Diagram of the general anatomy of a male cat

Cats typically weigh between 2.5 and 7&kg ; however some breeds such as the Maine Coon can exceed 11.3&kilograms . Some have been known to reach up to 23&kilograms due to overfeeding. Conversely very small cats have been reported. ⁹

The largest cat ever was officially reported to have weighed in at about 21.297&kilograms . ^{10 11} The smallest cat ever officially recorded weighed around 3lbs . ¹²

Skeleton

Cats have 7 cervical vertebrae like almost all mammals 13 thoracic vertebrae 7 lumbar vertebrae 3 sacral vertebrae like most mammals and except for Manx cats 22 or 23 caudal vertebrae . The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cats enhanced spinal mobility and flexibility compared with humans. The caudal vertebrae form the tail used by the cat as a counterbalance to the body during quick movements. Cats also have free-floating clavicle bones which allows them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their heads. ¹³

Mouth

Cats have highly specialized teeth for the killing of prey and the tearing of meat. The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth which efficiently functions to shear meat like a pair of scissors. While this is present in canids it is highly developed in felines. The cats tongue has sharp spines or papillae useful for retaining and ripping flesh from a carcass. These papillae are small backward-facing hooks that contain keratin which also assist in their grooming.

As facilitated by their oral structure cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication including meowing purring hissing growling squeaking chirping clicking and grunting. ⁶

Ears

Thirty-two individual muscles in each ear allow for a manner of directional hearing: ¹⁴ a cat can move each ear independently of the other. Because of this mobility a cat can move its body in one direction and point its ears in another direction. Most cats have straight ears pointing upward. Unlike dogs flap-eared breeds are extremely rare. When angry or frightened a cat will lay back its ears to accompany the growling or hissing sounds it makes. Cats also turn their ears back when they are playing or to listen to a sound coming from behind them. The angle of cats ears is an important clue to their mood.

Legs

Cats like dogs are digitigrades. They walk directly on their toes with the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg. Cats are capable of walking very precisely because like all felines they directly register; that is they place each hind paw directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for their hind paws when they navigate rough terrain.

Claws

Like nearly all members of family Felidae cats have protractable claws. In their normal relaxed position the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hind feet. ¹⁵ Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense climbing " kneading" or for extra traction on soft surfaces . It is also possible to make a cooperative cat extend its claws by carefully pressing both the top and bottom of the paw. The curved claws may become entangled in carpet or thick fabric which may cause injury if the cat is unable to free itself.

Most cats have five claws on their front paws and four or five on their rear paws. Because of an ancient mutation however domestic cats are prone to polydactylyism and may have six or seven toes. The fifth front claw is proximal to the other claws. More proximally there is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws on the inside of the wrists is the carpal pad also found on the paws of big cats and dogs. It has no function in normal walking but is thought to be an anti-skidding device used while jumping.

Skin

Cats possess rather loose skin; this allows them to turn and confront a predator or another cat in a fight even when it has a grip on them. This is also an advantage for veterinary purposes as it simplifies injections. ¹⁶ In fact the lives of cats with kidney failure can sometimes be extended for years by the regular injection of large volumes of fluid subcutaneously which serves as an alternative to dialysis. ^{17 18}

The particularly loose skin at the back of the neck is known as the scruff and is the area by which a mother cat grips her kittens to carry them. As a result cats tend to become quiet and passive when gripped there. This behavior also extends into adulthood when a male will grab the female by the scruff to immobilize her while he mounts and to prevent her from running away as the mating process takes place. ¹⁹

This technique can be useful when attempting to treat or move an uncooperative cat. However since an adult cat is heavier than a kitten a pet cat should never be carried by the scruff but should instead have its weight supported at the rump and hind legs and at the chest and front paws. Often a cat will lie with its head and front paws over a persons shoulder and its back legs and rump supported under the persons arm.

Senses

The nose of a cat. The feline sense of smell is extremely sensitive.

Main article: Cat senses

Cat senses are attuned for hunting. Cats have highly advanced hearing eyesight taste and touch receptors making the cat extremely sensitive among mammals. ^{citation needed}

Cats night vision is superior to humans although their vision in daylight is inferior. ^{citation needed} Cat eyes have a tapetum lucidum and cat eyes that are blue typically lack melanin and hence can show the red-eye effect .

Humans and cats have a similar range of hearing on the low end of the scale but cats can hear much higher-pitched sounds up to 64 kHz which is 1.6 octaves above the range of a human and even one octave above the range of a dog. ²⁰

A domestic cats sense of smell is about fourteen times as strong as a humans. ²¹

Due to a mutation in an early cat ancestor one of two genes necessary to taste sweetness may have been lost by the cat family. ²²

To aid with navigation and sensation cats have dozens of movable vibrissae over their body especially their face.

Metabolism

Two cats curled up together

Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies usually 1216 hours with 1314 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term cat nap refers to the cats ability to fall asleep for a brief period and has entered the English lexicon someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap".

Due to their crepuscular nature cats are often known to enter a period of increased activity and playfulness during the evening and early morning dubbed the "evening crazies" "night crazies" "elevenses" or "mad half-hour" by some. ^{23 24}

The temperament of a cat can vary depending on the breed and socialization. Cats with oriental body types tend to be thinner and more active while cats that have a cobby body type tend to be heavier and less active.

The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 C . ²⁵ A cat is considered febrile if it has a temperature of 39.5&C or greater or hypothermic if less than 37.5&C . For comparison humans have a normal temperature of approximately 36.8&C . A domestic cats 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 about twice that of a human .

Genetics

See also: Cat coat genetics

Blue-eyed cats with white fur have a reputation for having greater incidence of genetic deafness

A 2007 study published in the journal Science asserts that all house cats are descended from a group of self-domesticating desert wildcats Felis silvestris lybica circa 10000 years ago in the Near East. ⁴

The domesticated cat and its closest wild ancestor are both diploid organisms that possess 38 chromosomes ²⁶ in which over 200 heritable genetic defects have been identified many homologous to human inborn errors. Specific metabolic defects have been identified underlying many of these feline diseases. There are several genes responsible for the hair color identified. The combination of them gives different phenotypes.

Features like hair length lack of tail or presence of a very short tail are also determined by single alleles and modified by polygenes.

The Cat Genome Project sponsored by the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the U.S. National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center in Frederick Maryland focuses on the development of the cat as an animal model for human hereditary disease infectious disease genome evolution comparative research initiatives within the family Felidae and forensic potential.

All felines including the big cats have a genetic anomaly that may prevent them from tasting sweetness ²² which is a likely factor for their indifference to or avoidance of fruits berries and other sugary foods.

Feeding and diet

A few days old cat is being fed with milk

Further information: Cat food

Cats are classified as obligate carnivores because their physiology is geared toward efficient processing of meat and lacks efficient processes for digesting plant matter. The cat cannot produce its own taurine in its own body and as it is contained in flesh the cat must eat flesh to survive . Similarly as with its teeth a cats digestive tract has become specialized over time to suit meat eating having shortened in length only to those segments of intestine best able to break down proteins and fats from animal flesh. ²⁷ This trait severely limits the cats ability to properly digest metabolize and absorb plant-derived nutrients as well as certain fatty acids. For example taurine is scarce in plants but abundant in meats. It is a key amino sulfonic acid for eye health in cats. Taurine deficiency can cause a condition called macular degeneration wherein the cats retina slowly degenerates eventually causing irreversible blindness.

A cat eating a house mouse

Despite the cats meat-oriented physiology it is still quite common for a cat to supplement its carnivorous diet with small amounts of grass leaves shrubs houseplants or other plant matter. One theory suggests this behavior helps cats regurgitate if their digestion is upset; another is that it introduces fiber or trace minerals into the diet. In this context caution is recommended for cat owners because some houseplants are harmful to cats. For example the leaves of the Easter Lily can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats and Philodendron are also poisonous to cats. The Cat Fanciers Association has a full list of plants harmful to cats. ²⁸

There are several vegetarian or vegan commercially available cat foods supplemented with chemically synthesized taurine and other added nutrients that attempt to address nutritional shortfalls.

Cats can be selective eaters . However cats generally cannot tolerate lack of food for more than 36 hours without risking liver damage. ²⁹

Cats have a fondness for catnip which is sensed by their olfactory systems. Many enjoy consuming catnip and most will often roll in it paw at it and occasionally chew on it.

Cats also can also develop odd eating habits. Some cats like to eat or chew on other things like plastic paper string wool or even coal. This condition is called pica and can threaten the cats health depending on the amount and toxicity of the non-food items eaten. ³⁰ The conditions name comes from the Latin word for magpie a bird which is reputed to eat almost anything.

Toxic sensitivity

The liver of a cat is less effective at detoxification than those of other animals including humans and dogs; therefore exposure to many common substances considered safe for households may be dangerous to them. ^{31 32} In general the cats environment should be examined for the presence of such toxins and the problem corrected or alleviated as much as possible; in addition where sudden or prolonged serious illness without obvious cause is observed the possibility of toxicity must be considered and the veterinarian informed of any such substances to which the cat may have had access.

For instance the common painkiller paracetamol or acetaminophen sold under brand names such as Tylenol and Panadol is extremely toxic to cats; because they naturally lack enzymes needed to digest it even minute portions of doses safe for humans can be fatal ^{33 32} and any suspected ingestion warrants immediate veterinary attention. ³⁴ Even aspirin which is sometimes used to treat arthritis in cats is much more toxic to them than to humans and must be administered cautiously. ³² Similarly application of minoxidil to the skin of cats either accidental or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur has sometimes proved fatal. ^{35 36}

In addition to such obvious dangers as insecticides and weed killers other common household substances that should be used with caution in areas where cats may be exposed to them include mothballs and other naphthalene products ³² as well as phenol based products often used for cleaning and disinfecting near cats feeding areas or litter boxes such as Pine-Sol Dettol hexachlorophene etc. ³² which although they are widely used without problem have been sometimes seen to be fatal. ³⁷ Ethylene glycol often used as an automotive antifreeze is particularly appealing to cats and as little as a teaspoonful can be fatal. ³⁸ Essential oils are toxic to cats and there have been reported cases of serious illnesses caused by tea tree oil and tea tree oil-based flea treatments and shampoos. ^{39 40 41}

Many human foods are somewhat toxic to cats; theobromine in chocolate can cause theobromine poisoning for instance although few cats will eat chocolate. Toxicity in cats ingesting relatively large amounts of onions or garlic has also been reported. ³² Even such seemingly safe items as cat food packaged in pull tab tin cans have been statistically linked to hyperthyroidism; although the connection is far from proven suspicion has fallen on the use of bisphenol A-based plastics another phenol based product as discussed above to seal such cans. ³²

Many houseplants are at least somewhat toxic to many species cats included ³¹ and the consumption of such plants by cats is to be avoided.

Behavior

See also: Cat behavior&and cat communication

Sociability

Cats can befriend other cats. Here one cat grooms the other.

For cats life in close proximity with humans amounts to a "symbiotic social adaptation" which has developed over thousands of years. It has been suggested that ethologically the human keeper of a cat functions as a sort of surrogate for the cats mother and that adult domestic cats live their lives in a kind of extended kittenhood ⁴² a form of behavioral neoteny.

Cats may express affection towards their human companions especially if they imprint on them at a very young age and are treated with consistent affection.

Regardless of the average sociability of any given cat or of cats in general there are still any number of cats who meet or exceed the negative feline stereotype insofar as being poorly socialized. Older cats have also been reported to sometimes develop aggressiveness towards kittens which may include biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as Feline Asocial Aggression. ⁴³

Cohabitation

One may see natural house cat behavior by observing feral domestic cats which are social enough to form colonies. ⁴⁴ Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory with sexually active males having the largest territories and neutered cats having the smallest. Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas territory holders usually aggressively chase away stranger cats at first by staring hissing and growling and if that does not work by short but noisy and violent attacks.

Despite cohabitation in colonies cats do not have a social survival strategy or a pack mentality. This mainly means that an individual cat takes care of all basic needs on its own and thus cats are always lone hunters; they do not hunt in groups as dogs or lions do.

Cats frequently tonguebathe themselves . The chemistry of their saliva expended during their frequent grooming appears to be a natural deodorant. Thus a cats cleanliness would aid in decreasing the chance a prey animal could notice the cats presence. By contrast dog odor is an advantage in hunting 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 communication skills. No such communication skills are required of a lone hunter.

Fighting

Cats acts of self-defence involve arching their backs raising their fur turning sideways and hissing.

When engaged in feline-to-feline combat for self-defense territory reproduction or dominance fighting cats make themselves appear more impressive and threatening by raising their fur and arching their backs thus increasing their apparent size. Cats also behave this way while playing. Attacks usually comprise powerful slaps to the face and body with the forepaws as well as bites but serious damage is rare; usually the loser runs away with little more than a few scratches to the face and perhaps the ears. Cats will also throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake with their powerful hind legs. Normally serious negative effects will be limited to possible infections of the scratches and bites; though these have been known to sometimes kill cats if untreated. In addition such fighting is believed to be the primary route of transmission of feline immunodeficiency virus . Sexually active males will usually be in many fights during their lives and often have decidedly battered 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.

Play

Two cats play fighting

Domestic cats especially young kittens are known for their love of play. This behavior mimics hunting and is important in helping kittens learn to stalk capture and kill prey. ⁴⁵ Many cats cannot resist a dangling piece of string or a piece of rope drawn randomly and enticingly across the floor. This well known love of string is often depicted in cartoons and photographs which show kittens or cats playing with balls of yarn. It is probably related to hunting instincts including the common practice of kittens hunting their mothers and each others tails. If string is ingested however it can become caught in the cats stomach or intestines causing illness or in extreme cases death. Due to possible complications caused by ingesting a string string play is sometimes replaced with a laser pointers dot which some cats will chase. While caution is called for there are no documented cases of feline eye damage from a laser pointer and the combination of precision needed and low energy involved make it a remote risk. A common compromise is to use the laser pointer to draw the cat to a prepositioned toy so the cat gets a reward at the end of the chase. A regular flashlight with a well-focused light spot has been commonly used in such play for decades preceding the availability of consumer laser pointers.

Cats will also engage in play fighting with each other and with human partners. Humans "wrestling" with a supine cat however should be wary: if the cat is overstimulated or startled it may decide that the play has turned serious and cease to pull its punches; this can lead to serious scratches and occasionally even bites.

Hunting

Domestic cat presenting a bird to its owner

Much like their big cat relatives domestic and feral cats are very effective predators. ⁴⁶ Domestic felines ambush or pounce upon and immobilize vertebrate prey using tactics similar to those of leopards and tigers. Having overpowered such prey a cat delivers a lethal neck bite with its long canine teeth that either severs the preys spinal cord with irreversible paralysis to prey causes fatal bleeding by puncturing the carotid artery or the jugular vein or asphyxiates the prey by crushing its trachea.

One poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human owners. Ethologist Paul Leyhausen proposed that cats adopt humans into their social group and share excess kill with others in the group according to the local pecking order in which humans are placed at or near the top. ⁴⁷ However anthropologist and animal scientist Desmond Morris in his 1986 book Catwatching suggests that when cats bring home mice or birds they have caught they are teaching their human to hunt or helping their human as if feeding "an elderly inept kitten". Another possibility is that presenting the kill might be a relic of a kittens behavior of demonstrating for its mothers approval that it has developed the necessary skill for hunting. Indoor cats will often retain their hunting instinct and deliver small household items to their owners such as watches pens pencils and other objects they can carry in their mouths.

Reproduction

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Cats are seasonally polyestrous which means they may have many periods of heat 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.

Multiple males will be attracted to a female in heat. The males will fight over her and the victor wins the right to mate. At first the female will reject the male but eventually the female will allow the male to mate. The female will give a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her. After mating the female will give herself a thorough wash. If a male attempts to breed with her at this point the female will attack him. Once the female is done grooming the cycle will repeat.

The male cats penis has spines which point backwards. Upon withdrawal of the penis the spines rake the walls of the females vagina which may cause ovulation. Because this does not always occur 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 mother cat with kittens a few hours old

A kitten with eyes open for the first time

The gestation period for cats is approximately 6365 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 410 months and to 57 months .

Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks old or when they are ready to leave their mother. Cats can be surgically sterilized as early as 68 weeks to limit unwanted reproduction. This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior such as territory marking in males and yowling in females. If a cat is neutered after such behavior has been learned however then the behavior may persist.

Hygiene

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

Cats are known for their fastidious cleanliness. They groom themselves by licking their fur employing their hooked papillae and saliva. As mentioned their saliva is a powerful cleaning agent and deodorant. Many cats also enjoy grooming humans or other cats. Sometimes the act of grooming another cat is initiated as an assertion of superior position in the pecking order of a group .

Some cats occasionally regurgitate hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs as a result of their grooming. Longhaired cats are more prone to this than shorthaired cats. Hairballs can be prevented with certain cat foods and remedies that ease elimination of the hair and regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.

Scratching

Cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards in order to clean the claws and remove the worn outer sheath as well as exercise and stretch their muscles. This scratching behavior seems enjoyable to the cat and even declawed cats will go through elaborate scratching routines with every evidence of great satisfaction despite the total lack of results. Some researchers believe this is due to scent glands located in their pads and that scratching is effectively a part of marking territory.

Fondness for heights

A cat in a tree

Most breeds of cat have a noted fondness for settling in high places or perching. Animal behaviorists have posited a number of explanations the most common being that height gives the cat a better observation point allowing it to survey its territory and become aware of activities of people and other pets in the area. In the wild a higher place may serve as a concealed site from which to hunt; domestic cats are known to strike prey by pouncing from such a perch as a tree branch as does a leopard. ⁴⁸ Height therefore can also give cats a sense of security.

During a fall from a high place a cat can reflexively twist its body and right itself using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. ⁴⁹ This is known as the cats " righting reflex". It always rights itself in the same way provided it has the time to do so during a fall. The height required for this to occur in most cats is around 90&cm . Cats without a tail also have this ability since a cat mostly moves its hind legs and relies on conservation of angular momentum to set up for landing and the tail is in fact little used for this feat. ⁵⁰

However cats fondness for high spaces can dangerously test the righting reflex. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warns owners to safeguard the more dangerous perches in their homes to avoid " high-rise syndrome" where an overconfident cat falls from an extreme height. ⁵¹

Ecology

Habitat

The African Wildcat 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. Wildcats are native to all continents other than Australia and Antarctica although feral cats have become apex predators in the Australian Outback where they are menaces to wildlife. ⁵² Their feces are usually dry and cats prefer to bury them in sandy places. Urine is highly concentrated which allows the cat to retain as much fluid as possible. 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 todays domesticated cat breeds.

Being closely related to desert animals cats enjoy heat and solar exposure often sleeping in a sunny area during the heat of the day as part of a general preference for warm temperatures. Where humans typically start to feel uncomfortable when their skin temperature gets higher than about 44.5&C by contrast cats do not start to show signs of discomfort until their skin reaches about 52&C .

Overall cats can easily withstand the heat and cold of a temperate climate so long as the cold is not for extended periods. Although certain breeds such as the Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coon have developed heavier coats of fur than other cats they have little resistance against moist cold and struggle to maintain their 39&C body temperature when wet. In direct relation to that fact most cats dislike immersion in water. One major exception is the Turkish Van breed which has an unusual fondness for water. ⁵³ Abyssinians and Bengals are also reported to be more tolerant of water than most cats.

Impact of hunting

The domestic cat hunts and eats over a thousand species many of them invertebrates especially insects many big cats will eat fewer than a hundred different species. 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 for the effort. An exception is the leopard which commonly hunts rabbits and many other smaller animals. Even well-fed domestic cats may hunt and kill birds mice rats scorpions cockroaches grasshoppers and other small animals in their environment.

As a consequence of their exceptional hunting ability cats can be quite destructive to ecosystems in which they are not native where local species have not had time to adapt to feline introduction. In some cases cats have contributed to or caused extinctions for example see the case of the Stephens Island Wren. Due to their hunting behavior in many countries feral cats are considered pests. Domestic cats are occasionally also required to have contained cat runs or to be kept inside entirely as they can be hazardous to locally endangered bird species. For instance various municipalities in Australia have enacted such legislation. In some localities owners fit their cat with a bell in order to warn prey of its approach .

House cats

Domestication

In 2004 a grave was excavated in Cyprus that contained the skeletons laid close to one another of both a human and a cat. The grave is estimated to be 9500 years old pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly. ^{5 54 55}

In captivity indoor cats typically live 14 to 20 years though the oldest known cat lived to age 36. ⁵⁶ Domesticated cats tend to live longer if they are not permitted to go outdoors and if they are neutered. Some such benefits are: castrated male cats cannot develop testicular cancer spayed female cats cannot develop ovarian cancer and both have a reduced risk of mammary cancer. ⁵⁷

Like some other domesticated animals cats live in a mutualistic arrangement with humans. It is believed that the benefit of removing rats and mice from humans food stores outweighed the trouble of extending the protection of a human settlement to a formerly wild animal almost certainly for humans who had adopted a farming economy. Unlike the dog which also hunts and kills rodents the cat does not eat grains fruits or vegetables.

In modern 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.

In modern urban areas some people find feral and free-roaming pet cats annoying and intrusive. Unaltered cats can engage in persistent nighttime calling and defecation or "marking" of private property. Indoor confinement of pets and TNR programs for feral cats can help; some people also use cat deterrents to discourage cats from entering their property.

Interaction with humans

Human attitudes toward cats vary widely. Some people keep cats for casual companionship as pets. Others go to great lengths to pamper their cats sometimes treating them as if they were children. Cats are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets in a hobby known as the cat fancy.

Because of their small size domesticated house cats pose almost no danger to adult humans the main hazard is the possibility of infection from a cat bite or scratch. Cats can also potentially inflict severe scratches or puncture an eye though this is quite rare .

Allergens

Allergic reactions to cat dander and/or cat saliva inspire one of the most common reasons people cite for disliking cats. Some humans who are allergic to catstypically manifested by hay fever asthma or a skin rashquickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it while retaining an allergy to cats in general. ⁵⁸ However this should not be depended upon.

Many humans find the rewards of cat companionship outweigh the discomfort and problems associated with these allergens. Some cope with the problem by taking prescription allergy medicine along with bathing their cats frequently . There are also attempts to breed cats that are less likely to provoke an allergic reaction.

Trainability

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Casting call for black cats Hollywood 1961

Some owners seek to train their cat in performing tricks commonly exhibited by dogs such as jumping though this is rare. Individual cats have been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms like sink faucets by themselves or after prompting/encouraging. With effort and patience on the part of an owner the average cat can usually be trained to at least obey simple commands such as "get off the furniture" or "come to dinner". In general though the seeming intractability of the ordinary house cat to training has long inspired the simile like herding cats as a general expression to describe any situation with a stubborn or uncooperative learner.

Indoor scratching

Cats are naturally driven to periodically hook their front claws into suitable surfaces and pull backwards in order to clean the claws. Indoor cats benefit from being provided with a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or furniture which they can easily ruin. ⁵⁹ Commercial scratching posts typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery but some authorities advise against this practice as not making it clear to the cat which surfaces are permissible and which are not; they suggest using a plain wooden surface or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the rougher texture of the carpet backing is a more attractive alternative to the cat than the floor covering. Scratching posts made of sisal rope or corrugated cardboard are also commonly found. Some indoor cats however especially those that were taken as kittens from feral colonies may not understand the concept of a scratching post and as a result will ignore it.

Close-up of a cats claw with the quick clearly visible

Although scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively long their nails can be trimmed if necessary with a small nail trimmer designed for humans or a small pair of electricians diagonal cutting pliers or a guillotine type cutter specifically designed for animal nail trimming. Care must always be taken to avoid cutting the quick of the claw analogous to cutting into the tip of a finger and equally painful and bloody. The position of the quick can be easily seen through the translucent nail of a cat with light colored claws but not in cats with dark colored nails who therefore require carefully trimming of only small amounts from the nails.

Scratching can be reduced and even eliminated by disciplining the cat with a quick spritz from a water bottle when the cat is scratching or by applying a product called Sticky Paws to the surface the cat is prone to scratch. Cats are also repelled by citrus scents and a citrus-scented product may also help stop unwanted furniture destruction. Pet supply stores also sell bitter apple spray which cats do not like and will generally avoid.

Declawing

Main article: Onychectomy

Declawing is a surgical procedure known as onychectomy to remove the claw and first bone of each digit of a cats paws. Declawing is most commonly only performed on front feet.

Declawing may be performed to prevent the cat from damaging furniture. Additionally declawing may be performed on vicious cats cats that frequently fight with other pets or cats that are too efficient at predation of animals. In the United States landlords sometimes require that tenants cats be declawed.

Declawing is controversial and is uncommon outside of North America. It is sometimes prohibited by animal cruelty laws.

Waste

Indoor cats are usually provided with a litter box containing litter typically bentonite but sometimes other absorbent material such as shredded paper or wood chips or sometimes sand or similar material. 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; if it is not kept clean a cat may be fastidious enough to find other locations in the house for urination or defecation. This may also happen for other reasons; for instance if a cat becomes constipated and defecation is uncomfortable it may associate the discomfort with the litter box and avoid it in favor of another location. A litterbox is recommended for indoor-outdoor cats as well.

Daily attention to the litter box also serves as a monitor of the cats health. Numerous variations on litter and litter box design exist including some which automatically sift the litter after each use. Bentonite or clumping litter is a variation which absorbs urine into clumps which can be sifted out along with feces and thus stays cleaner longer with regular sifting but has sometimes been reported to cause health problems in some cats. ⁶⁰ Those with toxoplasmosis-infected cats living in habitat areas of sea otters ⁶¹ may wish to dispose of droppings in the trash rather than flushing them down the toilet. ⁶²

Toilet-trained house cat.

Litterboxes may pose a risk of toxoplasmosis transmission to susceptible pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. Most indoor-only cats are not normally exposed to the disease and are not carriers. Transmission risk may be reduced by daily litterbox cleaning by someone other than the susceptible individual.

Some cats can be trained to use the human toilet eliminating the litter box and its attendant expense unpleasant odor and the need to use landfill space for disposal. Training may involve four to six weeks of incremental moves such as moving and elevating the litter box until it is near the toilet as well as employing an adapter such as a bowl or small box to suspend the litter above the toilet bowl. ⁶³ Several kits and other aids are marketed to help toilet-train cats. When training is complete the cat uses the toilet by squatting on the toilet seat over the bowl.

Domesticated varieties

The list of cat breeds is quite large: most cat registries actually recognize between 30 and 40 breeds of cats and several more are in development with one or more new breeds being recognized each year on average having distinct features and heritage. The owners and breeders of show cats compete to see whose animal bears the closest resemblance to the "ideal" definition & standard of the breed . Because of 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 . ⁶⁴ In the United States a non-purebred cat is sometimes referred to in slang as a barn or 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. Some original cat breeds that have a distinct phenotype that is the main type occurring naturally as the dominant domesticated cat type in their region of origin are sometimes considered as subspecies and also have received names as such in nomenclature although this is not supported by feline biologists. Some of these cat breeds are:

• F. catus anura - the Manx
• F. catus siamensis - the Siamese
• F. catus cartusenensis - the Chartreux
• F. catus angorensis - the Turkish Angora

Cat with a van pattern

Coat patterns

Cat coat genetics can produce a variety of coat patterns. Some of the most common are:

Bicolor Tuxedo and Van&

This pattern varies between the tuxedo cat which is mostly black with a white chest and possibly markings on the face and paws/legs all the way to the Van pattern where the only colored parts of the cat are the tail and the top of the head . There are several other terms for amounts of white between these two extremes such as Harlequin or jellicle cat. Bicolor cats can have as their primary color black red any dilution thereof and tortoiseshell .

Mackerel tabby cat showing the characteristic "M" on its forehead.

Tabby cat&

Striped with a variety of patterns. The classic "blotched" tabby pattern is the most common and consists of butterflies and bullseyes. The "mackerel" or "striped" tabby is a series of vertical stripes down the cats side . This pattern broken into spots is referred to as a "spotted" tabby. Finally the tabby markings may look like a series of ticks on the fur thus the "ticked" tabby which is almost exclusively associated with the Abyssinian breed of cats. 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.

Female tortoiseshell-and-white cat

Tortoiseshell and Calico

This cat is also known as a Calimanco cat or Clouded Tiger cat and by the nickname "tortie." In the cat fancy a tortoiseshell cat is randomly patched over with red and black mottled throughout the coat. Additionally the cat may have white spots in its fur which make it a "tortoiseshell and white" cat or if there is a significant amount of white in the fur and the red and black colors form a patchwork rather than a mottled aspect the cat will be called a "calico." All calicos are tortoiseshell but not all tortoiseshells are calicos . The calico is also sometimes called a "tricolor cat." The Japanese refer to this pattern as mi-ke while the Dutch call these cats lapjeskat . A true tricolor must consist of three colors: a reddish color dark or light; white; and one other color typically a brown black or blue. ⁶⁵ Both tortoiseshell and calico cats are typically female because the coat pattern is the result of differential X chromosome inactivation in females . Conversely cats where the overall color is ginger are commonly male . In a litter sired by a ginger tom the females will be tortoiseshell or ginger. Male tortoiseshells can occur as a result of chromosomal abnormalities or by a phenomenon known as chimericism where two early stage embryos are merged into a single kitten.

Siamese cat classical colorpoint pattern

Colorpoint

The colorpoint pattern is most commonly associated with Siamese cats but may also appear in any domesticated cat. A colorpointed cat has dark colors on the face ears feet and tail with a lighter version of the same color on the rest of the body and possibly some white. The exact name of the colorpoint pattern depends on the actual color so there are seal points chocolate points blue points lilac or frost points red or flame points and tortie points among others. This pattern is the result of a temperature sensitive mutation in one of the enzymes in the metabolic pathway from tyrosine to pigment such as melanin; thus little or no pigment is produced except in the extremities or "points" where the skin is slightly cooler. For this reason colorpointed cats tend to darken with age as bodily temperature drops; also the fur over a significant injury may sometimes darken or lighten as