Domestic Cat

ANIMAL:
Domestic Cat Felis catus

Type of Animal:
Feline

Habitat:
Homes, farms, wild habitats, pretty much anywhere

Location(s):
Domestic & feral populations worldwide

Appearance:
Comes in many different colors, different breeds different appearances, strong flexible body, fairly long tail

Food/Diet:
Cat food, birds, small & medium-size mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, carrion, scraps, refuse

Status in Wild:
Domesticated

Lifestyle:
Solitary or small groups of 2-12 cats

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Tom
Female: Queen
Young: Kitten
Group: Colony/Clowder
 
Weight:
Male: 5-25 lbs
Female: 5-12 lbs
Young: 1-1.5 lbs

Gestation:
2 months

Life Span:
10-20 years

Height:
Male: 0.98-1.3 ft
Female: 0.44-1.17 ft

Body Length:
Male: 1.5-2.8 ft
Female: 1.3-2.8 ft
Young: 0.4 ft

Tail Length:
1 ft

Main predators of adults are larger felids, crocodilians, canids, large snakes, monitor lizards, raptors, raccoons, pigs, & fishers.
 
Amazing night vision & sense of smell.
 
Many owners spay & neuter cats to curb breeding & pet overpopulation.
 
Breed known as “Savannah” is half serval, half domestic cat.
 
Most likely descended from African & European Wildcats.
 
One of the most popular pets in the world.
 
Uses many vocalizations for communicating, including purrs, hisses, trills, grunts, & growls/snarls.
 
Mark territory by spraying & clawing.
 
One approach used in reducing feral cat populations is trap-neuter-return.
 
Besides being kept as pets, also used in fur/leather industries & even eaten as meat in parts of Orient.
 
Some cats sleep as much as 20 hours in a day.
 
Sexually mature at 4 months old.

Fun Fact(s):
Ancient proverb of cats having 9 lives-3 it plays, 3 it strays, 3 it stays.
 
Well-known superstition that black cat crossing someone’s path is bad luck.
 
Often worshipped in ancient Egypt, w/ goddess Bastet often depicted in cat form.
 
The oldest known cat lived to be 38 years old.
 
Cats will “play” w/ prey to weaken/exhaust it before killing it as survival mechanism.
 
Feral cats highly invasive in many parts of the world, having highly negative impact on native wildlife.
 
Believed to be first domesticated in Near East around 7500 BC. First tamed possibly as early as 9500 BC.

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