Domestic cat
Felis silvestris catus
Classification
Reign	Animalia
Branch	Chordata
Sub-ember.	Vertebrata
Class	Mammalia
Subclass	Theria
Infra-class	Eutheria
Order	Carnivora
Suborder	Feliformia
Family	Felidae
Subfamily	Felinae
Genre	Felis
Species	Felis silvestris
Subspecies
Felis silvestris catus ( Linnaeus , 1758 )
Cat skull
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The domestic cat is a mammalian carnivore of the family Felidae. It is a major pet and now some fifty breeds recognized by various certification bodies.

Essentially territorial , the cat is a predator of small prey like rodents. Cats have various vocalizations including purring and meowing , although they communicate mainly through facial and body positions and pheromones.

The results of work conducted in 2006 and 2007 ^, . In classical Latin, "cat" thought felis (hence, French, feline, felines, etc..), But referred only to the wild cat of Europe , while cattus applied to the domestic cat.

It also means more familiarly by the cat and kitty cat by kitty. This term, dating back from 1560 , comes from mine, popular name of cat in Gallo-Roman. This word is the origin of the expression as-crack of pussy, which means "good morning". According to Littre , it would be a strain to feed the kitty, that is to say when the cat, who gets up early, picks up his pasture: its food, its food ... This explanation probably due to the modesty of the author of the ^nineteenth century : according to Claude Duneton , this expression comes from Poitron-backgammon, backgammon designating a squirrel (morning walking the animal tail lift) and designating the posterior Poitron. Potron soon- twink therefore means "at a time when we see the back of the cat." As for the "kitty" or "kitty" which "mine", when the term is applied to humans, a young man or young girl who strives to please and is very concerned appearance .

A male cat not neutered is a "cat", a term of uncertain origin that might come with a derivation of boundary as in chattemite . The cat is also colloquially called "Black Peter" portmanteau word composed of the prefix economist, meaning clever, and gray color .

In slang , a cat called a "clerk" . Two opposing explanations, which perhaps are but one: on the one hand, the wordplay is evident on claw on the other hand, the fur of black cats has a certain kind of white shirt front chest, and it evokes the white bands that were seen on the black dress of the clerks until the nineteenth ^century .

Anatomy

Skeleton and muscles

The skeleton consists of 250 bones. The neck vertebrae are short, and the spine is very flexible. The clavicle cats, small like all felines, is connected to the sternum by a single ligament : this gives it great flexibility , the shoulder can move independently of one another. Like all carnivores , the last premolar and first upper molar form the lower carnassial allowing the cat to tear its food, thanks to powerful muscles attached to the sides of his head, and swallow without chewing. The hyoid bone is completely ossified, allowing the cat to purr but not to roar .

The legs are equipped with claws retractile. The cat has five toes on front paws, four of which hit the ground, the thumb remaining on the sidelines, and four toes on the hind legs . Cases of polydactyly exist and certain standards of cat breeds admit in competitions . The pads or cushions are made of an elastic membrane that gives a silent .

These features give the animal a flexibility and relaxation during breaks loose: he can jump to such a height greater than five times its size . At the race , his average speed is 40 km / h and it is 9 seconds for 100 meters, but it is not a distance runner and he gets tired rather quickly . Contrary to what one might think, all cats are very good swim and they will not hesitate to jump into the water if they are forced .

An average cat weighs between 2.5 and 4.5 kg and measures 46 to 51 cm without the tail, 20 to 25 cm long. The record of weight and size Himmy is owned by a cat neutered Australian who, until his death in 1986 , weighed 21.3 kg to 96.5 cm in total length and a waist circumference of 84 cm .

Claw with nerve visible.

Infrared thermography of the cat.

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Digestive System

Anatomy of the vital organs of the cat

The little cat chews and the process of digestion begins directly into the stomach, small (about 300 milliliters ) but which has a p H acid that is also very useful as a means of preventing gastrointestinal infections . His gut is rather short (about one meter to the small intestine and 20 to 40 centimeters for the large intestine ), typical of the hunter of small prey. These dimensions explain why the cat has to eat frequently but in small amounts (between 10 and 16 meals daily) . The cat's digestive system is poorly adapted to dietary diversity, which is usually diarrhea and vomiting.

Finally, the digestive tract of the cat is fast, between 12 and 14 hours .

Coat

Cat mid-long coat

The types of coats are numerous, for highly variable depending on the breed. The cat's coat is composed of hair long (jar) and bearing the marks of dress (eg patches). Below are the shorter hairs (fuzz), then down. This organization provides good insulation of the body. There are long haired, short, curly, and even kinky. Some breeds, like the sphinx , are almost devoid of hair: a very slight down covers the body and tail .

The dress of a cat is composed of one or more colors that form various combinations (patterns) called patterns: some individuals have large spots, some scratches or speckles, and others united coat . The dress can also be pigmented darker towards the extremities of the body (dresses colourpoint , mink and sepia). The combination of different colors and patterns give all possible variations for a cat fur. The color of the fur of the cat can come in many colors (black, white, blue, red ...) more or less diluted or dark. The reasons for male DNA can be only one or two colors at once (with exceptions) only in females may in principle have three: the dresses are tortoiseshell and calico . Effect means a shimmering hue due to the variation in light and dark on the hair length (dresses chinchilla, shaded, smoke or cameo).

The senses

Predator twilight (sunset and sunrise) at the origin, the cat has keen senses. He sees his world differently from humans, and was even loaned supernatural powers. There are so many stories of cats who predicts earthquakes or other disasters. The most likely explanation is that his ear is capable of perceiving vibrations audible to humans .

Hearing

60 to 80% of white cats with blue eyes are deaf

His ear is particularly noticeable in high frequencies: it receives ultrasound up to 50 000 Hz while the ear human is limited to 20 000 Hz . His flag horn can be rotated through twenty-seven muscles , allowing it to swivel each ear independently to pinpoint the source of a sound and its distance .

The deafness of white cats is related to gene "W", which is responsible for the lack of pigment in the hair, which appear white. Indeed, it is shown that the allele W is directly responsible for degeneration of the inner ear , causing hearing loss. Deafness is not expressed consistently in all cats: it can be bilateral deafness, unilateral or absent. The kitten was born normal but at the age of one week, his inner ear, instead of continuing to grow undergoes progressive changes. Degeneration is usually complete in three weeks .

View

Focus on the eye of a cat

The tapetum lucidum of the cat's eyes reflect light.

The sight is its essential meaning. Her field of vision is wider than that of humans: the angle of binocular vision is 130 degrees, for a total field of vision of 287 , against only 180 in the human , although this remains far the absolute record of the animal world.

Light intensity influences the shape of the pupil : elongated narrow slit in bright light, it expands into a perfect circle in the dark. Contrary to popular belief, it is unable to see in complete darkness. It is much more efficient than the human eye in darkness. At night, the bright eyes is due to a layer of cells of the retina , called the tapetum lucidum , which acts as a mirror and reflects the light received, causing it to move again in the retina and increases its sharpness visual in the dark .

However, it seems (this is still debated) that the cat does not see the color red and, in general, it differs very little detail. His vision is grainy still pictures while a moving object it appears clearer (eg prey movement) .

A peculiarity of the cat's eye is that in addition to eye top and bottom, it is protected by a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane. It closes from the bottom edge of the inner corner of the eye outward. When it does not close completely, it is often a sign of health problem in cats . Cats can have eyes of different colors like blue, green, yellow, brown ...

Smell

Focus on the nose of the cat.

The smell is of great importance in the social life of the cat to mark its territory. Moreover, it is his keen sense of smell that enables it to detect rotten food and poison. He has two hundred million olfactory terminals, against five million man .

Taste

The sense of taste is developed in cats, less than men, however: in the adult cat, there are 250 papillae taste buds cash 2000 . Unlike the dog / A>, the gustatory sense of the cat is located at the tip of the tongue, allowing it to taste without swallowing. It is sensitive to bitter, acid and salty, but not to sweet . The cat finds himself in the belly towards the ground and takes a position that resembles a flying squirrel. It only remains to bend back and when it approaches the ground, he gathered his legs as if he were on earth. However this does not necessarily save but just makes the fall less serious. Sometimes it is not enough and that is death .

Morpho-anatomical differences: cat breeds

In France, a purebred cat is a cat with a pedigree . The registries specimens are maintained by different organizations like the American TICA , the ACFA and CFA , the French LOOF , two international federations, the FIFe and WCF or the GCCF UK. These associations allow the inclusion of specimens of strict criteria for genetic origins. Thus any animal whose parents are not registered has passed. These listings are priced.

Pedigree cats are a minority and do according to AFIRAC only 5% of the total population of cats . All other domestic cats, those with no pedigree, are regarded as alley cats , also known as house cats.

The number of recognized breeds vary from simple to double by these organizations . Some are very old, like the Siamese or the Turkish Angora , others were created more recently as the ragdoll or Peterbald. The man also carried out hybridization between domestic cats and small cats, which gave rise to breeds such as Bengal.

Behaviors

The cat is a very independent nature. Unlike the dog, he walks alone. It is a ritual animal who enjoys good recurring situations (fixed hours for meals, for example). Although territorial, it is a social animal. Many feral cats live in groups.

Social structure

The cat is a territorial animal. This means that the preservation of their place of living is the main driver of its interactions with other individuals. Where several cats share the same apartment, it is not uncommon to see each choose his own "way" to get from one place to another, and they share their territory.

The cat is not an animal strictly solitary by available space and resources, cats are different spatial and social structures. These range from solitary cats in rural areas with large groups in urban and dense urban. It is shown that these different spatial organizations and different social systems lead to pairing : in rural areas, the system is polygynous , while in urban areas, it is difficult for dominant males to monopolize several females. Because of their strong cohesion, different groups of neighbors have cats tend to become distant and genetically the same research showed a significant deficit in heterozygotes.

Communication

Cats communicate with each other mainly by pheromones or body positions.

Glands containing pheromones found in many places on the body: anal glands around the tail and the mouth, cheeks, and between the pads are also deposited in the saliva , and feces and urine. They have the advantage of being able to last over time, even in the absence of the cat, unlike vocalizations or body positions. They can be deposited on a voluntary (territorial marking, social contacts as allogrooming ...) or unintentionally (stress, attachment of mother to her kittens, sex pheromones) . The cat also uses a wide range of body positions to communicate. The general position of the body, his facial expressions or movements of its tail, its eyes and ears indicate the state is the cat . Outside of the relationship between a cat and kittens, meow is rarely used when cats communicate. By cons, in contact with humans, it often continues to use different vocalizations to communicate .

Subject to another cat.

Cat bristling and bending back.

Group of cats sharing litter before the walls of Rhodes.

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Vocalizations

Audio Files
Mewing of a cat Purr of a cat Difficulties in using these media?

Meow

The meowing is a characteristic cry of the cat . In general, the cat is a rather quiet temperament but some breeds, including Siamese , are more "talkative" than others.

The cat cries often and strongly when he seeks a mate or companion. Some say that while "margotte" figuratively . The mews are driven first by the female at the beginning of estrus and then throughout the mating, the male and female, with many possible variations .

More rarely, the cat makes a meow jerky at low intensity of frustration, as when he sees a prey out of reach like a bird or insect flying. This is often accompanied by meow snap of the jaws, sometimes accompanied by sharp movements of tail, that could be compared to our expression 'the mouth water " .

In the presence of humans, cats often heavily influenced uses a special register, which varies among individuals and appears largely acquired. According to researcher John Bradshaw, the cat can use a dozen vocalizations depending on the circumstances and condition. Thus, it can welcome his master with small mewing in short bursts (as if he "barked"), greet passersby, request a specific action (brushing, for example), signaling that he is hungry or ill ^{, ,} .

Growl

The cat, in a position to attack or defense, is also capable of grunting and blowing. The term is also used growls in the direction of rumble. For example, many grunts and whistles - in addition to meowing - are emitted by males competing for females during the breeding season .

Purring

The mechanism of purring is not yet known, the cats do not seem to have a body devoted specifically to purr. The first hypothesis assumes a very rapid contraction of the muscles of the larynx , which compress and dilate the glottis , vibrating the air passage. Another, older, evokes a vibration of the vena cava, amplified by the bronchi, trachea and nasal cavity. These sound vibrations are found in most cats, but their mechanism and utility are still poorly understood. This state, like sleep, might be restorative for the body of the cat . Indeed, a hypothesis argues that the drone, whose frequency is between 25 and 30 Hz , can have a healing power and same analgesic compared to bones, tendons and muscles. It is believed that purring is also very beneficial to humans, including through a relaxing effect .

The hum is from the age of two days at the head, or cat and kittens communicate by humming, a phenomenon also appears in the toilet of kittens by the mother . The hum occurs most often when the animal feels pleasure but also of suffering stressed, injured and even dying, the cat can purr. Finally, the hum also serves to connect, since the meeting of two purring cats triggers .

The cat purrs most often to express the dependence : the kitten depends on its mother's milk, when the man is seeking attention or petting.

Sleep

Cat sleeping in the daytime (animation).

The cat needs between 12 and 16 hours of sleep, but usually he sleeps longer, averaging 15 to 18 hours per day. He is awake and about 8 to 12 hours, a portion of the night to hunt.

The cat is an animal with a large proportion of phases of REM sleep during which dreams: the daily duration of this phase lasts from 180 to 200 min in cats, cons about 100 min for humans . It is for this reason that the cat is frequently used in the experiments on the cycles of sleep.

During phases of REM sleep, the electrical activity of brain, eyes and muscles is very important : several movements occur such as agitation of the vibrissae , bursts of legs or tails, ruffled coat The beating of eyelids, changing position ...

It should be noted that these phases of REM sleep are very important in the cat: it allows him to keep a balance in mind (as it dreams of hunting, what he did during the time he is awake) . This REM sleep may have their time increased by staggered meal during the day. During this REM sleep it is likely that the cat catch imaginary prey since it can be observed in some individuals some limb movements that evoke hunting positions. When the cat enters a phase of REM sleep, the plot of her EEG is similar to the awakening despite a total loss of consciousness: the nervous system probably works in a vacuum, either to select and store the events day, either to evoke memories of past perceptions, hence the hypothesis that REM sleep is a witness to the dream activity .

Scratches

Cat clawing a tree branch to mark its territory.

The growth of cat scratch is continuous, and compensates for natural wear. The cat can adjust the length and sharpening its claws by rubbing against a rough surface: he "made his claws." The claw marks are visual and olfactory marks. This behavior is a communication tool.

The cat has between the pads of sweat glands emit pheromones used to mark his passage to other cats. In addition, traces of scratches are a visual marking to indicate the presence of a cat in the area.

The onyxectomie , is sometimes practiced by the owners: it involves the total removal of the claw and amputation of the third phalanx on which it is inserted. Most often it is performed only on the forelegs. Most animal rights groups condemned the operation, considered cruel . The animal deprived of its claws, unable to defend themselves or climb trees, is also becoming more vulnerable because it can escape predators. The declawing is commonly practiced in the United States and Canada. This operation is however prohibited in 29 countries, mainly European . Other techniques for declawing, less painful for the cat, exist as tendinectomie or burning of nerves at the laser.

Toilet

At their toilet , they swallow many dead hair accumulate in the stomach , forming hairballs, called trichobezoars. This disrupts their bowel movements and they are forced to regurgitate in order to avoid bowel obstruction.

The "allogrooming" (Action to lick each other) is reserved for cats who know and appreciate. They lick themselves to share their smell and settle on the other calming pheromones . When they get along well, happy adult cats sleeping together, pressed against each other as when they were kittens. One way to obtain mutual warmth and safety. When sleeping together, the cats also share their smell.

Lapping

Video of a cat lapping up water from a puddle.

The cat, like the cats , a technique of lapping different from other animals. It was thought that the taste buds of cornified language he used to hold water but it is quite another. While the man drinks by the technique of suction and the dog, like many other vertebrates, plunges the nose and fold her tongue like a spoon, which causes the liquid to his mouth, the cat bends the tip of the language down into its face and back to touch the liquid, then withdraw immediately, which creates a liquid column. The cat, when gravity takes precedence over the inertia and goes back to the column, closes his jaw and then draws a portion of this column . This technique of lapping (average 4 laps per second for the cat, less for larger felines ) was mathematically modeled and reproduced by a robot (back round glass disc by a piston at the same speed as the language feline, or 1 m / s ). One hypothesis explaining this sophisticated technique involves the region extremely sensitive nose and whiskers of a cat, lapping it seeking to maintain this area as dry as possible .

Excreta

Fresh droppings of a cat.

Cats in nature, choose a corner of loose soil to leave their droppings. They then cover the ground, scraping it with their front paws. The smell of faeces triggers the recovery, and this allowed the wild not to identify their scents by predators and reduce the risk of parasitic infections . It is almost instinctive, and is instilled early on by the mother to the kittens.

The cat defecates once or twice a day and urine up to five times per day . Do not confuse the urine marking is to say, the marking of territory, and urination , the cat "relieving himself" : In the first case, the cat is standing, tail raised and back to the element that has marked, in the second case, it adopts a position similar to that of defecation. Defecation buried is probably not a sign of territorial marking in cats, unlike feces in conspicuous places of passage of cats (in height, such a strain) .

With the aging of the animal, the urine volume may increase because of frequent mild problems of hyperthyroidism .

Hunting

Hunting behavior

The chat is mainly carnivorous. Metabolism needs taurine present in the meat, which is a derivative of amino acid that can not synthesize in sufficient quantity. A deficiency of taurine results in the cat eye problems, heart attacks, immune deficiencies and reproductive problems among females .

Two hunting strategies can be distinguished : the mobile strategy (or stalking), with an approach phase of prey, followed by an attack phase and stationary strategy (or the hunting lookout), which consist of a careful and motionless, followed by a phase of attack. Hunting methods used do not seem specific to the species hunted.

To kill its prey, the cat bites usually the neck , thus breaking the backbone . The most common prey are small rodents but also prey on lizards , small birds , to insects , to rabbits and sometimes prey less conventional as the frog , the hedgehog or squirrel. Opportunistic, the cat does not mind tackling the waste .

Hunting can only be conducted with a view to Thurs. In the kitten, there are hunting games as in other cats with a similar social role.

Approach.

Cat which caught a bird.

Cat holding a rodent in his mouth.

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Impact on the natural environment

The cat's predatory instincts are reflected in the fact that even fully "domesticated", and well fed, it does not renounce to kill prey around him.

Domestic populations

A number of studies have been conducted to measure the impact of this behavior, the United Kingdom and the United States:

• a study of one year conducted at Wichita , Kansas , showed in 2000 that the cats in this city of 300,000 people were killing an average of 4.2 birds per year each, despite their urban environment. Extrapolating to the 64 million cats that had then the U.S. would lead to the figure of 250 million birds killed each year in the country by cats;
• England, Peter B. Churcher and John H. Lawton led a one-year study of 78 cats also, in a small village in Bedfordshire. The results, extrapolated by them in 1989 based on the number of cats in England (about 5 million during the study), corresponded to an annual number of prey killed all species of the order of 70 million , approximately 35% of birds (more than 20 million birds killed each year). Nearly half of the birds killed were swallows . Based on the number of cats, the number of birds killed by cats is between 4.5 and 5 per year, so finally very close to the figure found in the U.S. study.

It was noted that the problem is that this predation is not natural, since it depends on an unusually large population of cats, because his number is defined by man, not by natural resources . This is particularly reflected in the fact that the cat is in competition with the natural predators of the region, whose survival is made more difficult.

But he also recalled that these populations of domestic cats have been around for centuries, without the natural balance has been profoundly affected, or we can assign the disappearance of a particular species of bird. The crucial point therefore depends on the density of human population itself, as well as increasing the average number of cats per household human. The study by Peter B. Churcher and John H. Lawton themselves so seriously it has been conducted on a sample holder is too small to be extrapolated to the level of an entire country .

The fact remains that the destructive potential of the domestic cat was found during these studies, be much larger than what we previously thought, being a public servant with no real need to find food by itself.

Cats returned to the wild

If there are feral cats in many countries, in the Southern Hemisphere, in countries such as Australia or New Zealand - where cats have never been a population of original native - that presents the problem more acute. In fact, these lands are home to species such as kakapo , particularly vulnerable to carnivorous placental mammals imported, such as dingoes and feral cats ( feral cats ). These cats have had significant impacts on these species, and played a major role in the risk of extinction of several of them.

In Australia , many native species, birds, lizards, small marsupials each year are the prey of feral cats. The cats, introduced into Australia in the eighteenth ^century by British settlers, led to the appearance of a wild population, especially in the nineteenth ^century, where domestic cats were deliberately released to fight against the proliferation of mouse and rabbits. This feral population is now very important, since it was evaluated in 2004 to 18 million cats .

Measures to eradicate these cats, considered invasive , there are also regularly conducted by the Australian Government , as the Threat Abatement Plans ("Plans lessening of the threat" on biodiversity ). These plans identify species threatened by cats (thirty species only for birds, for example), and the actions taken and the means to implement. They then give rise to an analysis of the results.

The environmental problem thus posed to Australia is extremely complex, since the total extermination of feral cats would result immediately by the uncontrolled import of other invasive species such as rabbits and rats . That's what happened for example in the Macquarie Island , where the eradication of the cat resulted in a disastrous explosion in the number of rabbits .

In New Zealand , the threat is similar, both in its origin (domestic cat population released in the nineteenth ^century to fight against the proliferation of rabbits), and its effects on local species. Feral cats are also suspected of carrying tuberculosis, although far from proven that they can transmit the disease to other species . It is allowed in New Zealand to shoot cats suspected of feral cats, which leads to keep them locked up at home where domestic cats are organized beaten.

Print

Sexual maturity

The reproductive development of male cat starts about three months with the increased production of testosterone. About six or seven months spines appear on the penis of the cat . At this age it can start to breed and often marks his territory by emitting jets of urine strong smelling.

The female becomes sexually mature at his first estrus (commonly called "heat") occurs on average between seven and ten months . From the first heat, which lasts from one to five days , the cat is able to reproduce. Then she knows many periods of heat, usually located on the spring to autumn. It is possible that cat again be fertilized two weeks after giving birth .

Coupling

Coupling of the cat.

When the males are able to mate with the female power, it is still necessary that the latter accepts. When mating , which lasts between 5 and 15 seconds / Sup>, the male mounts the female's back and bites his neck skin and tramples the rump to improve penetration. In the end, the female tends to moan and get excited, because small spines on the penis of the male-oriented rear scrape the walls of the vagina of the female. This stimulation of the vagina is required to trigger ovulation in the cat .

Gestation and parturition

The gestation lasts 63 to 65 days and a litter on average four to five kittens, with a maximum of eight . The cat's belly begins to swell to four weeks of gestation. At about 35 days, the female breasts swell and turn pink. At seven weeks she will start looking for a quiet place and suitable for delivery .

About twenty minutes after her contractions, the cat gives birth to her first kitten, then, in general, other kittens arrive every fifteen minutes. The kittens come in a pocket, immediately wash the cat in his little licks to boost their first breath. Then she eats the placenta , which is very nutritious, and cut the umbilical cord .

Raising Kittens

When cats live in groups, there is a synchronization of estrus among females in the group. This encourages and enables a synchronized births farming community youth. The breeding community is important because in case of missing one of the mothers, kittens, orphans are cared for by other females . Note that many cases have shown that in the domestic cat, raising orphan kittens can be the task of a cat or cat sterilized. Synchronization of estrus can therefore just breastfeeding by lactating females themselves. According to N. Magno, a psychologist and passionate about animal behavior, maternal behavior is independent of ovarian hormones and can be stimulated by a sharp fall in the level of estrogen and progesterone , which occurs after sterilization and after parturition .

The kitten is born blind (eyes closed) and deaf and weighs 100 to 110 g , when he opens his eyes, at the age of eight to twelve days, they are blue until a definitive change ( to two months) . All kittens are born with stripes ghosts disappear gradually with the hair growth .

The cat teaches the kittens to wash, feed, etc.. At four weeks, she brings them their first live prey, then to five weeks, she teaches them the basics of hunting . The emancipation occurs between eight to twelve weeks, but the family separation takes place at the age of six to eight months .

Queen and litter

Kitten aged three hours.

Kitten 6 weeks old.

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Sterilization

Sterilization is a surgical procedure designed to prevent the breeding of the animal. In males, it is called castration and consists of removing the testicles. In the female sterilization is performed by removal of the ovaries : the ovariectomy.

Apart from the cessation of reproduction (limiting the size of population), sterilization alters behavior and physiology of the animal. The male sterilization early (before puberty ) limits the territorial behavior and decreases the tendency to mark (urine, scratches). The heats of females stop. Hormonal changes accompanying the sterilization can cause weight gain because the energy requirements are reduced . As the cat is still in adolescence ', we must limit the development of fat cells. If the cat is overfed in terms of its new needs, their numbers will tend to increase. Therefore it is strongly recommended to monitor the diet of the neutered cat (male or female) during the three months following the intervention. Thus, in adulthood, obesity risks become minimal. .

Health

Diseases

Itching caused by a food allergy but can also be caused by an intolerance to the bites of fleas.

The disease-specific chat are common among individuals living outside. They assume the risk can be minimized so very important in making their vaccination at their sterilization and restricting their access to the outdoors.

Some diseases of cats are zoonotic , that is to say they are transmissible to humans. Among these, the best known are the rage , the tuberculosis , the toxoplasmosis , the lymphoreticulosis the pasteurellosis and Yersinia .

Apart from infectious diseases, parasitic and viral diseases, the cat may be prone to various diseases due to its diet ( allergies , diabetes mellitus , obesity , ...), to injury , to genetic diseases, etc.. Some diseases may be more or less frequent as the races : for example, about 40% of Persians and exotics shorthairs are prone to polycystic kidney disease , and the Abyssinian is frequently suffering from renal amyloidosis .

Parasites

The cat with many parasites , ectoparasites such as Ctenocephalides felis , a flea feline more specific and send them, as in other carnivores besides, a small tapeworm ( Dipylidium caninum ) . The cat may also be affected by other species of fleas. Felicola subrostratus is a specific species of lice infecting mainly older animals. Although less frequently affected than men or dogs, some species of ticks can infect cats. Internal parasites are less specific, such as intestinal parasites whether the tapeworms or roundworms , the coccidia , the whipworms , still others are better known to the public by the diseases they cause such as atrial scabies , the toxoplasmosis , the heartworm , and hookworm , the liver fluke , the giardose.

Longevity

The domestic cat has a longevity that are regularly 12 to 18 years . Cream Puff (3 August 1967 to August 6, 2005 ), who died at the age of 38 years and three days, is the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2007 Guinness Book of Records , he lived with his owner, Jake Perry, in Austin , Texas , United States . The previous record was previously held by puss, tabby British death in 1939 at the age of 36 years .

Legal Obligations in Europe

Like all carnivorous companion domestic cats must have a passport for travel and for this to be vaccinated, examined and identified. Pets, particularly cats, can not be sold to minors under 16 years, except with the express agreement of the responsible parenting .

Belgium

When selling a house cat:

• the animal must be at least eight weeks (breeders and various cat associations also advise to wait three months old)
• if the animal is a purebred cat, it must possess or have received a request for pedigree
• sales contract with guarantees for purebred cats,
• obligation to vaccinate against rabies in the south of the Sambre and Meuse .

In France

The subcutaneous chip electronics, such as tattooing , used to assign the cat a unique identification number.

When selling a house cat:

• the animal must be at least 8 weeks (breeders recommend waiting for the age of 3 months for a better socialization)
• animal identification by tattooing (until July 3, 2011 only .) or transponder ( chip subcutaneous electronic), mandatory even in case of donation,
• if the animal is a purebred cat, it must possess or have received a request for pedigree
• sales contract or invoice for professional
• Tipsheet livestock .

Ramblings of the animal "is considered capable of any cat straying unidentified found more than two hundred meters from houses or cat found more than a thousand meters from the home of his master and not under surveillance Immediate thereof, and any cat whose owner is unknown and is entered on the public highway or property of others. It can then be captured and taken to pound to be placed or euthanized unless they are identified and claimed by the owner within eight days .

Switzerland

In Switzerland , the owner of a cat must ensure that their animal has daily contact with humans or visual contact with conspecifics. Domestic cats can be kept in pens for temporary periods of time and be able to leave at least five days per week over the dimensions of this enclosure are regulated .

It is recommended that cats should also be vaccinated against typhus , the coryza and leukemia , and has been regularly wormed since the age of three to four weeks.

The cat through history

Evolution of the species

Het Leven in his Zoogdieren der Dieren, Brehm means the domestic cat as Felis domestica maniculata.

The domestic cat belongs to the genus Felis since its first description by Linnaeus in 1758 as Felis catus in the thirtieth edition of Systema naturae , but its position in the classification of living varied considerably: the domestic cat sometimes took the status of species , sometimes that of subspecies of wildcat (Felis silvestris) and many synonyms of one or other of the terms have existed.

In 2006, work on the sex chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA of all species of cats, coupled with research paleontological , revealed that the offspring of domestic cats (Felis catus) has likely diverged ago 3.4 million years, the Pliocene , in deserts and dense forests of the Mediterranean basin . Another molecular study conducted on 979 individuals (sand cats, wild cats of different subspecies and domestic cats) in 2007 showed the close ties between the gloved cat (Felis silvestris lybica) and the domestic cat: they have diverged about 130 000 years ago .

Domestication of the cat

The first discoveries paleontological ranged the first outbreaks of domestication of the cat in Egypt , around 2000 BC. AD , but the discovery in 2004 by a team of Zoology archaeological remains of a cat along with those of a human burial in Cyprus pushes the beginning of this relationship between 7500 and 9 000 BC The cat has found a morphology very close to the African wild cat without changes in the skeleton due to domestication : It was petting a cat rather than domesticated. The cohabitation of cats and men probably arrived with the beginning of agriculture: grain storage attracted mice and rats , which have attracted the cats, their predators, natural ^, .

The study by Carlos Driscoll of 979 cats was used to determine the probable origin of domestic cat: it is in the Fertile Crescent that felines and men have made contacts. Five domestications of different gloved cat took place, there are 8 000-10 000 years .

The domestic cat is not the only species among Felinae used as a pet , the gloved cat and jaguarundi are or were they too tame to hunt mice and rats.

Antiquity

A mosaic from Pompeii

The Nordic goddess Freyja in her chariot drawn by cats, Nils Blommer 1852.

The Egyptians of antiquity deified cats in the guise of the patron goddess Bastet , a symbol of fertility and maternal love, whose cult was mainly in the city of Bubastis. Archaeologists have discovered many mummies of cats that show how the Egyptians worshiped them and can see the mummies, among others, Paris ( Muse du Louvre ) in London ( British Museum ) or in Cairo ( Egyptian Museum Cairo ) .

As an animal hunters of rodents, the ancient Greek long knows that mustelids ( ferrets and weasels ). These are the Phoenicians who flew to the Egyptians a few pairs of their sacred animal to sell to the Greeks. Aristophanes even cites the presence of a market for cats to Athens ^, .

The Romans , however, vowed a passion cat: first reserved for the wealthy classes, the use of owning a cat spread throughout the Empire and in all strata of the population, ensuring the dispersal of the animal in all of Europe .

Middle Age and Renaissance

In principle, the image of the cat is positive in the Islam because of the fondness Mohammed , saved from a snake bite by a cat . Conversely, the cat was demonized in the European Christian during most of the Middle Ages , apparently because of his worship passed from the pagans , and especially the reflection of light in his eyes, said to be the flames of Hell. In the symbolic medieval, the cat was associated with bad luck and evil, especially when he was black, and the cunning and femininity. It was an animal of the devil and witches . He attributed supernatural powers, including the right to possess nine lives ^, . The different waves of plague , caused by the proliferation of rats, could be a consequence of the decrease in the number of cats .

However, the Renaissance marked a comeback of cat, mainly because of its preventive action against rodents, guzzling crop. The Great discoveries and the discovery of alien species also played a role. The Emperor Charles V and carried with him during his retreat at the monastery of Yuste two small Brazilian cats that had been donated by her sister Catherine of Portugal .

Modern and contemporary periods

A first attempt at rehabilitation was the famous History of Cats: Essay on the rule of cats in society, on the other animals of Egypt, on the distinctions and privileges they enjoyed in person ( 1727 ) of Franois-Augustin Paradis Moncrif. The author defends the cat through historical references, including ancient Egypt, who want scholarly and are actually a pastiche of pedantry .

Despite noble exceptions like the Carthusians of Richelieu or Persian White Louis XV , the cat never knew his real comeback to the favor of romance : he became the pet ultimate romantic, mysterious and independent. Still in the nineteenth ^century , he found himself also a symbol of the anarchist movement (France), through its poetic imagery, and graceful self. The ^twentieth century , meanwhile, has kept this romantic vision while addressing the cat to a more scientific manner.

The cat in popular culture and the arts

Famous cats

Unlike the dog or horse , famous for their acts, the cat, by its conduct independent, is best known as the pet of famous people. These cats killers of mice residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom or cats writers ("Hodge", the cat Samuel Johnson , or "Kiki Doucette", "Toune" and "minion" of Colette ) the fame of a cat is acquired by the reputation of his master.

However some cats stand as Oscar , which would detect the impending death of patients in a hospital unit of Rhode Island , or orangey , cat actor.

Superstitions

Official Cat on a warship of the Royal Navy UK ( 1942 ), totaling 30,000 nautical miles under his belt

In Japan , the cat is a lucky through the Maneki-Neko , these talismans of a cat with its paw behind his ear. Various legends attribute to the cats can predict the time it will: in Thailand , the benevolence of the god Indra is sought through a ritual of sprinkling water a cat in a cage, paraded around the village . Cats may also predict earthquakes. He also associates the number nine : witches could change into a cat nine times, the cat had nine lives and could have had nine different owners, the latter being won in hell .

In Europe, the cat is the representative of the devil in the Middle Ages , or is offered by it to enrich its owner , like legend Provencal of Matagot who bring a gold coin each morning . The cat also leads the witches to Sabbath on their backs, they may also roost on chariots pulled by cats , in the same manner as the goddess Freya. Many wizards take the shape of a cat during their meeting: it recognized that the sorcerers of Vernon at their trial in 1566 .

The black cat is particularly prone to superstitions and beliefs. In France , black and red colors represent the devil, as black cats they were often rejected for fear that they attract misfortune. Instead, the United Kingdom , crossing a black cat brings good luck .

Maneki Neko

The witch is traditionally accompanied by a black cat.

The eyes of painters and sculptors

Perronneau : Magdalene Pinceloup La Grange.

The Cat in heraldry. Sketch crest painted by Belgian artist Andrew Stewart Jamieson.

In Europe , the cat has been slow to gain a place in the artistic world. From the ^seventeenth century , it appears here and there in French painting, Flemish, English or Italian, but mostly as a decorative element and usually in a kitchen scene where he plays the role of a stealing food. The most famous painting, in this sense is probably La Raie of Chardin , with the cat propped on the table. Not until such works as The Girl with Cat, La Petite Fille au chat or Pinceloup Magdalene Portrait of La Grange, Jean-Baptiste Perronneau . The English painter Louis Wain has meanwhile specializing in the representation of cats in different ways throughout his career: at the beginning of it, the cats were, like the writings of Jean de la Fontaine , represented with human behavior. Wain then turned to the cat itself with portraits, which have become increasingly abstract, as and when the artist schizophrenia worsened.

In Japanese art, artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige staged cats. Before them, as an artist Kaigetsudo Anchi shows in one leash held by an elegant courtesan, in a famous engraving preserved in the Muse Guimet and published around 1715 .

The cat in the literature

History

The appearance of the cat in the literature was first muted. Few liked the Middle Ages , where it does not give that little utility to hunt mice, the writings reflect on the ideas of the time. In ^the ninth century , Hildegard of Bingen , in his Book of the intricacies of gorgeous devotes one paragraph brief and uncomplimentary: "At the height of summer, The famous Roman de Renart has left the image of the cat Tibert, just as cunning and hypocritical that Renart, but loved by Noble, lion .

The cat is gradually "rehabilitated" during the Renaissance and many writers and poets such as Petrarch , who died with his head on his cat, or Joachim du Bellay enhance the reputation of mouser. In the nineteenth ^century , the authors romantic affection are a big cat: in 1869 seems Cats of Jules Champfleury involving the sum of knowledge at that time on the chat, which reveals the privileged position of the cat in intellectual circles . Since the beginning of the ^twentieth century , literary hero whose main or secondary cats have multiplied. Many writers, including Colette , have highlighted their (s) cat (s).

Cats Fiction

Cats in fairy tales and fables

The Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland illustrated by John Tenniel.

In fables , the cat keeps a picture of animal cunning but profiteer. Raminagrobis is a fat and well fed cat found in the Fables of La Fontaine , as Rodilardus or Rodillard , echoed by Rabelais. The cat is often staged with mice or rats , which he is the hunter and his rider or malignant side is highlighted by him as cunning fellows: monkey and fox for example .

In the tales , the cat has a more mysterious. Thus, in the cat perched Tales of Marcel Ayme , Alphonse in the tale entitled The cat's paw, can make it rain, passing his paw behind his ear. In Alice in Wonderland , the Cheshire Cat appears and disappears mysteriously in pieces, by floating his smile. As for Puss in Boots , it is the legacy bequeathed blessed that the miller to his third son and makes his owner rich by deception .

Cats in stories and novels

In novels and news , the cat often keeps its mysterious aspect, inspiring writings fantastic as The Black Cat of Edgar Allan Poe , where two black cats rushed the madness of the main character. The cat may also be the witness of the lives of men in the classic Japanese I am a cat of Soseki Natsume , a cat depicts society Japanese of the Meiji era. Alternatively, companies feline, composed entirely of cats appear to City Cats of Lao She and the series of children's novels The War of the clans.

The cat may also be detective as Kao K'o Kung and Yom Yom, two cats Siamese staged a series of novels by Lilian Jackson Braun and Francis, the cat detective Akif Pirinci , whose series of novels Felidae, vicious dog, Francis and the Wildcats addresses issues philosophical or ethical.

In the universe medieval-fantasy , there are sometimes breed hybrids with characteristics of both human and feline. This phenomenon is particularly marked in the manga , anime and other video games of Japan, which often involve a character from girl-cat, nekomimi or nekomusume.

Krazy Kat by George Herriman.

Me-Ow Mel B. Kaufman is an air of ragtime piano executed containing a single word: "Me-Ow" .

In good cat, good rat. Illustration of Grandville.

The cat in the comics

Cats are well represented in the cartoon. Main characters of comic adventures as Garfield , The Cat of Geluck or Krazy Kat , cats can also tell their story as The Rabbi's Cat. Often accompanied by accomplice antagonist to laugh, like Sylvester of Sylvester and Tweety , Tom Tom and Jerry or Hercules of Pif and Hercule , cats are also recurring secondary characters such as cats Artemis, Luna and Diana in the manga Sailor Moon or Azrael companion Gargamel in The Smurfs of Peyo.

The Cat in the role play

At least two role-playing games offer to play cats.
The first bears the title " Cat "and John Wick. Cats will fight the terrible Boggini feeding dreams and souls of humans. Subtitled "A little game about little heroes" in English this game offers many truthful information about cats, but also a framework for endless play and some of the scenarios can take place in the world of dreams.
Despite an English title, "Cats! The Masquerade is a role-playing French amateur. In this game, cats are the first intelligent species appeared on Earth long before humans they have created to be their servants. Despite their immense powers, the cats have lost their prominence and must now survive in a world that is hostile to them. "Cats" also play a Bastet , a human body which is trapped in the mind of a cat.

Other role playing games offer to play half-human half-cat, as felines in Nightprowler inspired by an article in the magazine Casus Belli for D & AD.

The cat in the music

One of the first instances of cats in classical music is west of Adriano Banchieri in his bestial or Contrapunto Feast Thursday-Gras (1608) . Subsequently, the feline has inspired many composers such as Carlo Farina Stravagante with Capriccio, Il gatto in 1627 or Hans Werner Henze , The English Cat .

Some operas are composed of meows, including The Child and the Spells as a book of Colette. Finally, the cats were the main topics of musical hit Cats.

In the popular song (Michel's mother lost her cat) as in the rock (The cat, Phone ), the cat is staged or extolled: Delilah song in the album Innuendo by Queen is an example tribute to the cat Freddy Mercury.

Georges Brassens was a cat lover, he had nine while living Impasse Florimont. They dedicated several verses of which the latter in his song "The Testament": "Let him drink my wine, my wife loves it, he smoked my pipe and tobacco / But never death of my soul He never whipped my cats / Though I have not an atom, an ounce of malice / If whipping my cats, there's a ghost who will persecute him. "

The cat artist

The most famous work on the subject: The mystery cat painters (1995) (Why cats paint) , Burton Silver and Heather Buch, had an international reputation. Initially conceived as a broad parody critique of contemporary art (it shows pictures of couches ripped and dead mice exhibited as the visual arts ...), this book has become too well-designed reference in this field. Art has become a feline theme seriously. Burton Silver is parodist, cartoonist and art critic, Heather Buch, painter and photographer. Why cats paint is the counterpart of Why paint cats ^, (Why paint cats), followed a few years later by Dance with cats (Dancing with cats) who also enjoyed a huge success. According to the publishers (back cover): "More and more people, worldwide, are seduced by this extraordinary method of channeling feline energy ..."

The cat photographer

The cat sees with a camera or a digital camera, usually around the neck. The triggering device is programmed or remotely, according to a given rate ^, (eg every 15 seconds).

Popular expressions

The proverbs and idioms related to the cat are dozens of French language , whether they depict the animal itself (which runs fast, sleeps a lot and hunt mice) or put forward any of these characteristics (" have cat eyes, "for example) or that the term" cat "means the man, who then identified the cat. Most of these sayings are centuries old and some even go back to Middle Age.

Economics

Fur Trade

In some countries, the fur of the cat is being, like the dog , a significant demand in the industries of fashion. Many animal protection groups condemn the use of fur of cats . It is now prohibited for import and export in Europe since the 31 December 2008 ^, .

The measures taken by Europe in this area are aimed at ending - the same way across Europe - the abuses in the fur trade, especially from Asian countries, whose labeling is often misleading (fur cat or dog imported under other names, such as faux fur). These practices are especially due to China , which would be engaged in breeding dogs and cats for their fur trade on a large scale .

As stated on that occasion Markos Kyprianou , European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection:

"The message sent by European consumers could not be clearer. They consider it acceptable to farm cats and dogs for their fur and they want products containing such fur sold on the European market. The EU-wide ban we are proposing today will mean that consumers will be sure not to inadvertently buying, products containing the fur of cat and dog . "

According to investigators from PETA -Germany, who conducted a survey in South China, dogs and cats in China would be a major commercial, in particularly shocking :

• First, dogs and cats crammed twenty in wire cages, and would be transported by truck, each truck in the cages comprising more than 800 animals, often injured and frightened. Still according to PETA, the traffic concerns of the millions of dogs and cats to be killed for their fur;
• cages are unloaded from trucks by throwing down the top of the truck without any precautions, sometimes more than three feet high, breaking the legs of animals. These would be in a number of cases of stolen animals, as indicated they still wear the necklace;
• Finally, the skins of these cats and dogs in China would frequently subject to false labeling, generating for the Western consumer risk of unwittingly buying clothes leather cat or dog.

The new EU regulation bans the placing on the market, imports into the Community and the export from the fur of cats and dogs and products containing it as of December 31, 2008. It takes into account the fraud labeling observed from certain third countries by establishing detection means necessary. According to Regulation (EC) ^No. 1523/2007 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 December 2007 :

• "The Member States shall before 31 December 2008, inform the Commission of detection methods fur they use to identify the species of origin of the fur (eg mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF );
• "The Commission may adopt measures laying down analytical methods to use in this field;
• "Member States shall before 31 December 2008, establishing appropriate penalties to ensure that the ban is complied with and notify those provisions to the Commission."

It is significant in the context of this case that the Community states that it adopts this regulation even though "the treaty does not allow the Community to legislate to address concerns ethical " , and that the Commission gives occasion ( 23 January 2006 ) Communication to the European Parliament and Council , "about an EU Action Plan for the protection and welfare of animals during the period 2006-2010 .

Market cat food

The market supply of dogs and cats (which is the largest market related to pets) in 2003 represented a total of 35 billion USD globally , which between 25% and 30% for the United States alone.

Among the manufacturers and leading brands include Nestle (Purina Beneful, Cat Chow, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Tender Vittles), Masterfoods , a subsidiary of March (Cesar, Pedigree, Royal Canin , Sheba, Whiskas ), Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba, Iams), or Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Science Diet) .

The U.S. market for cat food (about a full quarter of the total, since in 2002 was USD 4.20 billion, or 52% of the market for dog food ) has a strong segmentation: dry food canned foods, snacks for cats, semi-moist, soft ... Dry foods are gaining ground in the market for cat food .

In France, the market for cat food is made for 67% of wet food, a sector dominated by Nestle-Purina and Masterfoods , but this sector is crumbling (especially with the collapse of the trademarks "low end" and Ronron kitekat, Masterfoods), and the market share of dry cat food (dominated by Nestle Purina, Friskies and Purina with one) tends to rise . Insofar as one kilogram of dry feed equivalent to 4 kg of wet food, food manufacturers are struggling to compensate for cats wet food down. The French market for cat food has tended to stagnate or even decline.

Market in health spending for cats, and various

This market, which includes all non-food expenditure (the most important being health spending), includes, for pets in general :

• drugs, the most important are the anti-parasite (cons fleas and ticks);
• veterinary care;
• grooming;
• the repo;
• dressage;
• other products and services (burials and cremations, pet-sitting , transport, insurance, bedding, toys, blind pet ...).

Figures available take into account the various markets globally for all pets. Insofar, the U.S. (the main market), 71% of owners of cats or dogs for them to buy drugs (which limits any bias) , it is not unreasonable to think that the share of expenditure for cats is fairly symmetrical in food expenditure, or between one quarter and one third of the total (spending this kind focusing on dogs and cats).

Analysts concur that the U.S. market for these products for healthy pets represent about 40% of the world . The market of the United States provides a good foundation for understanding the world market.

The market for drugs and care for pets in general is still low compared to drugs and care for humans. However, it is very lucrative, since the owners of pets do not hesitate to pay a high price to treat them, which they consider part of their family.

In 2006, the U.S. market for medicines, veterinary care, products and services other than food alone rose to 18.5 billion USD, and expectations for 2007 were up 6% compared this figure , or nearly 20 billion USD.

Thereupon, the products (excluding health care and services) for the health of pets accounted for about 6.6 billion USD of total spending, a third corresponds to products against fleas and ticks. The product "star" is the anti-parasite Frontline, Merial (fipronil), which reached the 2007 blockbuster drug status (sales champion ") with a turnover of over one billion USD .

For 2007, other studies have estimated the market for U.S. health spending for pets at even higher figure of 25.3 billion USD .

In addition to drugs (which now include anti-depressants ), pets receive veterinary care. The rise in spending on pets is also reflected by the appearance of insurance contracts that are specific to them. Sweden is very advanced in this field, far ahead of England or the United States, since, in 2005, 50% of Swedish owners had pet insurance for them, against less than 10% in the U.S. United , representing 0.7 billion U.S. in 2007 .

See also

Internal Links

Detailed articles

• Dresses cats
• Cat breeds
• Cat in Ancient Egypt
• Cat in music
• History of cat

Related Articles

• Purring
• Pet
• Feral cats : cat returned to the wild.
• Wildcat : cat species from which the domestic cat.
• Other animals designated by the term "cat"
• Schrdinger's cat : a thought experiment.
• Lolcat
• Behaviorist

Lists

• List of diseases of cats
• List of famous cats
• List of fictional cats
• List of cat breeds
• List of proverbs and phrases on the cat
• List of cat associations

Bibliography

General Bibliography

• Laurence Bobis, The Nine Lives of a cat, Gallimard , coll. "Discoveries Gallimard, February 21, 1991, 160 p. ( ISBN 978-2070531264 ) .
• Jules Champfleury , Cats: history, morals, observations, anecdotes, ed. orig. J. Rothschild, 1868
• Joel and Colette Dehasse Buyser, Cat stranger, Vander, Brussels , May 23, 1980, 316 p. ( a href = "Sp% C3% A9cial: Ouvrages_de_r% C3% A9f% C3% A9rence/9782800800745" class = "mw-internal-magiclink isbn"> ISBN 978-2800800745) .
• Joel Dehasse , All about the psychology of cats, Odile Jacob , September 11, 2008, 608 p. ( ISBN 978-2738119223 ) .
• Bruce Fogle, the fascinating world of cat Grnd , 1998, 246 p. ( ISBN 978-2700054002 ) .
• Jean-Louis Hue, The Cat in all its states, The Pocket Book , 2000 ( ISBN 978-2253033066 ) .
• Jean de La Robra Gallery, famous cats, Hazan, 1972 .
• Fernand Mery Her Majesty the Cat, Denol , 1950 .
• Fernand Mery, The Guide to Cats, The Pocket Book , 1973 .
• Desmond Morris , Cat revealed, Calmann-Lvy, 1995, 144 p. ( ISBN 978-2702125083 ) .
• Frederic Vitoux Dictionary cat lovers, Plon , 2008 ( ISBN 978-2259206860 ) .
• Christiane Sacasa, Cats, Solar , et al. "Green Guide", February 1994, 256 p. ( ISBN 2-263-00073-9 ) .

Taxonomic references

• Reference Fauna Europaea : Felis silvestris (fr)
• Reference Animal Diversity Web : Felis silvestris species (in)
• Reference Animal Diversity Web : subspecies Felis silvestris catus (fr)
• Reference ITIS : Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 (en) ( + version (en))
• Reference NCBI : Felis catus (fr)
• Reference NCBI : Felis silvestris (fr)
• Reference IUCN : species Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 (en)
• Reference GISD : species Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 (en)

Notes and references

Notes

References

Version of January 29, 2009 This article has been accepted as "good article", that is to say that it meets quality standards for style, clarity, relevance, citation of sources and illustration.

The different species present felines
Kingdom: Animal Phylum : Chords Class: Mammals Order: Carnivore Printed in-order: Feliformia
Felinae	Acinonyx Cheetah Caracal Caracal African Golden Cat Otocolobus Manul Felis Chaus Black-footed cat Chat sands wildcat Leopardus Andean cat Cat Geoffroy Colocolo Kodkod Margay Ocelot Oncille Leptailurus Serval Lynx Canada lynx Bobcat Lynx Spain Eurasian lynx Pardofelis Marbled Cat Bai cat Temminck's cat Prionailurus Flat-headed cat Leopard Cat Chat fisherman Chat rufous Puma Jaguarundi Puma
Pantherinae	Neofelis Clouded leopard Leopard of Borneo Panthera img alt = "Good article" src = "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Fairytale_bookmark_silver_light.png/14px-Fairytale_bookmark_silver_light.png" width = "14" height = "14" /> Jaguar Lion Leopard Snow leopard Tiger

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