Biology:Cat

From HandWiki

The cat (Felis catus), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC. It is commonly kept as a pet and working cat, but it also ranges freely as a feral cat, avoiding human contact. It is valued by humans for companionship and its ability to kill vermin. Its retractable claws are adapted to killing small prey species such as mice and rats. It has a strong, flexible body, quick reflexes, and sharp teeth, and its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. It is a social species, but a solitary hunter and a crepuscular predator.

Cat communication includes meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, grunting, and body language. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by small mammals. It secretes and perceives pheromones. Cat intelligence is evident in its ability to adapt, learn through observation, and solve problems.

Female domestic cats can have kittens from spring to late autumn in temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions, with litter sizes often ranging from two to five kittens. Domestic cats are bred and shown at cat fancy events as registered pedigreed cats. Population control includes spaying and neutering, but pet abandonment has exploded the global feral cat population, which has driven the extinction of bird, mammal, and reptile species.

Domestic cats occur across the globe, though their popularity as pets varies by region. Out of the estimated 600 million cats worldwide, 400 million reside in Asia, including 58 million pet cats in China. The United States leads in cat ownership with 73.8 million cats. In the United Kingdom, approximately 10.9 million domestic cats are kept as pets.

Etymology and naming

The origin of the English word cat, Old English catt, is thought to be the Late Latin word cattus, which was first used at the beginning of the 6th century.[1] The Late Latin word may be derived from an unidentified African language.[2] The Nubian word kaddîska (wildcat) and Nobiin kadīs are possible sources or cognates.[3]

The forms might also have derived from an ancient Germanic word that was absorbed into Latin and then into Greek, Syriac, and Arabic.[4] The word may be derived from Germanic and Northern European languages, and ultimately be borrowed from Uralic, Template:Cf.Northern Sámi gáđfi, female stoat, and Hungarian hölgy, lady, female stoat; from Proto-Uralic *käďwä, female (of a furred animal).[5]

The English puss, extended as pussy and pussycat, is attested from the 16th century and may have been introduced from Dutch poes or from Low German puuskatte, related to Swedish kattepus, or Norwegian pus, pusekatt. Similar forms exist in Lithuanian puižė and Irish puisín or puiscín. The etymology is unknown, but it may be an onomatopoeia from using a sound to attract a cat.[6][7]

A male cat is called a tom, tommy or tomcat[8] (or a gib,[9] if neutered). A female is called a queen (or sometimes a molly,[10] if spayed).[11] Some sources write that queen refers solely to unspayed cats that are in an estrous cycle.[12] A juvenile cat is referred to as a kitten, a term interchangeable with the now-obsolete word catling in Early Modern English.[13] A group of cats can be referred to as a clowder, a glaring,[14] or a colony.[15]

Taxonomy

The scientific name Felis catus was proposed by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for a domestic cat.[16][17] Felis catus domesticus was proposed by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.[18] Felis daemon proposed by Konstantin Satunin in 1904 was a black cat from the Transcaucasus, later identified as a domestic cat.[19][20]

In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature conserved the name silvestris Erxleben 1777 for the wildcat, but did not suppress catus Linnaeus 1758.[21][22] In 2007, the modern domesticated subspecies F. silvestris catus was sampled worldwide and considered to have probably descended from the African wildcat (F. lybica), following results of phylogenetic research.[23][24][lower-alpha 1] In 2017, the IUCN Cat Classification Taskforce, following the recommendation of Gentry et al. (2004)[22] that names based on domestic forms be used for domestic derivatives of wild species, regarded the domestic cat as a distinct species, Felis catus.[25]

Evolution

Skulls of a wildcat (top left), a housecat (top right), and a hybrid between the two (bottom center)

The domestic cat is a member of the Felidae, a family that has a common ancestor from about 10 to 15 million years ago.[26] The evolutionary radiation of the Felidae began in Asia during the Miocene around 8.38 to 14.45 million years ago.[27] Analysis of mitochondrial DNA of all Felidae species indicates a radiation at 6.46 to 16.76 million years ago.[28] The genus Felis genetically diverged from other Felidae around 6 to 7 million years ago.[27] Results of phylogenetic research shows that the wild members of this genus evolved through sympatric or parapatric speciation, whereas the domestic cat evolved through artificial selection.[29] The domestic cat and its closest wild ancestor are diploid and both possess 38 chromosomes[30] and roughly 20,000 genes.[31]

Script error: No such module "Clade/gallery".

Domestication

See also: Biology:Domestication of the cat and Cats in ancient Egypt
A cat eats a fish under a chair, in a mural in an Egyptian tomb dating to the 15th century BC.

It was long thought that the domestication of the cat began in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC.[32][33] However, the earliest known indication for the taming of an African wildcat was excavated close by a human Neolithic grave in Shillourokambos, southern Cyprus, dating to about 7500–7200 BC. Since there is no evidence of native mammalian fauna on Cyprus, the inhabitants of this Neolithic village most likely brought the cat and other wild mammals to the island from the Middle Eastern mainland.[34] Scientists therefore assume that African wildcats were attracted to early human settlements in the Fertile Crescent by rodents, in particular the house mouse (Mus musculus), and were tamed by Neolithic farmers. This mutual relationship between early farmers and tamed cats lasted thousands of years. As agricultural practices spread, so did tame and domesticated cats.[35][36] Wildcats of Egypt contributed to the maternal gene pool of the domestic cat at a later time.[37]

The earliest known evidence for the occurrence of the domestic cat in Greece dates to around 1200 BC. Greek, Phoenician, Carthaginian and Etruscan traders introduced domestic cats to southern Europe.[38] By the 5th century BC, they were familiar animals around settlements in Magna Graecia and Etruria.[39] During the Roman Empire, they were introduced to Corsica and Sardinia before the beginning of the 1st century AD.[40] By the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Egyptian domestic cat lineage had arrived in a Baltic Sea port in northern Germany.[37]

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was tamed independently in China around 5500 BC. This line of partially domesticated cats leaves no trace in the domestic cat populations of today.[41]

During domestication, cats have undergone only minor changes in anatomy and behavior, and they are still capable of surviving in the wild. Several natural behaviors and characteristics of wildcats may have pre-adapted them for domestication as pets. These traits include their small size, social nature, obvious body language, love of play, and high intelligence. Their rigorous grooming habits and instinct to bury their bodily waste make them generally much less messy than other domesticated animals. Captive Leopardus cats may also display affectionate behavior toward humans but are not domesticated.[42] House cats may mate with feral cats.[43] Hybridization between domestic and other Felinae species is also possible, producing hybrids such as the Kellas cat in Scotland.[44][45]

Development of cat breeds started in the mid 19th century.[46] An analysis of the domestic cat genome revealed that the ancestral wildcat genome was significantly altered in the process of domestication, as specific mutations were selected to develop cat breeds.[47] Most breeds are founded on random-bred domestic cats. Genetic diversity of these breeds varies between regions, and is lowest in purebred populations, which show more than 20 deleterious genetic disorders.[48]

Characteristics

Main article: Biology:Cat anatomy

Size

Diagram of the general anatomy of a male domestic cat

The domestic cat has a smaller skull and shorter bones than the European wildcat.[49] It averages about 46 cm (18 in) in head-to-body length and 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in) in height, with about 30 cm (12 in) long tails. Males are larger than females.[50] Adult domestic cats typically weigh 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb).[29]

Skeleton

Cats have seven cervical vertebrae (as do most mammals); 13 thoracic vertebrae (humans have 12); seven lumbar vertebrae (humans have five); three sacral vertebrae (as do most mammals, but humans have five); and a variable number of caudal vertebrae in the tail (humans have only three to five vestigial caudal vertebrae, fused into an internal coccyx).[51]: 11  The extra lumbar and thoracic vertebrae account for the cat's spinal mobility and flexibility. Attached to the spine are 13 ribs, the shoulder, and the pelvis.[51]: 16  Unlike human arms, cat forelimbs are attached to the shoulder by free-floating clavicle bones which allow them to pass their body through any space into which they can fit their head.[52]

Skull

Cat skull

The cat skull is unusual among mammals in having very large eye sockets and a powerful specialized jaw.[53]: 35  Two long canine teeth for killing and tearing prey, can stab between two of the prey's vertebrae and sever its spinal cord, causing paralysis and death.[54] Compared to other felines, domestic cats have narrowly spaced canine teeth relative to the size of their jaw, which is an adaptation to their preferred prey of small rodents, which have small vertebrae.[54]

The premolar and first molar together compose the carnassial pair on each side of the mouth, which efficiently shears meat into small pieces, like a pair of scissors. These are vital in feeding, because cats' small molars cannot chew food effectively, and cats are largely incapable of mastication.[53]: 37  Cats tend to have better dental health than most humans, with decay generally less likely because of a thicker protective layer of enamel, a less damaging saliva, less retention of food particles between teeth, and a diet mostly devoid of sugar. Nonetheless, they are subject to occasional tooth loss and infection.[55]

Claws

Cat's claw

Cats have protractible and retractable claws.[56] In their normal, relaxed position, the claws are sheathed with the skin and fur around the paw's toe pads. This keeps the claws sharp by preventing wear from contact with the ground and allows for the silent stalking of prey. The claws on the forefeet are typically sharper than those on the hindfeet.[57] Cats can voluntarily extend their claws, such as in hunting, fighting, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Cats shed the outside layer of their claw sheaths when scratching rough surfaces.[58]

Most cats have five claws on their front paws and four on their rear paws. The dewclaw is proximal to the other claws. More proximally is a protrusion which appears to be a sixth "finger". This special feature of the front paws on the inside of the wrists has no function in normal walking but is thought to be an antiskidding device used while jumping. Some cat breeds are prone to having extra digits ("polydactyly").[59]

Ambulation

The cat is digitigrade. It walks on the toes, with the bones of the feet making up the lower part of the visible leg.[60] Unlike most mammals, it uses a "pacing" gait that alternates both legs together on each side. It registers directly by placing each hind paw close to the track of the corresponding fore paw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. This also provides sure footing for hind paws when navigating rough terrain. As it speeds up from walking to trotting, its gait changes to a "diagonal" gait: The diagonally opposite hind and fore legs move simultaneously.[61]

Balance

A cat is perched on a tree branch, having climbed up for exploration, escape, or hunting.

Cats are generally fond of perching in high places. This may be a concealed hunting site such as a tree branch, for domestic cats to pounce upon prey. They favor a superior observation point over territory. A cat falling from up to 3 m (9.8 ft) can right itself and land on its paws.[62]

During a lofty fall, a cat reflexively twists and rights itself to land on its feet using its acute sense of balance and flexibility. This reflex is known as the cat righting reflex.[63] A cat always rights itself in the same way, and it has enough time in falls of at least 90 cm (3.0 ft).[64] This has been investigated as the "falling cat problem".[65]

Coats

Main article: Biology:Cat coat genetics
Mother cat with her different-colored offspring

The cat family (Felidae) can pass down many colors and patterns to their offspring. The domestic cat genes MC1R and ASIP allow color variety in their coats. The feline ASIP gene consists of three coding exons.[66] Three novel microsatellite markers linked to ASIP were isolated from a domestic cat BAC clone containing this gene to perform linkage analysis on 89 domestic cats segregated for melanism. The domestic cat family demonstrated a cosegregation between the ASIP allele and coat black coloration.[67]

Senses

Main article: Biology:Cat senses

Vision

A tabby cat with a third, translucent eyelid covering part of either eye
A cat's nictitating membrane is exposed as it blinks.

Cats have excellent night vision and can see at one sixth the light level required for human vision.[53]: 43  This is partly the result of cat eyes having a tapetum lucidum, which reflects any light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to dim light.[68] Large pupils are an adaptation to dim light. The domestic cat has slit pupils, which allow it to focus bright light without chromatic aberration.[69] At low light, a cat's pupils expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes.[70] The domestic cat has rather poor color vision and only two types of cone cells, optimized for sensitivity to blue and yellowish green; its ability to distinguish between red and green is limited.[71] A response to middle wavelengths from a system other than the rod cells might be due to a third type of cone. This appears to be an adaptation to low light levels rather than representing true trichromatic vision.[72] Cats have a nictitating membrane, allowing them to blink without hindering their vision.

Hearing

The domestic cat's hearing is most acute in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz.[73] It can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies ranging from 55 Hz to 79 kHz, whereas humans can only detect frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. It can hear a range of 10.5 octaves, compared to about 9 octaves for humans and dogs.[74][75] Its hearing sensitivity is enhanced by its large movable outer ears, the pinnae, which amplify sounds and help detect the location of a noise. It can detect ultrasound, including ultrasonic calls from rodent prey.[76][77] Research has shown that cats have socio-spatial cognitive abilities to create mental maps of familiar people's locations based on hearing their voices.[78]

Smell

Cats have an acute sense of smell, due in part to their well-developed olfactory bulb and a large surface of olfactory mucosa, about 5.8 cm2 (0.90 in2) in area, which is about twice that of humans.[79] Cats and many other animals have a Jacobson's organ in their mouths that is used in the behavioral process of flehmening. It allows them to sense certain aromas in a way that humans cannot. Cats are sensitive to pheromones such as 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol,[80] which they use to communicate through urine spraying and marking with scent glands.[81] Many cats also respond strongly to plants that contain nepetalactone, especially catnip, which they can detect at less than one part per billion.[82] About 70–80% of cats are affected by nepetalactone.[83] This response is also produced by other plants, such as silver vine (Actinidia polygama) and the herb valerian; it may be caused by the smell of these plants mimicking a pheromone and stimulating cats' social or sexual behaviors.[84]

Taste

Cats have about 470 taste buds, compared to more than 9,000 on the human tongue.[85] Domestic and wild cats share a taste receptor gene mutation that keeps their sweet taste buds from binding to sugary molecules, leaving them with no ability to taste sweetness.[86] But they do have taste bud receptors specialized for acids, amino acids such as the constituents of protein, and bitter tastes.[87]

Cats' taste buds possess the receptors needed to detect umami. However, these receptors contain molecular changes that make them taste umami differently from humans. In humans, they detect the amino acids glutamic acid and aspartic acid; but in cats, they instead detect inosine monophosphate and histidine.[88] These molecules are particularly enriched in tuna.[88] Researchers argue why cats find tuna so palatable: "the specific combination of the high IMP and free histidine contents of tuna, which produces a strong umami taste synergy that is highly preferred by cats."[88] One researcher said, "I think umami is as important for cats as sweet is for humans."[89]

Cats distinctly prefer food temperature around 38 °C (100 °F), similar to a fresh kill. Some cats reject cold food, which would signal to the cat that the prey is long dead and therefore possibly toxic or decomposing.[85]

Whiskers

The whiskers of a cat are highly sensitive to touch.

To aid with navigation and sensation, cats have dozens of movable whiskers (vibrissae) over their body, especially their faces. These provide information on the width of gaps and on the location of objects in the dark, both by touching objects directly and by sensing air currents. They trigger protective blink reflexes to protect the eyes from damage.[53]: 47 

Behavior

See also: Biology:Cat behavior

Outdoor cats are active both day and night, although they tend to be slightly more active at night.[90] Domestic cats spend the majority of their time in the vicinity of their homes, but they can range a radius of many hundreds of meters. They establish territories that vary considerably in size, in one study ranging 7–28 ha (17–69 acres).[91] The timing of cats' activity is quite flexible and varied; but being low-light predators, they are generally crepuscular, which means they tend to be more active near dawn and dusk. However, house cats' behavior is also influenced by human activity, and they may adapt to their owners' sleeping patterns to some extent.[92][93]

Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. The daily duration of sleep varies, usually between 12 and 16 hours, with 13 to 14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours. The term "cat nap" for a short rest refers to the cat's tendency to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period. Short periods of rapid eye movement sleep are often accompanied by muscle twitches, which suggests they are dreaming.[94]

Behavioral and personality traits depend on a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Scientific evidence is mixed about the popular belief that those traits are linked to coat colors.[95][96][97]

Sociability

The social behavior of the domestic cat ranges from widely dispersed individuals to feral cat colonies that gather around a food source, based on groups of co-operating females.[98][99] Within such groups, one cat is usually dominant over the others.[100] Each cat in a colony holds a distinct territory, with sexually active males having the largest territories, which are about 10 times larger than those of female cats and may overlap with several females' territories. These territories are marked by urine spraying, rubbing objects at head height with secretions from facial glands, and by defecation.[81] Between these territories are neutral areas where cats watch and greet one another without territorial conflicts. Outside these neutral areas, territory holders usually chase away stranger cats, at first by staring, hissing, and growling, and, if that does not work, by short and violent, noisy attacks. Because cats do not have a social survival strategy or herd behavior, they always hunt alone.[101]

Two kittens resting side by side, an instinctive behavior that offers both protection and comfort
Two kittens lying side by side, an instinctive behavior that offers both comfort and protection

Life in proximity to humans and other domestic animals has led to a symbiotic social adaptation in cats, and cats may express great affection toward humans or other animals. Ethologically, a cat's human keeper functions as a mother surrogate.[102] Adult cats live in a type of extended kittenhood, a form of behavioral neoteny. Their high-pitched sounds may mimic the cries of a hungry human infant, making them particularly difficult for humans to ignore.[103] Some pet cats are poorly socialized. In particular, older cats may show aggressiveness toward newly arrived kittens, which includes biting and scratching; this type of behavior is known as feline asocial aggression.[104]

Redirected aggression is a common form of aggression that can occur in multiple cat households. In redirected aggression, a cat is usually agitated by a stimulus such as a sight, sound, or other trigger that causes heightened anxiety or arousal; if the cat cannot attack the original stimulus, it may redirect its aggression toward the nearest cat, pet, human, or other being.[105][106]

Domestic cats' scent rubbing behavior toward humans or other cats is thought to be a feline means of social bonding.[107]

Communication

Main article: Biology:Cat communication

Template:Listen image Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling/snarling, grunting, and several different forms of meowing.[108] Their body language, including position of ears and tail, relaxation of the whole body, and kneading of the paws, are all indicators of mood. The tail and ears are particularly important social signal mechanisms; a raised tail indicates a friendly greeting, and flattened ears indicate hostility. Tail-raising also indicates the cat's position in the group's social hierarchy, with dominant individuals raising their tails less often than subordinate ones.[109] Feral cats are generally silent.[110]: 208  Nose-to-nose touching is also a common greeting and may be followed by social grooming, which is solicited by one of the cats raising and tilting its head.[98]

Purring may have developed as an evolutionary advantage as a signaling mechanism of reassurance between mother cats and nursing kittens, who are thought to use it as a care-soliciting signal.[111] Post-nursing cats also often purr as a sign of contentment: when being petted, becoming relaxed,[112][113] or eating. Although purring is popularly interpreted as indicative of pleasure, it has been recorded in a wide variety of circumstances, most of which involve physical contact between the cat and another, presumably trusted individual.[111] Some cats have been observed to purr continuously when chronically ill or in apparent pain.[114]

The exact mechanism by which cats purr has long been elusive, but it has been proposed that purring is generated via a series of sudden build-ups and releases of pressure as the glottis is opened and closed, which causes the vocal folds to separate forcefully. The laryngeal muscles in control of the glottis are thought to be driven by a neural oscillator which generates a cycle of contraction and release every 30–40 milliseconds (giving a frequency of 33 to 25 Hz).[111][115][116]

Domestic cats observed in rescue facilities have 276 morphologically distinct facial expressions based on 26 facial movements; each facial expression corresponds to different social functions that are probably influenced by domestication.[117] Facial expressions have helped researchers detect pain in cats. The feline grimace scale's five criteria—ear position, orbital tightening, muzzle tension, whisker change, and head position—indicated the presence of acute pain in cats.[118][119]

Grooming

Cat tongue

Cats are known for spending considerable amounts of time licking their coats to keep them clean.[120][121] The cat's tongue has backward-facing spines about 0.5 millimeter long, called lingual papillae, which contain keratin making them rigid.[122] The papillae act like a hairbrush, and some cats, particularly long-haired cats, occasionally regurgitate sausage-shaped 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long hairballs of fur that have collected in their stomachs from grooming. Hairballs can be prevented with remedies that ease elimination of the hair through the gut, and regular grooming of the coat with a comb or stiff brush.[120]

Cat intelligence

Main article: Philosophy:Cat intelligence

File:Cat opening door.webm Cat intelligence refers to a cat's ability to solve problems, adapt to its environment, learn new behaviors, and communicate its needs. Structurally, a cat's brain shares similarities with the human brain,[123] containing around 250 million neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for complex processing.[124] Cats display neuroplasticity allowing their brains to reorganize based on experiences. They have well-developed memory retaining information for a decade or longer. These memories are often intertwined with emotions, allowing cats to recall both positive and negative experiences associated with specific places.[125] While they excel in observational learning and problem-solving, studies conclude that they struggle with understanding cause-and-effect relationships in the same way that humans do.[126]

Cat intelligence study is mostly from consideration of the domesticated cat. Living in urban environments has exposed them to challenges that require adaptive behaviors, contributing to cognitive development.[127] Selective breeding and genetic changes have further influenced their intelligence.[128][129] Kittens learn essential survival skills by observing their mothers, while adult cats refine their abilities through trial and error.

Play

File:Play fight between cats.webmhd.webm 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.[130] Cats also engage in play fighting, both with each other and with humans. This behavior may be a way for cats to practice the skills needed for real combat, and it might also reduce the fear that they associate with launching attacks on other animals.[131]

Cats also tend to play with toys more when they are hungry.[132] Owing to the close similarity between play and hunting, cats prefer to play with objects that resemble prey, such as small furry toys that move rapidly, but rapidly lose interest. They become habituated to a toy they have played with before.[133] String is often used as a toy, but if it is eaten, it can become caught at the base of the cat's tongue and then move into the intestines, a medical emergency which can cause serious illness, even death.[134]

Hunting and feeding

A deermouse is the prey of this domestic cat.

The shape and structure of cats' cheeks is insufficient to allow them to take in liquids using suction. Lapping at a rate of four times a second, the cat touches the smooth tip of its tongue to the surface of the water, and quickly retracts it like a corkscrew, drawing water upward into their mouths.[135][136]

Feral cats and free-fed house cats consume several small meals in a day. The frequency and size of meals varies between individuals. They select food based on its temperature, smell, and texture; they dislike chilled foods and respond most strongly to moist foods rich in amino acids, which are similar to meat. Cats reject novel flavors (a response termed neophobia) and learn quickly to avoid foods that have tasted unpleasant in the past.[101][137] It is also a common misconception that all cats like milk or cream, as they tend to avoid sweet food and milk. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant; the sugar in milk is not easily digested and may cause soft stools or diarrhea.[138] Some also develop odd eating habits and like to eat or chew on things such as wool, plastic, cables, paper, string, aluminum foil, or even coal. This condition, pica, can threaten their health, depending on the amount and toxicity of the items eaten.[139]

Cats hunt small prey, primarily birds and rodents,[140] and are often used as a form of pest control.[141][142] Other common small creatures, such as lizards and snakes, may also become prey.[143] Cats use two hunting strategies, either stalking prey actively, or waiting in ambush until an animal comes close enough to be captured.[144] The strategy used depends on available prey, with cats waiting in ambush outside burrows, but tending to actively stalk birds.[145]: 153  Domestic cats are a major predator of wildlife in the United States, killing an estimated 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.[146]

Certain species appear more susceptible than others; in one English village, for example, 30% of house sparrow mortality was linked to the domestic cat.[147] In the recovery of ringed robins (Erithacus rubecula) and dunnocks (Prunella modularis) in Britain, 31% of deaths were a result of cat predation.[148] In parts of North America, the presence of larger carnivores such as coyotes, which prey on cats and other small predators, reduces the effect of predation by cats and other small predators such as opossums and raccoons on bird numbers and variety.[149]

Another poorly understood element of cat hunting behavior is the presentation of prey to human guardians. One explanation is that cats adopt humans into their social group and share excess kill with others in the group according to the dominance hierarchy, in which humans are reacted to as if they are at or near the top.[150] Another explanation is that they attempt to teach their guardians to hunt or to help their human as if feeding "an elderly cat, or an inept kitten".[151] This hypothesis is inconsistent with the fact that male cats also bring home prey, though males have negligible involvement in raising kittens.[145]: 153 

Fighting

This domestic cat hisses and arches its back.

Domestic males are more likely to fight than females.[152] The most common reason for feral cat fighting is competition between two males to mate with a female, and most fights are won by the heavier male.[153] Another common reason for fighting in domestic cats is the difficulty of establishing territories within a small home.[152] Female cats also fight over territory or to defend their kittens. Neutering decreases or eliminates this behavior in many cases, suggesting that the behavior is linked to sex hormones.[154]

When cats become aggressive, they try to appear larger and more threatening by raising their fur, arching their backs, turning sideways, hissing, or spitting.[155] Often, the ears are pointed down and back to avoid damage to the inner ear and potentially listen for any changes behind them while focused forward. Cats may also vocalize loudly and bare their teeth in an effort to further intimidate their opponents. Fights usually consist of grappling, slapping the face and body with the forepaws, and bites. Cats throw themselves to the ground in a defensive posture to rake their opponent's belly with their hind legs.[156]

Serious damage is rare, because the fights are usually short, with the loser fleeing with scratches to the face and ears. More severe fights for mating rights may give deep punctures and lacerations. Normally, serious injuries from fighting are limited to infections from scratches and bites. Bites are probably the main route of transmission of the feline immunodeficiency virus.[157] Sexually active males are usually involved in many fights and have battered faces.[158] Cats are willing to threaten animals larger than them to defend their territory, such as dogs and foxes.[159]

Reproduction

See also: Biology:Kitten
When cats mate, the tomcat (male) bites the scruff of the female's neck as she assumes a position conducive to mating known as lordosis behavior.

The cat secretes and perceives pheromones.[160] Female cats, called queens, are polyestrous with several estrus cycles during a year, lasting usually 21 days. They are usually ready to mate between early February and August[161] in northern temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions.[162]

Several males, called tomcats, are attracted to a female in heat. They fight over her, and the victor wins the right to mate. At first, the female rejects the male, but eventually, the female allows the male to mate. The female utters a loud yowl as the male pulls out of her because a male cat's penis has a band of about 120–150 backward-pointing penile spines, which are about 1 mm (0.04 in) long; upon withdrawal of the penis, the spines may provide the female with increased sexual stimulation, which acts to induce ovulation.[163]

In this radiography of a pregnant cat, the skeletons of two fetuses are on the left and right of the uterus.

After mating, the female cleans her vulva thoroughly. If a male attempts to mate with her at this point, the female attacks him. After about 20 to 30 minutes, once the female is finished grooming, the cycle will repeat.[164] Because ovulation is not always triggered by a single mating, females may not be impregnated by the first male with which they mate.[165] Furthermore, cats are superfecund; that is, a female may mate with more than one male when she is in heat, with the result that different kittens in a litter may have different fathers.[164]

The morula forms 124 hours after conception. At 148 hours, early blastocysts form. At 10–12 days, implantation occurs.[166] The gestation of queens lasts between 64 and 67 days, with an average of 65 days.[161][167]

Two 17-day-old kittens

Based on a study of 2,300 free-ranging queens conducted from May 1998 and October 2000, they had one to six kittens per litter, with an average of three kittens. They produced a mean of 1.4 litters per year, but a maximum of three litters in a year. Of 169 kittens, 127 died before they were six months old due to a trauma caused in most cases by dog attacks and road accidents.[168] The first litter is usually smaller than subsequent litters. Kittens are weaned between six and seven weeks of age. Queens normally reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months, and males at 5–7 months. This varies depending on breed.[164] Kittens reach puberty at the age of 9–10 months.[161]

Cats are ready to go to new homes at about 12 weeks of age, when they are ready to leave their mother.[169] They can be surgically sterilized (spayed or castrated) as early as seven weeks to limit unwanted reproduction.[170] This surgery also prevents undesirable sex-related behavior, such as aggression, territory marking (spraying urine) in males, and yowling (calling) in females. Traditionally, this surgery was performed at around six to nine months of age, but it is increasingly being performed before puberty, at about three to six months.[171] In the United States, about 80% of household cats are neutered.[172]

Lifespan and health

The average lifespan of pet cats has risen in recent decades. In the early 1980s, it was about 7 years,[173]: 33 [174] rising to 9.4 years in 1995[173]: 33  and an average of about 13 years as of 2014 and 2023.[175][176]

Neutering increases life expectancy; one study found castrated male cats live twice as long as intact males, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact females.[173]: 35  Having a cat neutered confers some health benefits, such as a greater life expectancy and a decreased incidence of reproductive neoplasia.[177] However, neutering decreases metabolism[178][179][180] and increases food intake,[180][181] both of which can cause obesity in neutered cats.[182] Pre-pubertal neutering (neutering at 4 months or earlier) was only recommended by 28% of American veterinarians in one study. Some concerns of early neutering were metabolic, retarded physeal closure, and urinary tract disease related.[183]

Disease

Main article: Biology:List of feline diseases

About 250 heritable genetic disorders have been identified in cats; many are similar to human inborn errors of metabolism.[184] The high level of similarity among the metabolism of mammals allows many of these feline diseases to be diagnosed using genetic tests that were originally developed for use in humans, as well as the use of cats as animal models in the study of the human diseases.[185][186] Diseases affecting domestic cats include acute infections, parasitic infestations, injuries, and chronic diseases such as kidney disease, thyroid disease, and arthritis. Vaccinations are available for many infectious diseases, as are treatments to eliminate parasites such as worms, ticks, and fleas.[187]

Ecology

Habitats

A Siamese cat living among the yurts of shepherds in the Altai Mountains, Russia

The domestic cat is a cosmopolitan species and occurs across much of the world.[48] It is adaptable and now present on all continents except Antarctica, and on 118 of the 131 main groups of islands, even on the remote Kerguelen Islands.[188][189] Due to its ability to thrive in almost any terrestrial habitat, it is among the world's most invasive species.[190] It lives on small islands with no human inhabitants.[191] Feral cats can live in forests, grasslands, tundra, coastal areas, agricultural land, scrublands, urban areas, and wetlands.[192]

The unwantedness that leads to the domestic cat being treated as an invasive species is twofold. As it is little altered from the wildcat, it can readily interbreed with the wildcat. This hybridization poses a danger to the genetic distinctiveness of some wildcat populations, particularly in Scotland and Hungary, possibly also the Iberian Peninsula, and where protected natural areas are close to human-dominated landscapes, such as Kruger National Park in South Africa.[193][44] However, its introduction to places where no native felines are present also contributes to the decline of native species.[194]

Ferality

Main article: Biology:Feral cat
Feral farm cat

Feral cats are domestic cats that were born in or have reverted to a wild state. They are unfamiliar with and wary of humans and roam freely in urban and rural areas.[195] The numbers of feral cats are not known, but estimates of the United States feral population range from 25 to 60 million.[195] Feral cats may live alone, but most are in large colonies, which occupy a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food.[196] Famous feral cat colonies are in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, some being fed and given medical attention by volunteers.[197]

Public attitudes toward feral cats vary widely, from seeing them as free-ranging pets to regarding them as vermin.[198]

Impact on wildlife

Main article: Biology:Cat predation on wildlife
Cats kill billions of wild birds each year. This feral cat near Brisbane has caught a Pale-headed rosella.

Domestic cats are a contributing factor to the decline of several species, a factor that has ultimately led, in some cases, to extinction. The South Island piopio, Chatham rail,[148] and the New Zealand merganser[199] are a few from a long list, with the most extreme case being the flightless Lyall's wren, which was driven to extinction only a few years after its discovery.[200][201] One feral cat in New Zealand killed 102 New Zealand lesser short-tailed bats in seven days.[202] In the United States, feral and free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 6.3–22.3 billion mammals annually.[146]

In Australia, one study found feral cats to kill 466 million reptiles per year. More than 258 reptile species were identified as being predated by cats.[203] Cats have contributed to the extinction of the Navassa curly-tailed lizard and Chioninia coctei.[194]

Interaction with humans

A long-haired calico cat sat in the lap of a man who is sat cross-legged on the floor.
A cat lying on a man's lap

Cats are common pets throughout the world, and their worldwide population as of 2007 exceeded 500 million.[204] As of 2024, the domestic cat was the second most popular pet in the United States, with 73.8 million cats owned and around 42.2 million households owning at least one cat.[205][206] In the United Kingdom, 26% of adults have a cat, with an estimated population of 10.9 million pet cats as of 2020.[207] As of 2021, there were an estimated 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats in the world.[208]

Cats have been used for millennia to control rodents, notably around grain stores and aboard ships, and both uses extend to the present day.[209][210] Cats are also used in the international fur trade[211] and leather industries for making coats, hats, blankets, stuffed toys,[212] shoes, gloves, and musical instruments.[213] About 24 cats are needed to make a cat-fur coat.[214] This use has been outlawed in the United States since 2000 and in the European Union (as well as the United Kingdom) since 2007.[215]

Cat pelts have been used for superstitious purposes as part of the practice of witchcraft,[216] and they are still made into blankets in Switzerland as traditional medicines thought to cure rheumatism.[217]

A few attempts to build a cat census have been made over the years, both through associations or national and international organizations (such as that of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies[218]) and over the Internet.[219][220] General estimates for the global population of domestic cats range widely from anywhere between 200 million to 600 million.[221][222][223][224][225] Walter Chandoha made his career photographing cats after his 1949 images of Loco, a stray cat, were published. He is reported to have photographed 90,000 cats during his career and maintained an archive of 225,000 images that he drew from for publications during his lifetime.[226]

Pet humanization is a form of anthropomorphism in which cats are kept for companionship and treated more like human family members than traditional pets.[227] This trend of pet culture involves providing cats with a higher level of care, attention and often even luxury, similar to the way humans are treated.[228]

Shows

A cat show is a judged event in which the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat-registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard.[229] It is often required that a cat must be healthy and vaccinated to participate in a cat show.[229] Both pedigreed and non-purebred companion ("moggy") cats are admissible, although the rules differ depending on the organization. Competing cats are compared to the applicable breed standard, and assessed for temperament.[229]

Infection

Main article: Medicine:Feline zoonosis

Cats can be infected or infested with viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungus, protozoans, arthropods or worms that can transmit diseases to humans; infections of most concern include salmonella, cat-scratch disease, and toxoplasmosis.[230] In some cases, the cat exhibits no symptoms of the disease.[231] The same disease can then become evident in a human.[232] The likelihood that a person will become diseased depends on the age and immune status of the person. Others might also acquire infections from cat feces and parasites exiting the cat's body.[230][233]

History and mythology

The ancient Egyptians mummified dead cats out of respect in the same way that they mummified people.[234]
An ancient Roman mosaic depicts a cat killing a partridge from the House of the Faun in Pompeii.
A 19th-century drawing of a tabby cat
Some cultures superstitiously attribute good or bad luck to black cats.

In ancient Egypt, cats were revered, and the goddess Bastet often depicted in cat form, sometimes taking on the war-like aspect of a lioness. The Greek historian Herodotus reported that killing a cat was forbidden, and when a household cat died, the entire family mourned and shaved their eyebrows. Families took their dead cats to the sacred city of Bubastis, where they were embalmed and buried in sacred repositories. Herodotus expressed astonishment at the domestic cats in Egypt, because he had only ever seen wildcats.[235]

Ancient Greeks and Romans kept weasels as pets, which were seen as the ideal rodent-killers. The earliest unmistakable evidence of the Greeks having domestic cats comes from two coins from Magna Graecia dating to the mid-fifth century BC showing Iokastos and Phalanthos, the legendary founders of Rhegion and Taras respectively, playing with their pet cats. The usual ancient Greek word for 'cat' was ailouros, meaning 'thing with the waving tail'. Cats are rarely mentioned in ancient Greek literature. Aristotle remarked in his History of Animals that "female cats are naturally lecherous". The Greeks later syncretized their own goddess Artemis with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, adopting Bastet's associations with cats and ascribing them to Artemis. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, when the deities flee to Egypt and take animal forms, the goddess Diana turns into a cat.[236][237]

Cats eventually displaced weasels as the pest control of choice because they were more pleasant to have around the house and were more enthusiastic hunters of mice. During the Middle Ages, many of Artemis's associations with cats were grafted onto the Virgin Mary. Cats are often shown in icons of Annunciation and of the Holy Family and, according to Italian folklore, on the same night that Mary gave birth to Jesus, a cat in Bethlehem gave birth to a kitten.[238] Domestic cats were spread throughout much of the rest of the world during the Age of Discovery, as ships' cats were carried on sailing ships to control shipboard rodents and as good-luck charms.[38]

Several ancient religions believed cats are exalted souls, companions or guides for humans, that are all-knowing but mute so they cannot influence decisions made by humans. In Japan, the maneki neko cat is a symbol of good fortune.[239] In Norse mythology, Freyja, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, is depicted as riding a chariot drawn by cats.[240] In Jewish legend, the first cat was living in the house of the first man Adam as a pet that got rid of mice. The cat was once partnering with the first dog before the latter broke an oath they had made which resulted in enmity between the descendants of these two animals. It is also written that neither cats nor foxes are represented in the water, while every other animal has an incarnation species in the water.[241] Although no species are sacred in Islam, cats are revered by Muslims. Some Western writers have stated Muhammad had a favorite cat, Muezza.[242] He is reported to have loved cats so much, "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it".[243] The story has no origin in early Muslim writers, and seems to confuse a story of a later Sufi saint, Ahmed ar-Rifa'i, centuries after Muhammad.[244] One of the companions of Muhammad was known as Abu Hurayrah ("father of the kitten"), in reference to his documented affection to cats.[245]

Superstitions and rituals

The Love Potion is a 1903 painting by Evelyn De Morgan depicting a witch with a black cat.

Many cultures have negative superstitions about cats. For example, that encountering a black cat ("crossing one's path")[246] leads to bad luck, or that cats are witches' familiar spirits used to augment a witch's powers and skills. The killing of cats in medieval Ypres, Belgium, is commemorated in the innocuous present-day Kattenstoet (cat parade).[247]

According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil, and some Spanish-speaking regions, they are said to have seven lives,[248][249] while in Arabic traditions, the number of lives is six.[250] An early mention of the myth is in John Heywood's The Proverbs of John Heywood (1546):[251]

Husband, (quoth she), ye studie, be merrie now,
And even as ye thinke now, so come to yow.
Nay not so, (quoth he), for my thought to tell right,
I thinke how you lay groning, wife, all last night.
Husband, a groning horse and a groning wife
Never faile their master, (quoth she), for my life.
No wife, a woman hath nine lives like a cat.

The myth is attributed to the natural suppleness and swiftness cats exhibit to escape life-threatening situations.[252] Falling cats often land on their feet, using an instinctive righting reflex to twist their bodies around.[253]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Driscoll, Macdonald & O'Brien 2009 did not conclude a date for genetic divergence, noting from archaeological evidence that "the broadest range of dates for domestication to be from 11,000 to 4,000 B.P.".

References

  1. ↑ McKnight, G. H. (1923). "Words and Archaeology". English Words and Their Background. New York, London: D. Appleton and Company. pp. 293–311. https://archive.org/details/englishwordsthei00mckn/page/300. 
  2. ↑ Pictet, A. (1859) (in fr). Les origines indo-européennes ou les Aryas primitifs: essai de paléontologie linguistique. 1. Paris: Joël Cherbuliez. p. 381. 
  3. ↑ Keller, O. (1909) (in de). Die antike Tierwelt. Säugetiere. Leipzig: Walther von Wartburg. p. 75. 
  4. ↑ Huehnergard, J. (2008). "Qitta: Arabic Cats". in Gruendler, B.; Cooperson, M.. Classical Arabic Humanities in Their Own Terms: Festschrift for Wolfhart Heinrichs on his 65th Birthday. Leiden, Boston: Brill. pp. 407–418. ISBN 978-90-04-16573-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=n1_qqgNTsX8C&pg=PA407. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  5. ↑ Kroonen, G. (2013). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Publishers. p. 281f. ISBN 978-90-04-18340-7. 
  6. ↑ "Puss". The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/155147#eid27609702. 
  7. ↑ "puss". Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Gramercy (Random House). 1996. p. 1571. 
  8. ↑ "tom cat, tom-cat". The Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203100#eid18281825. 
  9. ↑ "gib, n.2". The Oxford English Dictionary. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/78103?rskey=Z7UU0G&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid. 
  10. ↑ "7 fascinating facts about female cats" (in en). 8 March 2020. https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/7-facts-about-female-cats. 
  11. ↑ "queen cat". The Oxford English Dictionary. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/156212?rskey=c2khr1&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid27437294. 
  12. ↑ Grosskopf, Shane (23 June 2022). "What is a Female Cat Called? A Guide to the Fascinating Terms". https://spotpet.com/blog/cat-tips/what-is-a-female-cat-called.  Scamporrino, Christina (12 December 2018). "Cat Parenting 101: Special Considerations for Your Female Cat". https://www.prettylitter.com/blog/cat-parenting-101-special-considerations-for-your-female-cat. 
  13. ↑ "catling". The Oxford English Dictionary. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/28995?redirectedFrom=catling#eid. 
  14. ↑ "What do you call a group of ...?". Oxford Dictionaries Online. Oxford University Press. http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/what-do-you-call-a-group-of. 
  15. ↑ "Terms we use for cats". https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/terms-we-use-cats. 
  16. ↑ Linnaeus, C. (1758). "Felis Catus" (in la). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 1 (10th reformed ed.). Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii. p. 42. https://archive.org/details/mobot31753000798865/page/42. 
  17. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Species Felis catus". in Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 534–535. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000031. 
  18. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Erxleben
  19. ↑ Satunin, C. (1904). "The Black Wild Cat of Transcaucasia". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London II: 162–163. https://archive.org/details/proceedingsofzoo19042zool. 
  20. ↑ Bukhnikashvili, A.; Yevlampiev, I., eds. Catalogue of the Specimens of Caucasian Large Mammalian Fauna in the Collection. Tbilisi: National Museum of Georgia. http://caucasian-large-mammalian.narod.ru/catalogue_english.pdf. Retrieved 19 January 2019. 
  21. ↑ "Opinion 2027". Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature) 60: 81−82. 2003. https://archive.org/details/bulletinofzoolog602003int/page/81. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Gentry, A.; Clutton-Brock, J.; Groves, C. P. (2004). "The naming of wild animal species and their domestic derivatives". Journal of Archaeological Science 31 (5): 645–651. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2003.10.006. Bibcode: 2004JArSc..31..645G. http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/129/1297897712.pdf. Retrieved 19 January 2019. 
  23. ↑ Driscoll, C. A.; Macdonald, D. W.; O'Brien, S. J. (2009). "In the Light of Evolution III: Two Centuries of Darwin Sackler Colloquium: From Wild Animals to Domestic Pets – An Evolutionary View of Domestication". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106 (S1): 9971–9978. doi:10.1073/pnas.0901586106. PMID 19528637. Bibcode: 2009PNAS..106.9971D. 
  24. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Species Felis silvestris". in Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 536–537. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000057. 
  25. ↑ Kitchener, A. C.; Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.; Eizirik, E.; Gentry, A.; Werdelin, L.; Wilting, A.; Yamaguchi, N.; Abramov, A. V. et al. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: The final report of the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group". Cat News Special Issue 11: 21. https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/32616/A_revised_Felidae_Taxonomy_CatNews.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Retrieved 21 December 2018. 
  26. ↑ Johnson, W. E.; O'Brien, S. J. (1997). "Phylogenetic Reconstruction of the Felidae Using 16S rRNA and NADH-5 Mitochondrial Genes". Journal of Molecular Evolution 44 (S1): S98–S116. doi:10.1007/PL00000060. PMID 9071018. Bibcode: 1997JMolE..44S..98J. https://zenodo.org/record/1232587. Retrieved 1 October 2018. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Johnson, W. E.; Eizirik, E.; Pecon-Slattery, J.; Murphy, W. J.; Antunes, A.; Teeling, E.; O'Brien, S. J. (2006). "The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: A genetic assessment". Science 311 (5757): 73–77. doi:10.1126/science.1122277. PMID 16400146. Bibcode: 2006Sci...311...73J. https://zenodo.org/record/1230866. Retrieved 1 October 2018. 
  28. ↑ Li, G.; Davis, B. W.; Eizirik, E.; Murphy, W. J. (2016). "Phylogenomic evidence for ancient hybridization in the genomes of living cats (Felidae)". Genome Research 26 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1101/gr.186668.114. PMID 26518481. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Mattern, M.Y.; McLennan, D.A. (2000). "Phylogeny and speciation of Felids". Cladistics 16 (2): 232–253. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2000.tb00354.x. PMID 34902955. 
  30. ↑ Nie, W.; Wang, J.; O'Brien, P. C. (2002). "The genome phylogeny of domestic cat, red panda and five Mustelid species revealed by comparative chromosome painting and G-banding". Chromosome Research 10 (3): 209–222. doi:10.1023/A:1015292005631. PMID 12067210. 
  31. ↑ Pontius, J. U.; Mullikin, J. C.; Smith, D. R.; Agencourt Sequencing Team (2007). "Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome". Genome Research 17 (11): 1675–1689. doi:10.1101/gr.6380007. PMID 17975172. 
  32. ↑ Langton, N.; Langton, M. B. (1940). The Cat in ancient Egypt, illustrated from the collection of cat and other Egyptian figures formed. Cambridge University Press. 
  33. ↑ Malek, J. (1997). The Cat in Ancient Egypt (Revised ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 
  34. ↑ Vigne, J. D.; Guilaine, J.; Debue, K.; Haye, L.; Gérard, P. (2004). "Early taming of the cat in Cyprus". Science 304 (5668): 259. doi:10.1126/science.1095335. PMID 15073370. 
  35. ↑ Driscoll, C. A.; Menotti-Raymond, M.; Roca ', A. L.; Hupe, K.; Johnson, W. E.; Geffen, E.; Harley, E. H.; Delibes, M. et al. (2007). "The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication". Science 317 (5837): 519–523. doi:10.1126/science.1139518. OCLC 808298830. PMID 17600185. Bibcode: 2007Sci...317..519D. 
  36. ↑ Driscoll, C. A.; Clutton-Brock, J.; Kitchener, A. C.; O'Brien, S. J. (2009). "The taming of the cat". Scientific American 300 (6): 68–75. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0609-68. PMID 19485091. Bibcode: 2009SciAm.300f..68D. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Ottoni, C.; van Neer, W.; de Cupere, B.; Daligault, J.; Guimaraes, S.; Peters, J.; Spassov, N.; Prendergast, M. E. et al. (2017). "The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world". Nature Ecology & Evolution 1 (7): 0139. doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0139. Bibcode: 2017NatEE...1..139O. https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/the-paleogenetics-of-cat-dispersal-in-the-ancient-world(04942e78-fa48-4700-ad97-29fcdf9077a1).html. Retrieved 18 October 2021. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Faure, E.; Kitchener, A. C. (2009). "An archaeological and historical review of the relationships between Felids and people". Anthrozoös 22 (3): 221−238. doi:10.2752/175303709X457577. 
  39. ↑ Ragni, B.; Possenti, M.; Sforzi, A.; Zavalloni, D.; Ciani, F. (1994). "The wildcat in central-northern Italian peninsula: a biogeographical dilemma". Biogeographia 17 (1). doi:10.21426/B617110417. https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt1dz6x5xf/qt1dz6x5xf.pdf. Retrieved 29 August 2019. 
  40. ↑ Vigne, J.-D. (1992). "Zooarchaeology and the biogeographical history of the mammals of Corsica and Sardinia since the last ice age". Mammal Review 22 (2): 87–96. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00124.x. Bibcode: 1992MamRv..22...87V. 
  41. ↑ Vigne, J.-D.; Evin, A.; Cucchi, T.; Dai, L.; Yu, C.; Hu, S.; Soulages, N.; Wang, W. et al. (2016). "Earliest 'domestic' cats in China identified as leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)". PLOS ONE 11 (1). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147295. PMID 26799955. Bibcode: 2016PLoSO..1147295V. 
  42. ↑ Cameron-Beaumont, C.; Lowe, S. E.; Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2002). "Evidence suggesting pre-adaptation to domestication throughout the small Felidae". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 75 (3): 361–366. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8312.2002.00028.x. https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/2002-cameronbeaumont.pdf. Retrieved 10 October 2019. 
  43. ↑ Bradshaw, J. W. S.; Horsfield, G. F.; Allen, J. A.; Robinson, I. H. (1999). "Feral cats: Their role in the population dynamics of Felis catus". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65 (3): 273–283. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(99)00086-6. https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1999-bradshaw.pdf. 
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Oliveira, R.; Godinho, R.; Randi, E.; Alves, P. C. (2008). "Hybridization Versus Conservation: Are Domestic Cats Threatening the Genetic Integrity of Wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) in Iberian Peninsula?". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 363 (1505): 2953–2961. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0052. PMID 18522917. 
  45. ↑ Kitchener, C.; Easterbee, N. (1992). "The taxonomic status of black wild felids in Scotland". Journal of Zoology 227 (2): 342–346. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1992.tb04832.x. 
  46. ↑ Wastlhuber, J. (1991). "History of domestic cats and cat breeds". in Pedersen, N. C.. Feline Husbandry: Diseases and management in the multiple-cat environment. Goleta: American Veterinary Publications. pp. 1–59. ISBN 978-0-939674-29-9. 
  47. ↑ Montague, M. J.; Li, G.; Gandolfi, B.; Khan, R.; Aken, B. L.; Searle, S. M.; Minx, P.; Hillier, L. W. et al. (2014). "Comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome reveals genetic signatures underlying feline biology and domestication". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 (48): 17230–17235. doi:10.1073/pnas.1410083111. PMID 25385592. Bibcode: 2014PNAS..11117230M. 
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Lipinski, M.J.; Froenicke, L.; Baysac, K. C.; Billings, N. C.; Leutenegger, C. M.; Levy, A. M.; Longeri, M.; Niini, T. et al. (2008). "The ascent of cat breeds: Genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations". Genomics 91 (1): 12–21. doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.10.009. PMID 18060738. 
  49. ↑ O'Connor, T. P. (2007). "Wild or domestic? Biometric variation in the cat Felis silvestris". International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 17 (6): 581–595. doi:10.1002/oa.913. http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/3700/1/OConnor_Cats-IJOA-submitted.pdf. Retrieved 20 January 2019. 
  50. ↑ Sunquist, M.; Sunquist, F. (2002). "Domestic cat". Wild Cats of the World. University of Chicago Press. pp. 99–112. ISBN 978-0-226-77999-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA99. 
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Walker, W.F. (1982). Study of the Cat with Reference to Human Beings (4th revised ed.). Thomson Learning/Cengage. ISBN 978-0-03-057914-1. 
  52. ↑ Gillis, R., ed (2002). "Cat Skeleton". Zoolab. La Crosse: University of Wisconsin Press. http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/zoolab/Table_of_Contents/Lab-9b/Cat_Skeleton_1/cat_skeleton_1.htm. 
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 Case, Linda P. (2003). The Cat: Its behavior, nutrition, and health. Ames: Iowa State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8138-0331-9. 
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Smith, Patricia; Tchernov, Eitan (1992). Structure, Function, and Evolution of Teeth. Freund Publishing House. p. 217. ISBN 978-965-222-270-1. 
  55. ↑ Carr, William H. A. (1 January 1978). The New Basic Book of the Cat. Scribner's. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-684-15549-4. https://archive.org/details/newbasicbookofca00carr/page/174. 
  56. ↑ Kitchener, A. C.; Van Valkenburgh, B.; Yamaguchi, N. (2010). "Felid form and function". in Macdonald, D.; Loveridge, A.. Biology and Conservation of wild felids. Oxford University Press. pp. 83–106. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266753114. Retrieved 10 October 2019. 
  57. ↑ Armes, A.F. (1900). "Outline of cat lessons". The School Journal LXI: 659. https://books.google.com/books?id=-_gBAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 5 June 2020. 
  58. ↑ Homberger, D. G. et al. (2009). "The structure of the cornified claw sheath in the domesticated cat (Felis catus): Implications for the claw-shedding mechanism and the evolution of cornified digital end organs". J Anat 214 (4): 620–43. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01068.x. PMID 19422432. 
  59. ↑ Danforth, C. H. (1947). "Heredity of polydactyly in the cat". The Journal of Heredity 38 (4): 107–112. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a105701. PMID 20242531. 
  60. ↑ Pocock, R. I. (1917). "VII — On the external characters of the Felidæ". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology. 8 19 (109): 113–136. doi:10.1080/00222931709486916. https://archive.org/details/ser8annalsmagazi19londuoft. 
  61. ↑ Christensen, W. (2004). "The physical cat". Outwitting Cats. Globe Pequot. pp. 22–45. ISBN 978-1-59228-240-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=WmuQQXU6EtAC&pg=PA27. 
  62. ↑ Kent, Marc; Platt, Simon R. (September 2010). "The neurology of balance: Function and dysfunction of the vestibular system in dogs and cats". The Veterinary Journal 185 (3): 247–249. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.10.029. PMID 19944632. 
  63. ↑ Gerathewohl, S. J.; Stallings, H. D. (1957). "The labyrinthine posture reflex (righting reflex) in the cat during weightlessness". The Journal of Aviation Medicine 28 (4): 345–355. PMID 13462942. https://spacemedicineassociation.org/download/history/history_files_1957/28040345-1.pdf. Retrieved 27 April 2019. 
  64. ↑ Nguyen, H. D. (1998). "How does a cat always land on its feet?". Georgia Institute of Technology. http://helix.gatech.edu/Classes/ME3760/1998Q3/Projects/Nguyen/.  Template:Tertiary source
  65. ↑ Batterman, R. (2003). "Falling cats, parallel parking, and polarized light". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (4): 527–557. doi:10.1016/s1355-2198(03)00062-5. Bibcode: 2003SHPMP..34..527B. http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/794/1/falling-cats.pdf. Retrieved 13 September 2022. 
  66. ↑ Eizirik, Eduardo; Yuhki, Naoya; Johnson, Warren E.; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn; Hannah, Steven S.; O'Brien, Stephen J. (4 March 2003). "Molecular Genetics and Evolution of Melanism in the Cat Family". Current Biology 13 (5): 448–453. doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00128-3. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 12620197. Bibcode: 2003CBio...13..448E. 
  67. ↑ Eizirik, Eduardo; Yuhki, Naoya; Johnson, Warren E.; Menotti-Raymond, Marilyn; Hannah, Steven S.; O'Brien, Stephen J. (4 March 2003). "Molecular Genetics and Evolution of Melanism in the Cat Family". Cell Press 13 (5): 448–453. doi:10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00128-3. PMID 12620197. Bibcode: 2003CBio...13..448E. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(03)00128-3.pdf. Retrieved 26 March 2024. 
  68. ↑ Ollivier, F. J.; Samuelson, D. A.; Brooks, D. E.; Lewis, P. A.; Kallberg, M. E.; Komaromy, A. M. (2004). "Comparative morphology of the Tapetum Lucidum (among selected species)". Veterinary Ophthalmology 7 (1): 11–22. doi:10.1111/j.1463-5224.2004.00318.x. PMID 14738502. 
  69. ↑ Malmström, T.; Kröger, R. H. (2006). "Pupil shapes and lens optics in the eyes of terrestrial vertebrates". Journal of Experimental Biology 209 (1): 18–25. doi:10.1242/jeb.01959. PMID 16354774. Bibcode: 2006JExpB.209...18M. 
  70. ↑ Hammond, P.; Mouat, G. S. V. (1985). "The relationship between feline pupil size and luminance". Experimental Brain Research 59 (3): 485–490. doi:10.1007/BF00261338. PMID 4029324. 
  71. ↑ Loop, M. S.; Bruce, L. L. (1978). "Cat color vision: The effect of stimulus size". Science 199 (4334): 1221–1222. doi:10.1126/science.628838. PMID 628838. Bibcode: 1978Sci...199.1221L. 
  72. ↑ Guenther, E.; Zrenner, E. (1993). "The spectral sensitivity of dark- and light-adapted cat retinal ganglion cells". Journal of Neuroscience 13 (4): 1543–1550. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.13-04-01543.1993. PMID 8463834. 
  73. ↑ Heffner, R. S. (1985). "Hearing range of the domestic cat". Hearing Research 19 (1): 85–88. doi:10.1016/0378-5955(85)90100-5. PMID 4066516. https://www.utoledo.edu/al/psychology/pdfs/comphearaudio/HearingRangeOfTheDomesticCat_1985.pdf. Retrieved 10 October 2019. 
  74. ↑ Heffner, H. E. (1998). "Auditory awareness". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 57 (3–4): 259–268. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00101-4. 
  75. ↑ Heffner, R. S. (2004). "Primate hearing from a mammalian perspective". The Anatomical Record Part A: Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology 281 (1): 1111–1122. doi:10.1002/ar.a.20117. PMID 15472899. 
  76. ↑ Sunquist, M.; Sunquist, F. (2002). "What is a Cat?". Wild Cats of the World. University of Chicago Press. pp. 5–18. ISBN 978-0-226-77999-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=hFbJWMh9-OAC&pg=PA3. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  77. ↑ Blumberg, M. S. (1992). "Rodent ultrasonic short calls: Locomotion, biomechanics, and communication". Journal of Comparative Psychology 106 (4): 360–365. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.106.4.360. PMID 1451418. 
  78. ↑ Takagi, S.; Chijiiwa, H.; Arahori, M.; Saito, A.; Fujita, K.; Kuroshima, H. (2021). "Socio-spatial cognition in cats: Mentally mapping owner's location from voice". PLOS ONE 16 (11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257611. PMID 34758043. Bibcode: 2021PLoSO..1657611T. 
  79. ↑ Moulton, David G. (1 August 1967). "Olfaction in mammals". American Zoologist 7 (3): 421–429. doi:10.1093/icb/7.3.421. ISSN 0003-1569. PMID 6077376. https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/7/3/421/244992. Retrieved 22 November 2019. 
  80. ↑ Miyazaki, Masao; Yamashita, Tetsuro; Suzuki, Yusuke; Saito, Yoshihiro; Soeta, Satoshi; Taira, Hideharu; Suzuki, Akemi (October 2006). "A major urinary protein of the domestic cat regulates the production of felinine, a putative pheromone precursor". Chemistry & Biology 13 (10): 1071–1079. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2006.08.013. PMID 17052611. 
  81. ↑ 81.0 81.1 Sommerville, B. A. (1998). "Olfactory Awareness". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 57 (3–4): 269–286. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00102-6. 
  82. ↑ Grognet, Jeff (June 1990). "Catnip: Its uses and effects, past and present". The Canadian Veterinary Journal 31 (6): 455–456. PMID 17423611. 
  83. ↑ Turner, Ramona (29 May 2007). "How does catnip work its magic on cats?". Scientific American. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-how-does-catnip-work-on-cats. 
  84. ↑ Tucker, Arthur; Tucker, Sharon (1988). "Catnip and the catnip response". Economic Botany 42 (2): 214–231. doi:10.1007/BF02858923. Bibcode: 1988EcBot..42..214T. 
  85. ↑ 85.0 85.1 Schelling, Christianne. "Do cats have a sense of taste?". http://www.cathealth.com/nutrition/do-cats-have-a-sense-of-taste. 
  86. ↑ Jiang, Peihua; Josue, Jesusa; Li, Xia; Glaser, Dieter; Li, Weihua; Brand, Joseph G.; Margolskee, Robert F.; Reed, Danielle R. et al. (12 March 2012), "Major taste loss in carnivorous mammals", PNAS 13 (109): 4956–4961, doi:10.1073/pnas.1118360109, PMID 22411809 
  87. ↑ Bradshaw, John W. S. (1 July 2006). "The evolutionary basis for the feeding behavior of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus)". Journal of Nutrition 136 (7): 1927S–1931. doi:10.1093/jn/136.7.1927S. PMID 16772461. 
  88. ↑ 88.0 88.1 88.2 McGrane, Scott J.; Gibbs, Matthew; Hernangomez de Alvaro, Carlos; Dunlop, Nicola; Winnig, Marcel; Klebansky, Boris; Waller, Daniel (1 January 2023). "Umami taste perception and preferences of the domestic cat (Felis catus), an obligate carnivore". Chemical Senses 48. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjad026. ISSN 0379-864X. PMID 37551788. 
  89. ↑ Grimm, David (1 October 2023). "Why do cats love tuna so much?". Science 381 (6661): 935. doi:10.1126/science.adk5725. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 37651517. Bibcode: 2023Sci...381..935G. 
  90. ↑ Germain, E.; Benhamou, S.; Poulle, M.-L. (2008). "Spatio-temporal Sharing between the European Wildcat, the Domestic Cat and their Hybrids". Journal of Zoology 276 (2): 195–203. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00479.x. 
  91. ↑ Barratt, D. G. (1997). "Home Range Size, Habitat Utilisation and Movement Patterns of Suburban and Farm Cats Felis catus". Ecography 20 (3): 271–280. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.1997.tb00371.x. Bibcode: 1997Ecogr..20..271B. 
  92. ↑ Randall, W.; Johnson, R. F.; Randall, S.; Cunningham, J. T. (1985). "Circadian rhythms in food intake and activity in domestic cats". Behavioral Neuroscience 99 (6): 1162–1175. doi:10.1037/0735-7044.99.6.1162. PMID 3843546. 
  93. ↑ Ling, Thomas (2 June 2021). "Why do cats sleep so much?". https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-cats-sleep-so-much/. 
  94. ↑ Jouvet, M. (1979). "What Does a Cat Dream About?". Trends in Neurosciences 2: 280–282. doi:10.1016/0166-2236(79)90110-3. 
  95. ↑ Delgado, Mikel M.; Munera, Jacqueline D.; Reevy, Gretchen M. (2012-12-01). "Human Perceptions of Coat Color as an Indicator of Domestic Cat Personality". Anthrozoös 25 (4): 427–440. doi:10.2752/175303712X13479798785779. ISSN 0892-7936. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303712X13479798785779. 
  96. ↑ Udell, Monique; Delgado, Mikel; Ekenstedt, Kari; Shoveller, Anna Kate; Croney, Candace (2023). "CATastrophic myths part 2: Common misconceptions about the environmental, nutritional, and genetic management of domestic cats and their welfare implications". The Veterinary Journal 300-302. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.106029. PMID 37683762. 
  97. ↑ González-Ramírez, Mónica Teresa; Landero-Hernández, René (15 April 2022). "Cat Coat Color, Personality Traits and the Cat-Owner Relationship Scale: A Study with Cat Owners in Mexico" (in en). Animals 12 (8): 1030. doi:10.3390/ani12081030. ISSN 2076-2615. PMID 35454276. 
  98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 Crowell-Davis, S. L.; Curtis, T. M.; Knowles, R. J. (2004). "Social Organization in the Cat: A Modern Understanding". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 6 (1): 19–28. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013. PMID 15123163. PMC 10822437. http://zoopsy.free.fr/veille_biblio/social_organization_cat_2004.pdf. 
  99. ↑ Liberg, O.; Sandell, M.; Pontier, D.; Natoli, E. (2000). "Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids". in Turner, D. C.; Bateson, P.. The domestic cat: the biology of its behaviour (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 119–147. ISBN 978-0-521-63648-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=GgUwg6gU7n4C&pg=PA119. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  100. ↑ Baron, A.; Stewart, C. N.; Warren, J. M. (1 January 1957). "Patterns of social interaction in cats (Felis domestica)". Behaviour 11 (1): 56–66. doi:10.1163/156853956X00084. 
  101. ↑ 101.0 101.1 Bradshaw, J. W.; Goodwin, D.; Legrand-Defrétin, V.; Nott, H. M. (1996). "Food selection by the domestic cat, an obligate carnivore". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology – Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 114 (3): 205–209. doi:10.1016/0300-9629(95)02133-7. PMID 8759144. 
  102. ↑ Mills, D. S.; Marchant-Forde, J. (2010). Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. p. 518. ISBN 978-0-85199-724-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=vrueZDfPUzoC&pg=PA518. 
  103. ↑ McComb, K.; Taylor, A. M.; Wilson, C.; Charlton, B. D. (2009). "The Cry Embedded within the Purr". Current Biology 19 (13): R507–508. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.033. PMID 19602409. Bibcode: 2009CBio...19.R507M. 
  104. ↑ Levine, E.; Perry, P.; Scarlett, J.; Houpt, K. (2005). "Intercat aggression in households following the introduction of a new cat". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 90 (3–4): 325–336. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2004.07.006. http://faculty.washington.edu/jcha/330_cats_introducing.pdf. 
  105. ↑ Horwitz, Debra (2022). "Cat Behavior Problems - Aggression Redirected". VCA Animal Hospitals. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-behavior-problems-aggression-redirected. 
  106. ↑ Johnson, Ingrid (17 May 2014). "Redirected Aggression in Cats: Recognition and Treatment Strategies". International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. https://iaabc.org/cat/redirected-aggression-in-cats. 
  107. ↑ Soennichsen, S.; Chamove, A. S. (2015). "Responses of cats to petting by humans". Anthrozoös 15 (3): 258–265. doi:10.2752/089279302786992577. 
  108. ↑ Moelk, M. (1944). "Vocalizing in the House-cat; A Phonetic and Functional Study". The American Journal of Psychology 57 (2): 184–205. doi:10.2307/1416947. 
  109. ↑ Cafazzo, S.; Natoli, E. (2009). "The Social Function of Tail Up in the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus)". Behavioural Processes 80 (1): 60–66. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2008.09.008. PMID 18930121. 
  110. ↑ Jensen, P. (2009). The Ethology of Domestic Animals. "Modular Text" series. Wallingford, England: Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. ISBN 978-1-84593-536-8. 
  111. ↑ 111.0 111.1 111.2 Bradshaw, John W. S. (2012). The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat. Wallingford: CABI. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-1-78064-120-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=CMQdnrR0xEsC. Retrieved 6 July 2022. 
  112. ↑ von Muggenthaler, E.; Wright, B.. "Solving the Cat's Purr Mystery Using Accelerometers". BKSV. Brüel & Kjær. http://www.bksv.com/catspurr. 
  113. ↑ "The Cat's Remarkable Purr". ISnare. http://www.isnare.com/?aid=195293&ca=Pets. 
  114. ↑ Beaver, Bonnie V. G. (2003). Feline behavior: a guide for veterinarians (2nd ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Saunders. ISBN 978-0-7216-9498-6. 
  115. ↑ Remmers, J. E.; Gautier, H. (1972). "Neural and mechanical mechanisms of feline purring". Respiration Physiology 16 (3): 351–361. doi:10.1016/0034-5687(72)90064-3. PMID 4644061. 
  116. ↑ Frazer Sissom, D. E.; Rice, D. A.; Peters, G. (1991). "How cats purr". Journal of Zoology 223 (1): 67–78. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb04749.x. 
  117. ↑ Scott, L.; Florkiewicz, B. N. (2023). "Feline Faces: Unraveling the Social Function of Domestic Cat Facial Signals". Behavioural Processes 213. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104959. PMID 37858844. 
  118. ↑ Evangelista, M. C.; Watanabe, R.; Leung, V. S. Y.; Monteiro, B. P.; O'Toole, E.; Pang, D. S. J.; Steagall, P. V. (2019). "Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale" (in en). Scientific Reports 9 (1): 19128. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-55693-8. PMID 31836868. Bibcode: 2019NatSR...919128E. 
  119. ↑ Monteiro, B. P; Lee, N. H.Y.; Steagall, P. V. (2023). "Can cat caregivers reliably assess acute pain in cats using the Feline Grimace Scale? A large bilingual global survey". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 25 (1). doi:10.1177/1098612X221145499. PMID 36649089. 
  120. ↑ 120.0 120.1 Hadzima, E. (2016). "Everything You Need to Know About Hairballs". Dewinton Pet Hospital. http://www.dewintonvet.com/everything-you-need-know-about-hairballs/. 
  121. ↑ Noel, A. C.; Hu, D. L. (2018). "Cats use hollow papillae to wick saliva into fur". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115 (49): 12377–12382. doi:10.1073/pnas.1809544115. PMID 30455290. Bibcode: 2018PNAS..11512377N. 
  122. ↑ Boshel, J.; Wilborn, W. H.; Singh, B. B.; Peter, S.; Stur, M. (1982). "Filiform Papillae of Cat Tongue". Acta Anatomica 114 (2): 97–105. doi:10.1159/000145583. PMID 7180385. 
  123. ↑ Gross, Richard (2010). Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. Hodder Education. ISBN 978-1-4441-0831-6. 
  124. ↑ Ananthanarayanan, Rajagopal; Esser, Steven K.; Simon, Horst D.; Modha, Dharmendra S. (2009). "The cat is out of the bag: cortical simulations with 109 neurons, 1013 synapses". Proceedings of the Conference on High Performance Computing Networking, Storage and Analysis – SC '09. pp. 1–12. doi:10.1145/1654059.1654124. ISBN 978-1-60558-744-8. 
  125. ↑ "How Smart Are Cats?". Bond Vet. https://bondvet.com/b/how-smart-are-cats. 
  126. ↑ Pallaud, B. (1984). "Hypotheses on mechanisms underlying observational learning in animals". Behavioural Processes 9 (4): 381–394. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(84)90024-X. PMID 24924084. 
  127. ↑ Carlstead, Kathy; Brown, Janine L.; Seidensticker, John (1993). "Behavioral and adrenocortical responses to environmental changes in leopard cats (Felis bengalensis)". Zoo Biology 12 (4): 321–331. doi:10.1002/zoo.1430120403. 
  128. ↑ Driscoll, C. A.; Menotti-Raymond, M.; Roca, A. L.; Hupe, K.; Johnson, W. E.; Geffen, E.; Harley, E. H.; Delibes, M. et al. (2007). "The Near Eastern Origin of Cat Domestication". Science 317 (5837): 519–23. doi:10.1126/science.1139518. PMID 17600185. Bibcode: 2007Sci...317..519D. 
  129. ↑ "Evolution of the cat". The Feline Advisory Bureau. http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/understanding/evolution.html. 
  130. ↑ Poirier, F. E.; Hussey, L. K. (1982). "Nonhuman Primate Learning: The Importance of Learning from an Evolutionary Perspective". Anthropology and Education Quarterly 13 (2): 133–148. doi:10.1525/aeq.1982.13.2.05x1830j. 
  131. ↑ Hall, S. L. (1998). "Object play by adult animals". Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative, and Ecological Perspectives. Cambridge University Press. pp. 45–60. ISBN 978-0-521-58656-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=jkiTQ8dIIHsC&pg=PA45. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  132. ↑ Hall, S. L. (1998). "The Influence of Hunger on Object Play by Adult Domestic Cats". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 58 (1–2): 143–150. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00136-6. 
  133. ↑ Hall, S. L. (2002). "Object Play in Adult Domestic Cats: The Roles of Habituation and Disinhibition". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 79 (3): 263–271. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00153-3. 
  134. ↑ MacPhail, C. (2002). "Gastrointestinal obstruction". Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice 17 (4): 178–183. doi:10.1053/svms.2002.36606. PMID 12587284. 
  135. ↑ Reis, P. M.; Jung, S.; Aristoff, J. M.; Stocker, R. (2010). "How cats lap: Water uptake by Felis catus". Science 330 (6008): 1231–1234. doi:10.1126/science.1195421. PMID 21071630. Bibcode: 2010Sci...330.1231R. 
  136. ↑ Kim, W.; Bush, J.W.M. (2012). "Natural drinking strategies". Journal of Fluid Mechanics 705: 7–25. doi:10.1017/jfm.2012.122. Bibcode: 2012JFM...705....7K. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/1721.1/80405/2/Bush_Natural%20drinking%20strategies.pdf. Retrieved 23 September 2019. 
  137. ↑ Zaghini, G.; Biagi, G. (2005). "Nutritional peculiarities and diet palatability in the cat". Veterinary Res. Commun. 29 (Supplement 2): 39–44. doi:10.1007/s11259-005-0009-1. PMID 16244923. 
  138. ↑ Kienzle, E. (1994). "Blood sugar levels and renal sugar excretion after the intake of high carbohydrate diets in cats". Journal of Nutrition 124 (12 Supplement): 2563S–2567S. doi:10.1093/jn/124.suppl_12.2563S. PMID 7996238. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/124/12_Suppl/2563S.full.pdf. 
  139. ↑ Bradshaw, J. W. S. (1997). "Factors affecting pica in the domestic cat". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 52 (3–4): 373–379. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01136-7. 
  140. ↑ Woods, M.; McDonald, R. A.; Harris, S. (2003). "Predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus in Great Britain". Mammal Review 23 (2): 174–188. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2907.2003.00017.x. Bibcode: 2003MamRv..33..174W. 
  141. ↑ Slesnick, I. L. (2004). Clones, Cats, and Chemicals: Thinking scientifically about controversial issues. NSTA Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-87355-237-0. https://archive.org/details/clonescatschemic00sles/page/n16. 
  142. ↑ Hill, D. S. (2008). Pests of Crops in Warmer Climates and their Control (First ed.). Springer. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-4020-6737-2. https://archive.org/details/pestscropswarmer00hill/page/n125. 
  143. ↑ Learn, Joshua Rapp (17 August 2018). "Cats Have A Killer Impact on Reptiles: Experiments in Australia reveal that kitties are catching more than birds". NationalGeographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-kill-reptiles-populations-australia-animals. 
  144. ↑ Tucker, A. (2016). "How cats evolved to win the Internet". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/opinion/sunday/how-cats-evolved-to-win-the-internet.html. 
  145. ↑ 145.0 145.1 The Domestic Cat: The biology of its behaviour (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. 2000. ISBN 978-0-521-63648-3. 
  146. ↑ 146.0 146.1 Loss, S. R.; Will, T.; Marra, P. P. (2013). "The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States". Nature Communications 4. doi:10.1038/ncomms2380. PMID 23360987. Bibcode: 2013NatCo...4.1396L. 
  147. ↑ Chucher, P. B.; Lawton, J. H. (1987). "Predation by domestic cats in an English village". Journal of Zoology, London 212 (3): 439–455. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb02915.x. 
  148. ↑ 148.0 148.1 Mead, C. J. (1982). "Ringed birds killed by cats". Mammal Review 12 (4): 183–186. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.1982.tb00014.x. Bibcode: 1982MamRv..12..183M. 
  149. ↑ Crooks, K. R.; Soul, M. E. (1999). "Mesopredator release and avifaunal extinctions in a fragmented system". Nature 400 (6744): 563–566. doi:10.1038/23028. Bibcode: 1999Natur.400..563C. http://www38.homepage.villanova.edu/jameson.chace/Urban%20Ecology/Crooks%26Soule_Mesopredator_release.pdf. 
  150. ↑ Leyhausen, P. (1978). Cat Behavior: The predatory and social behavior of domestic and wild cats. New York: Garland STPM Press. ISBN 978-0-8240-7017-5. 
  151. ↑ Desmond, M. (2002). "Why does a cat play with its prey before killing it?". Catwatching: Why cats purr and everything else you ever wanted to know (2nd ed.). London: Ebury Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-1-4090-2221-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3ysT6xTJu4C&pg=PA51. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  152. ↑ 152.0 152.1 Lindell, E. M. (1997). "Intercat Aggression: A Retrospective Study Examining Types of Aggression, Sexes of Fighting Pairs, and Effectiveness of Treatment". Applied Animal Behaviour Science 55 (1–2): 153–162. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00032-4. 
  153. ↑ Yamane, A.; Doi, T.; Ono, Y. (1996). "Mating Behaviors, Courtship Rank and Mating Success of Male Feral Cat (Felis catus)". Journal of Ethology 14 (1): 35–44. doi:10.1007/BF02350090. 
  154. ↑ Kustritz, M. V. R. (2007). "Determining the Optimal age for Gonadectomy of Dogs and Cats". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 231 (11): 1665–1675. doi:10.2460/javma.231.11.1665. PMID 18052800. 
  155. ↑ "Cat Behavior: Body Language". AnimalPlanet. 2007. http://animal.discovery.com/guides/cats/behavior/bodylanguageintro.html. 
  156. ↑ "Aggression Between Family Cats and Feline Social Behavior". https://www.paws.org/resources/aggression/. 
  157. ↑ Pedersen, N. C.; Yamamoto, J. K.; Ishida, T.; Hansen, H. (1989). "Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection". Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 21 (1): 111–129. doi:10.1016/0165-2427(89)90134-7. PMID 2549690. 
  158. ↑ Whiteley, H. E. (1994). "Correcting misbehavior". Understanding and Training Your Cat or Kitten. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-1-61139-080-3. 
  159. ↑ Devlin, Hannah (13 October 2022). "Cat v fox: what made Downing Street's Larry so brave?". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/13/cat-v-fox-what-made-downing-streets-larry-so-brave. 
  160. ↑ Bland, K. P. (1979). "Tom-cat odour and other pheromones in feline reproduction". Veterinary Science Communications 3 (1): 125–136. doi:10.1007/BF02268958. https://www.gwern.net/docs/catnip/1979-bland.pdf. Retrieved 15 May 2019. 
  161. ↑ 161.0 161.1 161.2 Jemmett, J. E.; Evans, J. M. (1977). "A survey of sexual behaviour and reproduction of female cats". Journal of Small Animal Practice 18 (1): 31–37. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.1977.tb05821.x. PMID 853730. 
  162. ↑ "Feline Estrous Cycle". Feline Reproduction. CABI Books. 2022. pp. 11–22. doi:10.1079/9781789247107.0002. ISBN 978-1-78924-708-4. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/9781789247107.0002. Retrieved 18 August 2023. 
  163. ↑ Aronson, L. R.; Cooper, M. L. (1967). "Penile Spines of the Domestic Cat: Their Endocrine-behavior Relations". The Anatomical Record 157 (1): 71–78. doi:10.1002/ar.1091570111. PMID 6030760. http://www.catcollection.org/files/PenileSpines.pdf. 
  164. ↑ 164.0 164.1 164.2 "Prolific Cats: The Estrous Cycle". Veterinary Learning Systems. http://vlsstore.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/PV_23_12_1049.pdf. 
  165. ↑ Wildt, D. E.; Seager, S. W.; Chakraborty, P. K. (1980). "Effect of Copulatory Stimuli on Incidence of Ovulation and on Serum Luteinizing Hormone in the Cat". Endocrinology 107 (4): 1212–1217. doi:10.1210/endo-107-4-1212. PMID 7190893. 
  166. ↑ Swanson, W. F.; Roth, T. L.; Wilt, D. E. (1994). "In Vivo Embryogenesis, Embryo Migration and Embryonic Mortality in the Domestic Cat". Biology of Reproduction 51 (3): 452–464. doi:10.1095/biolreprod51.3.452. PMID 7803616. 
  167. ↑ Tsutsui, T.; Stabenfeldt, G. H. (1993). "Biology of Ovarian Cycles, Pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in the Domestic Cat". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 47: 29–35. PMID 8229938. 
  168. ↑ Nutter, F. B.; Levine, J. F.; Stoskopf, M. K. (2004). "Reproductive capacity of free-roaming domestic cats and kitten survival rate". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 (9): 1399–1402. doi:10.2460/javma.2004.225.1399. PMID 15552315. 
  169. ↑ Behrend, K.; Wegler, M. (1991). "Living with a Cat". The Complete Book of Cat Care: How to Raise a Happy and Healthy Cat. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-0-8120-4613-7. https://archive.org/details/completebookofca00behr/page/28. 
  170. ↑ Olson, P. N.; Kustritz, M. V.; Johnston, S. D. (2001). "Early-age Neutering of Dogs and Cats in the United States (A Review)". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 57: 223–232. PMID 11787153. 
  171. ↑ Root Kustritz, M. V. (2007). "Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 231 (11): 1665–1675. doi:10.2460/javma.231.11.1665. PMID 18052800. http://www.imom.org/spay-neuter/pdf/kustritz.pdf. 
  172. ↑ Chu, K.; Anderson, W. M.; Rieser, M. Y. (2009). "Population characteristics and neuter status of cats living in households in the United States". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 234 (8): 1023–1030. doi:10.2460/javma.234.8.1023. PMID 19366332. 
  173. ↑ 173.0 173.1 173.2 Kraft, W. (1998). "Geriatrics in canine and feline internal medicine". European Journal of Medical Research 3 (1–2): 31–41. PMID 9512965. 
  174. ↑ Nassar, R.; Mosier, J. E.; Williams, L. W. (1984). "Study of the feline and canine populations in the greater Las Vegas area". American Journal of Veterinary Research 45 (2): 282–287. doi:10.2460/ajvr.1984.45.02.282. PMID 6711951. 
  175. ↑ O'Neill, Dan G; Church, David B; McGreevy, Paul D; Thomson, Peter C; Brodbelt, David C (2014). "Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England". Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 17 (2): 125–133. doi:10.1177/1098612X14536176. PMID 24925771. 
  176. ↑ Montoya, M.; Morrison, J. A.; Arrignon, F.; Spofford, N.; C., H.; Hours, M.-A.; Biourge, V. (2023). "Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data". Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10. doi:10.3389/fvets.2023.1082102. PMID 36896289. 
  177. ↑ Vendramini, Thiago H. A.; Amaral, Andressa R.; Pedrinelli, Vivian; Zafalon, Rafael V. A.; Rodrigues, Roberta B. A.; Brunetto, Marcio A. (14 January 2020). "Neutering in dogs and cats: current scientific evidence and importance of adequate nutritional management". Nutrition Research Reviews (Cambridge University Press (CUP)) 33 (1): 134–144. doi:10.1017/s0954422419000271. ISSN 0954-4224. PMID 31931899. 
  178. ↑ Hoenig, Margarethe; Ferguson, Duncan C. (1 May 2002). "Effects of neutering on hormonal concentrations and energy requirements in male and female cats". American Journal of Veterinary Research (American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)) 63 (5): 634–639. doi:10.2460/ajvr.2002.63.634. ISSN 0002-9645. PMID 12013460. 
  179. ↑ Harper, E. J.; Stack, D. M.; Watson, T. D. G.; Moxham, G. (2001). "Effects of feeding regimens on bodyweight, composition and condition score in cats following ovariohysterectomy". Journal of Small Animal Practice (Wiley) 42 (9): 433–438. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2001.tb02496.x. ISSN 0022-4510. PMID 11570385. 
  180. ↑ 180.0 180.1 Fettman, M.J; Stanton, C.A; Banks, L.L; Hamar, D.W; Johnson, D.E; Hegstad, R.L; Johnston, S (1997). "Effects of neutering on bodyweight, metabolic rate and glucose tolerance of domestic cats". Research in Veterinary Science (Elsevier BV) 62 (2): 131–136. doi:10.1016/s0034-5288(97)90134-x. ISSN 0034-5288. PMID 9243711. 
  181. ↑ Kanchuk, Marc L.; Backus, Robert C.; Morris, James G.; Rogers, Quinton R.; Calvert, Christopher C. (2003). "Weight Gain in Gonadectomized Normal and Lipoprotein Lipase–Deficient Male Domestic Cats Results from Increased Food Intake and Not Decreased Energy Expenditure". The Journal of Nutrition (Elsevier BV) 133 (6): 1866–1874. doi:10.1093/jn/133.6.1866. ISSN 0022-3166. PMID 12771331. 
  182. ↑ Öhlund, Malin; Palmgren, Malin; Holst, Bodil Ström (19 January 2018). "Overweight in adult cats: a cross-sectional study". Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 60 (1): 5. doi:10.1186/s13028-018-0359-7. ISSN 1751-0147. PMID 29351768. 
  183. ↑ Murray, J. K.; Skillings, E.; Gruffydd-Jones, T. J. (2008). "Opinions of veterinarians about the age at which kittens should be neutered". Veterinary Record 163 (13): 381–385. doi:10.1136/vr.163.13.381. ISSN 0042-4900. PMID 18820325. 
  184. ↑ O'Brien, S. J.; Johnson, W.; Driscoll, C.; Pontius, J.; Pecon-Slattery, J.; Menotti-Raymond, M. (2008). "State of Cat Genomics". Trends in Genetics 24 (6): 268–279. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2008.03.004. PMID 18471926. 
  185. ↑ Sewell, A. C.; Haskins, M. E.; Giger, U. (2007). "Inherited Metabolic Disease in Companion Animals: Searching for Nature's Mistakes". Veterinary Journal 174 (2): 252–259. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.08.017. PMID 17085062. 
  186. ↑ O'Brien, S. J.; Menotti-Raymond, M.; Murphy, W. J.; Yuhki, N. (2002). "The Feline Genome Project". Annual Review of Genetics 36: 657–686. doi:10.1146/annurev.genet.36.060602.145553. PMID 12359739. https://zenodo.org/record/1234973. Retrieved 11 July 2019. 
  187. ↑ Huston, L. (2012). "Veterinary Care for Your New Cat". PetMD. http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2012/dec/veterinary-care-for-your-new-cat-29565. 
  188. ↑ Say, L. (2002). "Spatio-temporal variation in cat population density in a sub-Antarctic environment". Polar Biology 25 (2): 90–95. doi:10.1007/s003000100316. Bibcode: 2002PoBio..25...90S. 
  189. ↑ Frenot, Y.; Chown, S. L.; Whinam, J.; Selkirk, P. M.; Convey, P.; Skotnicki, M.; Bergstrom, D. M. (2005). "Biological Invasions in the Antarctic: Extent, Impacts and Implications". Biological Reviews 80 (1): 45–72. doi:10.1017/S1464793104006542. PMID 15727038. 
  190. ↑ Medina, F. M.; Bonnaud, E.; Vidal, E.; Tershy, B. R.; Zavaleta, E.; Josh Donlan, C.; Keitt, B. S.; Le Corre, M. et al. (2011). "A global review of the impacts of invasive cats on island endangered vertebrates". Global Change Biology 17 (11): 3503–3510. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02464.x. Bibcode: 2011GCBio..17.3503M. 
  191. ↑ Nogales, M.; Martin, A.; Tershy, B. R.; Donlan, C. J.; Veitch, D.; Uerta, N.; Wood, B.; Alonso, J. (2004). "A Review of Feral Cat Eradication on Islands". Conservation Biology 18 (2): 310–319. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00442.x. Bibcode: 2004ConBi..18..310N. https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/22249/1/CBL-2004-18-310.pdf. Retrieved 24 September 2019. 
  192. ↑ Invasive Species Specialist Group (2006). "Ecology of Felis catus". Global Invasive Species Database. Species Survival Commission, International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=24&fr=1&sts=sss. 
  193. ↑ Le Roux, Johannes J.; Foxcraft, Llewellyn C.; Herbst, Marna; Macfadyen, Sandra (19 August 2014). "Genetic analysis shows low levels of hybridization between African wildcats (Felis silvestris lybica) and domestic cats (F. s. catus) in South Africa". Ecology and Evolution 5 (2): 288–299. doi:10.1002/ece3.1275. PMID 25691958. PMC 4314262. Bibcode: 2015EcoEv...5..288L. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270912183. Retrieved 14 November 2021. 
  194. ↑ 194.0 194.1 Doherty, T. S.; Glen, A. S.; Nimmo, D. G.; Ritchie, E. G.; Dickman, C. R. (2016). "Invasive predators and global biodiversity loss". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (40): 11261–11265. doi:10.1073/pnas.1602480113. PMID 27638204. Bibcode: 2016PNAS..11311261D. 
  195. ↑ 195.0 195.1 Rochlitz, I. (2007). The Welfare of Cats. "Animal Welfare" series. Berlin: Springer Science+Business Media. pp. 141–175. ISBN 978-1-4020-6143-1. OCLC 262679891. 
  196. ↑ "What is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat?". HSUS.org. Humane Society of the United States. 2 January 2008. http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/feral_cats/feral_cats_frequently_asked_questions.html#1_What_is_a_feral_cat. 
  197. ↑ "Torre Argentina cat shelter.". http://www.romancats.com/index_eng.php. 
  198. ↑ Slater, Margaret R.; Shain, Stephanie (November 2003). "Feral Cats: An Overview (4)". The State of the Animals II: 2003. Humane Society of the United States. ISBN 978-0-9658942-7-2. http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/SOA_3-2005_Chap4.pdf. 
  199. ↑ Stattersfield, A. J.; Crosby, M. J.; Long, A. J.; Wege, D. C. (1998). Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. "BirdLife Conservation" series No. 7. Cambridge, England: Burlington Press. ISBN 978-0-946888-33-7. 
  200. ↑ Falla, R. A. (1955). New Zealand Bird Life Past and Present. Cawthron Institute. 
  201. ↑ Galbreath, R.; Brown, D. (2004). "The Tale of the Lighthouse-keeper's Cat: Discovery and Extinction of the Stephens Island Wren (Traversia lyalli)". Notornis 51 (4): 193–200. doi:10.63172/755004iiybli. http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_51-2004/Notornis_51_4_193.pdf. 
  202. ↑ Scrimgeour, J.; Beath, A.; Swanney, M. (2012). "Cat predation of short-tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata rhyocobia) in Rangataua Forest, Mount Ruapehu, Central North Island, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology 39 (3): 257–260. doi:10.1080/03014223.2011.649770. 
  203. ↑ Woinarski, J. C. Z.; Murphy, B. P.; Palmer, R.; Legge, S. M.; Dickman, C. R.; Doherty, T. S.; Edwards, G.; Nankivell, A. et al. (2018). "How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia?". Wildlife Research (CSIRO Publishing) 45 (3): 247. doi:10.1071/wr17160. ISSN 1035-3712. Bibcode: 2018WildR..45..247W. 
  204. ↑ Wade, N. (2007). "Study Traces Cat's Ancestry to Middle East". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html. 
  205. ↑ "U.S. pet ownership statistics". American Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics. 
  206. ↑ "61 Fun Cat Statistics That Are the Cat's Meow! (2022 UPDATE)". 12 December 2020. https://petpedia.co/cat-statistics/. 
  207. ↑ "How many pets are there in the UK?". https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits. 
  208. ↑ "Statistics on cats". 2021. https://carocat.eu/statistics-on-cats-and-dogs/. 
  209. ↑ Beadle, Muriel (1979). Cat. Simon and Schuster. pp. 93–96. ISBN 978-0-671-25190-1. 
  210. ↑ Mayers, Barbara (2007). Toolbox: Ship's Cat on the Kalmar Nyckel. Bay Oak Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9741713-9-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=q3LvHwAACAAJ. Retrieved 17 July 2020. 
  211. ↑ "What Is That They're Wearing?". Humane Society of the United States. http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf. 
  212. ↑ Stallwood, K. W., ed (2002). A Primer on Animal Rights: Leading Experts Write about Animal Cruelty and Exploitation. Lantern Books. 
  213. ↑ "Japan: Finale for the world's most elegant use of a dead cat". The Independent. 15 November 1997. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/japan-finale-for-the-worlds-most-elegant-use-of-a-dead-cat-1294096.html. 
  214. ↑ "EU proposes cat and dog fur ban". BBC News. 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6165786.stm. 
  215. ↑ Ikuma, C. (2007). "EU Announces Strict Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Imports and Exports". Humane Society International. http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/dog_cat_fur/. 
  216. ↑ Jolly, K. L.; Raudvere, C.; Peters, E. (2002). Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. 3: The Middle Ages. London: Athlone. ISBN 978-0-567-57446-6. OCLC 747103210. 
  217. ↑ Paterson, T. (2008). "Switzerland Finds a Way to Skin a Cat for the Fur Trade and High Fashion". The Independent (London). https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerland-finds-a-way-to-skin-a-cat-for-the-fur-trade-and-high-fashion-815426.html. 
  218. ↑ "Humane society launches national cat census". CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/humane-society-launches-national-cat-census-1.1185950. 
  219. ↑ "Cats Be". http://www.catsbe.com. 
  220. ↑ "The Supreme Cat Census". http://www.supremecatcensus.co.za/. 
  221. ↑ "About Pets". IFAHEurope.org. Animal Health Europe. http://www.ifaheurope.org/companion-animals/about-pets.html. 
  222. ↑ Legay, J. M. (1986). "Sur une tentative d'estimation du nombre total de chats domestiques dans le monde" (in fr). Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série III 303 (17): 709–712. INIST:7950138. PMID 3101986. 
  223. ↑ Gehrt, S. D.; Riley, S. P. D.; Cypher, B. L. (2010). Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-9389-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=xYKqluO6c8UC&q=million%20cats%20worldwide&pg=PA157. Retrieved 3 October 2014. 
  224. ↑ Rochlitz, I. (2007). The Welfare of Cats. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-3227-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=0HmB3ix5IQ8C&q=million%20cats%20worldwide&pg=PA47. Retrieved 3 October 2014. 
  225. ↑ "Cats: Most interesting facts about common domestic pets". Pravda. 9 January 2006. http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/09-01-2006/9478-cats-0/. 
  226. ↑ Sandomir, R. (18 January 2019). "Walter Chandoha, Photographer Whose Specialty Was Cats, Dies at 98". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/18/obituaries/walter-chandoha-dead.html?emc=edit_th_190119&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=686341800119/. 
  227. ↑ "The Rise of Pet Humanization". https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f414e0b8a79bc04e0a2729/t/6081b71ec312977485a24fa4/1619113759478/CD-The+Rise+of+Pet+Humanization.pdf. 
  228. ↑ "The Humanization of Pets". https://advantagesolutions.net/news/the-humanization-of-pets/. 
  229. ↑ 229.0 229.1 229.2 "All About Cat Shows". How Stuff Works. 2008. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/cat-show1.htm. 
  230. ↑ 230.0 230.1 Chomel, B. (2014). "Emerging and re-emerging zoonoses of dogs and cats". Animals 4 (3): 434–445. doi:10.3390/ani4030434. ISSN 2076-2615. PMID 26480316. 
  231. ↑ "Cats". Ohio Department of Health. 2015. http://www.odh.ohio.gov/en/odhprograms/bid/zdp/animals/cats. 
  232. ↑ Goldstein, E. J. C.; Abrahamian, F. M. (2015). "Diseases Transmitted by Cats". Microbiology Spectrum 3 (5). doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.iol5-0013-2015. PMID 26542039. 
  233. ↑ Stull, J. W.; Brophy, J.; Weese, J. S. (2015). "Reducing the risk of pet-associated zoonotic infections". Canadian Medical Association Journal 187 (10): 736–743. doi:10.1503/cmaj.141020. PMID 25897046. 
  234. ↑ Clutton-Brock, J. (1999). "Cats". A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals (2nd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 133–140. ISBN 978-0-521-63495-3. OCLC 39786571. https://books.google.com/books?id=cgL-EbbB8a0C&pg=PA133. Retrieved 25 October 2020. 
  235. ↑ Malek, J. (1997). The Cat in Ancient Egypt (Revised ed.). University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1632-5. 
  236. ↑ Engels, D. W. (2001). "Greece". Classical Cats: The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat. London: Routledge. pp. 48–87. ISBN 978-0-415-26162-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=XAkeCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA68. 
  237. ↑ Rogers, K. M. (2006). "Wildcat to Domestic Mousecatcher". Cat. London: Reaktion Books. pp. 7–48. ISBN 978-1-86189-292-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=16ZsW4QLKlUC&pg=PA19. Retrieved 5 June 2020. 
  238. ↑ Beadle, M. (1977). "Ups and Downs". Cat. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 75–88. ISBN 978-0-671-22451-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=tnjgqpNKYksC&pg=PA75. 
  239. ↑ Pate, A. (2008). "Maneki Neko: Feline Fact & Fiction". Daruma Magazine. http://www.darumamagazine.com/new/articles-excerpts/maneki-neko-feline-fact-fiction/. 
  240. ↑ Faulkes, A. (1995). Edda. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-460-87616-2. 
  241. ↑ Ginzberg, L. (1909). The Legends of the Jews, Vol. I: The Sixth Day. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/e-books/misc/Legends/Legends%20of%20the%20Jews.pdf. Retrieved 19 February 2018. 
  242. ↑ Geyer, G. A. (2004). When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7407-4697-0. https://archive.org/details/whencatsreignedl00geor. 
  243. ↑ Reeves, M. (2000). Muhammad in Europe. New York University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-8147-7533-2. https://archive.org/details/muhammadineurope0000reev/page/52. 
  244. ↑ Al-Thahabi, S.. "Biography of al-Rifai" (in ar). سير أعلام النبلاء. http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?idfrom=5401&idto=5401&bk_no=60&ID=5263. 
  245. ↑ Broad, Michael (13 January 2015). "Abu Hurairah and Cats". Pictures-of-Cats.org. http://pictures-of-cats.org/abu-hurairah-and-cats.html. 
  246. ↑ Roud, Stephen; Roud, Stephen (2003). The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland. London: Penguin Books. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-14-100673-4. 
  247. ↑ Adzo, K. (2015). "Are Black Cats Really Bad Luck? [Hoax"]. Social News Daily. http://socialnewsdaily.com/58901/are-black-cats-really-bad-luck-hoax/. 
  248. ↑ Sugobono, N. (2010). "Las vidas del gato" (in es). El Comercio (Peru) (Lima, Peru). http://elcomercio.pe/impresa/notas/vidas-gato/20100307/423959. 
  249. ↑ "Qual é a origem da lenda de que os gatos teriam sete vidas?" (in pt-BR). Mundo Estranho. São Paulo, Brazil: Abril Media. http://mundoestranho.abril.com.br/materia/qual-e-a-origem-da-lenda-de-que-os-gatos-teriam-sete-vidas. 
  250. ↑ Dowling, T. (2010). "Tall tails: Pet myths busted". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/mar/18/guide-to-pets-pet-myths?picture=360591960. 
  251. ↑ Heywood, J. (1874). Sharman, J.. ed. The Proverbs of John Heywood. p. 104. https://archive.org/details/proverbsofjohnhe00heywrich/page/104/mode/2up. 
  252. ↑ "Can Cats Cheat Death?". 6 October 2017. https://be.chewy.com/behavior-pet-facts-do-cats-really-have-nine-lives/. 
  253. ↑ "The ASPCA Warns About High-rise Falls by Cats: High-rise Apartments, Windows, Terraces and Fire Escapes Pose Risk to Urban Cats" (Press release). New York: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 30 June 2005. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2025 – via About.com.

Template:Carnivora Template:Animal domestication Wikidata ☰ Q20980826 entry



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biology:Cat&oldid=4097953"