Deskripsi kucing menurut kaidah ilmu pengetahuan

Tuesday, January 8, 20130 comments

Deskripsi kucing adalah... He he susah juga kalau harus menjelaskan seperti apa itu kucing
dalam bentuk kalimat. Kucing itu ya seperti yang terlihat pada gambar di atas. Namun jika
dijabarka, deskripsi kucing dapat meliputi berbagai aspek.
Kucing (Felis silvestris catus) adalah jenis binatang karnivora yang diyakini merupakan
keturunan dari binatang liar yang wujudnya menyerupai musang yang hidup pada 50 juta tahun
silam yang bernama Miacis. Domestikasi atau proses menjinakkan kucing dari hewan liar
menjadi hewan piaraan yang pertama kali tercatat dalam sejarah ditemukan pada catatan Mesir
kuno sekitar tahun 4000 SM. Saat itu kucing dipelihara untuk menjaga toko bahan makanan dari
serangan tikus.
Kucing merupakan binatang predator terhebat di bumi ini. Mangsanya sekitar ribuan spesies, dan
senjata berburunya juga sangat komplit mulai dari gigi dan cakar untuk kekuatan, kaki yang
lincah cepat dan memiliki peredam, mata dan telinga yang sangat tajam, hingga pola bulunya
yang berkamuflase dengan alam sekitar. Hanya saja karena ukurannya cenderung kecil, kucing
peliharaan tidaklah begitu berbahaya bagi manusia.
Kata "kucing" biasanya merujuk pada jenis kucing piaraan yang berukuran kecil hingga medium.
Namun sebenarnya Singa, Harimau, Macan dan keluarganya adalah juga termasuk jenis kucing
besar. Spesies kucing peliharaan sendiri terbagi dalam beberapa pengelompokan.
Jika dilihat dari ukurannya kucing terbagi menjadi kucing berukuran kecil seperti kucing
kampung, kucing berukuran medium seperti kucing Savannah dan Bengal, kucing berukuran
besar seperti Singa dan Harimau.
Jika dilihat dari panjang bulunya, kucing dibedakan menjadi kucing berbulu pendek (shorthair)
seperti kucing kampung di tempat kita, kucing berbulu sedang (semi-longhair) seperti sebagian
kucing Anggora, kucing berbulu panjang (longhair) seperti kucing Persia, kucing berbulu minim
(hairless) seperti kucing Sphynx, serta kucing berbulu oriental.
Jika dilihat dari ras nya, kucing dibedakan menjadi kucing ras murni (pure breed) seperti Persia
dan Bahrain Dilmun, dan kucing ras campuran (mix breed) seperti Savannah, Bengal, dll.
Jika dilihat dari warna bulunya jenis kucing dibedakan menjadi Tortoiseshell, Calico, Tabby,
Maltese, Bicolor, dan satu warna.
Kesimpulannya adalah dengan berbagai macam dan variasi warna, bentuk, ukuran, dan ras
kucing yang ada di dunia ini, silahkan anda terjemahkan sendiri deskripsi kucing menurut
pemahan anda. ^_^

Ciri-Ciri Kucing
Label: Fakta

Berikut ini adalah sebagian besar ciri ciri kucing yang membedakannya dengan
hewan lain. Ciri kucing ini juga termasuk (walau tidak semua) kucing besar
semacam harimau, singa, macam dsb.

Baiklah tanpa menunggu lebih lama lagi, mari kita bahas satu persatu.

1. Suara Kucing
Ciri-ciri kucing yang tentu saja membedakannya dengan binatang lain adalah
suaranya. Tapi tahukah anda suara kucing itu seperti apa?
Pasti jawaban anda adalah Meong.BENAR! tapi itu untuk orang indonesia dengan
bahasa indonesia. Coba kita lihat untuk bahasa lainnga

 “Miaow” untuk inggris dan perancis

 “Meow” untuk kucing di amerika (bahasa inggris dialeg amerika)
 “Miau” untuk kucing dalam bahasa jerman
 “Nya” untuk kucing jepang
 “Dan” masih ada ratusan lagi

Selain itu ciri kucing yang khas adalah dengkurannya panjang yang juga dapat
mengeong pada saat yang bersamaan. Kemampuan ini dikarenakan dengkurannya
bukanlah suara vokal sehingga mampu bersama-sama dengan mengeong (Seingat
saya)
2. Kelopak mata kucing.
Ciri kucing yang paling nampak adalah memiliki membran niktitans yang
merupakan kelopak mata ketiga dari kucing. Kelopak ini memiliki suatu lapisan tipis
yang berguna untuk menutupi mata. Kelopak ini terlihar saat mata kucing terbuka
dan kadang-kadang saat kucing gembira ataupun sedang mengantuk. Membran ini
baru tertutup sebagian (setengah terlihat setengah tidak) pada saat kucing sakit.

3. Daun Telinga Kucing

Tidak seperti anjing, ciri ciri khusus kucing adalah memiliki daun telinga yang
tegak. Namun ada salah satu jenis kucing yang mengalami mutasi genetika memilki
daun telinga yang terlipat. Jenis kucing langka ini sendiri bernama Scottish Fold,
Ketika kucing ini marah atau takut dan telinga akan tertekuk ke belakang (Seperti
terlipat) sambil mengeluarkan suara meggeram. Bahkan ketika ada sumber suara,
daun teling kucing dapat mengarah ke depan dan kesamping.

4. Kebiasaan Tidur
Anda tahu kenapa kucing paling suka tidur? Karena kucing menyimpan energi dari
makanan mereka dengan cara tidur. Dibanding dengan binatang lain kucing lebih
lama tidur, mereka tidur antara 12-16 jam setiap harinya. Dan ini merupakan salah
satu ciri kucing yang membuat kita senang sekaligus sebal

5. Sifat Kucing
Saat anda melihat kucing jalanan yang tidak memilika majikan. Kebanyakan
mereka terlihat bersih bukan? Itu karena kucing termasuk hewan yang suka
merawat diri. Cara kucing membersihkan tubuhnya yang paling sering kita lihat
adalah dengan menjilati bulu. Air liur kucing (Saliva) adalah alat pembersih yang
sangat bagus, walau bisa menjadi alergi untuk manusia. Itulah kenapa ada
sekelompok manusiayang tidak tahan berdekatan dengan kucing.
Deskripsi Kucing dan jenisnya

Kucing nama latinnya adalah Felis silvestris catus salah satu dari binatang karnivora.

Kucing termasuk dari :

*kingdom : animalia

*filum : Chordata

*kelas : Mamalia

*ordo : Karnivora
*family : Felidae

*genus : Felis

*spesies : F. catus

Kucing telah dikenal manusia lebih dari 9500tahun. Saat ini, kucing adalah salah satu hewan peliharaan
terpopuler di dunia. Kucing yang garis keturunannya tercatat secara resmi sebagai kucing trah atau galur
murni (pure breed),

seperti persia, siam, manx, sphinx. Kucing seperti ini biasanya dibiakkan di tempat pemeliharaan hewan
resmi. Jumlah kucing ras hanyalah 1% dari seluruh kucing di dunia,

sisanya adalah kucing dengan keturunan campuran seperti kucing liar atau kucing kampung.

Deskripsi Kucing memiliki anatomi tubuh yang kuat, fleksibel dan reflek yang cepat. Kucing juga
memiliki taring dan cakar yang tajam untuk menangkap mangsanya.

Kucing masuk ke dalam kategori predator nokturnal ( yang aktif di malam hari dan tidur di siang hari),
yang memiliki penciuman dan pendengaran yang lebih tajam dari manusia.

Kucing dapat melihat dalam cahaya yang amat terang.

Mereka memiliki Selaput pelangi atau iris membentuk celah pada mata yang akan menyempit.

Masa kehamilan atau gestasi pada kucing berkisar 63 hari. Ketika induk kucing melahirkan bayinya, bayi
kucing terlahir buta dan tuli.

Mata bayi kucing baru terbuka pada hari ke 8-10 setelah kelahirannya. Anak kucing akan disapih ( mulai
di perkenalkan dengan tikus makanan lainnya ) oleh induknya pada usia 6-7 minggu

dan kematangan seksual pada seekor kucing dicapai pada umur 10-15 bulan.

Kucing dapat mengandung lebih dari dua janin karena rahimnya memiliki bentuk yang khusus yang
tersusun dalam 4 bagian yang berbeda.

jenis-jenis kucing :
1. Maine Coon

jenis kucing ini sangat terkenal dan bagus bentuk dan postur tubuhnya. Asalnya dari Maine, AS.
Keturunan Angora dan American Shorhair.

Sifatnya lucu, pemalu tapi mau, dan mudah akrab. Bulunya tipis, lembut, dan warnanya beragam.

Untuk beratnya bisa mencapai 11 kilogram dengan panjang mencapai 1 meter. Kucing jenis ini ekornya
menyerupai ekor racoon.

2. British Shorthair

jenis kucing ini berasal dari inggris dan memiliki sifat yang kalem, lembut, hangat, dan pintar. Warna
bulunya ada yang polos (putih,hitam,biru,merah dan krem), dwiwarna, hitam pekat, belang.

Secara umum ukuran badannya medium sampai besar dengan berat berkisar 4 - 8 kg. Badannya
kompak, padat, cobby, kuat dan berotot dengan dada, bahu serta pinggul yang lebar. Kepalanya bulat
dan lebar dengan pipi penuh, terletak pada leher yang pendek dan tebal. Hidung pendek, lebar dan lurus
tanpa lekukan, bentuk dagunya bulat.

Untuk kucing jenis ini tidak memerlukan perawatan yang berlebihan. karena bulu mereka tidak mudah
kusut dan rontok. Tap kami sarankan untuk menyikatnya sesekali.

3. Burmese

Jenis kucing ini menurut beberapa sumber ada persilangan dari kucing birma dan kucing siam. Ras
burmese dikenal di Amerika sejak tahun 1936 dan diakui oleh CFA tahun 1947.

Pada saat itu hanya warna sable yang diakui, dan awal 1960-an mulai dihasilkan warna lain.

Breeder di Inggris mengimpor Burmese pertama dari US pada tahun 1947 dan mulai diakui
keberadaannya disana tahun 1952.

Bila dilihat dari depan, bentuk kepala bulat dan melengkung kearah tengkorak. Bulu pendek, halus dan
mengkilap dengan tekstur seperti satin.
4. Siam

Kucing siam ini berasal dari negara thailand. Bentuk tubuh panjang, langsing dan berotot.Tubuhnya
yang langsing dan anggun

Kepala kecil dan berbentuk segitiga dan moncongnya mancung,Bermata biru,Telinga yang lebar,bulu
pendek dan halus

5. Persia

Jenis kucing ini sangat populer di indonesia. Banyak anak-anak muda saat ini memelihara kucing jenis
ini.

Kucing jenis ini sangat mudah akrab dengan manusia.

kucing itu hewan yang mudah beradaptasi dengan lingkungannya, dan sudah berasimilasi dan hidup
berdampingan dengan manusia baik dikota maupun dipedesaan, jadi kucing mudah ditemukan dimana
saja, terutama tempat yang banyak manusianya.
KUCING

Kucing adalah hewan peliharaan yang paling disayangi oleh manusia. Walaupun kebanyakan
orang menyukai hewan sejenis lainnya seperti anjing, marmut atau kelinci.

Mengapa Kucing disukai? Tidak terlalu sulit menjawabnya, karena seperti yang kita ketahui
kucing adalah hewan yang lucu, bulunya sangat lembut dan terkadang mengeong meminta belas
kasihan. Kucing dapat digambarkan dengan binatang yang penuh kasih sayang. Siapapun di
dunia ini pasti lebih kasihan dengan kucing daripada anjing maupun hewan lainnya. Jika kita
pernah memelihara kucing tentu tahu betapa setianya hewan ini.

Cat’s Body

Kucing merupakan hewan mamalia pemakan daging (karnivora). Hewan ini lebih aktif di malam
hari daripada siang hari (tapi bukan nocturnal), karena terkadang siang hari kucing tidur dengan
lelap dan malam hari berburu tikus. Kucing memiliki beberapa spesies yang unik seperti angora,
jenis ini terkesan unik karena bulunya yang tebal dan halus juga badanya yang besar dan kadang
menjadi malas untuk bergerak. Kucing memiliki bulu yang indah, dengan warna yang bervariasi,
yaitu hitam, putih abu-abu, dan kuning atau oranye. Biasanya kucing memiliki satu, dua, atau
tiga warna pada bulunya. Jarang sekali seekor kucing yang warna bulunya empat macam.
Banyak orang yang mengatakan kucing yang berbulu tiga warna akan membawa keberuntungan,
tapi ini hanya opini saja belum tentu benar kenyataannya.

Black Cat

Tidak sama halnya dengan mitos kucing hitam. Mitos ini sudah sangat dipercaya hamper oleh
semua orang. Bahwa, jika ada hal menyangkut kucing hitam seperti memelihara, melihat, atau
mengelusnya akan membawa bencana. Seperti jika menyakiti kucing hitam maka akan terasa
seperti kucing hitam itu menghantui sepanjang hari. Atau ketika mendengar kucing mengeong di
malam hari, akan dihantui perasaan ngeri atau seram bahkan mungkin menyedihkan. Maka dari
itu, orang-orang kadang tidak berani/takut jika menyakiti seekor kucing daripada hewan lain.

Jika kita memelihara seekor kucing, kadang terasa biasa saja ketika ia datang ke rumah atau
mungkin ketika ia kita pelihara. Tapi sulit diceritakan maupun diingat ketika kucing itu pergi,
hilang, atau mati pada akhirnya. Saya akan berbagi pengalaman sedikit ketika saya memelihara
kucing.

Pengalaman pribadi

Saat itu kucing ini masih kecil dan saya memeliharanya sampai ia besar. ketika ia sudah sangat
dewasa ia hilang dan tak pernah kembali ke rumah. Saya mengerti bahwa kucing ini mungkin
mati, dan tentu tidak ada yang tahu dimanapun tempat kematian hewan ini. Seandainya kita cari
pun tidak akan ditemukan. Ini suatu misteri, saya pernah membaca bahwa ada suatu tempat
dimana semua hewan mat disini. Tapi siapapun yang menemukannya tidak akan pernah kembali.
Mungkin hukum alam atau mungkin tidak.
Kebiasaan kucing

Ada sedikit kebiasaan kucing yang sudah kita ketahui bersama. Mengeong, mencakar makan,
atau tidur. Tapi tahukah kamu kucing mencakar untuk apa? Apa karena marah? Bukan, tapi
mereka sedang membersihkan kuku-kukunya,

Tips melihara kucing

Sedikit tips untuk yang memelihara kucing : kucing sangat tidak menyukai jika kita memegang,
menginjak atau mengelus ekornya, ia akan sangat marah dan mencakar kita. Kucing juga tidak
menyukai air, sangat-sangat tidak suka. Mereka lebih suka berjemur di matahari untuk
membersihkan bulu di badan mereka. Kucing tidak menyukai suara keras atau angin, ia akan
pergi dan menjauhinya. Apalagi jika kucing dikipasin.? !?!hhahaha.

Bermain dengan kucing.

Pernah bermain dengan kucing? hm……… mungkin pernah. Kucing sangat lucu dan menarik
ketika bermain. Kadang mereka mengikuti /mengejar sesuatu yang mereka anggap aneh. Seperti
memanjat pohon yang tinggi lalu turun atau tiba-tiba lari kesana-kemari mengejar seekor cicak.

Matanya bercahaya!!

Pernah melihat kucing ketika gelap? Tapi sama sekali tidak ada cahayanya! . Ketika gelap mata
kucing akan bercahaya,Mengapa? karena mata kucing dapat berakomodasi lebih kuat sehingga
akan bercahaya. tapi seram juga ya!!

Sudah dulu ya! sedikit info kucing ,

Terima kasih sudah membaca …………………………….

Tambahan lagi beberapa fakta darikucing yang pernah saya baca dari sebuah artikel di blog,
harap disimak ya lucu lho

1. Kucing memiliki sekitar 30 gigi dalam mulutnya.

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2. Kucing tidur paling lama diantara binatang lainnya, sekitar 16 jam.

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3. Kucing dengan bulu putih dan mata biru biasanya terlahir tuli, walaupun begitu indera lain mereka
berkembang sebagai gantinya.

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4. Dalam kerajaan binatang, IQ kucing hanya dapat dilewati oleh monyet dan simpanse ternyata kucing anggora
atau kucing persia yang lucu sangat pandai ya?

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5. Kucing lebih mungkin selamat jika terjatuh dari lantai 20 daripada lantai 7. Alasannya karena kucing
membutuhkan waktu setara dengan 8 tingkat untuk menyadari apa yang terjadi, tenang dan membetulkan
posisinya.

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6. Kucing bisa berjerawat, kayak manusia aja ya?

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7. Sama dengan frekuensi mesin diesel yang tidak sedang bekerja, kucing bergumam 26 putaran/detik.

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8. Kumis pada kucing sangat sensitif dan dapat merasakan perubahan tekanan udara bahkan yang kecil
sekalipun. Kemampuan ini membuat kucing dapat menggunakannya sebagai penuntun alternatif untuk bergerak
dalam kegelapan ketika ia tidak dapat melihat.

// <![CDATA[//

9. Semua kucing berjalan dengan jinjit, termasuk kucing anggora atau kucing persia yang jadi kesayangan kita

// <![CDATA[//
10.Walaupun kucing memiliki 5 jari di kaki depan, mereka hanya mempunyai 4 jari pada kaki belakang. Namun
pada beberapa kucing dapat terlahir dengan jari banyak sampai 7 bahkan dengan tulang tambahan.

// <![CDATA[//
Ikuti Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia di dan [tutup]

Kucing
Dari Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas

Langsung ke: navigasi, cari

Artikel ini membutuhkan lebih banyak catatan kaki untuk pemastian.

Silakan bantu memperbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan catatan kaki dari sumber yang terpercaya.

?
Kucing

Status konservasi

Dijinakkan

Klasifikasi ilmiah

Kerajaan: Animalia

Filum: Chordata

Kelas: Mamalia

Ordo: Karnivora

Famili: Felidae

Genus: Felis
 Spesies: F. silvestris

Upaspesies: catus

Nama binomial

Felis silvestris catus

Linnaeus, 1758

Sinonim

Felis catus domestica (invalid junior

synonym)[1]
Felis silvestris catus[2]

Kucing, Felis silvestris catus, adalah sejenis karnivora. Kata "kucing" biasanya merujuk kepada
"kucing" yang telah dijinakkan,[3] tetapi bisa juga merujuk kepada "kucing besar" seperti singa,
harimau, dan macan.

Kucing telah berbaur dengan kehidupan manusia paling tidak sejak 6.000 tahun SM, dari
kerangka kucing di Pulau Siprus.[4] Orang Mesir Kuno dari 3.500 SM telah menggunakan kucing
untuk menjauhkan tikus atau hewan pengerat lain dari lumbung yang menyimpan hasil panen.[5]

Saat ini, kucing adalah salah satu hewan peliharaan terpopuler di dunia.[6] Kucing yang garis
keturunannya tercatat secara resmi sebagai kucing trah atau galur murni (pure breed), seperti
persia, siam, manx, sphinx. Kucing seperti ini biasanya dibiakkan di tempat pemeliharaan hewan
resmi. Jumlah kucing ras hanyalah 1% dari seluruh kucing di dunia, sisanya adalah kucing
dengan keturunan campuran seperti kucing liar atau kucing kampung.

Daftar isi
 1 Karakteristik
 2 Jenis-jenis kucing peliharaan
o 2.1 Ras
o 2.2 Macam warna
 3 Domestikasi
 4 Aspek budaya
 5 Catatan kaki
 6 Pranala luar

Karakteristik
Kucing peliharaan atau kucing rumah adalah salah satu predator terhebat di dunia. Kucing ini
dapat membunuh atau memakan beberapa ribu spesies,kucing besar biasanya kurang dari 100.
Tetapi karena ukurannya yang kecil, kucing tidak begitu berbahaya bagi manusia. Satu-satunya
bahaya yang dapat timbul adalah kemungkinan terjadinya infeksi rabies akibat gigitan kucing
dan juga cakaran dari kuku kucing yang sangat perih dan menyakitkan. Kucing dapat berakibat
fatal bagi suatu ekosistem yang bukan tempat tinggal alaminya. Pada beberapa kasus, kucing
berperan atau menyebabkan kepunahan. Kucing menyergap dan melumpuhkan mangsa dengan
cara yang mirip dengan singa dan harimau, menggigit leher mangsa dengan gigi taring yang
tajam sehingga melukai saraf tulang belakang atau menyebabkan mangsa kehabisan napas
dengan merusak tenggorokan.

Kucing kampung memangsa seekor tikus rumah (Rattus rattus diardii).

Kucing dianggap sebagai "karnivora yang sempurna" dengan gigi dan saluran pencernaan yang
khusus. Gigi premolar dan molar pertama membentuk sepasang taring di setiap sisi mulut yang
bekerja efektif seperti gunting untuk merobek daging. Meskipun ciri ini juga terdapat pada famili
Canidae atau anjing, tapi ciri ini berkembang lebih baik pada kucing. Tidak seperti karnivora
lain, kucing hampir tidak makan apapun yang mengandung tumbuhan. Beruang dan anjing
kadang memakan buah, akar, atau madu sebagai suplemen jika ada sementara kucing hanya
memakan daging, biasanya buruan segar. Dalam penangkaran, kucing tidak dapat diadaptasikan
dengan diet vegetarian karena mereka tidak dapat mensintesis semua asam-asam amino yang
mereka butuhkan hanya dengan memakan tumbuhan; berbeda dengan anjing peliharaan, yang
sering diberi makan produk campuran daging dan sayuran dan kadang dapat beradaptasi dengan
diet vegetarian secara total.

Meskipun memiliki reputasi sebagai hewan penyendiri, kucing biasanya dapat membentuk
koloni liar tetapi tidak menyerang dalam kelompok seperti singa. Setiap kucing memiliki
daerahnya sendiri (jantan yang aktif secara seksual memiliki daerah terbesar, sedang jantan steril
memiliki daerah paling kecil) dan selalu terdapat daerah "netral" dimana para kucing dapat saling
mengawasi atau bertemu tanpa adanya konflik teritorial atau agresi. Di luar daerah netral ini,
penguasa daerah biasa akan mengejar kucing asing, diawali dengan menatap, mendesis, hingga
menggeram, dan bila kucing asing itu tetap tinggal, biasanya akan terjadi perkelahian singkat.

Kucing yang sedang berkelahi menegakkan rambut tubuh dan melengkungkan punggung agar
mereka tampak lebih besar. Serangan biasanya terdiri dari tamparan di bagian wajah dan tubuh
dengan kaki depan yang kadang disertai gigitan. Luka serius pada kucing akibat perkelahian
jarang terjadi karena pihak yang kalah biasanya akan lari setelah mengalami beberapa luka di
wajah. Jantan yang aktif biasanya sering terlibat banyak perkelahian sepanjang hidupnya. Hal ini
tampak pada berbagai luka di bagian wajah, seperti hidung atau telinga. Kucing betina kadang
juga terlibat perkelahian untuk melindungi anak-anaknya bahkan kucing steril pun akan
mempertahankan daerah kecilnya dengan gigih.

Melihat dari perilaku kucing yang ada saat ini, kucing liar yang merupakan nenek moyang
kucing peliharaan diperkiraan berevolusi pada iklim gurun. Kucing senang dengan suasana
hangat dan sering tidur di bawah hangatnya sinar matahari. Kotorannya biasanya kering dan
kucing lebih suka menguburnya di tempat berpasir. Kucing dapat mematung, tidak bergerak
cukup lama terutama ketika sedang mengintai mangsa atau bersiap untuk "pounce". Di Afrika
Utara masih ditemukan kucing liar yang mungkin berkerabat dekat dengan nenek moyang kucing
peliharaan saat ini.

Karena memiliki kekerabatan yang dekat dengan binatang gurun, ketahanan kucing terhadap
panas dan dinginnya iklim daerah subtropis agak terbatas. Kucing tidak tahan terhadap kabut,
hujan, dan salju, meskipun ada beberapa jenis seperti Norwegian Forest Cat dan Maine Coon
yang mampu bertahan; dan berusaha mempertahankan suhu tubuh normalnya, yaitu 39°C, dalam
keadaan basah. Kebanyakan kucing tidak suka berendam dalam air, kecuali jenis Turkish Van.

Empat ekor anak kucing sedang disusui induknya.

Masa kehamilan atau gestasi pada kucing berkisar 63 hari. Anak kucing terlahir buta dan tuli.
Mata mereka baru terbuka pada usia 8-10 hari. Anak kucing akan disapih oleh induknya pada
usia 6-7 minggu dan kematangan seksual dicapai pada umur 10-15 bulan. Kucing dapat
mengandung 4 janin sekaligus karena rahimnya memiliki bentuk yang khusus dengan 4 bagian
yang berbeda.

Kucing biasanya memiliki berat badan antara 2,5 hingga 7 kilogram dan jarang melebihi 10 kg.
Bila diberi makan berlebihan, kucing dapat mencapai berat badan 23 kg. Tapi kondisi ini amat
tidak sehat bagi kucing dan harus dihindari. Dalam penangkaran, kucing dapat hidup selama 15
hingga 20 tahun, kucing tertua diketahui berusia 36 tahun. Kucing peliharaan yang tidak
diperbolehkan keluar rumah dan disterilkan dapat hidup lebih lama (mengurangi risiko
perkelahian dan kecelakaan). Kucing liar yang hidup di lingkungan urban modern hanya hidup
selama 2 tahun atau bahkan kurang dari itu.

Kucing peliharaan yang tinggal di dalam rumah harus diberi kotak kotoran yang berisi pasir atau
bahan khusus yang dijual di toko hewan peliharaan. Perlu juga disediakan tempat khusus bagi
kucing untuk mencakar. Hal ini penting karena kucing memerlukan kegiatan mencakar ini untuk
menanggalkan lapisan lama pada kukunya agar kukunya dapat tetap tajam dan terjaga
kesehatannya. Tidak adanya tempat khusus ini akan menyebabkan kucing banyak merusak
perabotan.

Sering kali kucing menunjukkan perilaku memilih makanan. Hal ini dikarenakan mereka
memiliki organ pembau khusus di langit-langit mulutnya yang disebut sebagai organ
vomeronasal atau organ Jacobson. Ketika organ ini terstimulasi oleh suatu jenis makanan
tertentu, kucing akan menolak makanan selain makanan itu.

Mata kucing. Perhatikan membrana nictitans berupa selaput putih di sudut dalam ruang mata.

Kucing dapat melihat dalam cahaya yang amat terang. Mereka memiliki Selaput pelangi atau iris
membentuk celah pada mata yang akan menyempit. Meskipun demikian, penyempitan ini juga
mengurangi bidang pandang kucing. Suatu organ yang disebut tapetum lucidum digunakan
dalam lingkungan dengan sedikit cahaya. Organ inilah yang menyebabkan warna-warni mata
kucing ketika difoto dengan menggunakan blitz. Seperti kebanyakan predator, kedua mata
kucing menghadap ke depan, menghasilkan persepsi jarak dan mengurangi besarnya bidang
pandang. Mata kucing memiliki persepsi trikomatik yang lemah.

Ketika cahaya yang ada terlalu sedikit untuk melihat, kucing akan menggunakan "kumis" atau
misainya (vibrissae) untuk membantunya menentukan arah dan menjadi alat indera tambahan.
Misai dapat mendeteksi perubahan angin yang amat kecil, membuat kucing dapat mengetahui
adanya benda-benda di sekitarnya tanpa melihat.

Kucing memiliki kelopak mata ketiga yang disebut membrana niktitans. Kelopak ketiga ini
terdiri dari suatu lapisan tipis yang dapat menutupi mata dan nampak ketika mata kucing terbuka.
Membran ini menutup sebagian ketika kucing sedang sakit. Kadang kucing yang amat
mengantuk atau gembira juga memperlihatkan membran ini.

Suara kucing sering ditulis "meong" dalam bahasa Indonesia. Dalam bahasa Inggris yang
digunakan di Amerika, suara kucing ditulis "meow". Di negara Inggris sendiri, penulisannya
adalah "miaow", "miaow" dalam bahasa Perancis, "miau" dalam bahasa Jerman, "nya" dalam
bahasa Jepang dan berbagai penulisan lain dalam berbagai bahasa. Suara "meong" kucing
memiliki berbagai arti tergantung pengucapannya oleh si kucing. Kucing juga dapat
mengeluarkan suara seperti dengkuran panjang yang sering disukai manusia. Karena suara ini
bukan merupakan suara vokal, maka kucing dapat mengeluarkan suara dengkuran dan mengeong
pada saat yang sama.

Umumnya semua daun telinga kucing tegak. Tidak seperti pada anjing, kucing dengan telinga
terlipat amat jarang ditemukan. Jenis Scottish Fold adalah salah satu jenis kucing dengan mutasi
genetik yang langka ini. Ketika marah atau takut, daun telinga kucing jenis ini akan tertekuk ke
belakang sementara si kucing mengeluarkan suara menggeram atau mendesis. Ketika
mendengarkan suatu suara, daun telinga kucing akan bergerak ke arah sumber suara; daun
telinga kucing dapat mengarah ke depan, ke samping, bahkan seolah menoleh ke belakang.

Kucing termasuk hewan yang bersih. Mereka sering merawat diri dengan menjilati rambut
mereka. Saliva atau air liur mereka adalah agen pembersih yang kuat, tapi dapat memicu alergi
pada manusia. Kadang kala kucing memuntahkan hairball atau gulungan rambut yang terkumpul
di dalam perut mereka.

Kucing menyimpan energi dengan cara tidur lebih sering ketimbang hewan lain. Lama tidur
kucing bervariasi antara 12-16 jam per hari, dengan angka rata-rata 13-14 jam. Tetapi tidak
jarang dijumpai kucing yang tidur selama 20 jam dalam satu hari.

Jenis-jenis kucing peliharaan

Ras

Jumlah jenis kucing ras di seluruh dunia amat banyak. Setiap ras memiliki ciri khusus, tapi
karena sering terjadinya kawin silang antar ras, banyak kucing yang hanya dikelompokkan dalam
jenis bulu panjang dan bulu pendek, tergantung jenis rambut penutup tubuhnya.

Ada banyak macam ras kucing, beberapa diantaranya :

Manx

Sebagian orang menyebutnya Rumpy. Ekornya pendek, Warna bulunya cokelat dan lavender.
Sifatnya setia, ramah dan pintar.

Maine Coon
 Asalnya dari Maine, AS, keturunan Angora dan American Shorthair. Sifatnya lucu, pemalu tapi
mau, dan mudah akrab. Bulunya tipis, lembut, dan warnanya beragam.

Maine Coon adalah Ras Kucing terbesar. panjangnya dapat mencapai 1,5 meter.

British Shorthair

Dikembangkan di Inggris. Kucing ini kalem, lembut, hangat, dan pintar. Warna bulunya ada yang
polos (putih,hitam,biru,merah dan krem), dwiwarna, hitam pekat, belang.

Burmese (Burma)

Kucing ini dibiakkan oleh Dr. Thompson (AS) dari kucing ratu wong mau (Burma) dan siam.
Warna cokelat musang, warna lainnya biru, champagne, lifa, merah, cokelat, dan biru kura-kura.
sifatnya periang dan lucu.
kucing ras Burmese.

Chinchilla longhair

Inilah kucing persia paling anggun. Nenek moyangnya dari Inggris. Ras ini dibagi dalam dua
macam, yaitu chinchilla warna cerah (sejati) dan yang agak gelap (perak gradasi).

Chinchilla longhair

Macam warna

Kucing memiliki banyak warna dan macam pola. Ciri fisik ini tidak bergantung pada rasnya.
Kucing rumahan dikelompokkan ke dalam jenis berikut berdasar penampakan fisiknya :

 bulu pendek
 bulu panjang
 oriental (bukan ras khusus, semua kucing yang bertubuh langsing, mata berbentuk almond,
daun telinga lebar, dan rambut tubuh halus yang pendek)

Gen yang mengatur warna dan pola pada bulu kucing menentukan penampilan fisik dari kucing
yang membedakan mereka ke dalam:

Telon atau calico

dasar putih dengan bercak warna hitam atau oranye (atau biru atau krem). Orang Jepang sering
menyebut pola ini sebagai mi-ke. Karena gen pengendali warna bulu terletak pada kromosom
kelamin (bertaut kelamin), kucing telon yang beraneka warna ini umumnya betina.

Tortoiseshell

hitam dengan warna oranye dan putih tersebar di seluruh tubuhnya. Kucing yang memiliki
warna hitam, oranye terang, dan oranye gelap disebut sebagai Calimanco atau Clouded Tiger.

Tabby
 bergaris dengan bermacam pola. Pola klasik pada kucing ini berbentuk bulatan-bulatan atau
lingkaran. Tabby jenis mackerel mempunyai tiga garis yang tampak di samping tubuhnya,
membuat kucing ini seperti ikan mackerel.

Maltese

nama lama dari kucing biru (abu-abu).

Bicolor (dua warna)

disebut juga Tuxedo cat atau Jellicle cat karena memiliki bulu berwarna hitam dengan sedikit
warna putih pada bagian kaki, perut, dada, dan mungkin pula di bagian wajah.

his article is about the cat species that is commonly kept as a pet. For the cat family, see Felidae.
For other uses, see Cat (disambiguation) and Cats (disambiguation).
Domestic cat[1]

Conservation status
Domesticated
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. catus
Binomial name
Felis catus[2]
Linnaeus, 1758[3]
Synonyms
Felis silvestris catus (subjective
synonym)[4]
Felis catus domestica (invalid junior
synonym)[5]

The domestic cat[1][2] (Felis catus[2] or Felis silvestris catus[4]) is a small, usually furry,
domesticated, and carnivorous mammal. It is often called the housecat when kept as an indoor
pet,[6] or simply the cat when there is no need to distinguish it from other felids and felines. Cats
are often valued by humans for companionship and their ability to hunt vermin and household
pests.

Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids, with strong, flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp
retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. Cat senses fit a crepuscular and
predatory ecological niche. Cats can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human
ears, such as those made by mice and other small game. They can see in near darkness. Like
most other mammals, cats have poorer color vision and a better sense of smell than humans.

Despite being solitary hunters, cats are a social species, and cat communication includes the use
of a variety of vocalizations (meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling and grunting) as well
as cat pheromones and types of cat-specific body language.[7]

Cats have a rapid breeding rate. Under controlled breeding, they can be bred and shown as
registered pedigree pets, a hobby known as cat fancy. Failure to control the breeding of pet cats
by spaying and neutering, and the abandonment of former household pets, has resulted in large
numbers of feral cats worldwide, requiring population control.[8]

Since cats were cult animals in ancient Egypt, they were commonly believed to have been
domesticated there,[9] but there may have been instances of domestication as early as the
Neolithic.[10]

A genetic study in 2007 revealed that domestic cats are descended from African wildcats (Felis
silvestris lybica) c. 8000 BCE, in the Middle East.[9][11] According to Scientific American, cats
are the most popular pet in the world, and are now found almost every place where people
live.[12]
Contents
 1 Nomenclature and etymology
 2 Taxonomy and evolution
 3 Genetics
 4 Anatomy
 5 Physiology
 6 Senses
 7 Health
o 7.1 Diseases
o 7.2 Poisoning
 8 Behavior
o 8.1 Sociability
o 8.2 Grooming
o 8.3 Fighting
o 8.4 Hunting and feeding
o 8.5 Play
o 8.6 Reproduction
o 8.7 Vocalizations
 9 Ecology
o 9.1 Habitats
o 9.2 Impact on prey species
o 9.3 Impact on birds
 10 Cats and humans
o 10.1 Census
 11 Feral cats
 12 History and mythology
 13 Gallery
 14 See also
 15 References
 16 External links

Nomenclature and etymology

Classification based on human interaction[13]

Population Food source Shelter Socialized

Pedigree Fed by guardian Human guardian Yes

Pet Fed by guardian Human homes Yes

Semi-feral General feeding Buildings Yes

 Feral General feeding/foraging Buildings No

The English word cat (Old English catt) is in origin a loanword, introduced to many languages
of Europe from Latin cattus[14] and Byzantine Greek κάττα, including Portuguese and Spanish
gato, French chat, German Katze, Lithuanian katė and Old Church Slavonic kotka, among
others.[15] The ultimate source of the word is Afroasiatic, presumably from Late Egyptian
čaute,[16] the feminine of čaus "wildcat". The word was introduced, together with the domestic
animal itself, to the Roman Republic by the 1st century BCE.[citation needed] An alternative word
with cognates in many languages is English puss (pussycat). Attested only from the 16th century,
it may have been introduced from Dutch poes or from Low German puuskatte, related to
Swedish kattepus, or Norwegian pus, pusekatt. Similar forms exist in Lithuanian puižė and Irish
puisín. The etymology of this word is unknown, but it may have simply arisen from a sound used
to attract a cat.[17][18]

A group of cats is referred to as a "clowder" or a "glaring",[19] a male cat is called a "tom" or

"tomcat"[20] (or a "gib",[21] if neutered), a female is called a "molly"[citation needed] or (especially
among breeders) a "queen",[22] and a pre-pubescent juvenile is referred to as a "kitten". The male
progenitor of a cat, especially a pedigreed cat, is its "sire",[23] and its female progenitor is its
"dam".[24] In Early Modern English, the word kitten was interchangeable with the now-obsolete
word catling.[25]

A pedigreed cat is one whose ancestry is recorded by a cat fancier organization. A purebred cat is
one whose ancestry contains only individuals of the same breed. Many pedigreed and especially
purebred cats are exhibited as show cats. Cats of unrecorded, mixed ancestry are referred to as
domestic short-haired or domestic long-haired cats, by coat type, or commonly as random-bred,
moggies (chiefly British), or (using terms borrowed from dog breeding) mongrels or mutt-cats.

While the African wildcat is the ancestral subspecies from which domestic cats are descended,
and wildcats and domestic cats can completely interbreed, there are several intermediate stages
between domestic pet and pedigree cats on the one hand and those entirely wild animals on the
other. The semi-feral cat is a mostly outdoor cat that is not owned by any one individual, but is
generally friendly to people and may be fed by several households. Feral cats are associated with
human habitation areas and may be fed by people or forage in rubbish, but are wary of human
interaction.[13]

Taxonomy and evolution

Main article: Cat evolution
The wildcat, Felis silvestris, is the ancestor of the domestic cat.

The felids are a rapidly evolving family of mammals that share a common ancestor only 10–
15 million years ago,[26] and include, in addition to the domestic cat, lions, tigers, cougars, and
many others. Within this family, domestic cats (Felis catus) are part of the genus Felis, which is
a group of small cats containing approximately seven species (depending upon classification
scheme).[1][27] Members of the genus are found worldwide and include the jungle cat (Felis
chaus) of southeast Asia, European wildcat (F. silvestris silvestris), African wildcat (F. s.
lybica), the Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti), and the Arabian sand cat (F. margarita), among
others.[28]

All the cats in this genus share a common ancestor that probably lived around 6–7 million years
ago in Asia.[29] The exact relationships within the Felidae are close but still uncertain,[30][31] e.g.
the Chinese mountain cat is sometimes classified (under the name Felis silvestris bieti) as a
subspecies of the wildcat, like the North African variety F. s. lybica.[4][30] As domestic cats are
little altered from wildcats, they can readily interbreed. This hybridization poses a danger to the
genetic distinctiveness of wildcat populations, particularly in Scotland and Hungary, and
possibly also the Iberian Peninsula.[32]

The domestic cat was first classified as Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in the tenth edition of
his Systema Naturae in 1758.[1][3] However, because of modern phylogenetics, domestic cats are
now usually regarded as another subspecies of the wildcat, Felis silvestris.[1][4][33] This has
resulted in mixed usage of the terms, as the domestic cat can be called by its subspecies name,
Felis silvestris catus.[1][4][33] Wildcats have also been referred to as various subspecies of F.
catus,[33] but in 2003 the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature fixed the name
for wildcats as F. silvestris.[34] The most common name in use for the domestic cat remains F.
catus, following a convention for domesticated animals of using the earliest (the senior)
synonym proposed.[34] Sometimes the domestic cat has been called Felis domesticus[35] or Felis
domestica,[1] as proposed by German naturalist J. C. P. Erxleben in 1777, but these are not valid
taxonomic names and have been used only rarely in scientific literature,[36] because Linnaeus's
binomial takes precedence.[37]

Cats have either a mutualistic or commensal relationship with humans. However, in comparison
to dogs, cats have not undergone major changes during the domestication process, as the form
and behavior of the domestic cat are not radically different from those of wildcats, and domestic
cats are perfectly capable of surviving in the wild.[38][39] This limited evolution during
domestication means that domestic cats tend to interbreed freely with wild relatives,[32]
distinguishing them from other domesticated animals.[citation needed] Fully domesticated house cats
also often interbreed with feral F. catus populations.[13] However, several natural behaviors and
characteristics of wildcats may have pre-adapted them for domestication as pets.[39] These traits
include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play, and relatively high
intelligence;[40]:12–17 they may also have an inborn tendency towards tameness.[39]

There are two main theories about how cats were domesticated. In one, people deliberately
tamed cats in a process of artificial selection, as they were useful predators of vermin.[41]
However, this has been criticized as implausible, because there may have been little reward for
such an effort: cats generally do not carry out commands and, although they do eat rodents, other
species such as ferrets or terriers may be better at controlling these pests.[4] The alternative idea
is that cats were simply tolerated by people and gradually diverged from their wild relatives
through natural selection, as they adapted to hunting the vermin found around humans in towns
and villages.[4]

There is a population of Transcaucasus Black feral cats once classified as Felis daemon (Satunin,
1904), but now population is considered to be a part of domestic cat.[42]

Genetics
Main article: Cat genetics

The domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are both diploid organisms that possess 38
chromosomes[43] and roughly 20,000 genes.[44] About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been
identified in cats, many similar to human inborn errors.[45] The high level of similarity among the
metabolisms of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using genetic
tests that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats as animal
models in the study of the human diseases.[46][47]

Anatomy
Main article: Cat anatomy

Diagram of the general anatomy of a male

Domestic cats are similar in size to the other members of the genus Felis, typically weighing
between 4–5 kg (8.8–11 lb).[30] However, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon, can
occasionally exceed 11 kg (25 lb). Conversely, very small cats (less than 1.8 kg (4.0 lb)) have
been reported.[48] The world record for the largest cat is 21.3 kg (47 lb).[49] The smallest adult cat
ever officially recorded weighed around 1.36 kg (3.0 lb).[49] Feral cats tend to be lighter as they
have more limited access to food than house cats. In the Boston area, the average feral adult male
will scale 3.9 kg (8.6 lb) and average feral female 3.3 kg (7.3 lb).[50] Cats average about 23–
25 cm (9–10 in) in height and 46 cm (18.1 in) in head/body length (males being larger than
females), with tails averaging 30 cm (11.8 in) in length.[51]

Cats have seven cervical vertebrae as do almost all mammals; 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans
have 12); seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five); three sacral vertebrae like most mammals
(humans have five because of their bipedal posture); and a variable number of caudal vertebrae
in the tail (humans retain three to five caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal coccyx).[52]:11 The
extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached
to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the pelvis.[52] :16 Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are
attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones which allow them to pass their body
through any space into which they can fit their heads.[53]

Cat skull

The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large eye sockets and a powerful and
specialized jaw.[54]:35 Within the jaw, cats have teeth adapted for killing prey and tearing meat.
When it overpowers its prey, a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its two long canine teeth,
inserting them between two of the prey's vertebrae and severing its spinal cord, causing
irreversible paralysis and death.[55] Compared to other felines, domestic cats have narrowly
spaced canine teeth; which is an adaptation to their preferred prey of small rodents, which have
small vertebrae.[55] The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each
side of the mouth, which efficiently shears meat into small pieces, like a pair of scissors. These
are vital in feeding, since cats' small molars cannot chew food effectively.[54]:37

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.[56] 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. Unlike most mammals, when
cats walk, they use a "pacing" gait; that is, they move the two legs on one side of the body before
the legs on the other side. This trait is shared with camels and giraffes. As a walk speeds up into
a trot, a cat's gait will change to be a "diagonal" gait, similar to that of most other mammals (and
many other land animals, such as lizards): the diagonally opposite hind and forelegs will move
simultaneously.[57]

Like almost all members of the Felidae family, cats have protractable and retractable claws.[58] In
their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the paw's 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.[59] Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their
claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Most
cats have five claws on their front paws, and four on their rear paws.[60] The fifth front claw (the
dewclaw) is proximal to the other claws. More proximally, there is a protrusion which appears to
be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws, on the inside of the wrists, is the carpal
pad, also found on the paws of big cats and of dogs. It has no function in normal walking, but is
thought to be an anti-skidding device used while jumping. Some breeds of cats are prone to
polydactyly (extra toes and claws).[60] These are particularly common along the northeast coast
of North America.[61]

Physiology

Normal physiological values[62]:330

Body temperature 38.6 °C (101.5 °F)

Heart rate 120–140 beats per minute

Breathing rate 16–40 breaths per minute

As cats are familiar and easily kept animals, their physiology has been particularly well studied;
it generally resembles that of other carnivorous mammals but displays several unusual features
probably attributable to cats' descent from desert-dwelling species.[35] For instance, cats are able
to tolerate quite high temperatures: Humans generally start to feel uncomfortable when their skin
temperature passes about 38 °C (100 °F), but cats show no discomfort until their skin reaches
around 52 °C (126 °F),[54]:46 and can tolerate temperatures of up to 56 °C (133 °F) if they have
access to water.[63]

Cats conserve heat by reducing the flow of blood to their skin and lose heat by evaporation
through their mouth. They do not sweat, and pant for heat relief only at very high
temperatures[64] (but may also pant when stressed). A cat's body temperature does not vary
throughout the day; this is part of cats' general lack of circadian rhythms and may reflect their
tendency to be active both during the day and at night.[65]:1 Cats' feces are comparatively dry and
their urine is highly concentrated, both of which are adaptations that allow cats to retain as much
fluid as possible.[35] Their kidneys are so efficient that cats can survive on a diet consisting only
of meat, with no additional water,[66] and can even rehydrate by drinking seawater.[65]:29[67]
Cats are obligate carnivores: their physiology has evolved to efficiently process meat, and they
have difficulty digesting plant matter.[35] In contrast to omnivores such as rats, which only
require about 4% protein in their diet, about 20% of a cat's diet must be protein.[35] Cats are
unusually dependent on a constant supply of the amino acid arginine, and a diet lacking arginine
causes marked weight loss and can be rapidly fatal.[68] Another unusual feature is that the cat
cannot produce the amino acid taurine, with taurine deficiency causing macular degeneration,
wherein the cat's retina slowly degenerates, causing irreversible blindness.[35] Since cats tend to
eat all of their prey, they obtain minerals by digesting animal bones, and a diet composed only of
meat may cause calcium deficiency.[35]

A cat's gastrointestinal tract is adapted to meat eating, being much shorter than that of omnivores
and having low levels of several of the digestive enzymes that are needed to digest
carbohydrates.[69] These traits severely limit the cat's ability to digest and use plant-derived
nutrients, as well as certain fatty acids.[69] Despite the cat's meat-oriented physiology, several
vegetarian or vegan cat foods have been marketed that are supplemented with chemically
synthesized taurine and other nutrients, in attempts to produce a complete diet. However, some
of these products still fail to provide all the nutrients that cats require,[70] and diets containing no
animal products pose the risk of causing severe nutritional deficiencies.[71]

Cats do eat grass occasionally. Proposed explanations include that grass is a source of folic acid
or dietary fiber.[72]

Senses
Main article: Cat senses

Eyes of a tabby cat

Cats' whiskers are highly sensitive to touch.

Cats have excellent night vision and can see at only one sixth the light level required for human
vision.[54]:43 This is partly the result of cat eyes having a tapetum lucidum, which reflects any
light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to
dim light.[73] Another adaptation to dim light is the large pupils of cats' eyes. Unlike some big
cats, such as tigers, domestic cats have slit pupils.[74] These slit pupils can focus bright light
without chromatic aberration, and are needed since the domestic cat's pupils are much larger,
relative to their eyes, than the pupils of the big cats.[74] Indeed, at low light levels a cat's pupils
will expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes.[75] However, domestic cats have
rather poor color vision and (like most non-primate mammals) have only two types of cones,
optimized for sensitivity to blue and yellowish green; they have limited ability to distinguish
between red and green.[76] A 1993 paper found a response to mid-wavelengths from a system
other than the rods which might be due to a third type of cone. However, this appears to be an
adaptation to low light levels rather than representing true trichromatic vision.[77]

Cats have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies. They can
hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55 Hz up to
79 kHz, a range of 10.5 octaves; while humans can only hear from 31 Hz up to 18 kHz, and dogs
hear from 67 Hz to 44 kHz, which are both ranges of about 9 octaves.[78][79] Cats do not use this
ability to hear ultrasound for communication but it is probably important in hunting,[80] since
many species of rodents make ultrasonic calls.[81] Cat hearing is also extremely sensitive and is
among the best of any mammal,[78] being most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.[82] This
sensitivity is further enhanced by the cat's large movable outer ears (their pinnae), which both
amplify sounds and help a cat sense the direction from which a noise is coming.[80]

Cats have an acute sense of smell, which is due in part to their well-developed olfactory bulb and
also to a large surface of olfactory mucosa, in cats this mucosa is about 5.8 square centimetres
(0.90 sq in) in area, which is about twice that of humans and only 1.7-fold less than the average
dog.[83] Cats are very sensitive to pheromones such as 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol,[84] which
they use to communicate through urine spraying and marking with scent glands.[85] Cats also
respond strongly to plants that contain nepetalactone, especially catnip, as they can detect that
substance at less than one part per billion.[86] This response is also produced by other plants, such
as silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and the herb valerian; it may be caused by the smell of these
plants mimicking a pheromone and stimulating cats' social or sexual behaviors.[87]

Cats have relatively few taste buds compared to humans. Domestic and wild cats share a gene
mutation that keeps their sweet taste buds from binding to sugary molecules like carbohydrates,
leaving them with no ability to taste sweetness.[88] Their taste buds instead respond to amino
acids, bitter tastes and acids.[89]

To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable vibrissae (whiskers) over
their body, especially their face. These provide information on the width of gaps and on the
location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents; they
also trigger protective blink reflexes to protect the eyes from damage.[54]:47

Health
Main article: Cat health

The average life expectancy for male indoor cats at birth is around 12 to 14 years,[90] with
females usually living a year or two longer.[91] However, there have been reports of cats reaching
into their 30s,[92] with the oldest known cat, Creme Puff, dying at a verified age of 38.[93] Feline
life expectancy has increased significantly in recent decades.[94] Having a cat neutered or spayed
confers some health benefits, since castrated males cannot develop testicular cancer, spayed
females cannot develop uterine or ovarian cancer, and both have a reduced risk of mammary
cancer.[95] The lifespan of feral cats is hard to determine accurately, although one study reported
a median age of 4.7 years, with a range between 0 to 8.3 years.[96]

Diseases

Cats can suffer from a wide range of health problems, including infectious diseases, parasites,
injuries and chronic disease. Vaccinations are available for many of these diseases, and domestic
cats are regularly given treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms and fleas.

Poisoning

In addition to obvious dangers such as rodenticides, insecticides and herbicides, cats may be
poisoned by many chemicals that are usually considered safe by their human guardians.[97] This
is because their livers are less effective at some forms of detoxification than those of many other
animals, including humans and dogs.[35][98] Some of the most common causes of poisoning in
cats are antifreeze and rodent baits.[99] It has also been suggested that cats may be particularly
sensitive to environmental pollutants.[97][100] When a cat has a sudden or prolonged serious illness
without any obvious cause, it is possible that it has been exposed to a toxin.

Many human medicines should never be given to cats. For example, the painkiller paracetamol
(also called acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol and Panadol) is extremely toxic to cats: even very
small doses need immediate treatment and can be fatal.[101][102] Even aspirin, which is sometimes
used to treat arthritis in cats, is much more toxic to them than to humans[102] and must be
administered cautiously.[97] Similarly, application of minoxidil (Rogaine) to the skin of cats,
either accidentally or by well-meaning guardians attempting to counter loss of fur, has
sometimes been fatal.[103] Essential oils can be toxic to cats and there have been reported cases of
serious illnesses caused by tea tree oil, including flea treatments and shampoos containing it.[104]

Other common household substances that should be used with caution around cats include
mothballs and other naphthalene products.[97] Phenol-based products (e.g. Pine-Sol, Dettol
(Lysol) or hexachlorophene)[97] are often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats' feeding
areas or litter boxes but these can sometimes be fatal.[105] Ethylene glycol, often used as an
automotive antifreeze, is particularly appealing to cats, and as little as a teaspoonful can be
fatal.[106] Some human foods are toxic to cats; for example chocolate can cause theobromine
poisoning, although (unlike dogs) few cats will eat chocolate.[107] Large amounts of onions or
garlic are also poisonous to cats.[97] Many houseplants are also dangerous,[108] such as
Philodendron species and the leaves of the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), which can cause
permanent and life-threatening kidney damage.[109]
Behavior
See also: Cat behavior, cat communication, and cat intelligence

Free-ranging cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at
night.[110][111] The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied, which means that house cats
may be more active in the morning and evening (crepuscular behavior), as a response to greater
human activity at these times.[112] Although they spend the majority of their time in the vicinity
of their home, housecats can range many hundreds of meters from this central point, and are
known to establish territories that vary considerably in size, in one study ranging from 7 to 28
hectares (17 to 69 acres).[111] Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals,
especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–
14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term
"cat nap" for a short rest refers to the cat's tendency to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period.
While asleep, cats experience short periods of rapid eye movement sleep often accompanied by
muscle twitches, which suggests that they are dreaming.[113]

Sociability

Social grooming in a pair

Although wildcats are solitary, the social behavior of domestic cats is much more variable and
ranges from widely dispersed individuals to feral cat colonies that form around a food source,
based on groups of co-operating females.[114][115] Within such groups one cat is usually dominant
over the others.[36] Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males
having the largest territories, which are about ten times larger than those of female cats and may
overlap with several females' territories.[85] These territories are marked by urine spraying, by
rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands, and by defecation.[85] Between
these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial
conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually chase away stranger cats, at first
by staring, hissing, and growling, and if that does not work, by short but noisy and violent
attacks. Despite some cats cohabiting in colonies, cats do not have a social survival strategy, or a
pack mentality and always hunt alone.[116]

Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing,
growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing.[7] By contrast, feral cats are
generally silent.[117]:208 Their types of body language, including position of ears and tail,
relaxation of whole body, and kneading of paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are
particularly important social signal mechanisms in cats,[118][119] e.g. with a raised tail acting as a
friendly greeting, and flattened ears indicating hostility. Tail-raising also indicates the cat's
position in the group's social hierarchy, with dominant individuals raising their tails less often
than subordinate animals.[119] Nose-to-nose touching is also a common greeting and may be
followed by social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head.[115]

Domestic cat living together with an Alaskan Malamute dog

However, some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular, older cats may show aggressiveness
towards newly arrived kittens, which may include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is
known as Feline Asocial Aggression.[120]

Even though cats and dogs are believed to be natural enemies, they can live together if correctly
socialized. [121]

For cats, life in proximity to humans and other animals kept by them amounts to a symbiotic
social adaptation. They may express great affection towards their human (and even other)
companions, especially if they psychologically imprint on them at a very young age and are
treated with consistent affection.[citation needed] It has been suggested that, ethologically, the human
keeper of a cat functions as a sort of surrogate for the cat's mother,[citation needed] and that adult
housecats live their lives in a kind of extended kittenhood,[122] a form of behavioral neoteny. It
has even been theorized[123] that the high-pitched sounds housecats make to solicit food may
mimic the cries of a hungry human infant, making them particularly hard for humans to ignore.

Grooming
The hooked papillae on a cat's tongue act like a hairbrush to help clean and detangle fur.

Cats are known for their cleanliness, spending many hours licking their coats.[124] The cat's
tongue has backwards-facing spines about 500 micrometers long, which are called papillae.
These are quite rigid, as they contain keratin.[125] These spines allow cats to groom themselves by
licking their fur, with the rows of papillae acting like a hairbrush. Some cats, particularly
longhaired cats, occasionally regurgitate hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs
from grooming. These clumps of fur are usually sausage-shaped and about two to three
centimeters long. Hairballs can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair
through the gut, as well as regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.[124] Some cats
can develop a compulsive behavior known as psychogenic alopecia, or excessive
grooming.[126][clarification needed]

Fighting

Among domestic cats, males are more likely to fight than females.[127] Among feral cats, the
most common reason for cat fighting is competition between two males to mate with a female. In
such cases, most fights will be won by the heavier male.[128] Another common reason for fighting
in domestic cats is the difficulty of establishing territories within a small home.[127] Female cats
will also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Spaying females and neutering males will
decrease or eliminate this behavior in many cases, suggesting that the behavior is linked to sex
hormones.[citation needed]

Cats intimidate opponents by arching their backs, raising their fur, turning sideways, and hissing.

When fighting, cats make themselves appear more impressive and threatening by raising their
fur, arching their backs, and turning sideways, thus increasing their apparent size.[118] Often, the
ears are pointed down and back to avoid damage to the inner ear and potentially listen for any
changes behind them while focused forward. They may also vocalize loudly and bare their teeth
in an effort to further intimidate their opponent. Fights usually comprise of grappling and
delivering powerful slaps to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites. Cats will also
throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their
powerful hind legs.[129] Serious damage is rare as the fights are usually short in duration, with the
loser running away with little more than a few scratches to the face and ears. However, fights for
mating rights are typically more severe and injuries may include deep puncture wounds and
lacerations. Normally, serious injuries from fighting will be limited to infections of scratches and
bites, though these can occasionally kill cats if untreated. In addition, bites are probably the main
route of transmission of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).[130] Sexually active males will
usually be involved in many fights during their lives, and often have decidedly battered faces
with obvious scars and cuts to the ears and nose.

Hunting and feeding

Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents,[131] and are often used as a form of pest
control.[132][133] Domestic cats are a major predator of wildlife in the United States killing 1.4–3.7
billion birds and 6.9–20.7 billion mammals annually.[134][135] The bulk of the predation the United
States is done by 80 million feral and stray cats. Effective measures to reduce this population are
elusive, meeting opposition from cat enthusiasts.[134][135] In the case of free ranging pets,
equipping cats with bells and not letting them out at night will reduce wildlife predation.[131]
Feral cats and house cats that are free-fed tend to consume many small meals in a single day,
although the frequency and size of meals varies between individuals.[116] Cats use two hunting
strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush until an animal comes close enough
to be captured. Although it is not certain, the type of strategy used may depend on the prey
species in the area, with for example, cats waiting in ambush outside burrows, but tending to
actively stalk birds.[136]:153

Most breeds of cat have a noted fondness for settling in high places, or perching. In the wild, a
higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats may strike prey by
pouncing from such a perch as a tree branch, as does a leopard.[137][clarification needed] Other possible
explanations include that height gives the cat a better observation point, allowing it to survey its
territory. During a fall from a high place, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using
its acute sense of balance and flexibility.[138][clarification needed] This is known as the cat righting
reflex. An individual cat always rights itself in the same way, provided it has the time to do so,
during a fall. The height required for this to occur is around 90 cm (3 feet). Cats without a tail
(e.g. Manx cats) also have this ability, since a cat mostly moves its hind legs and relies on
conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing, and the tail is in fact little used for this
feat.[139] This leads to the proverb "a cat always lands on its feet".
Eating a house sparrow.

One poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human
guardians. Ethologist Paul Leyhausen proposed that cats adopt humans into their social group,
and share excess kill with others in the group according to the local pecking order, in which
humans are placed at or near the top.[140] Anthropologist and zoologist Desmond Morris, in his
1986 book Catwatching, suggests that when cats bring home mice or birds, they are attempting
to teach their human to hunt, or trying to help their human as if feeding "an elderly cat, or an
inept kitten".[141][clarification needed] Morris's theory is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also
bring home prey, despite males having no involvement with raising kittens.[136]:153

Domestic cats select food based on its temperature, smell and texture, strongly disliking chilled
foods and responding most strongly to moist foods rich in amino acids, which are similar to
meat.[71][116] Cats may reject novel flavors (a response termed neophobia) and learn quickly to
avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant in the past.[116] They may also avoid sugary foods and
milk; since they are lactose intolerant, these sugars are not easily digested and may cause soft
stools or diarrhea.[116][142] They can also develop odd eating habits. Some cats like to eat or chew
on other things, most commonly wool, but also plastic, paper, string, aluminum foil/Christmas
tree tinsel, or even coal. This condition is called pica and can threaten their health, depending on
the amount and toxicity of the items eaten.[143][144]

Since cats cannot fully close their lips around something to create suction, they use a lapping
method with the tongue to draw liquid upwards into their mouths. Lapping at a rate of four times
a second, the cat touches the smooth tip of its tongue to the surface of the water, and quickly
retracts it, drawing water upwards.[145]

Play

Main article: Cat play and toys

Domestic cats, especially young kittens, are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics
hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to stalk, capture, and kill prey.[146] Cats will also
engage in play fighting, with each other and with humans. This behavior may be a way for cats
to practice the skills needed for real combat, and might also reduce any fear they associate with
launching attacks on other animals.[147]
Owing to the close similarity between play and hunting, cats prefer to play with objects that
resemble prey, such as small furry toys that move rapidly, but rapidly lose interest (they become
habituated) in a toy they have played with before.[148] Cats also tend to play with toys more when
they are hungry.[149] String is often used as a toy, but if it is eaten it can become caught at the
base of the cat's tongue and then move into the intestines, a medical emergency which can cause
serious illness, even death.[150] Owing to the risks posed by cats eating string, it is sometimes
replaced with a laser pointer's dot, which cats may chase.[151] While concerns have been raised
about the safety of these lasers, John Marshall, an ophthalmologist at St Thomas' Hospital, has
stated that it would be "virtually impossible" to blind a cat with a laser pointer.[152][clarification needed]

Reproduction

When cats mate, the tomcat (male) bites the scruff of the female's neck as she assumes a position
conducive to mating known as lordosis behavior.
See also: Kitten

Female cats are seasonally polyestrous, which means they may have many periods of heat over
the course of a year, the season beginning in spring and ending in late autumn. Heat periods
occur about every two weeks and last about 4 to 7 days.[153] Multiple males will be attracted to a
female in heat. The males will fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the
female will reject the male, but eventually the female will allow the male to mate. The female
will utter a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her. This is because a male cat's penis has a band
of about 120–150 backwards-pointing penile spines, which are about one millimeter long;[154]
upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina, which is a trigger
for ovulation. This act also occurs to clear the vagina of other sperm in the context of a second
(or more) mating, thus giving the later males a larger chance of conception.[citation needed]

After mating, the female will wash her vulva thoroughly. If a male attempts to mate with her at
this point, the female will attack him. After about 20 to 30 minutes, once the female is finished
grooming, the cycle will repeat.[153]

Because ovulation is not always triggered by a single mating, females may not be impregnated
by the first male with which they mate.[155] Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female
may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, with the result that different kittens in a
litter may have different fathers.[153]
A newborn kitten

The gestation period for cats is between 64–67 days, with an average length of 66 days.[156] The
size of a litter averages three to five kittens, with the first litter usually smaller than subsequent
litters. Kittens are weaned at between six and seven weeks, and cats normally reach sexual
maturity at 5–10 months (females) and to 5–7 months (males), although this can vary depending
on breed.[153] Females can have two to three litters per year, so may produce up to 150 kittens in
their breeding span of around ten years.[153]

Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks old,[157] or when they are ready to leave
their mother. Cats can be surgically sterilized (spayed or castrated) as early as 7 weeks to limit
unwanted reproduction.[158] This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as
aggression, territory marking (spraying urine) in males and yowling (calling) in females.
Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age, but it is
increasingly being performed prior to puberty, at about three to six months.[159] In the US
approximately 80% of household cats are neutered.[160]

Vocalizations

Main article: Cat communication

The cat is a very vocal animal. Known for its trademark purring, it also produces a wide variety
of other sounds.

The mechanism by which cats purr is elusive. The cat has no unique anatomical feature that is
clearly responsible for the sound.[161][clarification needed] It was, until recent times, believed that only
the cats of the Felis genus could purr. However, felids of the Panthera genus (tiger, lion, jaguar
and leopard) also produce sounds similar to purring, but only when exhaling.[162][clarification
needed][unreliable source?]

Ecology
Habitats
A black cat in snowy weather.

Cats are a cosmopolitan species and are found across much of the world.[38] Geneticist Stephen
James O'Brien, of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, remarked on how
successful cats have been in evolutionary terms: "Cats are one of evolution's most charismatic
creatures. They can live on the highest mountains and in the hottest deserts."[163] They are
extremely adaptable and are now present on all continents except Antarctica, and on 118 of the
131 main groups of islands—even on sub-Antarctic islands such as the Kerguelen Islands.[164][165]
Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands,
urban areas and wetlands.[166] Their habitats even include small oceanic islands with no human
inhabitants.[167] This ability to thrive in almost any terrestrial habitat has led to the cat's
designation as one of the world's worst invasive species.[168] Despite this general adaptability, the
close relatives of domestic cats, the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and the Arabian sand
cat (Felis margarita) both inhabit desert environments,[4] and domestic cats still show similar
adaptations and behaviors.[35]

Impact on prey species

Young feral cat eating a cottontail rabbit.

To date, there are few scientific data available to assess the impact of cat predation on prey
populations. Even well-fed domestic cats may hunt and kill, mainly catching small mammals, but
also birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.[131][169] Hunting by domestic cats may be
contributing to the decline in the numbers of birds in urban areas, although the importance of this
effect remains controversial.[170] In the wild, the introduction of feral cats during human
settlement can threaten native species with extinction.[167] In many cases controlling or
eliminating the populations of non-native cats can produce a rapid recovery in native animals.[171]
However, the ecological role of introduced cats can be more complicated. For example, cats can
control the numbers of rats, which also prey on birds' eggs and young, so a cat population can
protect an endangered bird species by suppressing mesopredators.[172]

In the Southern Hemisphere, cats are a particular problem in landmasses such as Australasia,
where cat species have never been native and there were few equivalent native medium-sized
mammalian predators.[173] Native species such as the New Zealand Kakapo and the Australian
Bettong, for example, tend to be more ecologically vulnerable and behaviorally "naive" to
predation by feral cats.[174] Feral cats have had a major impact on these native species and have
played a leading role in the endangerment and extinction of many animals.[175]

Cat numbers in the UK are growing and their abundance is far above the "natural" carrying
capacity, because their population sizes are independent of their prey's dynamics: i.e. cats are
"recreational" hunters, with other food sources.[176] Population densities can be as high as 2,000
individuals per km2[177] and the trend is an increase of 0.5 million cats annually.

Impact on birds

The domestic cat is probably a significant predator of birds. UK assessments indicate that they
may be accountable for an estimated 64.8 million bird deaths each year.[131] Certain species
appear more susceptible than others; for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality is linked to
the domestic cat.[178] In the recovery of ringed robins (Erithacus rubecula) and dunnocks
(Prunella modularis), it was also concluded that 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.[179]
The presence of larger carnivores such as coyotes which prey on cats and other small predators
reduces the effect of predation by cats and other small predators such as opossums and raccoons
on bird numbers and variety.[180] The proposal that cat populations will increase when the
numbers of these top predators decline is called the mesopredator release hypothesis. However a
new study suggests that cats are a much greater menace that previously thought and that feral
cats kill several billion birds each year in the United States.[181]

On islands, birds can contribute as much as 60% of a cat's diet.[182] In nearly all cases, however,
the cat cannot be identified as the sole cause for reducing the numbers of island birds, and in
some instances eradication of cats has caused a ‘mesopredator release’ effect;[183] where the
suppression of top carnivores creates an abundance of smaller predators that cause a severe
decline in their shared prey. Domestic cats are, however, known to be a contributing factor to the
decline of many species; a factor that has ultimately led, in some cases, to extinction. The South
Island Piopio, Chatham Islands Rail,[179] the Auckland Islands Merganser,[184] and the common
diving petrel[185] are a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless
Stephens Island Wren, which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery.[186][187]

Some of the same factors that have promoted adaptive radiation of island avifauna over
evolutionary time appear to promote vulnerability to non-native species in modern time. The
susceptibility inherent of many island birds is undoubtedly due to evolution in the absence of
mainland predators, competitors, diseases and parasites. In addition to lower reproductive rates
and extended incubation periods.[188] The loss of flight, or reduced flying ability is also
characteristic of many island endemics.[189] These biological aspects have increased vulnerability
to extinction in the presence of introduced species, such as the domestic cat.[190] Equally,
behavioral traits exhibited by island species, such as "predatory naivety"[191] and ground-
nesting,[188] have also contributed to their susceptibility.

Cats and humans

Main article: Cats and humans

Girl with young cat

Cats are common pets in Europe and North America, and their worldwide population exceeds
500 million.[9] Although cat guardianship has commonly been associated with women,[192] a 2007
Gallup poll reported that men and women were equally likely to own a cat.[193]

According to the Humane Society of the United States, as well as being kept as pets, cats are also
used in the international fur trade,[194] for making coats, gloves, hats, shoes, blankets and stuffed
toys. About 24 cats are needed to make a cat fur coat.[195] This use has now been outlawed in
several countries, including the United States, Australia and the European Union.[196] However,
some cat furs are still made into blankets in Switzerland as folk remedies that are believed to
help rheumatism.[197]

People less often eat cat meat than the flesh of other common domestic animals.[citation needed]

Census

There are approximately 220 million domestic cats in the world, according to the International
Federation for Animal Health Europe (IFAH).[198]

A few attempts to build a cat census have been made over the years, both through associations or
national and international organization (such as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies's
one[199]) and over the net,[200][201] but such a task does not seem so simple to achieve.

Feral cats
Main article: Feral cat
American feral farm cat

Feral cats are domestic cats that were born in or have reverted to a wild state. They are
unfamiliar with and wary of humans and roam freely in urban and rural areas.[8] The numbers of
feral cats is not known, but estimates of the US feral population range from 25 to 60 million.[8]
Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies, which occupy
a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food.[202] Famous feral cat colonies
are found in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, with cats at some of these sites
being fed and given medical attention by volunteers.[203]

Public attitudes towards feral cats vary widely: ranging from seeing them as free-ranging pets, to
regarding them as vermin.[204] One common approach to reducing the feral cat population is
termed trap-neuter-return, where the cats are trapped, neutered, immunized against rabies and
the feline leukemia virus, and then released. Before releasing them back into their feral colonies,
the attending veterinarian often nips the tip off one ear to mark the feral as neutered and
inoculated, since these cats may be trapped again. Volunteers continue to feed and give care to
these cats throughout their lives. Given this support, their lifespan is increased, and behavior and
nuisance problems caused by competition for food are reduced.[202]

The life cycle of a cat starts with a kitten and then adolescent kitten. It then becomes an adult cat
followed by a senior cat. Once a cat is more than 12 years old it is considered to be a late senior
cat.
Cat food
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For the song by King Crimson, see Cat Food (song).

Cat with a bowl of dry cat food.

Cat food is food intended for consumption by cats. Cats have requirements for their specific
dietary nutrients.[1] Certain nutrients, including many vitamins and amino acids, are degraded by
the temperatures, pressures and chemical treatments used during manufacture, and hence must be
added after manufacture to avoid nutritional deficiency.[2][3] The amino acid taurine, for example,
which is found within meat, is degraded during processing, so synthetic taurine is normally
added afterwards. Long-term taurine deficiency resulting, for example, from feeding taurine-
deficient dog food, may result in retinal degeneration, loss of vision, and cardiac damage.

Contents
 1 History
 2 Commercial cat food
o 2.1 Dry food
o 2.2 Wet food
o 2.3 Vegetarian or vegan food
 3 Labeling
 4 Energy requirement
 5 Nutrients and functions
 6 Diet and disease
o 6.1 Vegan and vegetarian diets
 o 6.2 Homemade food
o 6.3 Bisphenol A
o 6.4 Food allergy
o 6.5 Malnutrition
o 6.6 Recalls
 7 Nutrient chart
 8 See also
 9 References
 10 Further Information

History[edit source | edit]

The idea of preparing specialized food for cats came later than for dogs (see dog biscuits and dog
food). This was very probably due to the idea that cats could readily fend for themselves. In
1837, a French writer critiqued this idea:

It is... thought wrongly that the cat, ill-fed, hunts better and takes more mice; this too is a grave error.
The cat who is not given food is feeble and malingering; as soon as he has bitten into a mouse, he lies
down to rest and sleep; while well fed, he is wide awake and satisfies his natural taste in chasing all that
belongs to the rat family.[4]

In 1844, another French writer expanded on this idea:

Normally in the country no care is taken of a cat's food, and he is left to live, it is said, from his hunting,
but when he is hungry, he hunts the pantry's provisions far more than the mouse; because he does not
pursue them and never watches them by need, but by instinct and attraction. And so, to neglect feeding
a cat, is to render him at the same time useless and harmful, while with a few scraps regularly and
properly given, the cat will never do any damage, and will render much service.[5]

He goes on to say that it is all the more unreasonable to expect a cat to live from hunting in that
cats take mice more for amusement than to eat: "A good cat takes many and eats few".

By 1876, Gordon Stables emphasized the need to give cats particular food:

If then, only for the sake of making (a cat) more valuable as a vermin-killer, she ought to have regular
and sufficient food. A cat ought to be fed at least twice a day. Let her have a dish to herself, put down to
her, and removed when the meal is finished. Experience is the best teacher as regards the quantity of a
cat's food, and in quality let it be varied. Oatmeal porridge and milk, or white bread steeped in warm
milk, to which a little sugar has been added, are both excellent breakfasts for puss; and for dinner she
must have an allowance of flesh. Boiled lights are better for her than horse-meat, and occasionally let
her have fish. Teach your cat to wait patiently till she is served—a spoiled cat is nearly as disagreeable as
a spoiled child. If you want to have your cat nice and clean, treat her now and then to a square inch of
fresh butter. It not only acts as a gentle laxative, but, the grease, combining in her mouth, with the
alkalinity of her saliva, forms a kind of natural cat-soap, and you will see she will immediately commence
washing herself, and become beautifully clean. (N.B.—If you wish to have a cat nicely done up for
showing, touch her all over with a sponge dipped in fresh cream, when she licks herself the effect is
wonderful.) Remember that too much flesh-meat, especially liver,—which ought only to be given
occasionally,—is very apt to induce a troublesome diarrhoea (looseness). Do not give your pet too many
tit-bits at table; but whatever else you give her, never neglect to let her have her two regular meals.[6]

In the same year, an advertisement for Spratt (better known for making dog food) said that their
cat food entirely superseded "the unwholesome practice of feeding on boiled horse flesh; keeps
the cat in perfect health."[7] And, in another book on cats, Stables recommended the company's
food:

Attend to the feeding, and, at a more than one-day show, cats ought to have water as well as milk. I
think boiled lights, cut into small pieces, with a very small portion of bullock's liver and bread soaked, is
the best food; but I have tried Spratt's Patent Cat Food with a great number of cats, both of my own and
those of friends, and have nearly always found it agree; and at a cat show it would, I believe, be both
handy and cleanly.[8]

Spratt, which began by making dog biscuits, appears to also have been the first commercial
producer of cat food.

During the 19th century and early-20th centuries, meat for cats and dogs in London, frequently
Horse meat, was sold from barrows (hand–carts) by itinerant traders known as Cats' Meat Men.[9]

Commercial cat food[edit source | edit]

Most store-bought cat food comes in either dry form, also known in the US as kibble, or wet
canned form. Some manufacturers sell frozen raw diets and premix products to cater to owners
who feed raw.

Dry food[edit source | edit]

Dry (extruded) cat food example

Dry food (8-10% moisture) is generally made by extrusion cooking under high heat and pressure.
Fat may then be sprayed on the food to increase palatability, and other minor ingredients, such as
heat-sensitive vitamins, which would be destroyed in the extrusion process, may be added.

Wet food[edit source | edit]

Wet (Canned) cat food example (Fish flakes in jelly)

Canned or wet food (75-78% moisture) generally comes in common can sizes of 3 oz (85 g), 5.5
oz (156 g), and 13 oz (369 g). It is also sold in foil pouch form.

Vegetarian or vegan food[edit source | edit]

There are vegetarian and vegan cat foods available. Vegetarian cat food must be fortified with
nutrients such as taurine and arachidonic acid that cats, as obligate carnivores, cannot synthesize
from plant materials.[10] Some vegetarian cat food brands are labeled by their manufacturers as
meeting AAFCO's Cat Food Nutrient Profile.[citation needed]

Labeling[edit source | edit]

Further information: Pet food:Labeling and regulation

In the United States, cat foods labeled as "complete and balanced" must meet standards
established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) either by meeting a
nutrient profile or by passing a feeding trial. Cat Food Nutrient Profiles were established in 1992
and updated in 1995 by the AAFCO's Feline Nutrition Expert Subcommittee. The updated
profiles replaced the previous recommendations set by the National Research Council (NRC).
Certain manufacturers label their products with terms such as premium, ultra premium, natural
and holistic. Such terms currently have no legal definitions.[citation needed] However, "While most of
the food supplied comes from within the US, the FDA ensures that standards are met within our
borders even when components come from countries with less stringent levels of safety or label
integrity."[11]
Energy requirement[edit source | edit]
The energy requirement for adult cats range from 60–70 kcal metabolizable energy/kg body
weight per day for inactive cats to 80–90 kcal/kg BW for active cats. Kittens at five weeks of age
require 250 kcal/kg BW. The requirement drops with age, to 100 kcal/kg BW at 30 weeks and to
the adult requirement at about 50 weeks. Gestating cats require about 90–100 kcal/kg BW and
lactating cats 90–270 kcal/kg BW depending on litter size.[12]

Nutrients and functions[edit source | edit]

Vitamin deficiencies can lead to wide ranging clinical abnormalities that reflect the diversity of
their metabolic roles. Twelve minerals are known to be essential nutrients for cats. Calcium and
phosphorus are crucial to strong bones and teeth. Cats need other minerals, such as magnesium,
potassium, and sodium, for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and cell signaling.
Many minerals only present in minute amounts in the body, including selenium, copper, and
molybdenum, act as helpers in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions.[13]

The table below lists the AAFCO nutritional profiles for cat foods along with the roles of
vitamins and minerals in cat nutrition according to the National Research Council.

Diet and disease[edit source | edit]

Vegan and vegetarian diets[edit source | edit]

Vegan or vegetarian diets for cats are controversial. According to the United States National
Research Council, "Cats require specific nutrients, not specific feedstuffs."[10] The International
Vegetarian Union,[14] the Vegan Society[15] and PETA[16] are some of the organizations that
support a vegan or vegetarian diet for cats. The Animal Protection Institute does not recommend
a vegetarian diet for cats,[17] and neither does the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA).[18]

Not all animal advocacy groups take a firm position either way. The Association of Veterinarians
for Animal Rights (now Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association) accepts that it is
possible for a plant-based diet to be nutritionally adequate but stated in August 2006 that such
diets "cannot at this time be reliably assured".[19] This position was based on a 2004 study
demonstrating that of two commercially available vegetarian cat diets tested, both were
nutritionally deficient.[20] The formulation error in one of these diets was promptly identified and
corrected.[21] Nevertheless, it remains likely that formulation errors will result in nutritional
deficiencies in a wide range of commercially available diets from time to time, whether meat-
based, vegetarian or vegan. Hence, regular (at least, annual) veterinary checkups of all
companion animals is recommended, and brands may be occasionally varied.[21][not in citation given]

In 2006, the first study of the health of a population of long-term vegetarian cats was published
in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Most of the cats were fed a
commercially-available vegan diet, though 35% were allowed outdoors. The study consisted of
telephone questionnaires of the caregivers of 32 cats, and analysis of blood samples from some
of them. The blood samples were tested for taurine and cobalamin deficiencies. Cobalamin levels
were normal in all cats. Taurine levels were low in 3 out of 17 cats tested, but not low enough to
be considered deficient. 97% of the caregivers perceived their cats to be healthy, including those
with low taurine levels.[22]

Homemade food[edit source | edit]

Further information: Raw feeding

Many pet owners feed cats homemade diets. These diets generally consist of some form of
cooked or raw meat, bone, vegetables, and supplements, such as taurine and multivitamins.[citation
needed]

Bisphenol A[edit source | edit]

A 2004 study reported that food packaged in cans coated with bisphenol A is correlated with the
development of hyperthyroidism in cats.[23]

Food allergy[edit source | edit]

Food allergy is a non-seasonal disease with skin and/or gastrointestinal disorders. The main
complaint is excessive scratching (Pruritus) which is usually resistant to treatment by steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs. The exact prevalence of food allergy in cats remains unknown. In 20 to
30% of the cases, cats have concurrent allergic diseases (atopy / flea-allergic dermatitis). A
reliable diagnosis can only be made with dietary elimination-challenge trials. Allergy testing is
necessary for the identification of the causative food component(s). Therapy consists of avoiding
the offending food component(s).[24]

Malnutrition[edit source | edit]

Malnutrition can be a problem for cats fed non-conventional diets. Cats fed exclusively on raw,
freshwater fish can develop a thiamine deficiency. Those fed exclusively on liver may develop
vitamin A toxicity. Also, exclusively meat-based diets may contain excessive protein and
phosphorus whilst being deficient in calcium, vitamin E, and microminerals such as copper, zinc,
and potassium. Energy density must also be maintained relative to the other nutrients. When
vegetable oil is used to maintain the energy balance cats may not find the food as palatable.[25]

Recalls[edit source | edit]

Main article: 2007 pet food recalls

The broad pet food recalls starting in March 2007 came in response to reports of renal failure in
pets consuming mostly wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from a single Chinese company
beginning in February 2007. Overall, several major companies recalled more than 100 brands of
pet foods with most of the recalled product coming from Menu Foods. The most likely cause
according to the FDA is the presence of melamine in the wheat gluten of the affected foods.
Melamine is known to falsely inflate the protein content rating of substances in laboratory tests.
The economic impact on the pet food market has been extensive, with Menu Foods alone losing
roughly $30 Million from the recall.