badshah

1. Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Sub-phylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Felidae
Genus Felis
Species Feliscatus
GeographicRange
Feliscatus can be foundon everycontinentexceptAntarctica,generallyinhumanpopulatedareas.Thisspeciescan
be foundon a large numberislandsaswell.Theirnearlyglobaldistributioncanbe attributedtheirdomesticationby
humans;however,there isalarge global feral populationaswell.
Habitat
Domesticcats primarilyliveinareasof humanhabitationandare somewhatconstrainedtodevelopedareas.Most
feral populationslive inclose proximitytocurrentorpast humansettlements.
Physical Description
 There are over100 breedsof domesticcatsbut all have a verysimilarbodyshape andsize.
 Adultmassrangesfrom 4.1 to 5.4 kg, and average lengthis76.2 cm.
 Domesticcat have approximately244 bonesintheirbody,of whichabout30 are vertebrae
 Withso many vertebrae intheirspine,catsare veryflexible andcanrotate half of theirspine 180°.
 Theyare capable of jumpingfive timestheirownheightandare able to slipthroughnarrow spacesbecause
theyhave no collarbone andtheirscapulae lie mediallyontheirbody.
 Each forelimb(i.e.,manus) hasfive digitsandthe hindlimbs(i.e.,pes) have four.
 Theyhave retractable clawsoneach paw,whichtypicallydonotextendwhenthe animal walks.
 Theyhave 26 teeththat usuallydevelopwithinthe firstyear.
Reproduction
 House cats are polygynandrous,asbothmalesandfemaleshave multiple matesthroughoutthe year.
 Male house catspatrol territoriesinsearchof estrusfemalesduringmatingseason.
 Estrus femalescall loudlytopotentialmates,while continuallyrollingonthe ground.
 Femaleshave inducedovulationwhichisstimulatedbycopulation.
 Gestationrangesfrom60 to 67 days.
 Femalesare reproductivelymature by6 months,andmalesare reproductivelymature by8months.
 Domesticcat kittensare caredfor bytheirmothersand paternal care isvirtuallynon-existent.
 Mothersalso take an active role inteachingtheiryounghow tohunt byallowingthemtohuntonlyvery
small animals,suchasmice.
 Kittensare notpermittedtohuntlargerprey,such as rats,right away.
Lifespan/Longevity
Captive individualsare expectedtolive forapproximately14years.
Behavior
 Territorial boundariesare demarcatedbyadultcatsvia rubbingormarkingwithurine.
 Scentis producedbyglandsnear the ears,neck,and back of the head,andis releasedbyrubbingagainstan
object.
 Sharpeningclawsonan objectorrubbingagainstit are formsof gentle marking,whereassprayingisusedto
establishterritorial boundaries.
 House cats sometimesmimicnursingbychewingorsuckingonfabricsor otherhouseholditems.

2.  House cats withlittle accessorexposure toplantsoftenchew onplantsinside the house,whichmaybe a
signthat the cat iscravingplantmatter or that theirdietisfiberdeficient.
 Kittenbehaviorcanoftenbe aggressiveaskittensare still learningbehavioralpatternsfromtheirpeersor
family.
Communicationand Perception
 Bodylanguage andvocalizationsare waysinwhichdomesticcatscommunicate withconspecifics.
 Relaxedindividualsoftenhave theirearsforwardandwhiskersrelaxed.
 Domesticcats also"meow",whichchangesmeaninginrelationtoposture.
 Cats have advancedauditoryperception.Theirearscanrotate 180° to eitherface frontwardorbe flattened
back or any directioninbetween.
 Domesticcats have a greatsense of balance.Domesticcatscan hear a broad range of frequencies,from50
to 65 kilohertz
 Theyhave vibrissae onthe muzzle,eyebrows,andelbowswhichfunctionashapticreceptors.These touch
receptorsallowhouse catstonavigate theirwayaroundobstaclesinlow lightconditionsbysensingchanges
inair flowaroundan objectas itapproachesit.
 Peripheral visionindomesticcatsisverygoodbut theireyesare alsofarsighted whichdoesn'tallow themto
focuson objectswithin2feet.
 Cats cannotsee most colors,althoughsome researchersbelieve thattheymaybe able tosee red and blue.
 Withabout 200 millionolfactorycells,the nose of domesticcatsisabout thirtytimesmore sensitivethan
that of humans.Jacobson'sorgan (i.e.,the vomeronasal organ) islocatedimmediatelydorsal tothe hard
palate andis particularlyexposed toscentmoleculeswhenanindividual inhalesviathe mouth.
 A domesticcat'stongue iscoveredinhundredsof papillae;hook-like structures,whichface backwardsand
are usedto comband cleanthe fur.Taste budsare locatedonthe sides,tip,andback of the tongue and
allowdomesticcatstoperceive bitter,acidicandsaltyflavorsbutnotsweet.
Food Habits
 Domesticcats are carnivorousanda healthydietconsistsof about30 to 35% muscle meat,30%
carbohydrates,and8 to 10% fats,whichpromote growthand healthyskinandcoat.
 Adultfemalesrequire around200 to 300 caloriesperday,whereasadultmalesneedbetween250 and 300
caloriesperday.
Predation
Domesticcats are occasionallypreyedonbywildpredators,suchascoyotes,foxes,mountainlions,alligators,and
manyother terrestrial predators,suchaslarge snakes,crocodiles,othercatspecies,andothercanids.
Ecosystem Roles
Domesticcats are great pestcontrol agentsfor rodentsinandaround areasof humanhabitation.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Aside fromthe benefitthathumansreceive fromdomesticcatsas pets,domesticcatsare usedas model organisms
for variousbiomedical researcheffortsandhave beenusedasrodentpestcontrol agentsforthousandsof years.Itis
likelythatcatswere firstdomesticateddue totheirusefulnessaspestcontrol agents.There hasbeena greatdeal of
effortputintomappingthe genome of domesticcats.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Domesticcats are abundantand overpopulationhasbecome asignificanteconomicburdeninsome locations.Feral
cats can be a nuisance,andhave decreasedthe abundance anddiversityof birdcommunitiesatvariouslocations
across the globe.Feral catshave alsobeenknowntospreadparasitesand disease todomesticatedindividuals.Cats
can alsotransmitparasitesanddisease tohumans.Forexample,domesticcatscan passtapeworms,hookwormsand
possiblyroundwormstohumans.