"Cat: Our puurfect feline companion"

 "Introduction" 

Cat or (Felis catus) also called house cat or domestic cat, domesticated member of the family Felidae, order Carnivora, and the smallest member of that family. They are one of the cutest pets and notorious at the same time. They are super lazy but also become super active if needed. Besides, cats possess other features like being carnivorous, powerful, and finely coordinated in movement.

"Features"

In Felidae family, there are more than 30 animals and cats are the smallest ones. Others are Leopard, Lion, Tiger, Puma, Cheetah, Panthers etc. A cat is a carnivorous animal that loves milk and fish, meat, mice, rice, milk, and other vegetative foods in addition to these animal foods.

One of the mentionable feature of a cat is they possesses strong hearing and smelling capability. The cat’s sense of smell, particularly well developed and is crucial to its evaluation of food. Cats can distinguish the odor of nitrogenous substances keenly. Cats also have an acute sense of hearing. Their ears contain almost 30 muscles as a result, they can turn them many times more quickly in the direction of a sound than can a dog.

https://www.britannica.com/animal/cat/General-features-and-special-adaptations

Cats are generally nocturnal in habit. The retina of the cat’s eye is made extra sensitive to light by a layer of guanine, which causes the eye to shine at night in a strong light. The eyes themselves, large with pupils that expand or contract to mere slits according to the density of light, do not distinguish colors clearly. The appearance of a third eyelid, commonly called the haw is used frequently as an indicator of the cat’s general state of health.

Tapetum lucidum

"The tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer behind the retina, increases the amount of light for night vision in many nocturnal vertebrates. It reflects light outward and thereby allows a second chance for visual pigments to absorb very low-intensity light."

"Origin of cats"

The origin and history of cats established very early in the evolution of modern mammals. They first appeared in the early Pliocene Epoch (5.3 to 3.6 million years ago) and they have continued with remarkably little change into modern times.

Domestication:

Although the origin of the domesticated cat is hidden in ancient time, studies shows that there have been two lineages of Felis catus. One lineage appeared in Asia Minor possibly 6,400 years ago and moved towards northward and westward into Europe. The other lineage appeared in Egypt sometime between 6,400 and 1,000 years ago before spreading throughout the Mediterranean.

Ancestors of the domestic cat

The earliest known connection between cats and humans dates in the Middle East, about 9,500 years ago. A cat skeleton to that time was discovered in southern Cyprus. Moreover, fossil evidence found in China approximately 5,300 years ago revealed that cats that are similar in size to modern domestic cats fed on small grain-eating animals.


Although research suggests that these cats were actually leopard cats which were replaced by modern domestic cats before 3000 BCE, this discovery suggests that humans allowed cats to hunt mice and other species that threatened grain stores.

Limestone ostracon depicting a cat, a boy, and a mouse magistrate

"Types of cats"

Cats are classified into three types based on where and how they live.

Domestic Pets: These are the cats that are kept by a person or a family. Their owners meet the majority of their requirements.

Stray Cats: These are cats that are found in and around cities, towns, and rural areas. They rely on certain human-provided resources but they are not owned rather seen roaming around different area.

Feral Cats: These are the cats that live, breed and survive in the wild by hunting. People do not purposefully meet any of their requirement rather responsible for meeting their own requirements.

"Breeds of cat"

Although all cats look alike, there are more than 70 breeds of a cat. Persian, Siamese, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Bengal, British Shorthair, Sphynx, Burmese, American Shorthair, and Scottish Flood are some of the breeds of cat.

Common Breed of Cat: By far the most prevalent and popular breed of cat, the Domestic Shorthair is the most common breed of cat. They have existed since at least 2000 BC and appear in various forms, sizes, and colors.

Rarest Cat: The Sokoke Cat is the rarest domestic cat breed in the world, according to the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). Originating from the forests of Sokoke in eastern Kenya, these cats were previously considered a hybrid breed of a cross between wild cats.

 

Least popular: Black cats seem to be the most common coat color and sadly also the least desirable at adoption time. In fact, black cats are half as likely to find a home than a cat of another color.

 

Friendliest Cat: The Maine coon, nicknamed "America's cat," sits at the top of the friendliest cat breeds.

 

Expensive Cat in the world: The Ashera cat is considered the most expensive cat breed in the world, with prices reaching up to $100,000 or more. This is due to its rarity and the fact that it is a hybrid breed, created by breeding an African serval, an Asian leopard cat, and a domestic house cat.

The most unique cat: This bald feline is easily one of the most unique-looking breeds in the world. The result of a genetic mutation, the Sphynx’s hairless body feels like a soft peach to the touch with tall ears, wrinkles and round belly.

"Facts about cat"

Some amazing facts that you need to know about cats:

• A cat sleeps up to 12 to 20 hours a day and spends 70% of their life sleeping.
• There is a cat with a tag of 'world's richest cat' and its name is Blackie with a net worth of 12.5 million dollars.
• The record for the longest cat ever is of 48.5 inches.
• It was 1963 when a cat went to space for the first time.
• A cat can easily hear the sound of 500 Hz to 32 kHz and can also detect a higher range of 55 Hz to 79,000 Hz.
• Cats don’t have sweet taste buds and it is very tough for them to detect a sweet taste.
• Although a cat looks so small it has 250 bones.
• International Cat day is celebrated every year on 8th August.
• A cat can live up to 16 years.
• The ancient Egyptians worshipped cat in the form of a half-feline goddess named Bastet.

"Conclusion"

There is a common saying that "A dog is man's best friend." Cats can be best friends too! That quote may contain some truth but dogs are not the only animal friend whose companionship people enjoy. For many people, a cat is their best friend. Despite what dog lovers may believe, cats make excellent house pets because they are good companions, friendly, civilized members of the household, reduce the feeling of isolation, loneliness and easy to own.