much less messy than other domesticated animals. Captive Leopardus cats may also display affectionate behavior toward humans but were not domesticated.[42] House cats often mate with feral cats.[43] Hybridization between domestic and other Felinae species is also possible, producing hybrids such as the Kellas cat in Scotland.[44][45]
Development of cat breeds started in the mid 19th century.[46] An analysis of the domestic cat genome revealed that the ancestral wildcat genome was significantly altered in the process of domestication, as specific mutations were selected to develop cat breeds.[47] Most breeds are founded on random-bred domestic cats. Genetic diversity of these breeds varies between regions, and is lowest in purebred populations, which show more than 20 deleterious genetic disorders.[48]
Characteristics
Size
The domestic cat has a smaller skull and shorter bones than the European wildcat.[49] It averages about 46 cm (18 in) in head-to-body length and 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in) in height, with about 30 cm (12 in) long tails. Males are larger than females.[50] Adult domestic cats typically weigh 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb).[29]
Skeleton
Cats have seven cervical vertebrae (as do most mammals); 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12); seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five); three sacral vertebrae (as do most mammals, but humans have five); and a variable number of caudal vertebrae in the tail (humans have only three to five vestigial caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal coccyx).[51]: 11 The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the pelvis.[51]: 16 Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones which allow them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.[52]
Skull
The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large eye sockets and a powerful specialized jaw.[53]: 35 Within the jaw, cats have teeth adapted for killing prey and tearing meat. When it overpowers its prey, a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its two long canine teeth, inserting them between two of the prey's vertebrae and severing its spinal cord, causing irreversible paralysis and death.[54] Compared to other felines, domestic cats have narrowly spaced canine teeth relative to the size of their jaw, which is an adaptation to their preferred prey of small rodents, which have small vertebrae.[54]
The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently shears meat into small pieces, like a pair of scissors. These are vital in feeding, since cats' small molars cannot chew food effectively, and cats are largely incapable of mastication.[53]: 37 Cats tend to have better teeth than most humans, with decay generally less likely because of a thicker protective layer of enamel, a less damaging saliva, less retention of food particles between teeth, and a diet mostly devoid of sugar. Nonetheless, they are subject to occasional tooth loss and infection.[55]
Claws
Cats have protractible and retractable claws.[56] In their normal, relaxed position, the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the paw's toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows for the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hindfeet.[57] Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Cats shed the outside layer of their claw sheaths when scratching rough surfaces.[58]
Most cats have five claws on their front paws and four on their rear paws. The dewclaw is proximal to the other claws. More proximally is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws on the inside of the wrists has no function in normal walking but is thought to be an antiskidding device used while jumping. Some cat breeds are prone to having extra digits ("polydactyly").[59] Polydactylous cats occur along North America's northeast coast and in Great Britain.[60]
Ambulation
The cat is digitigrade. It walks on the toes, with the bones of the feet making up the lower part of the visible leg.[61] Unlike most mammals, it uses a "pacing" gait and moves both legs on one side of the body before the legs on the other side. It registers directly by placing each hind paw close to the track of the corresponding fore paw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for hind paws when navigating rough terrain. As it speeds up from walking to trotting, its gait changes to a "diagonal" gait: The diagonally opposite hind and fore legs move simultaneously.[62]
Balance
Cats are generally fond of sitting in high places or perching. A higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats strike prey by pouncing from a perch such as a tree branch. Another possible explanation is that height gives the cat a better observation point, allowing it to survey its territory. A cat falling from heights of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) can right itself and land on its paws.[63]
During a fall from a high place, a cat reflexively twists its body and rights itself to land on its feet using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This reflex is known as the cat righting reflex.[64] A cat always rights itself in the same way during a fall, if it has enough time to do so, which is the case in falls of 90 cm (3.0 ft) or more.[65] How cats are able to right themselves when falling has been investigated as the "falling cat problem".[66]
Coats
The cat family (Felidae) can pass down many colors and patterns to their offspring. The domestic cat genes MC1R and ASIP allow color variety in their coats. The feline ASIP gene consists of three coding exons.[67] Three novel microsatellite markers linked to ASIP were isolated from a domestic cat BAC clone containing this gene to perform linkage analysis on 89 domestic cats segregated for melanism. The domestic cat family demonstrated a cosegregation between the ASIP allele and coat black coloration.[68]
Senses
Vision
Cats have excellent night vision and can see at one sixth the light level required for human vision.[53]: 43 This is partly the result of cat eyes having a tapetum lucidum, which reflects any light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to dim light.[69] Large pupils are an adaptation to dim light. The domestic cat has slit pupils, which allow it to focus bright light without chromatic aberration.[70] At low light, a cat's pupils expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes.[71] The domestic cat has rather poor color vision and only two types of cone cells, optimized for sensitivity to blue and yellowish green; its ability to distinguish between red and green is limited.[72] A response to middle wavelengths from a system other than the rod cells might be due to a third type of cone. This appears to be an adaptation to low light levels rather than representing true trichromatic vision.[73] Cats also have a nictitating membrane, allowing them to blink without hindering their vision.
Hearing
The domestic cat's hearing is most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.[74] It can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies ranging from 55 Hz to 79 kHz, whereas humans can only detect frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. It can hear a range of 10.5 octaves, while humans and dogs can hear ranges of about 9 octaves.[75][76] Its hearing sensitivity is enhanced by its large movable outer ears, the pinnae, which amplify sounds and help detect the location of a noise. It can detect ultrasound, which enables it to detect ultrasonic calls made by rodent prey.[77][78] Recent research has shown that cats have socio-spatial cognitive abilities to create mental maps of owners' locations based on hearing owners' voices.[79]
Smell
Cats have an acute sense of smell, due in part to their well-developed olfactory bulb and a large surface of olfactory mucosa, about 5.8 cm2 (0.90 in2) in area, which is about twice that of humans.[80] Cats and many other animals have a Jacobson's organ in their mouths that is used in the behavioral process of flehmening. It allows them to sense certain aromas in a way that humans cannot. Cats are sensitive to pheromones such as 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol,[81] which they use to communicate through urine spraying and marking with scent glands.[82] Many cats also respond strongly to plants that contain nepetalactone, especially catnip, as they can detect that substance at less than one part per billion.[83] About 70–80% of cats are affected by nepetalactone.[84] This response is also produced by other plants, such as silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and the herb valerian; it may be caused by the smell of these plants mimicking a pheromone and stimulating cats' social or sexual behaviors.[85]
Taste
Cats have relatively few taste buds compared to humans (470 or so, compared to more than 9,000 on the human tongue).[86] Domestic and wild cats share a taste receptor gene mutation that keeps their sweet taste buds from binding to sugary molecules, leaving them with no ability to taste sweetness.[87] They, however, possess taste bud receptors specialized for acids, amino acids such as protein, and bitter tastes.[88]
Their taste buds possess the receptors needed to detect umami. However, these receptors contain molecular changes that make cat taste umami different from that of humans. In humans, they detect the amino acids glutamic acid and aspartic acid, but in cats, they instead detect inosine monophosphate and l-Histidine.[89] These molecules are particularly enriched in tuna.[89] This, it has been argued, is why cats find tuna so palatable: as put by researchers into cat taste, "the specific combination of the high IMP and free l-Histidine contents of tuna, which produces a strong umami taste synergy that is highly preferred by cats."[89] One of the researchers in this research has stated, "I think umami is as important for cats as sweet is for humans."[90]
Cats also have a distinct temperature preference for their food, preferring food with a temperature around 38 °C (100 °F) which is similar to that of a fresh kill; some cats reject cold food (which would signal to the cat that the "prey" item is long dead and therefore possibly toxic or decomposing).[86]
Whiskers
To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable whiskers (vibrissae) over their body, especially their faces. These provide information on the width of gaps and on the location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents; they also trigger protective blink reflexes to protect the eyes from damage.[53]: 47
Behavior
Outdoor cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night.[91] Domestic cats spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their homes but can range many hundreds of meters from this central point. They establish territories that vary considerably in size, in one study ranging 7–28 ha (17–69 acres).[92] The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied but being low-light predators, they are generally crepuscular, which means they tend to be more active near dawn and dusk. However, house cats' behavior is also influenced by human activity and they may adapt to their owners' sleeping patterns to some extent.[93][94]
Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually between 12 and 16 hours, with 13 and 14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours. The term "cat nap" for a short rest refers to the cat's tendency to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period. While asleep, cats experience short periods of rapid eye movement sleep often accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests they are dreaming.[95]
A common misconception is that a cat's behavioral and personality traits correspond to its coat color. These traits instead depend on a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors.[96]
Sociability
The social behavior of the domestic cat ranges from widely dispersed individuals to feral cat colonies that gather around a food source, based on groups of co-operating females.[97][98] Within such groups, one cat is usually dominant over the others.[99] Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males having the largest territories, which are about 10 times larger than those of female cats and may overlap with several females' territories. These territories are marked by urine spraying, rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands, and by defecation.[82] Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually chase away stranger cats, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and, if that does not work, by short and violent, noisy attacks. Although cats do not have a social survival strategy or herd behavior, they always hunt alone.[100]
Life in proximity to humans and other domestic animals has led to a symbiotic social adaptation in cats, and cats may express great affection toward humans or other animals. Ethologically, a cat's human keeper functions as a mother surrogate.[101] Adult cats live their lives in a type of extended kittenhood, a form of behavioral neoteny. Their high-pitched sounds may mimic the cries of a hungry human infant, making them particularly difficult for humans to ignore.[102] Some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular, older cats show aggressiveness toward newly arrived kittens, which include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as feline asocial aggression.[103]
Redirected aggression is a common form of aggression which can occur in multiple cat households. In redirected aggression, there is usually something that agitates the cat: this could be a sight, sound, or another source of stimuli which causes a heightened level of anxiety or arousal. If the cat cannot attack the stimuli, it may direct anger elsewhere by attacking or directing aggression to the nearest cat, pet, human or other being.[104][105]
Domestic cats' scent rubbing behavior toward humans or other cats is thought to be a feline means of social bonding.[106]
Communication
Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing.[107] Their body language, including position of ears and tail, relaxation of the whole body, and kneading of the paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are particularly important social signal mechanisms; a raised tail indicates a friendly greeting, and flattened ears indicate hostility. Tail-raising also indicates the cat's position in the group's social hierarchy, with dominant individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate ones.[108] Feral cats are generally silent.[109]: 208 Nose-to-nose touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head.[97]
Purring may have developed as an evolutionary advantage as a signaling mechanism of reassurance between mother cats and nursing kittens, who are thought to use it as a care-soliciting signal.[110] Post-nursing cats also often purr as a sign of contentment: when being petted, becoming relaxed,[111][112] or eating. Although purring is popularly interpreted as indicative of pleasure, it has been recorded in a wide variety of circumstances, most of which involve physical contact between the cat and another, presumably trusted individual.[110] Some cats have been observed to purr continuously when chronically ill or in apparent pain.[113]
The exact mechanism by which cats purr has long been elusive, but it has been proposed that purring is generated via a series of sudden build-ups and releases of pressure as the glottis is opened and closed, which causes the vocal folds to separate forcefully. The laryngeal muscles in control of the glottis are thought to be driven by a neural oscillator which generates a cycle of contraction and release every 30–40 milliseconds (giving a frequency of 33 to 25 Hz).[110][114][115]
Domestic cats observed in rescue facilities have 276 morphologically distinct facial expressions based on 26 facial movements; each facial expression corresponds to different social functions that are probably influenced by domestication.[116] Facial expressions have helped researchers detect pain in cats. The feline grimace scale's five criteria—ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whisker change, and head position—indicated the presence of acute pain in cats.[117][118]
Grooming
Cats are known for spending considerable amounts of time licking their coats to keep them clean.[119][120] The cat's tongue has backward-facing spines about 0.5 millimeter long, called lingual papillae, which contain keratin making them rigid.[121] The papillae act like a hairbrush, and some cats, particularly long-haired cats, occasionally regurgitate sausage-shaped 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) long hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming. Hairballs can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair through the gut, as well as regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.[119]
Fighting
Among domestic cats, males are more likely to fight than females.[122] Among feral cats, the most common reason for cat fighting is competition between two males to mate with a female. In such cases, most fights are won by the heavier male.[123] Another common reason for fighting in domestic cats is the difficulty of establishing territories within a small home.[122] Female cats also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Neutering will decrease or eliminate this behavior in many cases, suggesting that the behavior is linked to sex hormones.[124]
When cats become aggressive, they try to make themselves appear larger and more threatening by raising their fur, arching their backs, turning sideways, and hissing or spitting.[125] Often, the ears are pointed down and back to avoid damage to the inner ear and potentially listen for any changes behind them while focused forward. Cats may also vocalize loudly and bare their teeth in an effort to further intimidate their opponents. Fights usually consist of grappling and delivering slaps to the face and body with the forepaws, as well as bites. Cats also throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their hind legs.[126]
Serious damage is rare, as the fights are usually short in duration, with the loser running away with little more than a few scratches to the face and ears. Fights for mating rights are typically more severe, and injuries may include deep puncture wounds and lacerations. Normally, serious injuries from fighting are limited to infections from scratches and bites, although these can occasionally kill cats if untreated. In addition, bites are probably the main route of transmission of the feline immunodeficiency virus.[127] Sexually active males are usually involved in many fights during their lives and often have decidedly battered faces with obvious scars and cuts to their ears and nose.[128] Cats are willing to threaten animals larger than them to defend their territory, such as dogs and foxes.[129]
Hunting and feeding
The shape and structure of cats' cheeks is insufficient to allow them to take in liquids using suction. Therefore, when drinking, they lap with the tongue to draw liquid upward into their mouths. Lapping at a rate of four times a second, the cat touches the smooth tip of its tongue to the surface of the water, and quickly retracts it like a corkscrew, drawing water upward.[130][131]
Feral cats and free-fed house cats consume several small meals in a day. The frequency and size of meals varies between individuals. They select food based on its temperature, smell, and texture; they dislike chilled foods and respond most strongly to moist foods rich in amino acids, which are similar to meat. Cats reject novel flavors (a response termed neophobia) and learn quickly to avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant in the past.[100][132] It is also a common misconception that cats like milk/cream, as they tend to avoid sweet food and milk. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant; the sugar in milk is not easily digested and may cause soft stools or diarrhea.[133] Some also develop odd eating habits and like to eat or chew on things such as wool, plastic, cables, paper, string, aluminum foil, or even coal. This condition, pica, can threaten their health, depending on the amount and toxicity of the items eaten.[134]
Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents,[135] and are often used as a form of pest control.[136][137] Other common small creatures, such as lizards and snakes, may also become prey.[138] Cats use two hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush until an animal comes close enough to be captured.[139] The strategy used depends on the prey species in the area, with cats waiting in ambush outside burrows, but tending to actively stalk birds.[140]: 153 Domestic cats are a major predator of wildlife in the United States, killing an estimated 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.[141]
Certain species appear more susceptible than others; in one English village, for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality was linked to the domestic cat.[142] In the recovery of ringed robins (Erithacus rubecula) and dunnocks (Prunella modularis) in Britain, 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.[143] In parts of North America, the presence of larger carnivores such as coyotes, which prey on cats and other small predators, reduces the effect of predation by cats and other small predators such as opossums and raccoons on bird numbers and variety.[144]
Another poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human guardians. One explanation is that cats adopt humans into their social group and share excess kill with others in the group according to the dominance hierarchy, in which humans are reacted to as if they are at or near the top.[145] Another explanation is that they attempt to teach their guardians to hunt or to help their human as if feeding "an elderly cat, or an inept kitten".[146] This hypothesis is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey, despite males having negligible involvement in raising kittens.[140]: 153
Play
Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to stalk, capture, and kill prey.[147] Cats also engage in play fighting, both with each other and with humans. This behavior may be a way for cats to practice the skills needed for real combat, and it might also reduce the fear that they associate with launching attacks on other animals.[148]
Cats also tend to play with toys more when they are hungry.[149] Owing to the close similarity between play and hunting, cats prefer to play with objects that resemble prey, such as small furry toys that move rapidly, but rapidly lose interest. They become habituated to a toy they have played with before.[150] String is often used as a toy, but if it is eaten, it can become caught at the base of the cat's tongue and then move into the intestines, a medical emergency which can cause serious illness, even death.[151]
Reproduction
The cat secretes and perceives pheromones.[152] Female cats, called queens, are polyestrous with several estrus cycles during a year, lasting usually 21 days. They are usually ready to mate between early February and August[153] in northern temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions.[154]
Several males, called tomcats, are attracted to a female in heat. They fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the female rejects the male, but eventually, the female allows the male to mate. The female utters a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her because a male cat's penis has a band of about 120–150 backward-pointing penile spines, which are about 1 mm (0.039 in) long; upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines may provide the female with increased sexual stimulation, which acts to induce ovulation.[155]
After mating, the female cleans her vulva thoroughly. If a male attempts to mate with her at this point, the female attacks him. After about 20 to 30 minutes, once the female is finished grooming, the cycle will repeat.[156] Because ovulation is not always triggered by a single mating, females may not be impregnated by the first male with which they mate.[157] Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, with the result that different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.[156]
The morula forms 124 hours after conception. At 148 hours, early blastocysts form. At 10–12 days, implantation occurs.[158] The gestation of queens lasts between 64 and 67 days, with an average of 65 days.[153][159]
Based on a study of 2,300 free-ranging queens conducted from May 1998 and October 2000, they had one to six kittens per litter, with an average of three kittens. They produced a mean of 1.4 litters per year, but a maximum of three litters in a year. Of 169 kittens, 127 died before they were six months old due to a trauma caused in most cases by dog attacks and road accidents.[160] The first litter is usually smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned between six and seven weeks of age. Queens normally reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months, and males at 5–7 months. This varies depending on breed.[156] Kittens reach puberty at the age of 9–10 months.[153]
Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks of age, when they are ready to leave their mother.[161] They can be surgically sterilized (spayed or castrated) as early as seven weeks to limit unwanted reproduction.[162] This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as aggression, territory marking (spraying urine) in males, and yowling (calling) in females. Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age, but it is increasingly being performed before puberty, at about three to six months.[163] In the United States, about 80% of household cats are neutered.[164]
Lifespan and health
The average lifespan of pet cats has risen in recent decades. In the early 1980s, it was about seven years,[165]: 33 [166] rising to 9.4 years in 1995[165]: 33 and an average of about 13 years as of 2014 and 2023.[167][168]
Neutering increases life expectancy; one study found castrated male cats live twice as long as intact males, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact females.[165]: 35 Having a cat neutered confers some health benefits, such as a greater life expectancy and a decreased incidence of reproductive neoplasia.[169] However, neutering decreases metabolism[170][171][172] and increases food intake,[172][173] both of which can cause obesity in neutered cats.[174] Pre-pubertal neutering (neutering at 4 months or earlier) was only recommended by 28% of American veterinarians in one study. Some concerns of early neutering were metabolic, retarded physeal closure, and urinary tract disease related.[175]
Disease
About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been identified in cats; many are similar to human inborn errors of metabolism.[176] The high level of similarity among the metabolism of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using genetic tests that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats as animal models in the study of the human diseases.[177][178] Diseases affecting domestic cats include acute infections, parasitic infestations, injuries, and chronic diseases such as kidney disease, thyroid disease, and arthritis. Vaccinations are available for many infectious diseases, as are treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms, ticks, and fleas.[179]
Ecology
Habitats
The domestic cat is a cosmopolitan species and occurs across much of the world.[48] It is adaptable and now present on all continents except Antarctica, and on 118 of the 131 main groups of islands, even on the isolated Kerguelen Islands.[180][181] Due to its ability to thrive in almost any terrestrial habitat, it is among the world's most invasive species.[182] It lives on small islands with no human inhabitants.[183] Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas, and wetlands.[184]
The unwantedness that leads to the domestic cat being treated as an invasive species is twofold. As it is little altered from the wildcat, it can readily interbreed with the wildcat. This hybridization poses a danger to the genetic distinctiveness of some wildcat populations, particularly in Scotland and Hungary, possibly also the Iberian Peninsula, and where protected natural areas are close to human-dominated landscapes, such as Kruger National Park in South Africa.[185][44] However, its introduction to places where no native felines are present also contributes to the decline of native species.[186]
Ferality
Feral cats are domestic cats that were born in or have reverted to a wild state. They are unfamiliar with and wary of humans and roam freely in urban and rural areas.[187] The numbers of feral cats is not known, but estimates of the United States feral population range from 25 to 60 million.[187] Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large colonies, which occupy a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food.[188] Famous feral cat colonies are found in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, with cats at some of these sites being fed and given medical attention by volunteers.[189]
Public attitudes toward feral cats vary widely, from seeing them as free-ranging pets to regarding them as vermin.[190]
Impact on wildlife
On islands, birds can contribute as much as 60% of a cat's diet.[191] In nearly all cases, the cat cannot be identified as the sole cause for reducing the numbers of island birds, and in some instances, eradication of cats has caused a "mesopredator release" effect;[192] where the suppression of top carnivores creates an abundance of smaller predators that cause a severe decline in their shared prey. Domestic cats are a contributing factor to the decline of several species, a factor that has ultimately led, in some cases, to extinction. The South Island piopio, Chatham rail,[143] and the New Zealand merganser[193] are a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless Lyall's wren, which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery.[194][195] One feral cat in New Zealand killed 102 New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats in seven days.[196] In the United States, feral and free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually.[141]
In Australia, one study found feral cats to kill 466 million reptiles per year. More than 258 reptile species were identified as being predated by cats.[197] Cats have contributed to the extinction of the Navassa curly-tailed lizard and Chioninia coctei.[186]
Interaction with humans
Cats are common pets throughout the world, and their worldwide population as of 2007 exceeded 500 million.[198] As of 2017,[update] the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States, with 95.6 million cats owned[199][200] and around 42 million households owning at least one cat.[201] In the United Kingdom, 26% of adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats as of 2020.[update][202] As of 2021,[update] there were an estimated 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats in the world.[203]
Cats have been used for millennia to control rodents, notably around grain stores and aboard ships, and both uses extend to the present day.[204][205] Cats are also used in the international fur trade[206] and leather industries for making coats, hats, blankets, stuffed toys,[207] shoes, gloves, and musical instruments.[208] About 24 cats are needed to make a cat-fur coat.[209] This use has been outlawed in the United States since 2000 and in the European Union (as well as the United Kingdom) since 2007.[210]
Cat pelts have been used for superstitious purposes as part of the practice of witchcraft,[211] and they are still made into blankets in Switzerland as traditional medicines thought to cure rheumatism.[212]
A few attempts to build a cat census have been made over the years, both through associations or national and international organizations (such as that of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies[213]) and over the Internet.[214][215] General estimates for the global population of domestic cats range widely from anywhere between 200 million to 600 million.[216][217][218][219][220] Walter Chandoha made his career photographing cats after his 1949 images of Loco, a stray cat, were published. He is reported to have photographed 90,000 cats during his career and maintained an archive of 225,000 images that he drew from for publications during his lifetime.[221]
Pet humanization is a form of anthropomorphism in which cats are kept for companionship and treated more like human family members than traditional pets.[222] This trend of pet culture involves providing cats with a higher level of care, attention and often even luxury, similar to the way humans are treated.[223]
Shows
A cat show is a judged event in which the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat-registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard.[224] It is often required that a cat must be healthy and vaccinated to participate in a cat show.[224] Both pedigreed and non-purebred companion ("moggy") cats are admissible, although the rules differ depending on the organization. Competing cats are compared to the applicable breed standard, and assessed for temperament.[224]
Infection
Cats can be infected or infested with viruses, bacteria, fungus, protozoans, arthropods or worms that can transmit diseases to humans.[225] In some cases, the cat exhibits no symptoms of the disease.[226] The same disease can then become evident in a human.[227] The likelihood that a person will become diseased depends on the age and immune status of the person. Humans who have cats living in their home or in close association are more likely to become infected. Others might also acquire infections from cat feces and parasites exiting the cat's body.[225][228] Some of the infections of most concern include salmonella, cat-scratch disease, and toxoplasmosis.[226]
History and mythology
In ancient Egypt, cats were revered, and the goddess Bastet often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness. The Greek historian Herodotus reported that killing a cat was forbidden, and when a household cat died, the entire family mourned and shaved their eyebrows. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of Bubastis, where they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories. Herodotus expressed astonishment at the domestic cats in Egypt, because he had only ever seen wildcats.[229]
Ancient Greeks and Romans kept weasels as pets, which were seen as the ideal rodent-killers. The earliest unmistakable evidence of the Greeks having domestic cats comes from two coins from Magna Graecia dating to the mid-fifth century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of Rhegion and Taras respectively, playing with their pet cats. The usual ancient Greek word for 'cat' was ailouros, meaning 'thing with the waving tail'. Cats are rarely mentioned in ancient Greek literature. Aristotle remarked in his History of Animals that "female cats are naturally lecherous". The Greeks later syncretized their own goddess Artemis with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, adopting Bastet's associations with cats and ascribing them to Artemis. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, when the deities flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess Diana turns into a cat.[230][231]
Cats eventually displaced weasels as the pest control of choice because they were more pleasant to have around the house and were more enthusiastic hunters of mice. During the Middle Ages, many of Artemis's associations with cats were grafted onto the Virgin Mary. Cats are often shown in icons of Annunciation and of the Holy Family and, according to Italian folklore, on the same night that Mary gave birth to Jesus, a cat in Bethlehem gave birth to a kitten.[232] Domestic cats were spread throughout much of the rest of the world during the Age of Discovery, as ships' cats were carried on sailing ships to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.[38]
Several ancient religions believed cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that are all-knowing but mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the maneki neko cat is a symbol of good fortune.[233] In Norse mythology, Freyja, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats.[234] In Jewish legend, the first cat was living in the house of the first man Adam as a pet that got rid of mice. The cat was once partnering with the first dog before the latter broke an oath they had made which resulted in enmity between the descendants of these two animals. It is also written that neither cats nor foxes are represented in the water, while every other animal has an incarnation species in the water.[235] Although no species are sacred in Islam, cats are revered by Muslims. Some Western writers have stated Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza.[236] He is reported to have loved cats so much, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".[237] The story has no origin in early Muslim writers, and seems to confuse a story of a later Sufi saint, Ahmed ar-Rifa'i, centuries after Muhammad.[238] One of the companions of Muhammad was known as Abu Hurayrah ("father of the kitten"), in reference to his documented affection to cats.[239]
-
A 19th-century drawing of a tabby cat
-
Some cultures are superstitious about black cats, ascribing either good or bad luck to them.
Superstitions and rituals
Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. An example would be the belief that encountering a black cat ("crossing one's path") leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches' familiar spirits used to augment a witch's powers and skills. The killing of cats in Medieval Ypres, Belgium, is commemorated in the innocuous present-day Kattenstoet (cat parade).[241] In mid-16th century France, cats would allegedly be burnt alive as a form of entertainment, particularly during midsummer festivals. According to Norman Davies, the assembled people "shrieked with laughter as the animals, howling with pain, were singed, roasted, and finally carbonized".[242] The remaining ashes were sometimes taken back home by the people for good luck.[243]
According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil and some Spanish-speaking regions, they are said to have seven lives,[244][245] while in Arabic traditions, the number of lives is six.[246] An early mention of the myth can be found in John Heywood's The Proverbs of John Heywood (1546):[247]
Husband, (quoth she), ye studie, be merrie now,
And even as ye thinke now, so come to yow.
Nay not so, (quoth he), for my thought to tell right,
I thinke how you lay groning, wife, all last night.
Husband, a groning horse and a groning wife
Never faile their master, (quoth she), for my life.
No wife, a woman hath nine lives like a cat.
The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.[248] Also lending credence to this myth is the fact that falling cats often land on their feet, using an instinctive righting reflex to twist their bodies around. Nonetheless, cats can still be injured or killed by a high fall.[249]
See also
- Aging in cats
- Ailurophobia
- Animal testing on cats
- Cancer in cats
- Cat bite
- Cat café
- Cat collar
- Cat fancy
- Cat lady
- Cat food
- Cat meat
- Cat repeller
- Cats and the Internet
- Cats in Australia
- Cats in New Zealand
- Cats in the United States
- Cat–dog relationship
- Dog
- Dried cat
- Feral cats in Istanbul
- List of cat breeds
- List of cat documentaries, television series and cartoons
- List of individual cats
- List of fictional felines
- List of feline diseases
- Neko-dera
- Perlorian
- Pet door
- Pet first aid
- Popular cat names
Notes
- ^ Driscoll, Macdonald & O'Brien 2009 did not conclude a date for genetic divergence, noting from archaeological evidence that "the broadest range of dates for domestication to be from 11,000 to 4,000 B.P.".
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External links
- The dictionary definition of cat at Wiktionary
- Data related to Felis catus at Wikispecies
- Media related to Felis silvestris catus at Wikimedia Commons
- Animal Care at Wikibooks
- Quotations related to Cat at Wikiquote
- Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. .
- Biodiversity Heritage Library bibliography for Felis catus
- View the cat genome in Ensembl
- High-resolution images of the cat's brain
- Scientific American. "The Origin of the Cat". 1881. p. 120.