|
|
|
Cozy Cat Furniture.com | |||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
Home > Cat Newsletters > Cat Newsletter 1
Cat Newsletter 1 Domestic Cat Domestic cats are pets to people all around the world. They may be found throughout the world in urban and rural areas. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The domestic cat is very strong and muscular for its size. Their mass is between 2 and 9 kg. The average height of an adult cat is about 8 to 10 inches at the shoulders. All cats have long powerful bodies and rounded heads with triangular ears. All but two breeds have a long tail, approximately 3/4 the length of the body. The tail is an extension of the backbone and is used for balance. Coat length and colors vary depending on the breed. The domestic cats are usually black, gray, yellow, white, or tabby, which is dark stripes or swirls on a paler background. Domestic cats have five toes on each of their forepaws, but only four toes on each back paw. They have claws that can be drawn back into their paws when not in use. The cats have a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. The ears of a cat can rotate rapidly to identify the source of a particular sound and are able to respond to frequencies up to 25,000 vibrations per second. The eyes of cats are located on the front of the head. Although this they have excellent depth perception, a useful tool in hunting. But cats cannot see directly under their noses. The range of colors seen by cats is smaller than the human range. The teeth in cats are very specialized. The canines are excellent for stabbing and holding prey as the upper ones point almost straight down and the lower ones are curved. The molars are specialized for cutting. Since the cats lack any teeth for crushing, they eat their food by slicing it. The tongue is covered with tiny, curved projections called papillae. These are used for grooming and licking meat off bones. Cat’s whiskers are special hairs, which they use as highly sensitive touch organs, to determine if their bodies can fit through small openings such as small pipes, cans, and other various objects, and to detect the movement of prey. Although cats have whiskers, they lack eyelashes. They have a full inner eyelid, or nictitating membrane, which serves as protection from dryness and damage to the eye. FOOD HABITS Cats are primarily carnivores. They eat a variety of food, but usually they don't eat organisms larger than a rat or pigeon. They tend to avoid organisms with shells, spines or offensive smells. Occasionally, cats eat grass in order to clear their stomach of indigestible food, like bones, fur, and feathers. In domestic cats, the large intestine is bigger than it is in wild species. This allows the domestic cat to eat more vegetation. REPRODUCTION Female cats may have 2-4 litters per year. Typically, there are 1-6 young per litter. There is no set-breeding season. The gestation period is approximately 63 days. The young weigh about 100 grams at birth. They are born blind, deaf and with hair. Within 7-10 days, the eyes open. Mothers give the kittens excellent care for about 8 weeks. Then, they can be on their own. The male cat becomes sexually mature at about 10 months. The female cat matures between 7-12 months. Most domestic cats live 12-15 years. BEHAVIOR Although cats are mostly solitary animals, they sometimes socialize with other cats. Domestic cats in a given area seem to have a social organization or hierarchy. For instance, a newly introduced male must undergo a series of fights before it can establish its own territory in a given area, but a male and female may form a bond that exists far beyond the mating process. To determine a cat's mood, one can use their body language and tail movement. To invite playing or petting, a cat will lay on one side and wave one paw in the air or just begin to purr. If instead, a cat extends it claws, arches its back, puffs up its fur, pulls back its ears and/or flicks its tail from side to side, this is a sign of aggression. Cats can also communicate through sounds
such as growling or hissing. Cats may purr when they are content or, even
when angry. The exact mechanism used for purring remains unknown. Two
possibilities exist: POSITIVE INFLUENCE OF CATS OVER HUMANS Cats are kept as pets and companions. Domestic cats serve to decrease stress and lower blood pressure. Often, they are also kept in order to control pest populations. On farms, for instance, cats are kept to kill mice and other rodents. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Cat Sight Cats have excellent night vision and can see much better than us even in a badly lit environment, though they cannot see in total darkness. A cat sees about six times better than a human at night because of the tapetum lucidum which is a layer of extra reflecting cells that absorb light. It's also why the cat's eyes seem to glow in the dark. Seeing far better than humans do at night time and tending to focus best at a distance of eight to twenty feet makes cats excellent night time hunters. As hunters, cats have a good ability to detect motion. They can see movements that are too fast for our eyes, yet find it hard to focus on very slow movement. This special ability, so useful for the nocturnal predator, comes at the expense of daytime vision. In fact, cats are relatively short sighted and during daytime tend to rely more than us on their senses of smell and sound.
Do you like cat puzzles? I found a great site where every Cat Lovers will entertain. Simply click the link and enjoy yourself - Click Here HAVE A GREAT FUN! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Why
the cats scratch What
every cat owner should know about the cat litter box
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
