The cat (Felis catus) is a native species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the Felidae family and is commonly called the domestic cat or domestic cat to distinguish it from wild members of the Felidae family. Cats are commonly kept as pets, but can also be farm cats or feral cats. Wild cats roam freely, avoiding contact with humans. Domestic cats are highly valued by humans for their companionship and ability to kill rodents. About 60 cat breeds are recognized by various cat registries. The cat's anatomy is similar to other feline species.
It has a strong and flexible body, quick reflexes, sharp teeth and retractable claws suitable for killing small prey. Its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. A cat's communication includes vocalizations such as meows, purrs, trills, hisses, grunts, growls, and her body language, which is characteristic of cats. Cats are social species, but they are loners. As a predator, it is crepuscular. That is, they are most active at dawn and dusk. They can hear sounds that are too soft or too high for the human ear, such as those made by mice and other small mammals. It also secretes and senses pheromones.
A female domestic cat can give birth to kittens from spring to late fall, with litter sizes often ranging from 2 to her 5. Domestic cats are bred as registered breeds of cats known as cat hobbyists and displayed at events. Pet abandonment has resulted in large numbers of feral cats worldwide and the extinction of all species of birds, mammals and reptiles. It has long been believed that the domestication of cats began in ancient Egypt, where cats lived from about 3100 BC.
In 2021, there were an estimated 220 million domestic cats and 480 million feral cats worldwide. In 2017, domestic cats were her second most popular pet in the United States, with 95.6 million cat owners and approximately 42 million households owning at least one of hers. In the UK, 26% of adults own a cat, with an estimated 10.9 million domestic cats in 2020.
The English word catt in Old English is thought to have its etymology from the late Latin cattus, first used in the early 6th century. Cattus has been suggested to have originated from the Coptic ϣⲁⲩ šau, "tomcat", or the feminine form of Egyptian ancestry with the suffix -t. Late Latin may derive from another Afro-Asiatic word or Nilohi Saharan. Nubian kaddîska "wild cat" and his Nobiinkadīs may be etymological or relatives. Nubian may have been borrowed from Arabic. However, "it is also possible that it derives from an ancient Germanic language imported into Latin, and from there into Greek, Syriac, and Arabic". It may have been borrowed from the Uralic language.
The British Tomcat, extended as Pussy and Pussycat, is attested from the 16th century, and may have been introduced by the Dutch poet or Low German his Puuskatte, Swedish Kattepus or Norwegian his It is cognate with Pus and Pusekatt. Similar forms exist in Lithuanian puijer and Irish puisin or puisin. The etymology of this word is unknown, but it may come from the sound used to attract cats. Male cats are called tomcats or tomcats. Especially in relation to cat breeding, non-sprayed females are called queens. Young cats are called kittens. In early modern English, the word kitten was compatible with the now obsolete word catling. Groups of cats are sometimes called cloudders or glarelings
You must be logged in to post a comment.