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2012-01-16 14:46:34 UTC
Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids, with strong, flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. As crepuscular predators, cats use their acute hearing and ability to see in near darkness to locate prey. Not only can cats hear sounds too faint for human ears, they can also hear sounds higher in frequency than humans can perceive. This is because the usual prey of cats (particularly rodents such as mice) make high frequency noises, so the hearing of the cat has evolved to pinpoint these faint high-pitched sounds. Cats also have a much better sense of smell than humans.
Despite being solitary hunters, cats are a social species, and cat communication includes the use of a variety of vocalizations (meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling and grunting) as well as pheromones and types of cat-specific body language.[9]
Cats have a rapid breeding rate. Under controlled breeding, they can be bred and shown as registered pedigree pets, a hobby known as cat fancy. Failure to control the breeding of pet cats by spaying and neutering and the abandonment of former household pets has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide, with a population of up to 60 million of these animals in the United States alone.[10]
Since cats were cult animals in ancient Egypt, it was commonly believed to have been domesticated there.[11] In 2004, the earliest date of human association with cats was pushed back to 9,500 years ago, when a kitten that was unearthed in a child's grave in Cyprus was radiocarbon dated.[12] (Cyprus is an island devoid of any wild Felis silvestris.) A genetic study in 2007 revealed that all house cats are descended from as few as five female African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) c. 8000 BC, in the Middle East.[11]
Contents [hide]
1 Nomenclature and etymology
2 Taxonomy and evolution
3 Genetics
4 Anatomy
5 Physiology
6 Senses
7 Health
7.1 Diseases
7.2 Poisoning
8 Behavior
8.1 Sociability
8.2 Grooming
8.3 Fighting
8.4 Hunting and feeding
8.5 Play
8.6 Reproduction
9 Ecology
9.1 Habitats
9.2 Impact on prey species
9.3 Impact on birds
10 Cats and humans
10.1 Domesticated varieties
10.1.1 Coat patterns
10.1.2 Body types
10.2 Effects on human health
10.3 Indoor scratching
10.4 Waste
11 Feral cats
12 History and mythology
13 See also
14 References
15 External links
Nomenclature and etymology
The word cat derives from Old English catt, which belongs to a group of related words in European languages, including Welsh cath, Spanish gato, French chat (French pronunciation: [ʃa]),[13] Basque katu, Byzantine Greek κάτια kátia, Old Irish cat, Frisian and Dutch kat, German Katze, Lithuanian katė, Finnish Kissa, Armenian katu, and Old Church Slavonic kotka. The term puss (as in pussycat) may come from Dutch poes or from Low German Puuskatte, dialectal Swedish kattepus, or Norwegian pus, pusekatt, all of which primarily denote a woman and, by extension, a female cat.[14]
Classification based on human interaction[15]
Population Food source Shelter Socialized
Pedigree Fed by owner Human homes Yes
Pet Fed by owner Human homes Yes
Semi-feral General feeding Buildings Yes
Feral General feeding/foraging Buildings No
While wildcats are the ancestral species from which domestic cats are descended, there are several intermediate stages between domestic pet and pedigree cats and these entirely wild cats. The semi-feral cat is a cat that is not owned by any one individual, but is generally friendly to people and may be fed by several households. Feral cats are associated with human habitations and may be fed by people or forage in rubbish, but are wary of human interaction.[15]