| Cat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Common Name | Domestic Cat and Housecats |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Felidae |
| Genus | Felis |
| Species | Felis catus |
Nomenclature and etymology
Taxonomy and evolution
Genetics
Anatomy
Physiology
Senses
Health
Diseases
Cats can suffer from a wide range of health problems, including infectious diseases, parasites, injuries and chronic disease. Vaccinations are available for many of these diseases, and domestic cats are regularly given treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms and fleas.
Poisoning
In addition to obvious dangers such as rodenticides, insecticides and weed killers, cats may be poisoned by many chemicals that are usually considered safe. This is because their livers are less effective at some forms of detoxification than those of other animals, including humans and dogs. Some of the most common causes of poisoning in cats are antifreeze and rodent baits. It has also been suggested that cats may be particularly sensitive to environmental pollutants. When a cat has a sudden or prolonged serious illness without any obvious cause, it is possible that it has been exposed to a toxin.
Human medicines should never be given to cats. For example, the painkiller paracetamol (also called acetaminophen, sold as Tylenol and Panadol) is extremely toxic to cats: even very small doses need immediate treatment and can be fatal. 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. Similarly, application of minoxidil (Rogaine) to the skin of cats, either accidentally or by well-meaning owners attempting to counter loss of fur, has sometimes been fatal. Essential oils can be 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.
Behavior
Free-ranging cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night.[100][101] The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied, which means that house cats may be more active in the morning and evening (crepuscular behavior), as a response to greater human activity at these times.[102] House cats have territories that vary considerably in size, in one study ranging from seven to 28 hectares (69 acres).[101] Although they spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their home, they can range many hundreds of meters from this central point.[101] Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep (lightly) 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". During sleep cats experience short periods of rapid eye movement sleep accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests that they are dreaming.[103]
Sociability
Grooming
Fighting
Hunting and feeding
Cats usually hunt Mice or small birds. At home, they eat standard cat food.
Play
Cats love to play with cat toys.
Reproduction
Habitats
Impact on prey species
Impact on birds
Cats and humans
Cats are very good around humans. They purr when they are happy or are trying to calm down. They meow when they are threatened.
