Everything you need to know about Cats

Domestic cats are related to wild cats, such as lions and tigers, and they are able to fend well for themselves. They are excellent hunters, and their eyes, ears, nose, and whiskers are well adapted for their natural preference for hunting at night. Cats are affectionate and respond well to humans. They are domesticated about 4,000 years ago to keep people company and destroy pests.

There are more than 100 recognized breeds of domestic cats. They are distinguished mainly by their body shape. People started to breed cats for their looks between 100 and 150 years ago.

 

Types of Cats

Fur

Cats can be divided into long haired and short haired breeds. Fur is of various textures. Common coat colors are grey-blue, white, red, and mixtures of these, such as silver and lilac.

Fur Texture

Head shapes

Cat head shapes range from large and round, like that of the British short-hair, to wedge-shaped, like that of the Siamese. Some breeds have special characteristics, such as the Scottish fold, which has the tip of its ears bent forward.

Claws

Cats use their claws to defend themselves and to climb. At other times, the claws are drawn in, or retracted, for protection. They are covered by a bony sheath that is an extension of the last bone of each toe and fit inside pockets in the skin.

Claws working mechanism

Senses

Cats can see well in low light and can focus on small objects a long way away. Their super sensitive hearing picks up sounds that we cannot hear and can also take in two sounds at once, such as mouse in a thunderstorm. Their ears are funnel-shaped to draw sounds inside the ear. Whiskers are sensitive to touch. Cats use them to feel their way in the dark, and to measure whether spaces are wide enough for them to go through. Sense of taste is important for distinguishing any food that may be harmful.

A cat’s pupils expand enormously in the dark to let in as much light as possible. A layer of cells at the back of the eyes, called the tapetum, reflects light back into the   eye which helps cats see in the dark. Cats rely more on eyesight than smell when hunting. They have the largest eyes in relation to their size of any animal.

Cat's eye cycle

Balance

A cat’s long flexible tail helps it to balance. Cats will almost always land on their feet, even when falling from a great height. They have very quick reflexes and can twist and turn their body the right way up in a fraction of a second.

A cat balancing

Grooming

Cats are very clean animals and spend at least an hour a day grooming, using their tongue as a ”comb”. The tongue has tiny hard spines, called papillae, on its surface. The licking helps to keep the fur clean and waterproof, and also spreads the cat’s scent all over its body.

A cat grooming itself

Kittens

Cats have an average of four or five kittens in a litter. Kittens love to stalk, chase, and pounce on things. This helps to make them strong, and develops the skills they will need as adults. 

A Litter