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Cat
The cat (Felis catus), also called domestic cat and house cat, is a
small carnivorous mammal. It is an obligate carnivore, requiring a Cat
predominantly meat-based diet. Its retractable claws are adapted to Temporal range:
killing small prey species such as mice and rats. It has a strong, Holocene to present (9,500 years ago)
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 meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, grunting, and
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. Cat intelligence is evident in its ability
to adapt, learn through observation, and solve problems. 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.

The domestic cat is the only domesticated species of the family

Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the
domestication of the cat started in the Near East around 7500 BCE.
Today, the domestic cat occurs across the globe and is valued by
humans for companionship and its ability to kill vermin. It is
commonly kept as a pet, working cat, and pedigreed cat shown at
cat fancy events. Out of the estimated 600 million domestic cats
worldwide, 400 million reside in Asia, including 58 million in Various types of cats
China. The United States leads in cat ownership with 73.8 million
Conservation status
cats, followed by the United Kingdom with approximately 10.9
million cats. It also ranges freely as a feral cat, avoiding human Domesticated
contact. Pet abandonment contributes to increasing of the global Scientific classification
feral cat population, which has driven the decline of bird, mammal,
Kingdom: Animalia
and reptile species. Population control includes spaying and
neutering. Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Etymology and naming
Family: Felidae
The origin of the English word cat, Old English catt, is thought to
Genus: Felis
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 Species: F. catus[1]
unidentified African language.[5] The Nubian word kaddîska Binomial name
'wildcat' and Nobiin kadīs are possible sources or cognates.[6]
Felis catus[1]
The forms might also have derived from an ancient Germanic word Linnaeus, 1758[2]
that was absorbed into Latin and then into Greek, Syriac, and Synonyms
Arabic.[7] The word may be derived from Germanic and Northern
European languages, and ultimately be borrowed from Uralic, cf. Catus domesticus Erxleben, 1777[3]

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Northern Sámi gáđfi 'female stoat', and Hungarian hölgy 'lady, F. angorensis Gmelin, 1788
female stoat'; from Proto-Uralic *käďwä 'female (of a furred
F. vulgaris Fischer, 1829
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 is unknown, but it may be an
onomatopoeia from using a sound to attract a cat.[9][10]

A male cat is called a tom, tommy or tomcat[11] (or a gib,[12] if neutered). A female is called a queen (or sometimes
a molly,[13] if spayed).[14] Some sources write that queen refers solely to unspayed cats that are in an estrous
cycle.[15] A juvenile cat is referred to as a kitten (shortened to kitty in British English[16]), a term interchangeable
with the now-obsolete word catling in Early Modern English.[17] A group of cats can be referred to as a clowder, a
glaring,[18] or a colony.[19]

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.[20][21]

In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature conserved the name silvestris Erxleben 1777
for the wildcat, but did not suppress catus Linnaeus 1758.[22][23] In 2007, the modern domesticated subspecies F.
silvestris catus was sampled worldwide and considered to have probably descended from the African wildcat (F.
lybica), following results of phylogenetic research.[24][25][a] In 2017, the IUCN Cat Classification Taskforce,
following the recommendation of Gentry et al. (2004)[23] that names based on domestic forms be used for
domestic derivatives of wild species, regarded the domestic cat as a distinct species, Felis catus.[26]

Evolution
The domestic cat is a member of the Felidae, a family that has a
common ancestor from about 10 to 15 million years ago.[27] The
evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia during the Miocene
around 8.38 to 14.45 million years ago.[28] Analysis of mitochondrial
DNA of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at
6.46 to 16.76 million years ago.[29] The genus Felis genetically
diverged from other Felidae around 6 to 7 million years ago.[28]
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.[30] The domestic cat
and its closest wild ancestor are diploid and both possess 38
chromosomes[31] and roughly 20,000 genes.[32]

Phylogenetic relationships of the domestic cat as derived

through analysis of Skulls of a wildcat (top left), a housecat
(top right), and a hybrid between the two
nuclear DNA:[28][29] (bottom center)

⁠Felidae ⁠ Pantherinae
⁠

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⁠ other Felinae lineages

⁠
⁠ Jungle cat (F. chaus)
⁠
⁠ Black-footed cat (F. nigripes)
⁠
⁠ Sand cat (F. margarita)
⁠ ⁠
⁠Felinae ⁠ Chinese mountain cat (F. bi
⁠ ⁠Felis ⁠ ⁠
⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ African wildcat (F. lybica)
⁠ ⁠ ⁠
⁠ ⁠ ⁠
European wildcat (F. silvest
⁠ ⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠
Domestic cat
⁠

mitochondrial DNA:[33]

⁠ Sand cat (F. margarita)

⁠
⁠ Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti)
⁠
⁠ European wildcat (F. silvestris)
⁠
⁠ Southern African wildcat (F. l. cafra)
⁠Felis
⁠
⁠ ⁠
⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Asiatic wildcat (F. l. ornata)
⁠ ⁠ ⁠African wildcat ⁠
⁠ Near Eastern wildcat
⁠ ⁠ ⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠ Domestic cat
⁠

Domestication
It was long thought that the domestication of the cat began in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from
around 3100 BCE.[34][35] 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
BCE. 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.[36] 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

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relationship between early farmers and tamed cats lasted thousands of

years. As agricultural practices spread, so did tame and domesticated
cats.[33][37] Wildcats of Egypt contributed to the maternal gene pool of
the domestic cat at a later time.[38]

The earliest known evidence for the occurrence of the domestic cat in
Greece dates to around 1200 BCE. Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian
and Etruscan traders introduced it to southern Europe.[39] By the 5th
century BCE, it was a familiar animal around settlements in Magna
Graecia and Etruria.[40] During the Roman Empire, it was introduced
to Corsica and Sardinia.[41] 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.[38]

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was tamed independently A cat eats a fish under a chair, in a mural
in an Egyptian tomb dating to the 15th
in China around 5500 BCE. This line of a partially domesticated cat
century BCE.
left no trace in the domestic cat populations of today.[42]

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. Their rigorous grooming habits and
instinct to bury their bodily waste make them generally much less messy than other domesticated animals. Captive
Leopardus cats may also display affectionate behavior toward humans but are not domesticated.[43] House cats
may mate with feral cats.[44]

The development of cat breeds started in the mid 19th century.[45] 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.[46] 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.[47] Hybridization between domestic and other Felinae species is also
possible, producing hybrids such as the Kellas cat in Scotland.[48][49]

Characteristics

Size
The domestic cat has a smaller skull and shorter bones
than the European wildcat.[50] 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.[51] Adult domestic cats
typically weigh 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb).[30]

Diagram of the general anatomy of a male domestic cat

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).[52]: 11 The extra lumbar

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and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the
shoulder, and the pelvis.[52]: 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.[53]

Skull
The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large eye sockets and a
powerful specialized jaw.[54]: 35 Two long canine teeth for killing and tearing prey
can stab between two of the prey's vertebrae and sever its spinal cord, causing
paralysis and death.[55] 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.[55]
Cat skull
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, because cats' small molars cannot chew food effectively, and cats are largely incapable
of mastication.[54]: 37 Cats tend to have better dental health 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.[56]

Claws
Cats have protractible and retractable claws.[57] 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.[58] Cats can voluntarily extend their claws, such as in
hunting, fighting, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Cats
shed the outside layer of their claw sheaths when scratching rough surfaces.[59]
Cat's claw
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").[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 that alternates both legs together on each 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 perching in high places. This may be a concealed hunting site such as a tree branch, for
domestic cats to pounce upon prey. They favor a superior observation point over territory. A cat falling from up to
3 m (9.8 ft) can right itself and land on its paws.[63]

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During a lofty fall, a cat reflexively twists 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, and it has enough time in falls of at least 90 cm (3.0 ft).[65]
This has been investigated as the "falling cat problem".[66]

Coats
The cat family (Felidae) can pass
A cat is perched on a tree branch, having
down many colors and patterns to climbed up for exploration, escape, or
their offspring. The domestic cat hunting.
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]

Mother cat with her different-

colored offspring Senses

Vision
Cats have excellent night vision and can see at one sixth the light level required
for human vision.[54]: 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 have a
A cat's nictitating membrane
nictitating membrane, allowing them to blink without hindering their vision.
is exposed as it blinks.

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, compared to about 9 octaves for humans and dogs.[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, including ultrasonic calls from rodent prey.[77][78] Research has
shown that cats have socio-spatial cognitive abilities to create mental maps of familiar people's locations based on
hearing their voices.[79]

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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, which they can detect 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 about 470 taste buds, 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] But they do have taste bud receptors specialized for acids, amino acids
such as the constituents of protein, and bitter tastes.[88]

Cats' taste buds possess the receptors needed to detect umami. However, these receptors contain molecular
changes that make them taste umami differently from humans. In humans, they detect the amino acids glutamic
acid and aspartic acid; but in cats, they instead detect inosine monophosphate and histidine.[89] These molecules
are particularly enriched in tuna.[89] Researchers argue why cats find tuna so palatable: "the specific combination
of the high IMP and free histidine contents of tuna, which produces a strong umami taste synergy that is highly
preferred by cats."[89] One researcher said, "I think umami is as important for cats as sweet is for humans."[90]

Cats distinctly prefer food temperature around 38 °C (100 °F), similar to a fresh kill. Some cats reject cold food,
which would signal to the cat that the prey 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 trigger protective blink reflexes to protect the eyes
from damage.[54]: 47

Behavior The whiskers of a cat are highly sensitive

to touch.
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 they can range a radius of many hundreds of meters. 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 to 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. Short

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periods of rapid eye movement sleep are often accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests they are
dreaming.[95]

Behavioral and personality traits depend on a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors.
Scientific evidence is mixed about the popular belief that those traits are linked to coat colors.[96][97][98]

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.[99][100] Within such groups, one cat is usually
dominant over the others.[101] 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. Because
cats do not have a social survival strategy or herd behavior, they always hunt alone.[102]

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.[103] Adult cats live 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.[104] Some pet cats are
poorly socialized. In particular, older cats may show aggressiveness Two kittens lying side by side, an
toward newly arrived kittens, which includes biting and scratching; instinctive behavior that offers both
this type of behavior is known as feline asocial aggression.[105] comfort and protection

Redirected aggression is a common form of aggression that can occur

in multiple cat households. In redirected aggression, a cat is usually agitated by a stimulus such as a sight, sound,
or other trigger that causes heightened anxiety or arousal; if the cat cannot attack the original stimulus, it may
redirect its aggression toward the nearest cat, pet, human, or other being.[106][107]

Domestic cats' scent rubbing behavior toward humans or other cats is thought to be a feline means of social
bonding.[108]

Communication
Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication,
including purring, trilling, hissing, growling/snarling, grunting,
and several different forms of meowing.[109] 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 Vocalizing domestic cat
individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate
ones.[110] Feral cats are generally silent.[111]: 208 Nose-to-nose

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touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by

social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising A meow
and tilting its head.[99] 0:02

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.[112] Post-nursing cats also often purr as a sign
of contentment: when being petted, becoming relaxed,[113][114] 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.[112] Some cats have been observed to purr
continuously when chronically ill or in apparent pain.[115]

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).[112][116][117]

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.[118] 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.[119][120]

Grooming
Cats are known for spending considerable amounts of time licking their coats to
keep them clean.[121][122] The cat's tongue has backward-facing spines about 0.5
millimeter long, called lingual papillae, which contain keratin making them
rigid.[123] The papillae act like a hairbrush, and some cats, particularly long-
haired cats, occasionally regurgitate sausage-shaped 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long
hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming. Hairballs
Cat tongue can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair through the gut,
and regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.[121]

Cat intelligence
Cat intelligence refers to a cat's ability to solve problems, adapt to its environment, learn new behaviors, and
communicate its needs. Structurally, a cat's brain shares similarities with the human brain,[124] containing around
250 million neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for complex processing.[125] Cats display
neuroplasticity allowing their brains to reorganize based on experiences. They have well-developed memory
retaining information for a decade or longer. These memories are often intertwined with emotions, allowing cats to
recall both positive and negative experiences associated with specific places.[126] While they excel in
observational learning and problem-solving, studies conclude that they struggle with understanding cause-and-
effect relationships in the same way that humans do.[127]

Cat intelligence study is mostly from consideration of the domesticated cat. Living in urban environments has
exposed them to challenges that require adaptive behaviors, contributing to cognitive development.[128] Selective
breeding and genetic changes have further influenced their intelligence.[129][130] Kittens learn essential survival
skills by observing their mothers, while adult cats refine their abilities through trial and error.

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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.[131] 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.[132]

Cats also tend to play with toys more when they are hungry.[133]
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.[134] 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.[135]

Hunting and feeding

0:23
The shape and structure of cats' cheeks is insufficient to allow them to
take in liquids using suction. Lapping at a rate of four times a second, A cat uses problem-solving skills to open
the cat touches the smooth tip of its tongue to the surface of the water, a door.
and quickly retracts it like a corkscrew, drawing water upward into
their mouths.[136][137]

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
Kittens aged 14 weeks use fighting as a
unpleasant in the past.[102][138] It is also a common misconception that
form of play.
all cats like milk or 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.[139] 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.[140]

Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents,[141] and are often
used as a form of pest control.[142][143] Other common small creatures,
such as lizards and snakes, may also become prey.[144] Cats use two
hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush
until an animal comes close enough to be captured.[145] The strategy
used depends on available prey, with cats waiting in ambush outside
burrows, but tending to actively stalk birds.[146]: 153 Domestic cats are A deermouse is the prey of this domestic
a major predator of wildlife in the United States, killing an estimated cat.
1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.[147]

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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.[148] In the recovery of ringed robins (Erithacus rubecula) and dunnocks
(Prunella modularis) in Britain, 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.[149] 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.[150]

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.[151] 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".[152] This hypothesis is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey, though
males have negligible involvement in raising kittens.[146]: 153

Fighting
Domestic males are more likely to fight than females.[153] The most
common reason for feral cat fighting is competition between two
males to mate with a female, and most fights are won by the heavier
male.[154] Another common reason for fighting in domestic cats is the
difficulty of establishing territories within a small home.[153] Female
cats also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Neutering
decreases or eliminates this behavior in many cases, suggesting that
the behavior is linked to sex hormones.[155]

When cats become aggressive, they try to appear larger and more
This domestic cat hisses and arches its
threatening by raising their fur, arching their backs, turning sideways,
[156] back.
hissing, or spitting. 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, slapping the face and body with the forepaws, and
bites. Cats throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their hind
legs.[157]

Serious damage is rare, because the fights are usually short, with the loser fleeing with scratches to the face and
ears. More severe fights for mating rights may give deep punctures and lacerations. Normally, serious injuries
from fighting are limited to infections from scratches and bites. Bites are probably the main route of transmission
of the feline immunodeficiency virus.[158] Sexually active males are usually involved in many fights and have
battered faces.[159] Cats are willing to threaten animals larger than them to defend their territory, such as dogs and
foxes.[160]

Reproduction
The cat secretes and perceives pheromones.[161] 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[162] in northern temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions.[163]

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 (0.04 in) long; upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines may provide the
female with increased sexual stimulation, which acts to induce ovulation.[164]

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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.[165] Because ovulation is not always triggered by a
single mating, females may not be impregnated by the first male with
which they mate.[166] 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.[165]
When cats mate, the tomcat (male) bites
the scruff of the female's neck as she
The morula forms 124 hours after conception. At 148 hours, early
assumes a position conducive to mating
blastocysts form. At 10–12 days, implantation occurs.[167] The known as lordosis behavior.
gestation of queens lasts between 64 and 67 days, with an average of
65 days.[162][168]

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.[169] 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.[165] Kittens
reach puberty at the age of 9–10 months.[162]

Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks of age, when they are
ready to leave their mother.[170] They can be surgically sterilized (spayed or
castrated) as early as seven weeks to limit unwanted reproduction.[171] This
surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as aggression, In this radiography of a
territory marking (spraying urine) in males, and yowling (calling) in females. pregnant cat, the skeletons of
two fetuses are on the left and
Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age,
right of the uterus.
but it is increasingly being performed before puberty, at about three to six
months.[172] In the United States, about 80% of household cats are
neutered.[173]

Lifespan and health

The average lifespan of pet cats has risen in recent decades. In the
early 1980s, it was about 7 years,[174]: 33 [175] rising to 9.4 years in
1995[174]: 33 and an average of about 13 years as of 2014 and
2023.[176][177]
Two 17-day-old kittens
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.[174]: 35 Having a cat neutered confers some health benefits, such as a greater life
expectancy and a decreased incidence of reproductive neoplasia.[178] However, neutering decreases
metabolism[179][180][181] and increases food intake,[181][182] both of which can cause obesity in neutered cats.[183]
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.[184]

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Disease
About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been identified in cats; many are similar to human inborn errors of
metabolism.[185] 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.[186][187] 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.[188]

Cat care and welfare

It has been found that cat owners' knowledge affects how they care for their cats. For example, people with greater
knowledge about cats are less likely to use positive punishment (i.e., causing an unpleasant stimulus to the
cat).[189]

Accidental poisoning in cats is common and can result from several sources: plants that are toxic to cats,
medications not intended for cats, foods unsuitable for cats, and household substances such as pesticides and paint
thinners.[190] Plants toxic to cats include lilies, Tulip, and Philodendron. Medication poisoning occurs when cats
ingest drugs intended for human use but toxic to cats, such as acetaminophen and aspirin, as well as vitamin
capsules formulated for humans or certain flea treatments designed for dogs (cats should be kept away from a dog
treated with these products for 24 hours). Foods dangerous to cats include grapes, onions, garlic, and
chocolate.[190]

Many professional organizations have published guidelines for the proper and safe care of cats. The American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has published a general guide emphasizing proper cat
care.[191] The guide covers appropriate nutrition, fresh and clean water changed daily, routine grooming including
brushing the coat, regular and odor-free litter box maintenance, and regular veterinary care, recommending that
cats undergo a routine veterinary check-up at least once a year. In addition to the general guide, there are specific
guides for proper grooming,[192] common feline diseases,[193] and behavioral issues.[194]

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society of Feline Medicine
(ISFM) released a guide on the environmental needs of cats.[195] The guide focuses on five main aspects:
providing a safe private space for the cat (e.g., a cardboard box on its side, placed in a high location, and in
sufficient numbers if multiple cats are present); offering multiple environmental resources (several feeding
stations, resting areas and litter boxes, and separating food from water); opportunities for play and activities that
simulate hunting behavior (using appropriate toys and puzzle feeders); positive, consistent, and predictable social
interaction (acclimating the cat to frequent contact from an early age, speaking softly, and avoiding forced
contact); and an environment that allows the cat to use its sense of smell normally (providing scratching posts and
other items where it can leave its scent, and avoiding strong odors throughout the home).

Various professional organizations have emphasized the importance of environmental enrichment for cats,[195] and
some studies have raised concerns that many cat owners do not provide sufficient environmental enrichment. In an
online survey of cat owners, only about half of the respondents reported playing with their cats daily.[189]

Between 50% and 90% of cats will experience dental or gum problems, but these can be prevented by maintaining
the cat's oral hygiene using products specifically designed for cats (products not intended for cats can be toxic to
them).[196][197]

In addition to guides for cat owners, guidelines have also been published for veterinarians and caregivers to
improve the welfare of cats under their care. The AAFP and ISFM have issued recommendations for cat-friendly
interactions in veterinary clinics.[198]

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Ecology

Habitats
The domestic cat is a cosmopolitan species and occurs across much of
the world.[47] It is adaptable and now present on all continents except
Antarctica, and on 118 of the 131 main groups of islands, even on the
remote Kerguelen Islands.[199][200] Due to its ability to thrive in almost
any terrestrial habitat, it is among the world's most invasive
species.[201] It lives on small islands with no human inhabitants.[202]
Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas,
agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas, and wetlands.[203]
A Siamese cat living among the yurts of
The unwantedness that leads to the domestic cat being treated as an shepherds in the Altai Mountains, Russia
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.[204][48] However, its introduction to places where no native felines are
present also contributes to the decline of native species.[205]

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.[206] The numbers of feral cats are not known, but estimates of the
United States feral population range from 25 to 60 million.[206] Feral cats may
live alone, but most are in large colonies, which occupy a specific territory and
are usually associated with a source of food.[207] Famous feral cat colonies are
in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, some being fed and
given medical attention by volunteers.[208]

Public attitudes toward feral cats vary widely, from seeing them as free-ranging
pets to regarding them as vermin.[209]
Feral farm cat

Impact on wildlife
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,[149] and the New Zealand merganser[210] 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.[211][212] One feral cat in New Zealand killed 102 New Zealand lesser short-tailed
bats in seven days.[213] In the United States, feral and free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 6.3–22.3 billion
mammals annually.[147]

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.[214] Cats have contributed to the extinction of the Navassa curly-tailed lizard
and Chioninia coctei.[205]

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Interaction with humans

Cats are common pets throughout the world, and their worldwide
population as of 2007 exceeded 500 million.[215] As of 2024, the
domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States,
with 73.8 million cats owned and around 42.2 million households
owning at least one cat.[216][217] In the United Kingdom, 26% of
adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats
as of 2020.[218] As of 2021, there were an estimated 220 million
owned and 480 million stray cats in the world.[219] Cats kill billions of wild birds each year.
This feral cat near Brisbane has caught a
Cats have been used for millennia to control rodents, notably around Pale-headed rosella.
grain stores and aboard ships, and both uses extend to the present
day.[220][221] Cats are also used in the international fur trade[222] and
leather industries for making coats, hats, blankets, stuffed toys,[223] shoes,
gloves, and musical instruments.[224] About 24 cats are needed to make a
cat-fur coat.[225] This use has been outlawed in the United States since
2000 and in the European Union (as well as the United Kingdom) since
2007.[226]

Cat pelts have been used for superstitious purposes as part of the practice
of witchcraft,[227] and they are still made into blankets in Switzerland as
traditional medicines thought to cure rheumatism.[228]

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[229]) and over the A cat lying on a man's lap
Internet.[230][231] General estimates for the global population of domestic
cats range widely from anywhere between 200 million to
600 million.[232][233][234][235][236] 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.[237]

Pet humanization is a form of anthropomorphism in which cats are kept for companionship and treated more like
human family members than traditional pets.[238] 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.[239]

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.[240] It is often required that a cat must be
healthy and vaccinated to participate in a cat show.[240] 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.[240]

Infection
Cats can be infected or infested with viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungus, protozoans, arthropods or worms that
can transmit diseases to humans; infections of most concern include salmonella, cat-scratch disease, and
toxoplasmosis.[241] In some cases, the cat exhibits no symptoms of the disease.[242] The same disease can then

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become evident in a human.[243]

The likelihood that a person will become diseased depends on the age and
immune status of the person. Others might also acquire infections from cat feces and parasites exiting the cat's
body.[241][244]

History and mythology

In ancient Egypt, cats were revered. The goddess Bastet was 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 The ancient Egyptians
wildcats.[246] mummified dead cats out of
respect in the same way that
Ancient Greeks and Romans kept weasels as pets, which were seen as the they mummified people.[245]
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
An ancient Roman mosaic
forms, the goddess Diana turns into a cat.[247][248]
depicts a cat killing a partridge
from the House of the Faun in
Cats eventually displaced weasels as the pest control of choice because they
Pompeii.
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.[249] 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
A 19th-century drawing of a
to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.[39] tabby cat

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.[250] In Norse mythology, Freyja, the goddess of love, beauty, and
fertility, is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats.[251] 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 Some cultures superstitiously
an oath they had made which resulted in enmity between the descendants of attribute good or bad luck to
these two animals. It is also written that neither cats nor foxes are represented black cats.
in the water, while every other animal has an incarnation species in the
water.[252] Although no species are sacred in Islam, cats are revered by
Muslims. Some Western writers have stated Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza.[253] He is reported to have
loved cats so much, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".[254] The story
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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.[255] One of the companions of Muhammad was known as Abu Hurayrah ("father of the kitten"),
in reference to his documented affection to cats.[256]

Superstitions and rituals

Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. For example,
that encountering a black cat ("crossing one's path")[257] 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).[258]

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,[259][260] while in Arabic traditions, the
number of lives is six.[261] An early mention of the myth is in John
Heywood's The Proverbs of John Heywood (1546):[262]

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. The Love Potion is a 1903 painting by
No wife, a woman hath nine lives like a cat. Evelyn De Morgan depicting a witch with
a black cat.

The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats

exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.[263] Falling cats often land on their feet, using an instinctive righting
reflex to twist their bodies around.[264]

See also
Aging in cats
Cats portal
Ailurophobia
Animal testing on cats Mammals portal
Cancer in cats
Animals portal
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
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Cat–dog relationship List of fictional felines

Dog List of feline diseases
Dried cat Neko-dera
Feral cats in Istanbul Perlorian
List of cat breeds Pet door
List of cat documentaries, television series and Pet first aid
cartoons Popular cat names
List of individual cats

Notes
a. 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 Domestic cats at Wikimedia Commons
Animal Care at Wikibooks
Quotations related to Cat at Wikiquote
"Cat, Domestic, The" ([Link]
mestic,_The). Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.

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Biodiversity Heritage Library bibliography ([Link] for

Felis catus
View the cat genome ([Link] in Ensembl
High-resolution images of the cat's brain ([Link]
[Link]/[Link]?p=speciesdata&species=felis-catus)
Scientific American. "The Origin of the Cat ([Link]
carbonic+oxide)". 1881. p. 120.

Retrieved from "[Link]

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