About Cats: Domestic Cat or House Cat

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Scientific name Felis Silvestris Catus or Cats small carnivorous mammal species, a skilled predator, can learn to manipulate simple mechanisms and can be trained on simple commands. Cats often valued by humans as companion and by their abilities to hunt vermin such as insects, fests and over 1,000 other species. The temperament of a Cat can vary depending on the breed and socialization. Cats with "oriental" body types tend to be thinner and more active, while Cats that have a "cobby" body type tend to be heavier and less active. 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. On defense or danger, cat specifically targeted the eyes of the larger Animal with some accuracy.

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 conserve energy by sleeping more than most Animals, especially as they grow older. Daily durations of sleep vary, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average. Some Cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. Unlike Dogs and most Mammals, Cats walk by moving both legs on one side and then both legs on the other. On reproduction, 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 give a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her. After mating, the female will give herself a thorough wash. If a male attempts to breed with her at this point, the female will attack him. Once the female is done grooming, the cycle will repeat.

Their normal body temperature is between 38 and 39 °C (101 and 102.2 °F). A Cat is considered febrile if it has a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). For comparison, Humans have a normal temperature of approximately 36.8 °C (98.6 °F). The liver of a Cat is less effective at detoxification than those of other Animals, including Humans and Dogs; therefore exposure to many common substances considered safe for households may be dangerous to them. In general, the Cat's environment should be examined for the presence of such toxins and the problem corrected or alleviated as much as possible; in addition, where sudden or prolonged serious illness without obvious cause is observed, the possibility of toxicity must be considered, and the veterinarian informed of any such substances to which the Cat may have had access. Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. They groom themselves by licking their fur, employing their hooked papillae and saliva. Their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent, but it can provoke allergic reactions in Humans.

Cats can see almost as well as humans can, and at times better. Cat vision is designed for detecting motion, useful for hunting. Like humans, cats have binocular vision, although not as well tuned as in humans. This means a cat most likely sees in 3-D; very useful for judging distance.

Cats have an elliptical pupil which opens & closes much faster than round types and allows for a much larger pupil size. This allows more light to enter the eye.

Cats appear to be slightly nearsighted, which would suggest their vision is tailored more for closer objects, such as prey, that they can capture within running distance. Objects farther than several hundred yards rarely interest a cat.

A cat relies on its extremely sensitive hearing and directional ear movement to locate the general location of prey, then targets and captures the prey using its keen eyesight. Cat vision is adapted to capture even the slightest movement. This makes the cat one of the most successful hunters on land.