Cats, Domestic Cats, and House Cats History Revealed

Cats or Domestic Cats have certain characteristics that make them Cats. Learn about these House Cats and what makes them unique.

Cats, also referred as Felis catus, house cats and domestic cats are small, cute carnivorous mammals. For cat lovers around the world, who wish to know more about these adorable pets, below is a physiology of cats. To start with, studies reveal that around 69 billion of cats are present in the U.S. homes.

They are the second most favored pets after dogs. They can be interbred and have to be registered as pedigree pets. Human beings value cats very much for their superior companionship and capabilities to hunt rodents.

Researchers suggest that association of cats with human dates back some 9500 years ago. They believed that ancient Egyptians were first to domesticate cats, as they considered cats as religious animals. However, recent study shows that, people in other continents also domesticated cats around the same time.

Cats are expert predators and can hunt more than 1000 types of species. However, cats are easily teachable to obey commands. Some cats learn without training such as they can bolt the lock and work on simple mechanisms.

Their vocalizations vary and they use different body languages to communicate. The common vocalizations include meowing, hissing, grunting and growling.

Size And Skeleton Of Cats:

An adult domestic cat weighs about 4.5 -6.8 kilograms. Female feline weighs anywhere between 6 - 10 pounds, about 2.7 - 4.8 kilograms. The height of the cat is about 8 to 10 inches, which means they are around 20-25 centimeters in height.

The length of cat from its nose tip to the tail base averages between 18- 20 inches (46-51 centimeters) long. The size of the cats also depends on their skeleton size. The skeleton of the cat is very prominent. Their spines (backbone) have more bones because it supports the tail.

Their vertebral columns are not rigid as in human being. However, they are extremely flexible. This peculiar feature of flexibility helps them to bend their backs, twist, and twirl their bodies, so that they can squeeze through minimum gaps.

Secondly, a cat does not possess collarbone (Clavicle). If it had a collarbone, then it may not have been able to slip away through the narrow spaces. The skeleton of the cat is symmetrical and starts from the head region to entire body. The general structure of the cat's skeleton includes of three subunits.

The first skeletal subunit includes appendicular skeleton, which contains bones of fore limbs and hind limbs. The second subunit includes axial skeleton, which contains cranium, ribs, spine, and sternum. Third skeletal subunit is the visceral skeleton, which constitutes parts of other bodily organs such as ossicles (middle ear) and paws. 

Functions Of Cat's Skeleton:

Cat's skeleton mainly carries out four functions. First, it supports and shields the body. Secondly, the bones work as levers to execute the muscular action. The skeleton also functions as the storehouse for phosphorous, calcium and other vital elements.

Lastly, cat's skeleton also serves as storage space for RBC (red blood cell), WBC (white blood cells) and fats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
http://www.silvestorskittyblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
http://www.ezhomemadedoggietreatz.com/

Tabby Cats and Other Colors of Cats

Tabby Cats are just one type of patterns that you will see on Cats and Kittens. Learn about Tabby Cats and other Patterns of Cats and Kittens.


Patterns are a mixture of colors in a definite arrangement. The six fundamental types of coat patterns present in cats with some differences are Tabby, Tortoiseshell, Solid, Bicolor, Colorpoint and Tricolor.

1.   Tabby: This coat pattern is the most widespread found naturally and is present in four varieties: blotched (marbled), striped (mackerel), ticked (agouti) and spotted.

2.   Tortoiseshell: An unswerving blend of black and orange or thinned shades of blue and cream form this exclusive coat pattern. This coat pattern is a tricolor present almost uniquely in females with a blend of orange and black. Male cats rarely show this pattern and are likely sterile. These cats also show an inner tabby pattern called as “torbie”.

3.   Solid: This pattern is the easiest and identifiable one, as it consists of a single coat uniformly spread throughout the body. An interesting solid pattern with hair of different color is seen in young cats. The secondary colored hair vanishes as the cat grows and very soon, the cat displays a solid hairy pattern all over. It is not possible to acknowledge a cat that has a spot of some other color on its coat, as a solid. People generally refer cats with a solid pattern as “self's” or “self-colored”.  

4.   Bicolor: The word bicolor is actually a white-colored coat along with another color. The other color displays a tabby or a solid pattern. People commonly describe a cat with a white colored coat as a harlequin. “Van” is the term describing a definite variation in which the feline is white colored, with spots of color present only on the tail and head. Names are given for the patches of white present on a bicolor cat, which express their positions such as mittens (paws), locket (chest), and buttons (patches on the abdomen).

5.   Colorpoint: The paws, face and tail (points/tips) are dark in color in comparison with the rest of the body in this coat pattern. The colorpoint pattern mainly depends on temperature. The hotter body parts show a lighter color and vice versa. The dissimilarity between the main body color and the spots differ, but this coat pattern is very easily recognizable. The spots are present in varied shades and colors containing red (flame), brown (seal), lilac and blue. In some varieties, generally, the spots have a tabby pattern or a tricolor pattern containing the above-mentioned colors. “Lynx” is the term used to describe colorpoints having a tabby pattern.

6.   Tricolor: The main color components of the tricolor coat patterns are black, white, orange and red or thinned shades of blue and cream. The proportion of the color and white displays the number and position of the shades of the additional two colors. If there is some amount of white, the remaining two colors may combine to form a pattern called as a “tortoiseshell and white”. The patches of black and red become visibly distinct, as the white color increases. Calico is the term used for this type of coat pattern in cats.

About the Author

Go to Cat and Kitten Zone to get your free ebook on Cats and Kittens. Cat and Kitten Zone also has a Cat and Kitten Forum, Cat Breeder Information, and a Cat and Kitten Blog with daily news on Cats. Go to www.catandkittenzone.com to visit the site.

Dania
http://www.silvetorkittyblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.rockysdoggieblogstore.com/
http://www.ezhomemadedoggietreatz.com/