The CAT: the cat is an animal, The Cat
known as the Domestic Cat or House Cat to distinguish it
from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of crepuscular
mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship
and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with
humans for at least 9,500 years.
Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language
for communication, including mewing ("meow" or
"miaow"), purring, hissing, growling, squeaking,
chirping, clicking, and grunting. Cats are popular pets
and are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets.
It is intelligent and can be trained to obey simple commands.This
hobby is known as the "Cat Fancy". A cat breed
is an infrasubspecific rank for the classification of domestic
cats. A cat is considered to be of a certain cat breed if
it is true breeding for the traits that define that breed.
Various cat registries around the world record and certify
the pedigrees. Only three percent of owned cats belong to
a cat breed, and an even smaller percentage of those are
suitable as show cats. A registration certificate proves
that a cat belongs to a cat breed by showing the cat's pedigree
back to at least four generations. The whole concept of
cat breeds is a relatively new one. Two hundred years ago
there was no such thing, however today there are almost
one hundred cat breeds. Varieties of domestic cat can also
be identified by characteristics other than breed. Any cat
but a wild cat is a good pet. See selective breeding for
more in-depth detail on purebred animals.
Body types of the Cat:
Size: Cats typically weigh between 2.5
and 7 kg (5.5–16 pounds); however, some breeds, such
as the Maine Coon, can exceed 11.3 kg (25 pounds).
Skeleton: Cats have 7 cervical vertebrae
like almost all mammals, 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have
12), 7 lumbar vertebrae (humans have 5), 3
sacral vertebrae like most mammals (humans have 5 because
of their bipedal posture), and, except for Manx cats, 22
or 23 caudal vertebrae
(humans have 3 to 5, fused into an internal coccyx).
Mouth: Cats have highly specialized teeth
for the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together
compose the carnassial pair on each side of
the mouth, which efficiently functions to shear meat like
a pair of scissors.
Ears: Thirty-two individual muscles in
each ear allow for a manner of directional hearing: a cat
can move each ear independently of the other.
Because of this mobility, a cat can move its body in one
direction and point its ears in another direction.
Legs: Cats, like dogs, are digitigrades:
they walk directly on their toes, the bones of their feet
making up the lower part of the visible leg. Cats are
capable of walking very precisely, because like all felines
they directly register; that is, they place each hind paw
(almost) directly in the print of the
corresponding forepaw, minimizing noise and visible tracks.
This also provides sure footing for their hind paws when
they navigate rough terrain.
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