The Domestic House Cat
The CAT, also known as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small carnivorous mammal that is reared and kept for its companionship. Cats have been associated with humans for at least 9500 years, and currently the most popular pet in the world. Due in part to their close association with humans, cats are now found everywhere.
Classification of cats:
The great roaring cats, the LION, TIGER, and the LEOPARD, there are anatomically similar to another and constitute genus PANT ERA, which CHEETAH acinomyx are big cats. The jaguar and snow leopard do not roar. The medium size and small cats are classified by different zoologist in varying number of genera.PUMA (or cougar), the LYNKS (including bobcat), the OCELOT, the JAGUARANDI, the SERVAL, these are the single genus felis, despite the great variation. Among these cats are small species described by the name cat or wild cat such as golden cat and European cat as well as domestic cat.
The small cats are generally ticked, striped or spotted, many of them interbreed with the domestic cat, and some can be tamed if they caught young. Domestic cats have been greatly valued as destroyers of vermin, as well as for thier ornamental qualities. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CATS, which spread in Europe in historic times was retriever in hunting, as well as for catching rats and mice. Domestic cats can and does interbreed with five subspecies of wild cat. Beside the common house cat with its natural variation,includes and recognize breed with characteristics maintained by the breeder and fanciers through selective mating. Breeds are established when particular traits breed true for several generation.
Cats are the most exclusive flesh eaters and the most highly adopted for hunting and devouring their prey. All cats have rounded heads, short muzzle, large eye, sensitive whiskers, about the mouth, and erect pointed ears, wide jaws equipped with long canine teeth and strong molars with sharp cutting edges, tongues are coated with sharp recurred projection called papillae that aid and drinking and grooming. It has five toes on the forefeet and four on the hind feet. The fifth toe is set as high on the forefoot and does not touch the ground during walking, but it is used in grooming and capturing prey. The end of toes bear strong, sharp, curved claws.
All cats, with the exception of the lynx, have long tails to use for balance, the internal systems are extremely flexible, allowing cats to arch and twist their bodies in a variety ways. Most cats have good vision and are able to see well in dim light. Cats though their color vision is weak, their sense of hearing is excellent and can detect frequencies up to 40,000 hz or higher. The sense of smell is not as highly developed as it is in dogs.