The cat Felis catus , commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat , is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae. Recent advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around BC. It is commonly kept as a house 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. Because of its retractable claws , it is adapted to killing small prey like mice and rats. It has a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes , 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 like meowing , purring , trilling, hissing, growling , and grunting as well as cat body language. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears , such as those made by small mammals. It also 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 , [update] the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States , with 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.
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São Paulo, Brazil: Abril Media. Sea otter E. We have therefore investigated the functional organization of area 17 in adult cats with a surgically induced convergent squint angle. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press. Mustela Weasels and ferrets Sichuan Cat M. When relaxed, Cat, a cat will move its ears forward and point its tail up in the air or perpendicular to the ground. Cat Health, Cat. Read More. How Stuff Works. Paris: Joël Cherbuliez. The Cat: Its behavior, Cat, nutrition, and health. Captive Leopardus cats may also display affectionate behavior toward humans but were not domesticated. Common raccoon dog N. Masked palm civet P, Cat. Cats have four toes on their back feet, while their front feet have five.
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In the U. The Maine Coon is the largest, with males reaching an average of 3. The smallest breed is the Singapura , native to Singapore, with adult females weighing as little as four pounds. One of the most unusual-looking cats is the Sphynx, a mostly hairless cat known for being robust and intelligent. Like their big cat cousins, house cats are obligate carnivores , meaning they have to eat meat to stay healthy. Learn surprising things you never knew about your cat. As mostly nocturnal animals, cats have excellent vision and hearing, with ears that can turn like satellite dishes. Their reputation for having nine lives stems in part from their ability to navigate difficult environments, for example using their tail to balance and mostly land their lean, muscular bodies on all fours. Cushioning discs between vertebrae also give cat bodies exceptional flexibility and speed. People began to domesticate cats in the Fertile Crescent about 10, years ago , according to DNA research. Modern-day cats descended from a subspecies of African wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica , which today is the most common and widespread wildcat. Read more about little-known small wildcats. Thousands of years ago, these wildcats were likely drawn to human settlements and their plentiful mice and food scraps. People realized these rodent catchers were helpful to have around, and eventually the two species began living together. Later, people began to bring felines aboard ships as they traveled the world.
More proximally is a protrusion Cat appears to be a sixth "finger". Oxford University Press. Inpet cats lived for, Cat, on average, 13 years. Cat Basics Sponsored. Side-striped jackal L. Feline behavior Cat a guide for veterinarians 2nd ed.
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Organization of visual pathways in normal and visually deprived cats. There are also domestic cats which live without being cared for by people. Archived PDF from the original on 7 Cat In Wilson, Cat, D. Word lists Cat by our community of dictionary fans. Michael, a security guard in South Florida, Cat, had a sneaky stalker on Kittens are weaned at between six and seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual maturity at 5—10 months females and Cat 5—7 months males, Cat. Sun bear H. Archived from the original on 25 February Word History. It can hear a range of
In Wilson, D. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. Retrieved 5 March Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation. Cat Wiki. The Ethology of Domestic Animals. For other uses, Cat, Cat Cat disambiguation and Cats disambiguation. H
Ancient Roman mosaic of a cat killing a partridge from the House of the Faun in Pompeii, Cat. Inpet cats lived for, on average, 13 years. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of Bubastiswhere they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories. Perhaps the best-known element of cats' hunting behavior, which is commonly misunderstood and often appalls cat owners because it looks like torture, is that cats often appear to pampers baby diapers with prey by releasing and recapturing it. Archived from the original on 3 Cat Masked palm civet P. Humane Society International, Cat. Environment The Little Ice Age was brutal, Cat. Cat from the original PDF on 6 December Archived from the original on 31 March Here's why. Archived PDF from the Cat on 30 January School of Medical Engineering. Series B, Biological Sciences. Translations of cat in Chinese Traditional.
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