Information about Cats

cats felis catus information about

The house cat, or domestic cat, is part of the mammal carnivore order, Felidae family. It is associated with people for over 9500 years and is best known as a domestic animal by everyone. It is very close associated to the wild European cat (Felis silvestris silvestris), as well as the African wild cat (Felis silvestris libyca), forming together a unique species: Felis silvestris. There are many breeds of cats, however they are very similar in anatomy, with a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, they can see in near darkness and have a better sense of smell than humans. Cats, despite being solitary hunters, are a social species and cat communication includes the use of a variety of vocalisations (mewing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting), as well as cat pheromones and types of cat-specific body language.

cats felis catus information about

Breeding and distribution of cats

Cats have a high breeding rate. Failure to control the breeding of pet cats by neutering and the abandonment of former household pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, requiring population control. Cats are a cosmopolitan species and are found across much of the world. Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas, and wetlands.
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. It is estimated that a number of 25 to 60 million live on the territory of US. 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. They are the pests that you should worry about.

Sometimes cats sharing the same living environment may struggle and fight as a means of demonstrating their skills. It can also be a harmless play; however, this is mostly a method through which they establish a hierarchy in a group of cats or it is a way of warning about a feline when violates a group rule. To be separated, cats should be distracted. As soon as they are parted, they should be separated into different rooms until they stop having a tendency to fight. Humans should never physically intervene in between them, because they can be scratched or seriously bitten.

Information about hunting and feeding

Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents, and are often used as a form of pest control. They can, however, become pests themselves, due to the the fact that they are known to have been responsible for the extinction of 33 species of birds around the world. In such situations, it will be imperative to learn how to prevent an infestation with cats on or around your property.
Cats use two hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush until an animal comes close enough to be captured. Domestic cats 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. They can also quickly avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant in the past. Even well-fed domestic cats may hunt and kill, mainly catching small mammals, but also birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates.
Hunting by domestic cats may be contributing to the decline in the numbers of birds in urban areas, although the importance of this effect remains controversial. Certain species appear more susceptible than others; for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality is linked to the domestic cat. Cats can also pray on rats who eat birds’ eggs, so they can indirectly protect a specie by praying an another.

Often, we see the kittens playing “hunting” games which proofs that this is instinctive. The cat has all the advantages of a good hunter, but one: running resistance. Therefore, the hunting technique used relies on stealth capability offered by coat colour, in order to create a surprise effect. Sticking to the ground without making a sound, they manage to approach the pray very closely before getting noticed. Carefully choosing the moment of their attack, the cat throws itself onto the victim and immobilises it by biting its neck.

Anatomy of cats – what you need to know

The cat skeleton is formed of 250 bones. The head, dentition wise, includes incisors, canine teeth and premolars meat, but no “flat” teeth to crush the food. These type of teeth are not needed because the cat rips the food using strong muscles of the jaws, and then swallows it without chewing. Neck vertebrae are short as the cat has a very flexible backbone. The backbone is extended by the tail vertebrae, their number varying by race. The tail has a role in balance. The cat’s paws end with “fingers” that have keratinous retractile claws, that are used in climbing and hunting. Cats need to scratch, as this process removes unnecessary layers of tissue from their claws. The stretching exercises the muscles, joints and tendons as well.
The fur is made up of several layers of hair, longer strands, shorter ones and then the fluffy layer that together with the other two offers a good isolating system for the cat’s body. Cats are known for spending considerable amounts of time licking their coat to keep it clean. Some cats, particularly longhaired cats, occasionally regurgitate hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming.

If the cat scratches the furniture in the house it means it needs a surface on which to sharpen their claws. To eliminate this problem, owners can purchase claws sharping surfaces.
Stressed or diseased cats can scratch or bite people, behaviour that can occur when the cat does not like being caressed, especially on their belly. Should they bite, the hand should not be withdrawn abruptly as cat claws or teeth cause more serious injuries if this happens.

Cats have excellent night vision and can see at only one-sixth the light level required for human vision. At low light levels a cat’s pupils will expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes. Cats have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies, as they can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans. Cats can hear ultrasound, which is important in hunting because many species of rodents make ultrasonic calls. However, they do not communicate using ultrasound like rodents do. Cats have an acute sense of smell, as they also respond strongly to plants that contain nepetalactone, especially catnip, as they can detect that substance at less than one part per billion, with about 70-80% of cats are affected by nepetalactone.

Communication and behaviour of cats

Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing. By contrast, feral cats are generally silent. Their types of body language, including position of ears and tail, relaxation of the whole body, and kneading of the paws, are all indicators of mood.
Outdoor cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night. The timing of cats’ activity is quite flexible and varied, which means house cats may be more active in the morning and evening, as a response to greater human activity at these times. 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.

The most common reasons for cats being disliked by people are the allergic reactions to allergens such as cat saliva and hair. However, this problem can be treated with drugs against allergies and by washing cats frequently (weekly bathing removes 90% of wear cat allergens in their environment).

Relationship between cats and humans

Cats are common pets throughout the world, and their worldwide population exceeds 500 million. As well as being kept as pets, cats are revered by Muslims. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals, with the goddess Bastet often depicted in cat form. Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. An example would be the belief that a black cat “crossing one’s path” leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches’ familiars used to augment a witch’s powers and skills.

According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives. The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations. Also a strong point of the 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.

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