A cat grooming itself.

Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7 kg (5.5–16 lb); however, some breeds, such as the Maine Coon can exceed 11.3 kg (25 pounds). Some have been known to reach up to 23 kg (50 lb), due to overfeeding. This is very unhealthy for the cat, and should be prevented through diet and exercise (playing), especially for cats living exclusively indoors.

In captivity, indoor cats typically live 15 to 20 years, though the oldest-known cat lived to age 36. Domestic cats tend to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors (reducing the risk of injury from fights or accidents) and if they are spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering a cat also decreases the risk of testicular and ovarian cancer, and female cats spayed before their first heat or litter benefit from reduced risk of mammary cancer. Feral cats living in modern urban environments often live only two years, or less. Feral cats in maintained colonies can live much longer; the British Cat Action Trust reported a 19-year-old feral female. The oldest feral cat was Mark who was maintained by the British charity Cats Protection and who reached 26 years of age.

Thirty-two individual muscles in the ear allow for a manner of directional hearing;  the cat can move each ear independently of the other. Thus a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in quite another direction (such as pointing backward toward its owner). Most cats have straight ears pointing upward. Unlike dogs, flap-eared breeds are extremely rare. (Scottish Folds are one such exceptional genetic mutation.) When angry or frightened, a cat will lay its ears back, to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. Daily durations of sleep are various, 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 refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep for a brief period; someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap".

Cats' temperament can vary depending on the breed and socialization. Shorter haired cats tend to be skinnier and more active, while cats with longer hair tend to be heavier and less active.

The normal body temperature of a cat 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). Comparatively, humans have a normal temperature of approximately 37 °C (97 to 100 °F). A domestic cat's normal heart rate ranges from 140 to 220 beats per minute, and is largely dependent on how excited the cat is. For a cat at rest, the average heart rate should be between 150 and 180 bpm, depending upon level of activity.

A popular belief holds that cats always land on their feet. They do usually, but not always. During a fall, a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute sense of balance and flexibility.  It always rights itself in the same way, provided it has the time to do so during a fall. Certain breeds that don't have a tail are a notable exception, since a cat moves its tail and relies on conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing.

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. They are capable of walking very precisely, placing each hind paw directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimising noise and visible tracks.

Like many predators, cats have retractable claws. This is actually a misnomer because in their normal, relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. This is done to keep the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground. It is only by stretching, such as swatting at prey, that the connecting tendons are pulled taut, forcing the claws to extend. Thus extending the claws is an involuntary action.

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Measuring the senses of any animal can be difficult, because there is usually no explicit communication (e.g., reading aloud the letters of a Snellen chart) between the subject and the tester.

While a cat's senses of smell and hearing may not be as keen as, say, those of a mouse, they are superior in many ways to those of humans. These along with the cat's highly advanced eyesight, taste, and touch receptors make the cat extremely sensitive among mammals.

A close-up of a cat's eye.

Sight

Testing indicates that a cat's vision is superior at night in comparison to humans, and inferior in daylight. Cats, like dogs, have a tapetum lucidum that reflects extra light to the retina. While this enhances the ability to see in low light, it appears to reduce net visual acuity, thus detracting when light is abundant. In very bright light, the slit-like iris closes very narrowly over the eye, reducing the amount of light on the sensitive retina, and improving depth of field. The tapetum and other mechanisms give the cat a minimum light detection threshold up to 7 times lower than that of humans. Variation in color of cats' eyes in flash photographs is largely due to the interaction of the flash with the tapetum.

Average cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus 180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from each eye) narrower than that of humans. As with most predators, their eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field of view. Field of view is largely dependent upon the placement of the eyes, but may also be related to the eye's construction. Instead of the fovea which gives humans sharp central vision, cats have a central band known as the visual streak. Cats can apparently differentiate among colors, especially at close range, but without appreciable subtlety.

Cats have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, which is a thin cover that closes from the side and appears when the cat's eyelid opens. This membrane partially closes if the cat is sick; although in a sleepy, content cat this membrane is often visible. If a cat chronically shows the third eyelid, it should be taken to a veterinarian.

Hearing

Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the scale, but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds, even better than dogs. Cats can hear 2 octaves higher than humans, and one-half octave higher than dogs. When listening for something, a cat's ears will swivel in that direction; a cat's ear flaps (pinnae) can independently point backwards as well as forwards and sideways to pinpoint the source of the sound. Cats can judge within three inches (7.5 cm) the location of a sound being made one yard (approximately one meter) away.

Smell

A domestic cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than a human's. Cats have twice as many smell-sensitive cells in their noses as people do, which means they can smell things we are not even aware of. Cats also have a scent organ in the roof of their mouths called the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's, organ. When a cat wrinkles its muzzle, lowers its chin, and lets its tongue hang a bit, it is opening the passage to the vomeronasal. This is called gaping. Gaping is the equivalent of the Flehmen response in other animals, such as dogs and horses.

A cat using its senses for exploration

Touch

Cats generally have about a dozen whiskers in four rows on each upper lip, a few on each cheek, tufts over the eyes and bristles on the chin. Whiskers may also be found on the cat's "elbows." The Sphynx (a nearly hairless breed) may have full length, short, or no whiskers at all.

Whiskers (technically called vibrissae) can aid with navigation and sensation. Whiskers may detect very small shifts in air currents, enabling a cat to know it is near obstructions without actually seeing them. The upper two rows of whiskers can move independently from the lower two rows for even more precise measuring.

It is thought that a cat may choose to rely on the whiskers in dim light where fully dilating the pupils would reduce its ability to focus on close objects. The whiskers also spread out roughly as wide as the cat's body making it able to judge if it can fit through an opening.

Whiskers are also an indication of the cat's attitude. Whiskers point forward when the cat is inquisitive and friendly, and lie flat on the face when the cat is being defensive or aggressive.

Taste

According to National Geographic (December 8), cats cannot taste sugary foods due to a faulty sweet receptor gene. Some scientists believe this is related to the cat's diet being naturally high in protein, though it is unclear whether it is the cause or the result of it.

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The unique sound a small cat makes is written onomatopoeically as "meow" in American English; "meow" or "miaow" in British English; "miaou" or "miaw" in French; "miao" in Mandarin Chinese and Italian; "miau" in German, Spanish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish, Croatian, Romanian and Portuguese; "miau" or "מיאו" in Hebrew;"miyav" in Turkish; "mjäu" in Estonian; "mowa'a" in Arabic; "nyaa" or "nyan" in Japanese; "meong" or "ngeong" in Bahasa Indonesia; "ngiau" in Malay; "yaong" or "nyaong" in Korean; and various ways in other languages. The sound of an increasingly annoyed cat is transcribed in James Joyce's Ulysses as "mkgnao", "mrkgnao" and "mrkrgnao", and the sound made by Pixel, the title character of Robert A. Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, was written as "blert", while the sound made by Bill the Cat in Berkeley Breathed's comic strip Bloom County was generally described as "ack". The cat's pronunciation of this call varies significantly depending on meaning. Usually cats call out to indicate pain, request human attention (to be fed or played with, for example), or as a greeting. Some cats are very vocal, and others rarely call out. Cats are capable of about 100 different vocalisations, compared to about 10 for dogs.

A kitten's call first starts out as a high-pitched squeak-like sound when very young, and then deepens over time. Some cats, however, do not exercise their voices a lot, so their call may remain similar to that of a kitten through adulthood.

Cats can also produce a purring noise that typically indicates that the cat is happy, but also can mean that it feels distress. Cats purr among other cats—for example, when a mother meets her kittens. Until recently, there were many competing theories to explain how cats purr, including vibration of the cat's false vocal chords when inhaling and exhaling, the sound of blood hitting the aorta, vibration of the hyoid apparatus, or resonation directly in the lungs. Currently, though, it is believed that purring is a result of rhythmic impulses to the cat's larynx.

It is possible for a cat to call out and purr simultaneously, although this is typical only in very vocal cats. In addition to purring, happy cats may blink slowly or partially close their eyes to break any possible stares and communicate their ease in the situation. However, purring may also be a way for the cat to calm itself down. For example, cats have been known to purr when hurt.

Most cats growl or hiss when angered or in danger. Some may engage in nipping behavior or batting with their paws, either with claws extended or retracted. With cats who are improperly socialised and do not know their own strength, this can result in inadvertent damage to human skin. Cat scratches can easily become infected, and in extreme cases can result in cat scratch fever.

Cats are also known to make chirping noises when observing prey, or as a means of expressing interest in an object to nearby humans. When directed at out-of-reach prey, it is unknown whether this is a threatening sound, an expression of frustration, or an attempt to replicate a birdcall (or replicate the call of a bird's prey, for example a cicada). Since this feline expression often involves a mouth movement similar to the one they would use to kill their prey (their "killing bite"), they may be trying to practice this mouth movement in anticipation.

When passing solid waste, cats, like many types of predators, release from anal glands a small amount of liquid that scents their feces, to mark their territory. These scent-producing anal sacs are found in all predators; those of the skunk are used for self-defense, for example. During moments of excitement or other strong emotions, a cat's anal sac may discharge, releasing a foul-smelling brown liquid. Anal irritation, possibly shown by the cat rubbing its bottom on the floor and frequent licking of the area, can be a sign that the cat's anal sacs are not being emptied when waste passes. Although this condition can be treated through the addition of a small amount of bran to each meal, it may require veterinary attention. Shorthair cats are more prone to this problem.

Cats will twitch the tips of their tails when hunting or angry, while larger twitching indicates displeasure. A tail held high is a sign of happiness, while half-raised shows less pleasure, and unhappiness is indicated with a tail held low. A scared cat may puff up its tail and the hair along its back and turn its body sideways to a threat in order to increase its apparent size. Tailless cats, such as the Manx (cat), who possess only a small stub of a tail move the stub around as though they possessed a full tail, though it is not nearly as communicative as that of a fully tailed cat. Touching noses is a friendly greeting for cats, while a lowered head is a sign of submission.

When cats are happy, they are known to paw their owners, or that on which they sit, with a kneading motion. Cats often use this action alongside purring to show contentment and affection for their owners. The action is often referred to as paddy-pawing, making muffins or treading paws. It is instinctive to cats, and they use it when they are young to stimulate the mother cat's nipple to release milk during nursing. As a result, cats that are hand-raised by humans may lack this reflex. Pawing is also a way for cats to mark their territory. The scent glands on the underside of their paws release small amounts of scent onto the person or object being pawed, marking it as "theirs" in the same way they would urinate to mark their territory.

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Relative to size, domestic cats are very effective predators. They ambush and dispatch vertebrate prey using tactics similar to those of leopards and tigers by pouncing; they then deliver a lethal neck bite with their long canine teeth that severs the victim's spinal cord, or asphyxiate it by crushing the windpipe.

The domestic cat can hunt and eat about one thousand species—many big cats will eat fewer than 100. Although, theoretically, big cats can kill most of these species as well, they often do not due to the relatively low nutritional content that smaller animals provide. An exception is the leopard, which commonly hunts rabbits and many other smaller animals.

A cat yawning, showing characteristic canine teeth.

Cats have highly specialized teeth and a digestive tract suitable to the digestion 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. While this is present in canines, it is highly developed in felines. The cat's tongue has sharp spines, or papillae, designed to retain and rip flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin and assist in their grooming. Unlike most carnivores, cats eat almost no vegetable matter apart from that found in the digestive tracts of their prey. Whereas bears and dogs commonly supplement their diet of meat with fruits, berries, roots, and honey when they can get them, cats feed exclusively on meat, usually freshly killed. Cats, including the great cats, have a genetic anomaly that prevents them from tasting sweetness ^[11], which is probably related to their meat-only habits.

In captivity, cats cannot be adapted to an unsupplemented vegetarian diet because they cannot synthesize all the amino acids they need from plant material. Specifically this applies to taurine, the absence of which causes the cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness. This condition is called central retinal degeneration (CRD). Cow's milk is a poor source of taurine and adult cats are generally lactose intolerant. Lactose-free milk is perfectly safe, but still not a substitute for meat. This contrasts with domesticated dogs, which commonly are fed a mixture of meat and vegetable products and have been adapted in some cases to a vegetarian diet. Despite this, however, the majority of brand-name cat foods are primarily grain based, often containing large amounts of corn or rice and supplemented with meats and essential vitamins. Some vegetarian owners feed their cats a vegetarian diet containing supplemental taurine.

Cats are also known to munch on grass, leaves, shrubs and houseplants. They do not eat a lot in one sitting, but prefer to have it as a snack. Eating vegetation in this way may aid the cat's digestive system and can prevent hairballs. ^[12].

Cats can be fussy eaters. This mostly happens when the vomeronasal, or Jacobson's, organ becomes sensitized to a specific food, at which point the cat will reject any food that doesn't fit the pattern it is expecting. Additionally, cats have been known to develop a fondness for "people food" such as barbecued chicken, bread, french fries, pepperoni pizza, ice cream, tomato soup, carrot juice, olives, and carnitas burritos, as well as cat diet exotica such as corn kernels and diced cantaloupe. Many "people foods" are not good for cats; chocolate, for example, can be fatal due to the theobromine found in chocolate.

Domestic cats, especially young ones, are known for their love of string play. Many cannot resist a dangling piece of string, or a piece of rope drawn randomly and enticingly across the floor. This notorious love of string is often depicted in cartoons and photographs, which show kittens or cats playing with balls of yarn. This propensity is probably related to their hunting instinct. However, string is more often being replaced with a red dot laser pointer. This is because, if the string is ingested, it can be caught in the cat’s stomach or intestines causing illness or, in extreme cases, death. Some people discourage the use of laser pointers for play with pets, however, because of the risk of eye damage and the loss of satisfaction (especially for cats) associated with the successful capture of prey.

Because of their small size, domestic cats pose almost no danger to humans—the only hazard is the possibility of infection (or, rarely, rabies) from a cat bite or scratch.

Cats can be destructive to ecosystems in which they are not native and whose species did not have time to adapt to their introduction. In some cases, cats have contributed to or caused extinctions — for example, see the case of the Stephens Island Wren.

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Cats are known for their cleanliness. They groom themselves by licking their fur. Their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent, but it can provoke allergic reactions in humans. Some people who are allergic to cats - typically manifested by hay fever, asthma or a skin rash - quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general. Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats. Some cats occasionally regurgitate hair balls of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Longhair cats are more prone to this than shorthairs. Hairballs can be prevented with certain cat foods and remedies that ease elimination of the hair. Cats expend nearly as much fluid grooming as they do urinating.

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

Indoor cats may be provided a litter box containing sand or similar commercial material (litter). This arrangement serves the same purpose as a toilet for humans. It should be cleaned daily and changed often (depending on the number of cats in a household and the type of litter—clumping litter stays cleaner longer, but has been reported to cause health problems in some cats.) A litterbox is recommended for indoor-outdoor cats as well. Litterboxes may pose a risk of toxoplasmosis transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning.

Toilet-trained cat.

In addition, some cats may be toilet trained, eliminating the litterbox and its attending expense and odor. Training involves two or three weeks of incremental moves, such as moving and elevating the litterbox until it is near the toilet. For a short time, an adapter, such as a bowl or small box, may be used to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl. When training is complete, the cat uses the toilet by perching over the bowl.

Indoor cats will also benefit from being provided with a scratching post so they are less likely to ruin furniture with their claws. Nails can be trimmed, but care should be taken to avoid cutting a vein in the quick of the claw.

Declawing

Some cat owners choose to have their cat declawed (onychectomy). This major surgery removes the tip of each digit (from the first knuckle out) of the cat's forepaws. Some people are opposed to declawing, claiming it is inhumane. Declawing is not a simple procedure; serious complications can arise, such as an increased risk of infections, or life-long discomfort in the cat's paws. This operation is rare outside of North America. In Germany and Switzerland, declawing cats is explicitly forbidden by the laws against cruelty to animals. In many other European countries, it is also forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, unless "a veterinarian considers [such] non-curative procedures necessary either for veterinary medical reasons or for the benefit of any particular animal".

Where it is legal, some cat veterinarians refuse to do this type of surgery because it deprives the cat of its main defense ability, although cats usually learn to donkey kick or rake with their hind claws in defense. Other experts mention difficulties with the cat's typical stretching and exercise habits, which can lead to muscle atrophy. Some doctors believe that a loss of the cat's claws causes a loss of its ability to balance on thin objects, such as rails or balconies. Declawing surgery requires anesthesia, which carries with it a small risk of death. Additionally, some experts believe that declawed cats are more inclined to bite. If a cat is not declawed at an early age, it becomes too dangerous to declaw them when they are older. However, many American cats are still declawed, often when the owner finds that it is the only option for keeping the cat (sometimes it is mandated by landlords). Some cats that are not declawed and cannot be retrained are either abandoned or turned in to animal shelters, where they may be euthanized. In Britain, where the prevailing style of ownership is indoor/outdoor, shelters find it difficult to rehome imported cats that had previously been declawed. One popular, relatively inexpensive alternative to declawing is the application of vinyl nail caps that are affixed to the claws with nontoxic glue, requiring periodic replacement when the cat sheds its claw sheaths (usually every four to six weeks).

Environment

The wild cat, ancestor of the domestic cat, is believed to have evolved in a desert climate, as evident in the behavior common to both the domestic and wild forms. Wild cats are native to all continents other than Australasia and Antarctica. Their feces are usually dry, and cats prefer to bury them in sandy places. They are able to remain motionless for long periods, especially when observing prey and preparing to pounce. In North Africa there are still small wildcats that are probably related closely to the ancestors of today's domesticated breeds.

Cats enjoy heat and solar exposure, often sleeping in a warm area during the heat of the day. Cats like to be a lot warmer than humans do. People start to feel uncomfortable when their skin's temperature gets higher than about 44.5 °C (112 °F), but cats don't start to show signs of discomfort until their skin reaches about 52 °C (126 °F).

Being closely related to desert animals, cats can withstand the heat and cold of a temperate climate, but not for long periods. Although certain breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coon have developed more protection than others, they have little resistance against fog, rain and snow and struggle to maintain their 39 °C (102 °F) body temperature when wet. Most cats dislike immersion in water, but one exception is the Turkish Van cat. If a cat is continually exposed to water from a very young age, often it will develop a fondness for it; however, this rarely if ever occurs naturally.

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Cats are seasonally polyestrous, which means they may have many heat periods over the course of a year. A heat period lasts about 4 to 7 days if the female is bred; if she is not, the heat period lasts longer and recurs at regular intervals.

A mother cat with kittens a few hours old

The male cat's penis has spines which point backwards. Upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina. The female needs this stimulation for ovulation to begin. Because of this, females are rarely impregnated by the first male with which they mate. Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, meaning different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.

A kitten with eyes open for the first time

The gestation period for cats is approximately 60 days. 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 six months (females) to seven months (males).

Blue-eyed cats with white fur have a higher genetic incidence of deafness.

Completely white cats (not due to albinism, but white because of the dominant epistatic white (W) gene) with two blue eyes have a forty percent probability of being born deaf.

The deafness is an effect of the W gene. This gene produces a white coat because it completely masks any other color or pattern the cat has. Blue irises can result, and they are linked to deafness.  Any cat that receives even one W from one parent may exhibit this. Blue eyes can also result from the form of albinism characteristic of the siamese breed; white cats from this genetic background, sometimes called Foreign whites or Oriental Shorthairs may not have a problem with deafness, but it can happen if the cat inherits the W gene. This also occurs with dogs if they have white coat and blue eyes, and in the case of dogs, it can be equally common for them to be born blind.  However, blindness in cats has not found to be associated with the W gene.  Often, blue eyes will lack a tapetum lucidum and thus will not reflect like colored cat eyes. This may diminish the cats' visual acuity, but the extent is not known. Humans with common albinism, white skin and blue eyes generally suffer from visual problems, but in Tietz syndrome they suffer from deafness.

Around 5% of all cats are completely white, of which 10%–20% are deaf. Very few survive in the wild because of all the hazards that they cannot avoid as easily as other cats would in the same situation. Many people believe that deaf white cats should not be used for breeding as it is not ethical to propagate such a disability, and instead deaf cats should be spayed or neutered to avoid passing the trait to their offspring.  Some breeds however, such as the Turkish Angora are based on all white cats and produce a higher percentage of deaf cats as a results. It was not until recently that colored Turkish Angoras were allowed to be shown, making deafness an issue in that breed. Apart from the Turkish Angora, there are also many non-pedigree white cats that have odd eyes, i.e. one blue eye and one amber eye.

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Like some other domesticated animals, cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. Cats, however, have done so for a much shorter time than almost all other domesticated animals, and the degree of domestication of cats is somewhat disputed. Since the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans' food stores outweighed the cost of allowing a formerly wild animal to enjoy the relative safety of a human settlement, the relationship between cat and human flourished. Unlike the dog, which also kills rodents, the cat did not eat grains, fruits, or vegetables. A cat that is good at hunting rodents is referred to as a mouser.

The venerable simile "like herding cats" refers to the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to be trained in the manner of the dog. Despite occasional cohabitation in colonies, cats are lone hunters. It is no coincidence that cats are also "clean" animals, the chemistry of their saliva, expended in frequent grooming, acting as a natural deodorant. The "purpose" of this cleanliness is to help hide the cat's presence while stalking prey. A dog's odor, on the other hand, is an advantage, for a dog is a pack hunter; part of the pack stations itself upwind, and its odor drives prey towards the rest of the pack stationed downwind. This requires a cooperative effort, which in turn requires communications skills. No such communications skills are required of the lone hunter. Thus, communicating with such an animal is problematic, and cats in particular are labelled as opaque or inscrutable, if not obtuse, as well as aloof and self-sufficient. However, cats can be very affectionate towards their humans, especially if they imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection.

Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some humans keep cats for companionship as pets. Some people (known as cat lovers) go to great lengths to pamper their cats, sometimes treating them almost as if they were children. When a cat bonds with its human owner, at times, the cat may display behaviors similar to that of the human. Such behavior may include a trip to the litter box before bedtime and snuggling up close to its companion in bed or on the sofa. Other behaviors could include mimicking sounds of the owner or using certain sounds the cat picks up from the human; sounds representing specific needs of the cat, which the owner would recognize. The cat may also be capable of learning to communicate with the human using non-spoken language or body language such as rubbing for affection (confirmation), facial expressions and making eye-contact with the owner if something needs to be addressed (e.g. finding a bug crawling on the floor for the owner to get rid of). Some owners like to train their cat to perform "tricks" commonly exhibited by dogs such as jumping.

Allergies to cat dander are one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. However, in some instances, humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with allergies. Many chose to cope with cat allergies by taking prescription allergy medicine and bathing their cats frequently, since weekly bathing will eliminate about 90% of the cat dander present in the environment. Recent studies have indicated the humans who are exposed to cats or dogs within the first year of their lives develop few animal allergies, while most adults who are allergic to animals did not have a cat or a dog as a pet in childhood.

In urban areas, some people find feral and free roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered animals can engage in persistent nighttime calling (caterwauling) and defecation or "marking" on private property. Indoor confinement of pets and TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs for feral cats can help in this situation; some people also use cat deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property.

In rural areas, farms often have dozens of semi-feral cats. Hunting in the barns and the fields, they kill and eat rodents that would otherwise spoil large parts of the grain crop. Many pet cats successfully hunt and kill rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and large insects by instinct, but might not eat their prey. They may even present such victims, dead or maimed, to a beloved owner, perhaps expecting their owner to praise or reward them, or possibly even complete the kill and eat the mouse.

Despite its reputation as a solitary animal, the domestic cat is social enough to form colonies, but does not attack in groups as do lions. Some breeds like bengal, ocicat and manx are very social, but these breeds are exceptions. While each cat holds a distinct territory (sexually active males having the largest territories, and neutered cats having the smallest), there are "neutral" areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflict or aggression. Outside of these neutral areas, territory holders usually vigorously chase away strangers, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and if that does not work by short but noisy and violent attacks. Fighting cats make themselves look larger by raising their fur and arching their backs. Attacks usually comprise powerful slaps to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites, but serious damage is rarely done, and usually the loser runs away with little more than a few scratches to the face. Sexually active males may be engaged in many fights over their lives and often have decidedly weathered faces with obvious scars and cuts to the ears and nose. Not only males will fight; females will also fight over territory or to defend their kittens and even neutered cats will defend their small territories vigorously.

Feral cats

Feral farm cat showing effects of a rough life.

Feral cats are thought to be a major predator of Hawaiian coastal and forest habitats, and are one species among many responsible for the decline of endemic forest bird species as well as seabirds like the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. [1] In one study of 56 cat scats, the remains of 44 birds were found, 40 of which were endemic species. [2]

Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many lost or abandoned pet cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average lifespan of these feral cats is much shorter than a domestic housecat, which can live an average of sixteen years or more. Urban areas are not native environments to the cat; most domestic cats were artificially selected from cats in desert climates and were distributed throughout the world by humans, but some feral cat colonies are found in large cities, for example, around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum in Rome. Although cats are adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few find adequate nutrition on their own in cities. In addition, they have little defense or understanding of the dangers from dogs, coyotes, and even automobiles. However, there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, spay or neuter them, immunize the cats against rabies and feline leukemia, and treat them with long-lasting flea products. Before release back into their feral colonies, the attending veterinarian nips the tip off one ear to mark the feral as spayed/neutered and inoculated, as these cats will more than likely find themselves trapped again. Volunteers continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives, and not only is their lifespan greatly increased, but behavior and nuisance problems, due to competition for food, are also greatly reduced. In time, if an entire colony is successfully spayed and neutered, no additional kittens are born and the feral colony disappears. Many hope to see an end to urban feral cat colonies through these efforts.

Environmental issues

Trapped Feral cat

The environmental impact of feral cat programs and of indoor/outdoor cats is a subject of debate. Part of this stems from humane concern for the cats themselves and part arises from concerns about cat predation on endangered species. Nearly all studies agree that abandoned animals lead hard lives. Owners who can no longer keep their cats would do best to give them to friends, rescue organizations, or shelters.

The amount of ecological damage done by indoor/outdoor cats depends on local conditions. The most severe impact occurs with island ecologies. Serious concerns also exist in places such as Florida where housecats are not native, where several small sized endangered species live near human populations, and where the climate allows cats to breed throughout the year. Environmental concerns may be minimal in most of England where cats are an established species and few to none of the local prey species are endangered.

Pet owners can contact veterinarians, ecological organizations, and universities for opinions about whether local conditions are suitable for outdoor cats. Additional concerns include potential dangers from larger predators and infectious diseases. Coyotes kill large numbers of housecats in the Southwestern United States, even in urban zones. FELV (feline leukemia), FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), or rabies may be present in the area. If faced with conflicting evidence, the safe choice is to keep a cat indoors. Experts recommend a gradual transition to indoor life for cats who are accustomed to going outside.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The domestic cat was named Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae of 1758. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber named the wild cat Felis silvestris in 1775. The domestic cat is now considered a subspecies of the wild cat: by the strict rule of priority of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the name for the species thus ought to be F. catus since Linnaeus published first. However, in practice almost all biologists use F. silvestris for the wild species, using F. catus only for the domesticated form.

In opinion 2027 (published in Volume 60, Part 1 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 31 March 2003 ^[1]) the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based on wild species, which are predated by or contemporary with those based on domestic forms", thus confirming F. silvestris for the wild cat and F. silvestris catus for its domesticated subspecies. (F. catus is still valid if the domestic form is considered a separate species.)

Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben named the domestic cat Felis domesticus in his Anfangsgründe der Naturlehre and Systema regni animalis of 1777. This name, and its variants Felis catus domesticus and Felis silvestris domesticus, are often seen, but they are not valid scientific names under the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

Varieties of domestic cat

The list of cat breeds is quite large. Each breed has distinct features and heritage. The owners and breeders of show cats compete to see whose animal bears the closest resemblance to the "ideal" definition of the breed (see selective breeding). Due to common crossbreeding in populated areas, many cats are simply identified as belonging to the homogeneous breeds of domestic longhair and domestic shorthair, depending on their type of fur. In the United Kingdom and Australia, non-purebred cats are referred in slang as moggies (also an archaic slang word for a prostitute, probably referring to a female cat's promiscuous habits). In the United States, a non-purebred cat is sometimes referred to in slang as an alley cat, even if it is not a stray.

Cats come in a variety of colors and patterns. These are physical properties and should not be confused with a breed of cat.

Household cats are divided into:

• Domestic longhaired
• Domestic shorthaired

Cat coat genetics can produce a variety of coat patterns; some of the most common are

Bicolor cat

Also known as 'Tuxedo cat' or 'Jellicle cat' (tuxedos are mostly black with white paws/legs, bellies, chests, and possible markings on face).

Maltese cat

The former name for a blue (grey) cat.

Oriental cat

(not a specific breed, but any cat with an elongated slender build, almond-shaped eyes, large ears and very short sleek fur).

Tabby cat

Striped, with a variety of patterns. The classic "blotched tabby" pattern is the most common and consists of butterflies and bull's-eyes. The mackerel tabby is a series of vertical stripes down the cat's side (resembling the fish). This pattern broken into spots is referred to as spotted tabby. The worldwide evolution of the cat means that certain types of tabby are associated with certain countries; for instance, blotched tabbies are quite rare outside NW Europe, where they are the most common type.

Tortoiseshell and Calico

Featuring three colors mottled throughout the coat, this cat is also known as a Calimanco cat or Clouded Tiger cat, and by the nickname "tortie". A true tortoiseshell must consist of three kinds of color: a reddish color, dark or light; white; and one other color, typically a brown, black or blue, as described by American breeder Barbara French, writing for the Cat Fanciers community ^[2]. Calico cats are white with distinct black and red (or blue and cream in the dilute variant) spots. The Japanese refer to this pattern as mi-ke (meaning "triple fur"). Both tortoiseshell and calico cats are typically female because the coat pattern is the result of differential X chromosome inactivation in females (which, as with all normal female mammals, have two X chromosomes). Those male tortoiseshells that are created are usually sterile; conversely, cats where the overall color is ginger (orange) are virtually always male, and a litter sired by a ginger tom usually contains tortoiseshell females. See "Tortoiseshell and Tricolour Cats" for an extensive genetic explanation for tricolor cats, and detailing the possible combinations of coloring.^[3]

References

1. ^  Tortoiseshell and Tricolour Cats. URL accessed on November 27, 2005.
2. ^  AAAS - AAAS News Release. URL accessed on August 8, 2005.
3. ^  CBC News:Ancient tomb may hold oldest pet cat. URL accessed on August 8, 2005.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The black cat is a feline whose fur is uniformly or mostly black. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. In Western history, black cats have often been looked upon as a symbol of bad omens.

Historical associations

Historically, black cats were symbolically associated with witchcraft and evil. In Hebrew and Babylonian folklore, cats are compared to serpents, coiled on a hearth. In the Middle Ages, Germanic peoples and the Normans associated the black cat with "bad luck". To some, they were an omen of impending death. On roads, a black cat crossing one's path was considered a signal of danger ahead.

Since the 1880s, the color black has been associated with anarchism. The black cat, in an alert, fighting stance was later adopted as an anarchist symbol. More specifically, the black cat is associated with anarcho-syndicalism, a branch of anarchism that focuses on workers' rights. Anarchists, Situationists and Revolutionary Industrial Unionists (such as the IWW) believe that wildcat strikes could be the spark for revolution.

In the 1930s, the Wiccan religious tradition emerged. Since much of Wicca is reconstructed from supposed witchcraft practices, the black cat was adopted as a Wiccan symbol.

The archaic associations of black cats with bad luck or evil appear occasionally in North American popular culture, but are no longer widely held. Contrarily in the UK black cats are the most well known sign of good luck and have always been so. By some human beings, black cats are seen as desirable pets.

Eveready Batteries uses a black cat leaping through the digit 9 as its logo - one of the most recognizable company trademarks.

Witchcraft

Cats, in witchcraft folklore, are often believed to be familiars of human witches, because of their purported psychic and magical abilities. Both historically and in modern times, those who practice witchcraft often keep cats as pets.

Black cats, because of their ability to remain unseen in dark places or at night, were considered especially desirable partners for witches. Some witches were purported to have the ability to shape-shift into a cat nine times, hence the archaic belief that cats have "nine lives". Black cats were sometimes used in magical rituals, sometimes as purported participants, other times as sacrifices.

In witch trials, ownership of a cat was often taken as "evidence" of Satanic association and witchcraft. Cats, believed to be evil in their own right, were often punished as well as humans during these trials, often being burned alive.

Both historically and today, some religious and spiritual groups purportedly engage in ritualistic sacrifice of cats, though studies have mainly found that such reports belong squarely in the province of urban legend. Cats are never sacrificed in Wiccan rituals, harming animals or people being against the religion.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Relaxed cat

Cats, like many other animals, communicate a variety of messages using body language. Examples include arching their backs as a signal of fear or aggression and slowly blinking to signal relaxation. As is the case with dogs, the tail is often used as a signalling mechanism. A twitch can indicate minor irritation, and a tail held high suggests confidence. A cat who chooses to lie with its stomach and chest exposed conveys happiness, trust and comfort. A cat with tail held high and twitching shows excitement, but this is often mistaken for anger. Flattened ears mean that the cat feels threatened, and may attack. Mouth open and no teeth exposed suggests a feeling of playfulness.

Many people fail to understand the silent language of cats. In particular, 'dog people who are accustomed to the fawning outwards signs of dog 'language' seem slow in detecting what a cat is telling them in its body language, which creates the false impression among "dog people" that cats are cold-hearted, unemotional, or dumb. To understand cats, one must observe a feline closely and learn what its body signals tell you. The flattened ears, teeth showing, baring belly for submission are easily 'read' by humans. Some characteristic signals, however, are often misunderstood. For instance, a cat rubbing its body along an arm or leg of its human is not only a way in which to attract attention and, perhaps, a morsel of food. It is also a way of 'marking' its human as its very own. Using scent glands located around its mouth and elswhere, it subtly 'marks' its human as part of its cat territory. Most cats prefer gentle rubs behind the ears. To inform their humans they need petting or attention, a cat may push its entire body weight up against the human as the cat snuggles next to his/her favorite person.

Focused cat

Some subtle Anthropomorphisms

• Disgust - Lifting and subsequent shaking of a paw or paws is sign of disgust. The more paws the more disgusting. This can sometimes be a four paw affair with each paw being lifted and shaken before the other.

• Agitation - The swishing or sweeping of the tail in one full 180 degree swoop mid-air or against the human. And if the message isn't getting through, the cat may simply leave the room.

Surprised cat

Links

• A small catalogue of cat body language signals.
• An introduction to cat body language
• Cat Communication

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Video: Learn to Read Animal Body Language

More often, the term 'catfight' is used as a slang term for an altercation, usually physical, between two women. It is stereotyped as involving slapping, scratching, hair-pulling, and sometimes biting as opposed to punching or kicking. It can also be used to describe two human females insulting one another verbally, or being unpleasant to one another. Many catfights in cartoons, movies, and beer commercials end with at least one of the participants missing several articles of clothing. Catfighting is also a popular subject amongst pornographic films depicting multiple women in sexually suggestive and combative situations. In the 1970s, prurient interest in catfighting lead to the popularity of several women in prison films.

Catfighting has also recently been experiencing a boom in the form of payable entertainment. There are many different forms that now exist. Catfighting media displays forms from the more recent extreme catfight aspect, in which punching and kicking are included with the stereotypical array of woman fight tactics, such as scratching and the pulling of hair. Such stereotypical displays of anger are frequently demonstrated on the daytime television talk show The Jerry Springer Show. In more extreme variations such as in pornography, facesitting is involved.

Links

For catfighting

• Women's Fight Club
• Catfights among women are becoming nastier

For fights between cats

• Cat play or cat fight? How to determine if your household cats are playing or fighting
• How to stop two cats from fighting by Google Answers

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The American Keuda (pronounced KEW-da) is a type of cat. The Keuda type is currently under development to become a standardized breed. The roots of the breed are from a 1980s study called the "Kitten Evaluation Under Direct Assessment" which was meant to determine the characteristics which led to superior barn cats in the Southwestern United States. Barn cats gathered from the study area (Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas) were bred with each other to develop the breed.

The American Keuda has some pronounced similarities with the Egyptian Mau breed. It is an open and controversial question whether this reflects an Egyptian Mau contribution to their gene pool or whether cats with Mau-like traits are superior barn cats. In the latter case, these traits would be reinforced over time and would not necessarily require a Mau contribution to the gene pool. Since the Egyptian Mau itself was redomesticated from feral Egyptian cat populations in the mid-1950s, it may represent a superior feral cat type, closely reproduced in the deserts of the American Southwest in the Keuda, but with no direct genetic connection to that breed.

American Keuda cats share many physical similarities with the Mau, including body type and a belly flap, not seen in other breeds. Since the belly flap adaptation allows extra extension when running, and thus more speed, this would be a successful adaptation for any cat that needed speed, like a barn cat. Keudas also share a high level of intelligence and athleticism with the Mau, as well as speed and a love for warm conditions. One marked difference between the Keuda and the Mau is the wide diversity of appearance the Keuda displays. While some Keudas look strikingly like Maus, they may also look like a Siamese, Havana Brown, cats of other breeds or mixed breed cats. Keuda cats display a much wider variety of coat colors and patterns than do Maus.

Links

• Keuda
• [1]

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The Asian Semi-Longhair is a cat breed similar to the Asian Shorthair except they have semi-long hair instead of short hair. These cats are also known by the name Tiffanie. They are recognised in any of the Asian Shorthair or Burmese colors and patterns. Like the Asian Shorthair, the breed was developed in Britain, and is not currently recognised by any U.S. Registries.

Chelsea Clinton's cat, Socks (1989-2009), lived in the White House from 1993 to 2001. Socks was a bicolor cat with low grade spotting, or tuxedo cat.

A bicolor cat has white fur combined with fur of some other colour, for example black —- in this case they are often referred to as a tuxedo cat. Bicolours are found in many breeds as well as being common in domestic longhair cats and domestic shorthair cats.

Bicolour occurs because there is a white spotting gene present along with a recessive allele of the agouti gene, which evens out the usual striped pattern of the colours of the coat. In contrast, tabby cats have an agouti gene that produces striping of the coat. The Abyssinian has agouti with dilution (ticked tabby), giving the appearance of even colour with colour-banded hairs.

A black-and-white bicolour cat is often known as a tuxedo cat or a Jellicle cat. To be considered a “tuxedo”, its black coloring should be solid through out, with white limited to the paws, belly, chest, throat, and possibly the chin. The tuxedo name is just that. It should appear as if the cat is wearing a tuxedo. Some owners attribute shy personalities to tuxedo cats, particularly once they reach adulthood.

Another type of black-and-white bicolour cat is called a “cow cat” or “moo cat”. A cow cat doesn't have the solid black 'jacket' of the tuxedo cat. Instead, it has big black patches over a mostly white body, often with a black mask over the head. Some owners attribute chacteristics such as a love of water, big personalities and a playful nature to cow cats.

Black Mask Cats are another variant of the cow cat or tuxedo cat, so called because they look like they are wearing a black mask over their head.

The Turkish Van (white and red) is one good example of a bicolour breed.

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Dihydroactinidiolide is a volatile terpene with chemical formula C11H16O2 and CAS number 15356-74-8. It has a sweet, tea-like odor and is used as a fragrance. Dihydroactinidiolide occurs naturally in black tea, fenugreek, fire ants, mangos, silver vine, and tobacco.

As with nepetalactone, found in catnip, dihydroactinidiolide is a cat attractant. Cultivators of silver vine (which contains another such chemical, actinidine) sometimes find their plants destroyed by enthusiastic cats.

Links

• Cat-Plants!

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Nepeta
Nepeta curviflora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae   Division: Magnoliophyta   Class: Magnoliopsida   Order: Lamiales   Family: Lamiaceae   Genus: Nepeta
Species
See text.

Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The members of this family are known as catnips or catmints.

The genus is native to Europe, Asia and Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region east to China. Most of the species are herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annuals. They have sturdy stems with opposite heart-shaped, green to greyish-green leaves. The flowers are white, blue, pink or lilac and occur in several clusters toward the tip of the stems.

Nepeta cataria flowers

Nepeta cataria (Catnip, True Catnip, Catmint or Field Balm) is a 50–100 cm tall herb resembling mint in appearance, with greyish-green leaves; the flowers are white, finely spotted with purple. It has been introduced to many countries, and is now a widespread weed in some areas, including the United States. A lemon-scented cultivar, N. cataria 'Citriodora' looks exactly like true catnip, but has the scent of, and can be used like Lemon balm.

Nepeta grandiflora (Giant Catmint or Caucasus Catmint) is lusher than true catnip, and has dark green leaves and dark blue, almost purple flowers.

Nepeta × faassenii (N. racemosa × N. nepetella; Faassen's Nepeta or Faassen's Catnip) is mostly grown as an ornamental plant. This hybrid is far smaller than either of above, and is almost a ground cover. It has with greyish-green leaves and light purple flowers.

Some Dracocephalum, Glechoma and Calamintha species were formerly classified in Nepeta.

Effects on cats

Catnip and catmints are mainly known for, and named after, the effects they have on cats, particularly domestic cats. Approximately two thirds of cats are susceptible to the effects of catnip, as the phenomenon is hereditary.

Catnip contains nepetalactone, a terpene, that is thought to mimic feline sex pheromones. Cats detect it through their vomeronasal organs. When cats sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip, they will rub in it, roll over it, paw at it, chew it, lick it, leap about, then purr loudly, growl, and meow. This reaction only lasts for several minutes before the cat loses interest. It takes up to two hours for the cat to "reset" and then it can come back to the catnip and have the same response as before. Young kittens and older cats are less likely to have a reaction to catnip but big cats, such as tigers, seem to be extremely sensitive to it.

Cat owners do not need to worry about allowing their cats access to catnip because there are, for the most part, no negative side effects to it. However, some cats become overly excited when exposed to catnip, and so aging cats with heart troubles should not be given catnip.

Other plants that also have this effect on cats include Valerian and plants that contain actinidine or dihydroactinidiolide (Smith, 2005).

At least three species attract cats, Nepeta cataria, N. grandiflora and N. × faassenii, but most other species have not been tested. Of these, both true catnip and Faassen's catnip have a sharp, biting taste, while the taste of giant catmint is bland.

References and links

• Flora Europaea
• Flora of China
• Flora of Nepal
• Liber Herbarum II page on Nepeta cataria
• Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET - reported at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society
• The Straight Dope: What is it with cats and catnip?
• What is in catnip anyway? Nepetalactone
• How does catnip work? HowStuffWorks, Inc. 1998-2005.
• Smith, L. Catnip. Penmarrie Cornish Rex. 1996-2005.
• Jacobs, Betty E.M. Growing and Using Herbs Successfully. Garden Way Publishing. Pownal, Vermont, 1981.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The following list of cat breeds uses a wide interpretation of the word "breed". Breeds listed here may be traditional breeds with long histories as registered breeds, rare breeds with their own registries, or new breeds that may still be under development. Please see individual articles for more information.

Cats can also be grouped by type according to appearance or function.

Longhair and semi-longhair

American Bobtail
American Keuda
Angora (British Angora) renamed Oriental Longhair in 2002
Asian Semi-longhair (or Tiffanie)
Balinese
Birman
British Longhair
Chantilly/Tiffany cat
Cherubim (or Honeybear)
Colourpoint Longhair
Exotic cat
Himalayan
Javanese
Maine Coon
Nebelung
Neva Masquerade
Norwegian Forest Cat
Oriental Longhair
Persian
Ragdoll (and Ragamuffin)
Siberian
Snow Cat
Somali
Sterling
Turkish Van
Turkish Angora
York Chocolate cat

Shorthair

Abyssinian
American Shorthair
Antipodean (New Zealand Shorthair)
Asian Shorthair
Australian Mist (or Spotted Mist)
Bahraini Dilmun Cat
Bombay
British Shorthair
Brazilian Shorthair
Burmese
Burmilla
Chartreux
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Egyptian Mau
European Shorthair
Havana Brown
Jungala
Khao Manee
Korat
Kucing Malaysia
Malayan
Oriental Shorthair
Russian Blue
Savannah
Seychellois
Siamese (and Traditional Siamese or Applehead Siamese)
Templecat
Tonkinese

Breeds with unusual physical features

American Bobtail
American Curl
American Ringtail
American Wirehair
Bengal cat
California Spangled Cat
Chausie
Cornish Rex
Cymric
Desert Lynx
Devon Rex
Don Sphynx
Foldex Cat
German Rex
Japanese Bobtail
Kurilian Bobtail Longhair
Kurilian Bobtail Shorthair
LaPerm
Manx
Mojave Spotted
Munchkin
Napoleon
Ocicat
Ojos Azules
Peterbald
Pixie-bob
Savannah
Selkirk Rex
Serengeti
Singapura
Sphynx
Scottish Fold
Snowshoe
Sokoke
Toyger
Ussuri

References

A worldwide list of all known recognised and unrecognised cat breeds, strains and varieties, including extinct and experimental breeds is stored at Cat Breeds with recognition/discovery dates at Breeds Timeline.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Abyssinian Cat
Shorthaired Abyssinian
Common nickname
Abby
Country of origin
Egypt
Breed standards (external links)
CFA, ACFA, TICA, CCA, ACF, FIFe

The Abyssinian is a natural breed of domesticated cat believed to originate from one Egyptian female kitten called Zula that was taken from a port in Alexandria, Egypt, by a British soldier and brought to England where the breed was developed by Zula being bred with an English tabby, and the most 'Abyssinian' looking kitten of her litter being breed with its mother to splice the Abby gene. It is believed all Abyssinians in Europe, the Americas, and Australia are descended from Zula, but there has been at least one and possibly as many as three Abyssinians introduced from Libya (or less likely Egypt) into the existing Abyssinian gene pool in the USA. The Abyssinian has become one of the most popular shorthair breed of cats in the USA. There are said to be still wild Abyssinians in some parts of North Africa.

The Abyssinian has a distinctly ticked, tawny coat. The tail and paws may show tabby markings, but the body must not. It has large almond-shaped green or gold eyes with a fine dark line around them, and large ears. The coat is generally a warm golden colour, but "Abbys" can also be blue, fawn, cinnamon and red. There is also a Silver Abyssinian variant whose coat shows shades of white, cream and grey.

Abyssinians are very active, friendly, curious and playful, but are usually not "lap cats"; they are too preoccupied exploring and playing; they are "busy" cats, and can get bored and depressed without daily activity and attention. Many Abyssinians enjoy heights, and will explore their surroundings in three dimensions, from the floor to their owner's shoulders to the top of the highest furniture. They are highly intelligent, but probably the most independent of any domestic breed. There is a long-haired version of the Abyssinian, called the Somali.

Famous Abyssinians

• Jake from The Cat from Outer Space

Links

• Abyssians.org
• Meowclick Abyssinian Gallery

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Bahrain is a small island just off the east coast of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf. The local cats of Bahrain have a very distinctive 'look' about them - they are slender, elegant, street smart spotted tabbies. These spotted tabbies have beautiful short hair coats that are extremely sleek, I compare their coats to the feel of a beautiful silk Persian carpet. The spotted Bahraini cats occur in all different clours from dark brown, bronze, cinnamon, lillac, ginger, silver, etc. and the cats occur in solid colours also. Recently the typical Bahraini cat has been called the 'Dilmun Cat' after the name of ancient Bahrain. These cats have managed to adapt to the harsh climatic conditions of Bahrain. Due to the extreme summer temperatures in Bahrain the cats have large ears and short fur. In the summer they sleep all day and come out in the evening, and in the cooler months they are more active at day time.

Generally these lovely cats are not much appreciated in their home land. Most of the cats in Bahrain live as street wise cats in areas where there is a sufficient supply of food and enough shelter (fortunately for the cats people throw out a lot of food in Bahrain!). Appart from their good looks, the cats of Bahrain are particualary endearing creatures because of their great personalities. Even people that normally don't like cats end up with a soft spot for the cats of Bahrain.

The cats of Bahrain are very adaptable creatures, and that has been the key to their survival. Unfortunately, nowadays there is so much development going on in Bahrain with shopping malls and high rise offices popping up, that the traditional home areas of the cats are being demolished. The next test of their survival is to see how they will survive in the modern towns and cities of Bahrain.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

California Spangled Cat
Country of origin
United States
Breed standards (external links)
TICA

The California Spangled Cat is a breed of cat. They were bred to resemble spotted wildcats, like the endangered species ocelot and leopard. They are a rare breed, and usually expensive, priced between $800 to $2500. They were originally bred in the 1980s.

Inspired by the poaching death of a leopard, the anthropologist Louis Leakey, motivated Paul Casey to breed a domestic cat resembling a small leopard, and that this would emphasize how important it is to preserve the leopard.

California Spangled Cats are a crossbreed of many strains of cat. Despite their wild appearance, they are completely domestic.

Links

• petplace.netscape.com on California Spangled cats

Acest articol conţine materiale traduse şi adaptate din Wikipedia de Nicolae Sfetcu sub licenţă gratuită GNU.

Devon Rex
A Devon Rex with curly, soft coat typical to this breed.
Common nickname
Pixie cat, Alien cat
Country of origin
England
Breed standards (external links)
CFA, ACFA, TICA, CCA, ACF, FIFe

The Devon Rex is a relatively new breed of cat with a sparse, curly, very soft coat similar to that of the Cornish Rex. The Cornish Rex's coat is unusual because only the down layer of hair is present, the other two layers are absent. More information on the layers is available under Cornish Rex. See also the Sphynx breed for more information on hair-deficient genetics in cats.

The curl in their fur is caused by a different mutation and gene than that of the Cornish Rex and German Rex, and breeding of a Devon to either of those cats results in cats without rexed (curled) fur.

Devons, which are medium sized cats, are often called "pixie cats" or "alien cats" because of their unique appearance. Their uncommonly large ears are set low on the sides of their wide heads, their eyes are large, and their noses are slightly upturned. Their body type is distinctly lightly-built.

The typical Devon is active, mischievous, playful, and very people-oriented. They're relatively easy to take care of, but they do shed, and many of those with allergies have found that they are not always hypoallergenic.

Links

• Planet Devon
• CFA Profile

Egyptian Mau
Country of origin
Egypt
Breed standards (external links)
CFA, ACFA, CCA, TICA, FIFe

Egyptian Maus are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are the only naturally spotted breed of domesticated cat. The spots on an Egyptian Mau are not just on the coat; a shaved Mau has spots on its skin. The Ocicat is very similar in appearance to the Egyptian Mau, but was the product of selective breeding which led to its spots. Another similar looking breed is the Bengal cat, but this breed tends to be considerably larger.

Egyptian Maus are the fastest breed of domestic cat, capable of running at 36 mph. The next fastest breed is the American Shorthair which has a top speed of 31 mph. For comparison, giraffes also run at 36 mph. Maus are powerful cats for their size, alert and active. Males are usually somewhat larger than females.

The breed conformation is described by The Cornell Book of Cats as

a balance between the compactness of a Burmese and the slim elegance of a Siamese. Its medium-length body is muscular, with the hind legs longer than the front, giving the Mau the appearance of standing on tiptoes when upright.

The longer hind legs are another reason for the breed's startling speed. The Mau also has a loose flap of skin on the lower abdomen, similar to the cheetah, which allows a longer stride while running, again contributing to its great speed. The recently developed American Keuda breed also sports such a flap. A Mau running at full speed is impressive, with incredible acceleration.

Egyptian Maus are thought by many to be one of the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat. They have anatomical, metabolic and behavioral differences from other cat breeds which could be considered as evidence of antiquity or at least uniqueness from other cat breeds. Besides those already mentioned, Maus are more temperature sensitive than most breeds - they are fond of very warm temperatures. They are more sensitive to medicines and anesthesia. Maus also have an unusually long gestational period. The maximum normal period for cats is 69 days, although Siamese may take a day or two longer. For a Mau, 73 days is still considered normal.

Maus often possess very musical voices. They are known to chirp, chortle and emit other distinctly unusual vocalizations when stimulated. Another behavior, quite common in happy Maus, has been described as "wiggle-tail." The cat, male or female, moves its back legs up and down, and appears to be marking territory, also known as spraying, but it is not actually releasing urine. Even veteran Mau owners are known to check after a joyous Mau does this little dance.

Purebred Egyptian Maus are a relatively rare breed. Currently, the number of registered Egyptian Maus worldwide is probably about 3000 (?). Maus come in five colors: silver, smoke and bronze, which are eligible for showing, and black and blue, which are not, but which can be used in breeding. All Maus must have green eyes, but an amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults, up to age 1 1/2 years.

Popular Culture

In the 2004 movie Catwoman, the cat 'Midnight' who brought Patience Phillips back to life as Catwoman was played by three Egyptian Maus, as well as a computer-generated Mau. The movie reveals that the ancient Egyptian Mau breed has the (fictional) ability, through its connection with the Egyptian goddess Bast, to revive worthy dead women as super-powered Catwomen.

Links

• CFA Breed Profile
• CATBAR's Egyptian Mau Gallery

References

Siegal, Mordecai, faculty and staff of Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine (Editors); The Cornell Book of Cats: A Comprehensive Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten; Villard Books; ISBN 0-39-456787-0; (hardback, 1989)

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Cat anatomy is a branch of comparative vertebrate anatomy. Cat anatomy is especially helpful to the veterinarian surgeons, and also to the human surgeons, because of the cat's similarity with humans.

Video: Cat Anatomy 01

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a disorder found in cats and dogs in which the cerebellum is not completely mature at birth.

Usually symptoms of cerebellar hypoplasia can be seen immediately at birth in cats, but sometimes can take two months or so to become apparent in dogs. Cerebellar hypoplasia causes jerky movements, tremors and generally uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking. Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease. There are several bacterial infections, such as herpes, or viral such as feline panleukopenia, that can result in the disorder in both cats and dogs. However, the disease can also be caused by malnutrition, poisoning, injury or general accidents during development in the fetus. The disease does not get better or worse with age, but the cat or dog can usually learn to somewhat compensate for it. Most afflicted animals can lead a fairly normal life if special considerations for the animal's disability are taken by the pet's owner.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the practice of killing a human or other animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end suffering. This article discusses non-human animal euthanasia; a separate article covers euthanasia in humans.

An animal is euthanized when it is killed in a manner deemed to be humane, and in the case of a pet, in accordance with the emotional needs of the owner. This process is commonly referred to by the euphemism "put to sleep".

It can be done with inhalant agents, noninhalant pharmacologic agents (administered by a lethal injection), and physical methods. Pets are almost always euthanized via lethal injection, typically a very high dose of a barbiturate anaesthetic such as pentobarbital. Unconsciousness, respiratory and cardiac arrest follow rapidly, usually within 30 seconds to several minutes later. Pet owners generally consider it to be a quick and peaceful death.

Pet and livestock owners might decide to do this when the animal is suffering significantly due to injury or terminal illness, is overly aggressive, or when the owner/guardian is no longer able to keep or care for the animal and is unable or unwilling to find a new home for it. Additionally, many stray and feral animals, in particular, cats, are euthanized due to the lack of adoptive homes. In this latter case, the simple presence of the animals may be considered objectionable by those who live or work nearby, and who trap the animals (or request the assistance of animal control services to do so) and surrender them to the local animal shelter.

Euthanasia is typically performed in a veterinary clinic or hospital, or in an animal shelter, and is usually carried out by a veterinarian, or a veterinary technician working under the vet's supervision. Note that euthanasia is performed at the discretion of the attending veterinarian, who may refuse an animal owner's request to euthanize if he or she feels it is not medically or ethically necessary (so-called "convenience" euthanasia).

Some in the animal welfare or animal rights movements consider the use of the term "euthanasia", with its connotation of being done to ease suffering, to be a misnomer when applied to the euthanasia of homeless (or soon-to-be homeless) animals that are otherwise healthy and free of behavioral disorders. Some breeders also kill puppies that do not conform to the standard of the dog breed to prevent the perpetuation of the perceived flaws or faults. Most modern breeders simply spay or neuter the animals and place them in homes as pets.

Morality Debate

Animal shelters often euthanize animals when they can't find a home for them, typically after a standard period of time (ranging from several days to several weeks for unclaimed stray animals). Some consider this immoral and cruel; others believe that euthanasia is a less objectionable alternative to having unwanted animals go to unsuitable homes or having them live out their lives in shelters which generally do not have the funding to give unlimited numbers of animals proper care and exercise indefinitely. Behavioral unsuitability for adoption (ie, aggression, house-breaking, etc) is a major non-clinical reason for euthanasia in animal shelters.

So-called "no kill" shelters exist, some run by private animal welfare organizations while others are subsidized wholly or in part by local government agencies. These shelters make it official policy to never euthanize animals for non-medical reasons. Overcrowding, lack of adoptive homes and underfunding are recognized problems. Supporters consider these minor compared to the ethics of euthanasia they consider unnecessary.

Links

• Animal Euthanasia, US Animal Welfare Information Center
• Euthanasia Report (PDF) - American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA
• Small Animal Euthanasia at Home
• No Kill Solutions - "no kill" shelter advocacy organization
• Horse euthanasia information for the UK

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Video: Animal Euthanasia

Animal shelters, or what used to be known as pounds or dog pounds, are either governmental or private organizations that provide temporary homes for stray, surrendered, or abandoned pet animals. They most often house dogs and cats. The animal is kept at the shelter until it is reclaimed by the owner, adopted to a new owner, placed with another organization, or euthanized.

Unfortunately, resources are seldom adequate to support the large number of animals taken in by these organizations. As a result, animals that are not claimed by their owners, or that have temperament or health issues that cannot be corrected or treated within the resources of the organization, are often euthanized. Shelters that receive a disproportionate number of animals compared to available adopters may also euthanize animals because of space concerns.

A small number of shelters have chosen to be "no-kill" shelters, which support healthy and adoptable pets for the remainder of their lives or until they are adopted. However, as funding is limited, the number of animals that can be accepted by these organizations can be low, and some animals may not be accepted because of behavior or health concerns. "No-kill" shelters often do euthanize if they receive animals with these problems. There are no clear standards for assessing these issues, and so statistics cited about how many "adoptable" animals are euthanized or adopted can be meaningless. A poorly managed no-kill shelter may accept more animals than can be properly cared for and maintain animals in crowded and unsanitary conditions in much the same way as an animal hoarder.

Some people obtain their pets from pet stores. Millions of these pets are taken to shelters or abandoned when they get sick or are no longer wanted. Animal Welfare groups and volunteers are attempting to change that point of view by educating owners and potential owners about the lifelong commitment involved in adopting an animal, how to be a responsible pet owner, about the large number of adoptable animals available at shelters, and about the often poor condition of pet shop pets.

Animal control agencies, or nonprofit organizations contracting for animal control duties, also enforce animal-related ordinances. Some animal shelters also provide low-cost spaying and neutering surgeries or veterinary care, behavior training or resources, "safe havens" for animals of abused spouses, or other services.

By contrast animal sanctuaries will look after animals for the rest of their natural life, without necessarily attempting to find them any other home. Some establishments combine the qualities of an animal shelter with those of a sanctuary.

An animal shelter can be started by anyone who has the commitment, time and desire to help homeless animals. There are many resources available to assist in establishing an animal shelter, sanctuary or animal foster home. If an organization chooses to qualify for 501(c)(3) non-profit status, there are certain criteria outlined by the Internal Revenue Service (United States) which must be met. Additionally, running a non-profit animal shelter requires good business practices and skills. The best method of determining if one has the capability to run an animal shelter is to volunteer their time at a local Humane Society or shelter facility. These organizations can be found through local yellow pages or a search on the Internet using your state or city name followed by "humane society" or "animal shelter".

Links

• PETS 911 Free National Directory of shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, adoptable and lost and found pets by zip code
• Petfinder.com find adoptable animals nationwide
• Animal Lovers League
• The Chicagoland Vibary Network - Find An Animal Shelter
• Animal shelters and humane societies by U.S. state

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Aineko, a talking robot cat in the "Accelerando" series of science-fiction short stories (and novel) by Charles Stross
Aslan the lion in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and other Narnia stories by C. S. Lewis
Bagheera the panther in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book
Behemoth(Begemot, Russian: Бегемот), the huge, trolley-riding, Satanic black cat in Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita
Belle Aude, La Bergère, Chatte Grise, Domino, Fanfare, Fossette, Jeune Bleue, Moune, Musette, La Noire, Poucette, La Toutouque, etc.—to mention just a few of Colette’s felines
Birdie, cat of forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan in Kathy Reichs' novels
"The Black Cat" in Edgar Allan Poe's short story, a study of the psychology of guilt
Blackmalkin, Greymalkin, and Nibbins, witches' cats in The Midnight Folk by John Masefield
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
The Cat with the fiddle who played hey-diddle-diddle in Tolkien's The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late
Tolkien's poem named "Cat" usually known by its first verse: The fat cat on the mat
The Cat That Walked by Himself in Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories.
The Cat Who... mystery novels written by Lillian Jackson Braun and featuring the detective James Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats Koko and Yum-yum
The cat who ran away with the pudding string in the nursery rhyme
Carbonel, King of the Cats, in Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel trilogy
The Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, based on the folk saying, "grinning like a Cheshire cat"
Chester, the cat in Bunnicula and sequels by James Howe
Church, the cat who comes back to life in Stephen King's Pet Sematary
Clarence, a pacifist library-dwelling cat who sleeps on the photocopier in Clarence the Copy Cat by Patricia Lakin
C'Mell, a humanoid cat, one of the animal-derived 'underpeople' in stories by Cordwainer Smith
The Cowardly Lion, from the Wizard of Oz series
Crookshanks, Hermione Granger's cat in the Harry Potter novels
Damn Cat, hero of the Gordons' Undercover Cat, who returns from a nightly prowl with a kidnapped woman's bracelet around his neck...But where has he been? Later adapted as the Disney film That Darn Cat
Dinah, Alice's pet cat, featured in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and his Through the Looking-Glass
Dragon, the farmer's cat in Robert C. O'Brien's Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Edgewood Dirk, the "prism cat" in the Landover novels by Terry Brooks
Eureka, Dorothy's cat in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, also known as the Pink Kitten
Mrs Figg's cats in Harry Potter
Fireheart, Graystripe, Tigerclaw, and other feral cats in the Warriors saga by Erin Hunter.
Francis the feline detective in the novels Felidae and Felidae on the Road by Akif Pirinçci
Fritti Tailchaser, along with companions Eatbugs and Pouncequick and a host of both supporting feline characters and mythical felines in the Tad Williams novel, Tailchaser's Song.
The fiddle-playing cat in the nursery rhyme where the cow jumped over the moon
The cat and her kittens in the traditional song "Froggy would a-wooing go"
Galia Tyranth in The Kingdoms and the Elves books by Robert Stanek rides a giant cat called a king cat. She is one of many Cat Patrollers.
Ginger, the yellow tomcat who kept shop with Pickles the dog in Beatrix Potter's Ginger and Pickles
Gingivere, Tsarmina's brother in the Redwall book Mossflower who helped the woodlanders free Mossflower from Tsarmina.
The Glass Cat, a cat made of glass in The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Gobbolino in Gobbolino, the Witch's Cat by Ursula Moray Williams. Her other books with eponymous feline protagonists include:
Jeffy, the Burglar's Cat and
The Nine Lives of Island Mackenzie
Good Fortune, the cat who goes to heaven in the award-winning story by Elizabeth Coatsworth
Graybar, the black, mouse-hating stray cat in the book Ragweed by Avi and Brian Floca, part of the Poppy Books series.
Graymalk, Jill the Witch's familiar and accomplice of Snuff, from the novel A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. This is a variation on Grimalkin, the name of the witch's cat in MacBeth by Shakespeare (a graymalkin or grimalkin is an old or evil-looking she-cat)
Greebo, a witch's cat (in Terry Pratchett novels: see Discworld characters)
Guenhwyvar, Drizzt Do'Urden's mystical black panther from R. A. Salvatore's "The Dark Elf Trilogy". (see Guenhwyvar (cat))
Gummitch the superkitten, in Fritz Leiber's Space-time For Springers
The Hungry Tiger, the Cowardly Lion's closest friend, introduced in Ozma of Oz
I Am a Cat by Natsume Soseki, a cat describing his owner in Japan
Itty in Hugh Lofting's Dr Dolittle's Return
Jennie, of the Paul Gallico children's book Jennie, released in the U.S. as The Abandoned
Jenny Linsky, a small black cat and her brothers, Checkers and Edward along with her cat friends Pickles, Florio and Macaroni from Esther Averill's children's books.
Kater Murr (Tomcat Murr), in E.T.A. Hoffmann's "The Life and Opinions of Kater Murr" (1819-1821)
Kitty, the Ingalls family mouser in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books
Little Cats A through Z, from Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
Professor McGonagall who can shapeshift into a tabby cat in Harry Potter
Beth March's kittens in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women
Matroskin (Russian: Матроскин, from "матрос" (matros), "sailor"), in Eduard Uspensky's Uncle Fyodor, His Dog and His Cat
Maurice, star of The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Mehitabel, from archy and mehitabel, a dialogue between a melancholy cockroach and a heedless cat, by Don Marquis
Midnight Louie, 20 pound (9 kg) tomcat companion to (and fellow investigator with) amateur sleuth, Temple Barr, featured in a series of romantic mystery novels by Carole Nelson Douglas; occasionally assisted by his sire 3 O'Clock Louie, his Ma Barker ("my bite's worse than any dog's") and her 24th Street gang, his kit Midnight Louise, his goad Karma and his eyes and ears, on the street Sassafrass and over the street Ingram; introduce yourself with The Las Vegas Quartet, followed by Catnap, thenPussyfoot, then voyage from "Be" ta "Zed" ("A"? - don't ask - and beware the lethal Hyacinth).
Minnaloushe, from William Butler Yeats' poem The Cat and the Moon.
Mogget, a magical entity in the form of a cat, in the fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Mottyl, the cat in Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findlay
Mrs Norris in Harry Potter
Mrs. Murphy, a cat who helps her human, Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen, solve mysteries, in a series of novels by Rita Mae Brown. Her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown, is credited as co-author.
O'lal, monitor of Earth in Alan Dean Fosters Cat-A-Lyst
Orlando (The Marmalade Cat) is the eponymous hero of a series of illustrated children's books written by Kathleen Hale.
Petronius Arbiter, Pete in Robert A. Heinlein's The Door Into Summer.
Pixel in Robert A. Heinlein's novel To Sail Beyond the Sunset, and appearing briefly in other Heinlein stories. Despite the name of the book and Pixel's unique ability to cause an interdimensional cat-door to appear in any surface, the novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls is not about Pixel.
Pixel, the feline companion of P.C. O'Data in the syndicated comic strip PC and Pixel by Thach Bui.
Powder, the albino Siamese from uncommon children's series Powder The Cat
Pussy-Cat, the Owl's fiancée in Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
The pussycat who went to London to see the queen, in the nursery rhyme.
Rhiow, Saash, and Urruah, and other feline characters of The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane
Ribby, the cat who serves Duchess the dog a traumatizing pie in Beatrix Potter's The Pie and the Patty Pan
Rotten Ralph, the very bad cat in Jack Gutos's book
Sam The Cat Detective, main character of the Sam The Cat Mysteries.
Sampson in the Church Mice series by Graham Oakley
In reference to Schrödinger's Cat:
Schrödinger's Cat is a science fiction story by Ursula K. Le Guin in 1974.
The Schrödinger's Cat trilogy is the name commonly given to a trilogy of science fiction/conspiracy theory novels written by Robert Anton Wilson
Shere Khan the tiger in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book
The Shy Little Kitten of the children's book written by Cathleen Schurr and illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren
Silversides, the white, mouse-hating cat in the book "Ragweed" by Avi and Brian Floca, part of the Poppy Books series.
Simpkin in Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester
Spiegel, from Spiegel the Cat by Gottfried Keller
Squire Julian Gingivere, barn cat who Matthias me on his quest to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior in the novel Redwall.
Svartalf , a big black witch's familiar in Operation Chaos by Poul Anderson
The three little kittens who lost their mittens in the nursery rhyme
Tao, the Siamese cat from Sheila Burnford's novel The Incredible Journey.
Tiger the vegetarian cat and others in the movie An American Tail
Tigger in Winnie the Pooh
Tobermory the talking cat, protagonist of a short story by the satirist Saki (Hector Hugh Munro)
Tobias, a tall black talking cat with significant magical powers in the Tim and the Hidden People series by Sheila McCullough. Father of Sebastian, who is affectionate towards his "owner" Tim who saved him from drowning. Sebastian is a Strange One (neither part of the Hidden People nor a normal cat).
Tom Kitten, a curious but disobedient young cat in the children's stories "The Tale of Tom Kitten" and "The Roly Poly Pudding" by Beatrix Potter; also Tom's mother, Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit, and his siblings Moppet and Mittens.
Tug, the cat given by Ged to Alder to protect him from nightmares, in The Other Wind by Ursula Le Guin
"The Cats of Ulthar", who take revenge upon the murder of a kitten in H. P. Lovecraft's story of that name: from that day, it was forbidden to harm a cat in that city.
"The Unadulterated Cat" by Terry Pratchett and Joliffe Gray
Mr. Underfoot in Robert A. Heinlein's Friday
Upgraded cats in Reginald Bretnor's "Genius of the Species" take over the Soviet Union
The main and supporting characters in the book series "Warriors" are all cats.
Wolsey, a {tabby} cat which travelled in Dr.Who's TARDIS during the Virgin Books Adventures
The yellow tom on the ship "Pound of Candles," who helped Little Pig Robinson escape being dinner, and who was engaged to a "snowy owl of Lapland," in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
Zoom, in Tim Wynne-Jones' series of children's books, e.g. Zoom at Sea (ISBN 0-88899-021-9)

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Alex the Lion, in Madagascar animated movie (2005)
The Aristocats - much of the cast of the Disney animated film
Baby, the leopard in the Bringing Up Baby
Mr. Bigglesworth, Dr. Evil's cat from the Austin Powers films, in homage to the unnamed cat of Bond's Blofeld
Blofeld's unnamed cat from the James Bond movies, which has inspired a number of imitations and spoofs (see Mr Bigglesworth, Madcat, and Nero)
The film Cats & Dogs postulates an ongoing war dating back to ancient times between cats and dogs. The most notable cat is a spoilt Persian called Mr. Tinkles who is also an evil genius.
Cat, Holly Golightly's cat in Breakfast At Tiffany's
Clovis, a shorthair tabby seen in the film Sleepwalkers
Coco, the white Persian in Jungle 2 Jungle
Cosmic Creepers, an ugly, suspicious-looking black cat in the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks
The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz
That Darn Cat, Disney's adaptation of the book Undercover cat
Elsa the lioness, raised by Joy Adamson in Born Free
Figaro, of Disney's Pinocchio.
Gatto, Mr D and Tweed in Cat City (Macskafogó)
Jake, The Cat from Outer Space
Jones, the cat in Alien
King Leonidas of Naboombu, a lion, the world's greatest soccer player, also in Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Kovu, Kiara, Zira, Nuka, Vitani and other lions in Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Leo the Lion, mascot of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio.
Major, the lion from the movie Napoleon and Samantha (1972)
Midnight, an Egyptian Mau seen in the film Catwoman
Milo in The Adventures of Milo and Otis
Mr. Tinkles, the main cat villain from Cats and Dogs.
Orion, from Men in Black
Pearl, a Maine Coon cat seen in the film Assassins
Pink Panther, movie eponym, cartoon character
Puss-in-Boots, a cat with the voice of Antonio Banderas in Shrek 2.
Pyewacket, the Siamese cat and witch's familiar in the romantic-comedy play and film Bell, Book and Candle
Rademenes,the cat from Polish TV serial from 80’s „Siedem Życzeń” (Seven Wishes)
Rhubarb, a cat that inherits a professional baseball team from its owner, in the 1951 film Rhubarb, based on the novel by satirist and parodist, H. Allen Smith
Si and Am, the two Siamese cats from Lady and the Tramp
Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Scar, Sarabi, Sarafina and other lions in Disney's The Lion King
Snowbell, the cat in the film version of Stuart Little
Spot, Data's orange shorthair tabby seen in Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis (the original Spot seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation was a Somali)
Tao, a Siamese cat in the 1963 film The Incredible Journey, based on the novel of the same title.
Sassy, a Himalayan cat in the 1993 remake of the 1963 film The Incredible Journey
Sebastain-cat in Josie and the Pussycats
Thackery Binx, the boy-turned-black-cat in Hocus Pocus
The unnamed cat that Don Corleone has in his lap in the first scenes in The Godfather
The unnamed cat seen in The Getaway (1972 and 1994 remake) with a hitman (Al Lettieri in the original, Michael Madsen in the remake)
The unnamed black cat that Neo sees a déjà vu of in The Matrix
The unnamed lions who eat the Three Stooges in the short subject You Nazty Spy, which ends with a burping lion wearing the Reichsführer's hat
Zoom, in Tim Wynne-Jones's series of children's books, e.g. Zoom at Sea (ISBN 0-88899-021-9)
Thomasina, the orange tabby cat who dies and comes back (a couple of times) in The Three Lives Of Thomasina, a 1964 Disney film.
The Ghost and the Darkness, two historical man-eating lions from the 1996 film of the same name.
Waffles the cat in Disney's Goof Troop