Domestic Cat

 

Classification:

Global Population

Description and Natural History

Physical Description
Unlike the domestic dog, which has undergone selective breeding for many years, the physical characteristics of domestic cats have remained relatively unchanged since their domestication about 4,000 years ago. Like its wild relatives, the skeleton of the domestic cat evolved to enable quick bursts of speed and superior agility. This is one of the reasons why cats are so graceful and fluid in their movement. The legs of a cat are slender but robust, while the rib cage is narrow and the spine is highly supine. The shoulder blades remain loose to retain excellent flexibility at any speed and the carpals in the wrists are flexible, allowing for increased dexterity for retrieving prey and walking along narrow edges. The cats’ claws grow from the last bone of the toe and are retractable for protection when the animal is on the move.

Cats are very tactile and possess touch receptors that are found all over their bodies, especially in the pads and the whiskers (vibrissae). Because cats are nocturnal, these moveable whiskers help them to detect the movement of prey and to provide information about their environment. While many people are familiar with the obvious whiskers on the cheeks, whiskers are also found on the chin, above the eyes and at the back of each foreleg.

Cats communicate using numerous sounds that include greeting chirps, “meows” and purrs. The source of a cat’s purr remains a mystery but some believe it is a vibration of the muscles of the larynx and diaphragm while others believe it is the sound of the turbulence in the anterior vena cava that creates audible vibrations up the windpipe. Purring is not always a sign of contentment, but can also indicate stress or trauma.

Cats’ eyes are large, which provides for a wider angle of vision and better peripheral vision. Cats also have binocular and color vision. Pupils dilate quickly to adapt to darkness, and a reflecting layer, called the tapetum lucidum, lies outside the receptor layer of the retina to receive light that is reflected back – this is known as “eye shine” and can be seen at night. Cat ears are large and erect and have a dozen muscles so that they can move independently of one another.

Cats are renowned for landing on their feet. As they fall, an apparatus in the middle ear (which monitors balance) acts with vision to provide information on orientation. Flexible muscles allow the head to rotate which then aligns the rest of the body. The cat skull is small with a short face. Their teeth are used for gripping, tearing, and cutting. The tongue is coated with sharp papillae to make up for the lack of chewing molars.

Today there are about 40 recognized breeds of domestic cat. The smallest weighs 2-3 kilograms (about 5-7 pounds) and the largest weighs between 7 and 9 kilograms (about 15-20 pounds).

Natural History
The cat family evolved in Eurasia and North America and entered South America when the landmasses linked up. Because Australia separated from the landmass before cats evolved, and no land bridge became available, cats are not indigenous to this island. Cats are also not native to Antarctica. The earliest felids evolved about 40 million years ago. Between 38 and 26 million years ago, carnivores that looked like modern cats, called Pseudailurus, evolved. The ancestor of today’s felines, Pseudailurus had flexible shoulder blades, spines and tails and inhabited the plains of North America and Europe.

Prior to domestication, small wildcats were widely distributed from Scotland to South Africa and from Portugal to Caucasus. When Egyptians built settlements along the Nile River between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago, rats and mice were attracted to the grain stores and edible waste that became available. It is thought that the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), which was less fearful than other wildcats, entered this available environment and in a sense, self domesticated. Cats became important to people for rodent (and snake) control, and because of this the Romans transported the cat throughout their empire.

Small cats, including domestic cats, have evolved as solitary hunters and hunt prey that fills only their own stomach. Although they are not communal by nature, like other solitary animals they can coexist if there is sufficient food. Male and female cats are sexually mature as early as 6 or 7 months of age but may mature earlier during spring and summer. Some breeds, such as the Oriental types (e.g. Burmese, Siamese, Balinese) also tend to reach sexual maturity early and may reproduce at 4 months of age. Males may reproduce all year round and females may give birth to 3-6 litters per year. Gestation is about 68 days long, after which blind, deaf and helpless kittens are born (2-10 per litter). Their eyes open 8 to 10 days after birth and they are weaned at about 6 weeks of age.

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Status of the Species

Status
Depending on the country, domestic animals, including cats, may be protected under national, state, provincial, and local legislation. In some countries, no protective legislation exists. There are no internationally agreed upon humane standards, and existing legislation is often difficult to enforce. Fortunately, in most places around the world cats enjoy an elevated place in society. During the 20th century, cats became one of the most popular of all animal companions. Still, contrary to popular belief, cats cannot fend for themselves. Because they have been domesticated, cats depend on humans for care and protection. Their quiet contentment and playful nature is complimented by their independence and it is our social and moral responsibility to provide for them.

Threats to the Species
Domestic cats and dogs are not threatened with extinction, although some rare breeds have low numbers. Ironically, overpopulation of the species is the main threat. Uncontrolled breeding of feral (wild offspring of abandoned domestic cats) and homeless cats is a huge cause of this crisis everywhere. There are not enough homes available.
Cruelty is another problem. In many countries, stray and abandoned and farmed cats are killed for commercial enterprise and human consumption. According to CatZone, an animal welfare organization in China, more than 10,000 cats are killed in Guangdong province every day during the winter for human consumption. Many cats suffer a slow, inhumane death, as they are boiled alive or tortured prior to death. Also, cats suffer from stress and disease while being transported and held in cramped conditions.

Neglect and abandonment are major issues. Poor care can be the result of either apathy, lack of awareness, limited resources, inaccessible and unaffordable veterinary services, or a combination of all. A lack of knowledge about how to take proper care of dogs and cats and limited understanding of their behavior adds to increased relinquishment and abandonment rates. For instance, failure to place proper identification (collar and tag) on a cat increases the chance that s/he will not be reunited with their family, end up in a shelter or pound, or even worse, euthanised. These conditions contribute to the overpopulation problem, and the continuing cycle of problems. Threats can be resolved by raising awareness, encouraging legislative changes and through humane education.

International Trade
Dogs and cats are farmed and traded in some countries for meat, fur, and tonics thought to be medicinal. Both dog and cat consumption and the puppy mill trade are driven by economic incentives which conflict with basic animal welfare considerations. Cats and dogs should not be treated as commodities to be massed produced for consumer markets.

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Authors and Sources

Sources
MacDonald, D. (Ed.).  2001.  The New Encyclopedia of Mammals.  Oxford University Press, Oxford.  930 pp.

Fogle, B.  1997.  The Encyclopedia of the Cat.  Firefly Books, Victoria, Canada.  240 pp.

CatZone.  2004.  Important facts about China.  http://www.catszone.org/ev/.

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