All About of Cats and kittens.
The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines and felids, is a small predatory carnivorous species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes and scorpions. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.Cats may be the most popular pet in the world, with over 600 million in homes all over the world.They are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "cat fancy".Until recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal.However a 2007 study found that the lines of descent of all house cats probably run through as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) circa 8000 BC, in the Near East.
Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5–16 pounds); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon, can exceed 11.3 kilograms (24.9 lb). Some have been known to reach up to 23 kilograms (51 lb) due to overfeeding. Conversely, very small cats (less than 1.8 kilograms (4.0 lb)) have been reported.The largest cat ever was officially reported to have weighed in at about 21.297 kilograms (46.952 lb) (46 lb 15.25 oz).The smallest cat ever officially recorded weighed around 3lbs (1.36 kg).Cats have highly specialized teeth for the killing of prey and the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canids, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin which also assist in their grooming.As facilitated by their oral structure, cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting.
Thirty-two individual muscles in each ear allow for a manner of directional hearing:a cat can move each ear independently of the other. Because of this mobility, a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in another direction. Most cats have straight ears pointing upward. Unlike dogs, flap-eared breeds are extremely rare.When angry or frightened, a cat will lay back its ears, to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats also turn their ears back when they are playing, or to listen to a sound coming from behind them. The angle of cats' ears is an important clue to their mood.Cats, like dogs, are digitigrades. They walk directly on their toes, with the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg. Cats are capable of walking very precisely, because like all felines they directly register; that is, they place each hind paw (almost) directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for their hind paws when they navigate rough terrain. Like nearly all members of family Felidae, cats have protractable claws. In their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hind feet.Cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors, making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals.
Cats' night vision is superior to humans although their vision in daylight is inferior.Cat eyes have a tapetum lucidum and cat eyes that are blue typically lack melanin and hence can show the red-eye effect.The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 °C (101 and 102.2 °F). and cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors, making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable vibrissae (whiskers) over their body, especially their face.
The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 °C (101 and 102.2 °F). A cat is considered febrile (hyperthermic) if it has a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). For comparison, humans have a normal temperature of approximately 36.8 °C (98.6 °F). A domestic cat's normal heart rate ranges from 140 to 220 beats per minute, and is largely dependent on how excited the cat is. For a cat at rest, the average heart rate should be between 150 and 180 bpm, about twice that of a human (average 80 bpm). Cats are classified as obligate carnivores, because their physiology is geared toward efficient processing of meat, and lacks efficient processes for digesting plant matter. The cat cannot produce its own taurine (an essential organic acid) in its own body and as it is contained in flesh, the cat must eat flesh to survive (see Taurine and cats). Similarly as with its teeth, a cat's digestive tract has become specialized over time to suit meat eating, having shortened in length only to those segments of intestine best able to break down proteins and fats from animal flesh. This trait severely limits the cat's ability to properly digest, metabolize, and absorb plant-derived nutrients, as well as certain fatty acids. For example, taurine is scarce in plants but abundant in meats. It is a key amino sulfonic acid for eye health in cats. Taurine deficiency can cause a condition called macular degeneration wherein the cat's retina slowly degenerates, eventually causing irreversible blindness.
The domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are both diploid organisms that possess 38 chromosomes, in which over 200 heritable genetic defects have been identified, many homologous to human inborn errors. Specific metabolic defects have been identified underlying many of these feline diseases. There are several genes responsible for the hair color identified. The combination of them gives different phenotypes.
Getting Your First Cat
So you think you might want to get a cat, and don't know where to start. You no doubt have dozens of questions running through your mind: "Should I get a male or a female, a kitten or an older cat?" "I'd really like a purebred (name your favorite breed), but maybe I should adopt a mixed breed instead." This tutorial helps answer those questions, as well as a few you haven't thought of.Am I Ready for a Cat?
Think seriously about this important step, which is much like entering into a marriage. Bringing a cat into your family should be a lifelong commitment, so give it serious thought. A good place to start is by understanding that no one truly owns a cat. Cats are sentient beings, and your cat (should you decide to welcome one into your home) deserves to be a family member rather than a "collectible." Here are some questions to ask yourself and other family members - you all should share the commitment to make it work.
- Are You Financially Prepared for a Cat?
If you have children, I know you want to care for them the best way you can, and a new cat will be much like having a new child in the family. This means you need to be prepared for the costs of responsibility for a cat. - Are there children younger than five years old in the home?
Tots usually love kitties, but if you bring a very young kitten into your home you may find them loving it to death--literally. Alternately, the kitten could inflict some painful scratches. You'd be better off either getting an older cat that's been around children, or waiting a couple of years. - Is your silk Queen Anne chair or your new off-white carpet extremely important to you?
Face it, cats need scratching exercise, and guess where they'll head first, lacking an approved scratching surface? A good scratching post and regular nail clipping is a must. So is a clean litter box and the necessary training for kitty to use it.It is critical that you are willing to make the commitment to provide your cat with the necessities, and to put your cat ahead of furniture and other inanimate objects. Stuff happens. Are you willing to live with it? Or will you consider " getting rid of the cat" at the first sign of trouble?
"I was planning on declawing it so I wouldn't have to worry about ruined furniture." Stop right there! Declawing is actually the surgical removal of the first knuckle of each toe. Whether done with a guillotine tool or by laser, it is extremely painful, dangerous to the cat and patently inhumane. You may find declawed cats at the shelter, and they are usually there because they turned to biting or spraying after being declawed. If declawing is your only solution to having a cat, and you're not willing to take your chances with a previously declawed cat, you should get a nice aquarium instead, and leave that cat for someone who will love ALL its parts.
- Will an adult be responsible for feeding the cat, keeping the litter box clean, and grooming the cat regularly?
This is a serious consideration. Pets are fine for teaching children responsibility, but there should always be an adult around to supervise and make sure the necessary jobs are done every day. - Will you have time to be "family" to the cat?
Contrary to popular opinion, cats are very social animals and love attention from their humans. Your bond with your cat will last for a lifetime. A lonely, neglected cat will soon find all kinds of mischief with which to amuse herself. Also contrary to popular opinion (among cats), you don't have to be a slave to her, but 15 minutes a day of play time and petting will make the difference between a happy cat and a nuisance. - Are you willing to spend the money necessary for spay/neutering, vaccinations, and veterinary care when necessary?
If you're acquiring a new family member (and this is how you should view your new arrival), she will come with responsibilities and their attendant costs. You wouldn't neglect your children's health and neither will you want to neglect kitty's medical needs. - Are you prepared to keep your cat indoors only?
There are too many hazards to the outdoor life for cats to list here, however they far exceed any benefits you may perceive of outdoor life for cats. - Is your place big enough for a cat?
This is a frequently asked question by readers. The easy answer is that a cat can live very comfortably in a studio apartment, given the right conditions.
You may have some preconceived notions that you want a particular breed of cat, or that you want a kitten instead of an adult kitty. But before that important decision, do some homework. Like life itself, there are many factors involved in choosing a cat, some of which you may never have considered. Here's the help you need in making that decision.
Where Do I Look for a Cat?
There are many possibilities with attendant pros and cons. Our adoption guide offers facts about the most popular sources for getting a new cat, and advice on two places you should avoid at all costs. and here are the following consider to looking for a cat for you.
Humane Shelters
You can do yourself and a grateful cat a huge favor by looking first at your local shelter. Kitties here are almost always destined for euthanasia (our polite term for killing) if not adopted within whatever time limit has been set for that particular shelter.Rescue Organizations
These volunteer-driven groups are springing up in abundance all over the U.S., Canada, and in other countries too. Some groups are fortunate enough to have their own "shelter"; most depend on volunteer foster homes to care for the cats until a permanent home can be found. The foster homes groups sometimes have regular "adoption days" where people can match up to a pet."Free to a Good Home" Perhaps a neighbor or co-worker has a litter of kittens they're trying to give away, or you happen upon a classified ad in the newspaper. Consider that taking one of these kittens is encouraging the donors in their folly of failing to spay/neuter the parent cat(s). "We always find homes for them," is the standard excuse. Understand also, that each of these kittens displaces a potential home for a shelter cat destined for euthanasia. If you've already fallen in love with that kitten, carefully question the owner about its history, whether it's had vaccinations yet, any illness in the litter--better yet, ask to see the mother cat in the home environment.
Breed Rescue Groups
Breed rescue groups perform a valuable humane service in rescuing and returning lost purebreds to their owners, and finding good homes for others that have been given up by their previous owners for one reason or another. This would be a good place to start if you're looking for a particular breed of cat. Expect to be carefully screened as reputable breeders will not place a cat in a household unless they're positive it will be cared for properly.
Sources : Wikipedia
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