Do you really know what Cats are? Common knowledge is that it is a carnivorous animal, of mammalian reproduction, with four legs, which has lived with man for approximately 9.500 years, which came to have a preponderant position in some ancient cultures. Know here the Characteristics of the Cat.
Cat Characteristics
They have a reputation for being independent and with little attachment to their owners, but the truth is that cats are excellent pets for anyone. They can be as affectionate as dogs, but they will exhibit great differences, not only physical ones.
What are cats like?
Regarding the physical characteristics of the cat, we find ourselves with a quadrupedal mammal, which has a tail, although the Manx cat does not have one, with retractable claws and hair that covers its entire body. It has about 230 bones that allow it to have great plasticity and flexibility. Also noteworthy are their whiskers, which are actually modified hairs that have a sensitive function.
As we have said before, cats are viviparous animals, which means that they give birth to their young alive in litters. The kittens will be fed by their mothers' milk for their first few weeks of life. Their sense of hearing, smell and sight are also of great importance, which is very useful in their activity as a predatory animal.
Cat Taxonomy
We are going to start this summary about the characteristics of cats with their taxonomy, which is nothing more than their scientific classification, which places this species of living beings within the animal kingdom, according to their peculiarities that are listed below:
- Animalia Kingdom.
- Subkingdom: Eumetazoa.
- Subphylum: Vertebrata.
- Class: Mammalia.
- Subclass: Theria.
- Infraclass: Placentalia.
- Order: Carnivora.
- Suborder: Felifornia.
- Family: Felidae.
- Subfamily: Felinae.
- Gender: Happy.
- Species: Felis silvestris.
- Subspecies: Felis silvestris catus.
Origin and evolution
There are multiple characteristics of cats. These are animals that are intelligent, elegant or agile, as they have been described, which have also become terms that can be used to refer to this class of feline that has adapted to coexist with human beings and to live so long. inside their houses, as in cities, forming what has been called herds or groups.
Cats approached humans around 10.000 years ago, due to the number of rodents found in human settlements, who realized the value of cats in controlling this kind of plague. But, also, in ancient civilizations such as the Egyptian, cats became sacred animals, gods and so esteemed as to be buried with dignity.
Over the years, the relationship between cats and humans has undergone different transformations, but cats have always been able to adapt to any situation and survive. Today, cats are one of the favorite pets although, unfortunately, there are still many people who decide to throw them out.
In relation to the origin of cats as an animal species, there are many theories in their environment, so questions about how it arose and in what place still generate discussion. Mammals, carnivores and seasonal jealousy, we are going to delve into the peculiarities of cats.
There are dozens of cat breeds, which exhibit profound morphological and character differences, but all of them have behavioral traits that are typical of a predator, with high intelligence and agility. That is one of the reasons why cats are said to always land on their feet.
The domestic cat has a family relationship with the African big cats. Its closest relative is thought to be the Middle Eastern wild cat. The first recorded case of cat domestication is presumed to have occurred on the island of Cyprus in ancient times.
Food
Cats are strictly carnivorous animals. Their diet when they are in nature is based on hunting rodents, birds and lizards, although it is not uncommon for them to sometimes consume plants, it is said, to supplement their diet.
In the case of domestic cats, you can choose from many options, such as homemade food, croquettes for cats, wet or dehydrated food, but always appropriate to the stage of life in which the cat is, so you don't suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
Contrary to popular belief, in which the image of cats is attached to a bowl of milk, adult cats do not require that food. In fact, as they grow they become intolerant, because they lose the enzyme they need to be able to digest dairy products, an issue that makes milk indigestible for them.
Domestication of the Cat
Phylogenetic studies that were released in 2007, in scientific journals, say that the various breeds of cats, which are the cause of hybridization and centuries of artificial selection, have traces of the genetics of the first five wild cats that they may have been domesticated around 10.000 years ago in the Middle East.
It is believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to include cats in domestic life, as well as in religious signs, in which they enjoyed a prominent place. But, it is also likely that it was the ancient Assyrians or some predecessor culture that did it.
It is thought that the main reason why cats were domesticated in ancient times was their ability to hunt rodents that had invaded the places where human communities lived.
Cat Life Cycle
Cats are born in litters that can be made up of between 1 and 10 individuals, after a gestation period of about two months, and the newborn pups will be kept with their mother for a period of at least 30 days.
They reach sexual maturity at 4 or 5 months in the female and at 6 or 7 months in the male. The heat lasts from 4 to 7 days, but several times a year, during which the female usually meows more frequently and the males compete to acquire the right to copulate. When one of the males acquires that right, then he will have to face the female, who will resist that union until she can finally be subdued.
Nor is it usual for fertilization to occur with the first attempt. When the act of copulation is over, the female begins a grooming period in which she will be especially hostile.
Life expectancy
The life of cats is about 12 to 14 years on average, but there are studies that indicate that it is possible that females can live even two more years. In fact, sterilization and captivity increase the life expectancy of these animals, but, on the contrary, stray cats found in urban environments have a life expectancy that does not exceed two years of age, due to the difficult environment.
Cats undergo an abrupt aging period, unlike humans, and it usually lasts a year, until they die. During this time, the cat will exhibit a low energy level and will remain asleep most of the time.
Behavior and Sociability
Cats are born hunters and are a bit cantankerous, so they are not very social creatures or prefer to live in communities. They have a powerful territorial instinct and their degree of independence is very high. The latter makes them very popular as pets, which is a relevant contrast with their wild relative, whose tendency to live in a gregarious way is much more pronounced.
Their form of communication is essentially meowing and body language, although males are prone to using their urine as a way of demarcating their territory, which shows that they have a communication system based on odors, similar to the of the dogs. They are animals very sensitive to stress, which can produce aggressive and erratic behavior in them.
Cats Fur
The fur of cats is as diverse as their breeds, but in general there are two classes of breeds: those with short hair and those with long hair, both of which are considered mestizo. The percentage of cats that have pure blood on the planet does not exceed 10% of the total individuals.
Regarding its coloration, the coat can range from monochrome, through combinations of colors and various shades of tabby color, which are the so-called Roman cats. However, the existence of three or four colors in the same cat is favorable for females, while males have a tendency to be one color or two colors.
The artificial selection that has been imposed due to its domestication has given rise to the proliferation of some shades, shapes and colors of fur over others. However, analyzes have indicated that the greatest variation in color occurred in the species during the initial moments of its domestication, before the numerous races that have existed and still exist arose.
Metabolism
Cats are animals that spend a lot of energy, so they tend to sleep a lot during the day. They have a nocturnal nature, which makes them active when the sun goes down, so it is normal for them to be more active and demanding after those hours.
Breeds with short hair, in general, tend to be much more stylish and restless, while those with long hair are more serious and lethargic. In general, they have a rapid cardiac cycle, and maintain a body temperature of between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius, which is slightly higher than that of humans.
As a legacy of their completely carnivorous past, cats do not have the capacity to synthesize some of the essential fatty acids. For that reason your liver is extremely sensitive to fat, and may be less effective than a human or dog at detoxifying your bloodstream. Therefore, foods such as chocolate, with too high levels of theobromine, could be a poison for a cat.
Scientific Classification of the Cat
The scientific name of the animal that we commonly call a cat is Felis silvestris catus, based on the fact that it is a domestic subspecies of wild cats. However, the scientific literature has accepted the use of Felis silvestris for free-living cats and Felis catus for domestic cats.
Being relatives of large feline predators, cats have inherited an excellent sense of sight and hearing, as well as a slim and agile body, which has retractable fangs and claws. There is no specific nomenclature in Spanish for groups of cats as there is for dogs, which is a pack. Nor is there a term to designate cats in their breeding stage. The default terms used are colony and pup.
Most common cat diseases
Because cats have a habit of cleaning themselves by constant licking, which is absolutely practical, they tend to ingest their own hair and accumulate it inside the stomach, from where it is later regurgitated and expelled. If these hairballs were not regurgitated, they would cause an intestinal obstruction due to accumulation, and they would have to undergo surgery to remove the accumulated hair.
On the other hand, being overweight is a common problem in house cats that have little daily activity and an excess of food. It is true that these requirements often depend on the breed and size of the cat, but a healthy cat should not weigh more than 4,5 kilograms. Obesity in cats, in the same way that it occurs in humans, gives rise to diabetes mellitus, hepatic lipidosis and vascular risks.
Other common ailments of cats is toxoplasmosis, which is transmitted to humans, and is especially dangerous for health in pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis is spread by contact with the feces of an infected cat, and the cat becomes infected from other congeners or from eating infected rodents.
The best prevention method for toxoplasmosis is to get the cat used to feeding exclusively on controlled foods, and to use the appropriate tools to get rid of feces.
Finally, the transmission of the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), which is a cat variety of AIDS, is known in cats; as well as the Feline Leukemia Virus (VLF); of Rabies and numerous internal and external parasites, such as the mite that causes scabies.
The Cat in Culture
Since the cat was adopted by human civilization, it has turned out to be a mysterious animal, attractive and disturbing at the same time. For the ancient Egyptians, cats personified animals closely linked to sacred themes. In fact, the goddess Bastet, who was the goddess of the protection of the home and of everyday harmony and happiness, was personified with a feline-like head.
In the Eastern tradition, cats are thought to be guardians of wisdom, as in the Tibetan tradition, or as funeral companions in transit to the world of the dead. Cats were also linked at the time, a belief that remains to this day, with a model that symbolizes aggressive, taciturn femininity, which is observed in the feline figure of the sphinxes.
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, which dominated the West during the Middle Ages, on the contrary, cats always had a bad opinion, perhaps due to the rejection of their Eastern origin or their close link with pagan religious representations.
It was indicated that it was a vehicle for witchcraft and occultism, it was the favorite pet of alchemists and dark priests, and because of that bad propaganda they were burned alive or thrown from the top of buildings. That bad reputation earned him to be associated with bad omens, as happens with black cats, or to be attributed that they have seven or nine lives, which is still a popular saying.
Classification of Cat Breeds
Although it is known that there are more than 50 different breeds of cats, the best known can be classified into four classes, based on their morphology and appearance:
- Short hair, not very long and voluminous body. For example the Persian or the Himalayan.
- semi-long hair It is very numerous. Like the Turkish Angora or the Maine Coon.
- Short hair. It is the most common of all, it covers 18 different breeds, such as the European, the Russian Blue or the Sphynx.
- Eastern type. They are slender and muscular cats, like the Siamese.
Curiosities of the Cats
One of the most particular characteristics of male cats is that their penis has spicules. The reason for these structures is that at the end of copulation, the cat requires a stimulus for ovulation to occur. The spicules of the penis, going against the grain, produce this stimulus.
Another curiosity about the anatomy of cats is the tricolor coat, which only occurs in females, since the red color is associated with the X chromosome. In addition, cats became revered animals in some cultures, implementing punishments for that person who dared to harm them.
Since they were associated with pagan celebrations, they came to be associated with demonic activities and witchcraft as well. Thus, in many places, black cats were associated with bad luck.
Cats are said to have seven lives, a number considered lucky, and cats always land on their feet. Although this last statement is not entirely true, what really happens, and that is another curiosity, is that cats have the ability to straighten their body to fall well when they are thrown from above.
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