Not every fan of the cat family can know all the interesting facts about cats and kittens. For example, these amazing, cute and funny animals can make about 100 sounds that are different from each other. At the same time, the animal rarely meows just like that. Usually, by making a voice, a cat wants to attract the attention of a person, talk about problems, and ask for help. Or another interesting fact - cats cannot appreciate the taste of candy because they do not sense the sweet taste. Other unusual details about the cat family are presented below.
Scientists collecting data on cats and dogs have concluded that the latter have more developed intelligence.
Essay about a cat, grade 2
I have a Siamese cat at home, Marusya.
Marusya has a light brown muzzle, dark ears, paws and a long striped tail; a flexible elongated body, a large round head, a bristly mustache on the muzzle, a beard and bright blue eyes. Eye color changes when a cat is angry or threatening. A cat's ears are always alert, they pick up the slightest rustle. Marusya is a capricious animal. If she is in a good mood, she plays and allows herself to be petted. But if she is in a bad mood, then it is better not to touch Marusya. Marusya is a serious cat. When we arrive at the dacha, she fights with all the cats and cats. Marusya is not cocky and he is not the first to enter into a fight. At first she howls and snorts loudly. Then she turns sideways, her fur stands on end, and her tail fluffs out. If someone else's cat does not leave, then Marusya attacks until the enemy takes flight.
Marusya is a very smart cat. She can use her paws to open all the doors to the rooms and even the refrigerator. Marusya is a domestic cat, she loves to look out the window. And at the dacha he likes to hunt lizards, frogs and sparrows. I really like our cat.
Cat report
This article describes all the types of the cat world that exist. You will get acquainted with both domesticated representatives of this group and wild ones.
This Cat Report covers all types of felines. Cats are the most common mammals on Earth. There are domesticated and wild representatives of this group. The history of the origin of the cat began long before our era. The first mention of a cat living closely with a person appeared in the 6000 century BC. The exact date when man domesticated the cat is 1600 BC. by the Egyptians. In Egypt, like nowhere else, the cat was deified and in 950 they officially recognized it as a deity. From that moment on, cats began to spread throughout the world. First, let's look at the breeds of domestic cats that are found in almost every family. The first breed we will talk about is the domestic cat breed. They come in both long-haired and short-haired. The color is varied. Currently, domestic shorthairs are one of the most popular cats around the world. It’s difficult to say about character and disposition; there are as many characters as there are cats.
The next group we will look at will be Siamese cats. This includes: Siamese cat breed, Balinese cat breed, Burmese breed, Himalayan cat, Mekong bobtail, Neva masquerade cat, Toy bobtail, Tonkinese cat breed. All these breeds are very similar to each other, but are crossed with different breeds. So, for example, the Neva Masquerade cat was the result of crossing a Thai breed and a Siberian one.
The second important group of felines are hairless cats. These breeds include: Bombino, Don Sphynx, Canadian Sphynx, Peterbolt, Ukrainian Levkoy. These cats have no hair, they are very different in appearance from the cats we are used to. These breeds were bred artificially by man. These cat breeds require the same careful care as long-haired cats, only they are colder than them. The owner should carefully ensure that their naked pet does not catch a cold and should not let it go outside, wear a sweater when it gets colder and avoid creating drafts in the house.
The third group of cat breeds and the most numerous are shorthaired. These are breeds such as Chartreux, Shawsie, Ussuri Shorthair cat, Ural Rex, Tonkinese cat, Toyger, Snowshoe, Singapore cat, Selkirk Rex, Savannah, Pixie Bob, Ocicat, Oriental cat, Cornish Rex, Korat, Russian Blue cat, Color Point Shorthair, German Rex, Burmese cat, Burmilla, British cat, Brazilian Shorthair cat, Bombay cat, Bengal cat, Anatolian cat, American cat, Australian Mist, Abyssinian cat.
The fourth and final group is the long-haired cat breeds. These cats are closest to us, they are fluffy, beautiful and noble. These breeds include: American Curl, Angora cat, domestic cat, Cymric, York chocolate cat, Kurilian bobtail, La Permian, Maine Coon, Nibelung, Norwegian forest cat, Persian cat, Ragamuffin, Ragdoll, Selkire Rex, Siberian cat , Skokum, Somali cat, Turkish Van, Scottish cat breed. All these cat breeds are wonderful and everyone chooses a breed to their liking. Now let's study wild felines.
The first subfamily can be divided into Small cats. These are cheetahs, caracals, Asian golden cat (Temminck's cat), jungle cat, manul cat, forest cat, steppe cat, serval ocelot, lynx, marbled cat, Asian cat, puma. Let's take a look at some of these representatives.
The cheetah is a carnivorous mammal of the cat family, it is the fastest land animal. The cheetah is able to quickly change the direction of its run. The claws act like spikes when running. A flexible spine allows you to run without almost lifting your feet off the ground and keep your head at the same height. The cheetah has a slender body with developed muscles and virtually no fat deposits, which even seems fragile. The color is sandy yellow, with small black spots scattered throughout the body, and thin black stripes on the sides of the muzzle. The weight of an adult cheetah is from 40 to 65 kg, body length is from 115 to 140 cm, a rather massive tail is up to 80 cm long. Cheetahs hunt during the day. Their prey is small ungulates (gazelles, wildebeests, etc.). Cheetahs live in Africa, as well as in India, Western and Central Asia. Currently, the Asiatic cheetah has practically disappeared. In Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan they were last seen in the 1960s. Already in the 20th century they disappeared in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Arab countries.
The caracal is a predatory mammal of the cat family. Outwardly, it resembles a lynx, but is smaller, slimmer and has a uniform color. Body length 64-81 cm, tail - 25-30 cm, shoulder height about 45 cm; the weight of an adult male is from 11 to 19 kg. Ears with tassels (up to 5 cm) at the ends. The paws have a brush of coarse hair, making it easier to move along the sand. The fur is thick and short. The color is sandy or reddish-brown above, whitish below; There are black markings on the sides of the muzzle. The tufts and outer side of the ears are black. The caracal, unlike the cheetah, hunts at night. Its main food is rodents (gerbils, jerboas, ground squirrels), tolai hares, partly small antelopes, and in Turkmenistan - goitered gazelles. Sometimes it catches hedgehogs, porcupines, reptiles, insects, small predatory animals such as foxes and mongooses, and young ostriches. Caracals live in savannas, deserts of Africa, Central and Asia Minor.
The Asian golden cat (Temminck's cat) is a wild cat of the genus Catopum that lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. The species is named after the Dutch zoologist Konrad Temminck. The length of the cat's body is 90 cm, not counting the tail, which in turn is 50 cm. The fur is thick, usually golden or brown, but gray and black are also found. These cats are found in the Himalayas, southern China, Thailand and Sumatra.
Manul is a predatory mammal of the cat family. Body length 52-65 cm, tail 23-31 cm; weighs 2-5 kg. It differs from an ordinary cat in having a denser, more massive body with short thick legs and very thick hair. The eyes are yellow. The tail is long and thick. The fur is gray, at the very tips it is white. Pallas' cats are distributed in Central and Middle Asia, from Southern Transcaucasia and western Iran to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northwestern China. Manul leads a sedentary lifestyle. Active mainly at dusk and early morning; During the day he sleeps in a shelter. The Pallas's cat is not adapted to fast running. When there is danger, it is typical for him to hide; he also escapes from enemies by climbing onto rocks and rocks.
Lynx is a predatory mammal of the cat family. There is the Canada lynx, the common lynx, the Iberian lynx and the red lynx. The Canadian lynx lives in the North American taiga, its coat color is grayish-brown. This type of lynx is half the size of an ordinary lynx: its body length is 85-116 cm, height at the withers is 61-65 cm; weight 9-14 kg. The common lynx has the following body dimensions - the lynx's body length is 80-130 cm and 70 cm at the withers. Typically, a lynx is the size of a large dog. The weight of adult males is from 18 to 25 kg, females weigh on average 18 kg. This species is common in Scandinavia. The Iberian lynx is common in southern Spain. The height at the withers is 46-69 cm, the length of the trot is 76-100 cm, including a short tail (13-30 cm), weight is 14-24 kg. The red lynx is native to North America. Its body length is 61–80 cm, height at withers 31–35 cm, weight 7–11 kg. The general color tone is reddish-brown with a gray tint.
The puma is a species of the cat family. This cat reaches a length of 100-180 cm, with a tail length of 60-75 cm, a height at the withers of 61-76 cm and a weight of up to 105 kg (males). An ordinary normal male of the large subspecies weighs about 70 - 90 kg. Females are smaller than males. Adult pumas are grayish-brown or brownish-yellow in color, with the undersides being lighter than the topsides. Cougars are distributed from the Yukon (Canada) and south, covering almost all of South America down to Patagonia. The second subfamily that we will consider is the Big Cats. These include lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards.
A lion is a predatory mammal, a member of the panther genus. It is the second largest after the tiger. The weight of some lions can reach 250 kilograms. Males, unlike females, have a luxurious mane; it covers part of the back, chest and shoulders. The lion's fur color is yellow-gray with various markings. Lions are common in savannas. They live in prides, which include females, cubs and several adult lions. The average life expectancy of lions is from 10 to 14 years, which greatly reduces the rate of fights with other lions, which leads to the early death of the animal. There are 8 subspecies of lions in total, they differ in size, color and size of the mane.
The tiger is a predatory mammal that belongs to the Big Cat subspecies. The most numerous representatives of this group are considered to be Bengal tigers. The tiger is the heaviest and largest among the felines. Males can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 300 kilograms. The record belongs to the Amur tiger, which lived in captivity; its weight was 423 kilograms. An adult tiger has 30 teeth, of which the most developed are the fangs. They can reach up to 8 centimeters. The main color is red with transverse dark stripes throughout the body. Tigers are common in the Indonesian Islands, Iran, China, India, the Russian Far East, Afghanistan and Southeast Asia.
The jaguar is the only representative of the panther genus in South and North America. It is also the third largest representative of the cat family Big Cats. The average weight of a jaguar is from 70 to 100 kilograms. The height at the withers can reach from 70 to 80 centimeters. The main color is golden, with dark spots throughout the body. The jaguar hunts after sunset and before dawn. Its main prey are tapirs, peccaries, capybaras, foxes, snakes, monkeys, and birds. The jaguar is listed in the International Red Book and is protected in many countries.
A leopard is a predatory mammal from the cat family. It is included in the Red Book of Russia. A leopard has an average body length without a tail of 160 centimeters. Body weight is about 70 kilograms. This is a large animal, but smaller than a jaguar and a tiger. The fur is short and dense. The main color of the fur is golden yellow, with black ring-shaped spots. The overall color tone varies depending on where the animal lives geographically, and it also changes with the seasons. The pattern of spots is unique to each leopard, and thus can be used by scientists to identify individuals, much like fingerprints in humans. Leopards live on the Korean Peninsula, in the eastern edge of Tibet, in Northeast China, Manchuria, Indochina, Malacca, Java and the Kangean archipelago, Afghanistan, Burma, India, the Himalayas, Pakistan, Iran, Asia Minor, the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Africa to the south from the Sahara.
The snow leopard (Irbis) is a predatory mammal from the cat family that lives in the mountains of Central Asia. The snow leopard has a flexible and slender body, with short legs and a small tail. The weight of the animal is about 50-55 kilograms. The main color is smoky gray with dark ring-shaped spots. The fur is thick and soft to the touch. This coat protects the snow leopard from the harsh conditions in which it lives. Currently, the population of snow leopards has decreased so much that they are included in the Red Book of Russia. And in 2013, hunting them was officially prohibited. The snow leopard, unlike other big cats, cannot growl due to the structure of its larynx. Snow leopards predominantly inhabit treeless cliffs, alpine meadows, rocky areas, rocky outcrops, steep gorges and are often found in snowy areas. The snow leopard hunts at night, and very rarely during the day. During the day they mostly rest on the rocks and sleep. Their main prey is blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, marking goats, arharams, tarams, roe deer, marals, deer, and wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as gophers, pikas and birds (chukars, snowcocks, pheasants)
Essay describing a cat
Option 1
Many people love animals, everyone has their own. For example, I really love cats. I asked my parents for a long time to get a cat, and one day they agreed. We went to the shelter, where I met Sonya. Seeing her in a cage, I immediately realized that this cat should find a new home with us. So she came with us.
Sonya was already an adult when she came to us. She is very beautiful - her head, back, tail and paws are bright red, and her neck, belly and tip of her tail are white. Sonya is fluffy and reminds me of a little cloud. She has a beautiful long mustache and green eyes that turn almost black as soon as something interesting appears in her field of vision, such as a butterfly or a bird.
Sonya has a kind and flexible character. She is very affectionate and often jumps on my lap. There she likes to get comfortable and purr until she falls asleep. My cat and I also love to play together. I roll up a ball of foil and throw it to her, and she has fun running after it around the room until she gets tired. Sometimes she pushes him under the sofa and comes out covered in dust.
Sonya chose the top of the refrigerator as her favorite place in the house. There she can lie and watch us from above. She also likes to sit on the windowsill and watch the birds fly by. If a bird lands on the other side of the glass, the cat begins to make a strange sound, more like chirping. I think this is her way of expressing her displeasure that the bird is out of reach.
If someone stranger comes to the house, Sonya does not show up at first, but after some time she begins to take a closer look and soon sniffs the guest. If she likes him, she might even let him pet him.
I am very glad that Sonya appeared in our house. She became a true friend and beloved pet for me. I think she is doing well with us, she has fluffed up and looks happy and healthy.
Option 2
Every person has their own favorite animal. This is my cat. I have always dreamed of having a funny fluffy pet at home. One wonderful day I got a long-awaited pet. I didn't think very long about what to call it. When dad brought the cat to our house, she climbed onto my lap and began to purr softly. So from then on I call her – Murka.
My cat is a real beauty. Her ears are black, her muzzle is white, and her tail is completely striped! I can look into her eyes for a long time, because they are an amazing blue color. Murka's character is still the same! She is often dissatisfied with something. At such moments, my wayward pet funny moves his antennae and squints his eyes. At the same time, the pupils also change their color. They can be almost red or light green. From them I always determine how upset my Murka is.
If my pet is in a good mood, then I can pet her without fear. At such moments, Murka is kindness itself. She snuggles on my lap and can even take a nap. But sometimes it also happens that a cat is angry about something all day long. She warns everyone at home about this by twitching the tip of her tail and a special sharp meow.
Murka is a real coward with strangers. She never rushes at other animals, even if she is very irritated. If she understands that the enemy is about to attack, she fluffs her tail funny and runs away to hide. Despite her timid nature, my cat is very smart. She even learned to open the refrigerator and turn on the TV with her paws! Most of all, Murka and I love watching programs about animals. This is how she is, my cat. Both a beloved pet and a best friend.
“My favorite animal is a cat” - essay
Since childhood I wanted to have a cat. And finally, my dream came true - a kitten appeared at home. His name is Timofey, but for now for everyone he is Timosha, Timka, Timulka.
The kitten is purebred and requires special care. He will grow into a huge beautiful cat. In the meantime, he is small and, like all children, very cheerful. My kitten is white with gray spots. He has small paws with which he steps completely silently, especially if he is sneaking. He has small pink pads on his paws. They help him walk so quietly. In moments of danger, Timosha releases sharp claws and can scratch.
The kitten sits in a special way. He puts his front paws slightly forward and can sit like this for a long time and carefully watch everyone.
The kitten's head is round and also white. Only the mustache is black and very long. Timka’s nose is black, like satin, and at the same time always cold. The ears are pointy and fluffy. Timokha is small, he is not even two months old. But despite this, he has sharp teeth and claws. The kitten likes to bite, but it doesn’t hurt at all when playing. He grabs the finger with his teeth and squeezes it. But when I say that it hurts me, he understands and immediately stops biting.
Timoshka is a big gourmet. Most of all, the kitten loves fish, especially fresh fish. He immediately pounces on her and eats with great appetite, even purring with pleasure. Having had enough, he leaves the fish on the plate to eat it later. Feeling hungry, he asks to eat himself. Then Timka starts running around his legs and scratching. He always eats carefully, without taking pieces out of the plate. He loves warm milk very much.
If Timoshka wants to sleep, he is capricious, like a small child. He sleeps wonderfully. Putting his head on his paws, he hides his nose in a pillow or covers it with his tail and closes his eyes. But he is a light sleeper. Grandmother says that Timoshka is not sleeping, but dozing. As soon as you rustle somewhere, the kitten immediately wakes up. He opens his eyes, raises his ears, ready to rush “at the enemy” at any moment.
Timka's favorite pastime is playing. He, like all little ones, loves to play. There is no end to his pranks: either he lies on his back and starts playing with my hands, or from around the corner he throws himself right at my feet. But most of all the kitten loves to play with a small ball. He runs after him and tries to bite him with his sharp teeth. And when this fails, he gets angry. The kitten begins to meow threateningly and pushes the ball with its paw. Timoshka even knows how to dance. He very funny stands on his hind legs, raises his front legs and starts spinning, trying to reach the piece of paper. Sometimes, not reaching it, he falls to the floor and somersaults over his head. Then he gets offended and moves away. His eyes become sad and sad. In fact, my friend's eyes are very beautiful. When the baby rubs gently at my feet and purrs softly, his eyes are green-green. But as soon as he gets angry, his eyes become completely dark, almost black. At such moments, the fur on the back rises up, and the tail arches. That's why I always try to calm the kitten down and say something kind to him.
Timosha is a very smart kitten. Sometimes it even seems to me that he understands human speech, he just doesn’t know how to talk himself. But he also has his own language. When Timka is happy and full, he meows affectionately and rubs himself against his legs. If you make him angry, he grumbles like a wild animal.
I tried to train the kitten, and now he knows how to give his paw. For this he gets something tasty. Our Timoshka is very clean. Every day he sits down on the rug, licks his paw with his pink tongue and begins to wash his face, head and even ears with it. Just like a person. On Saturdays we bathe him in a small bath. After bathing, the kitten's fur becomes beautiful, clean and shiny. He rejoices at this and purrs gratefully.
I really want our Timoshka to grow up faster and turn into a big beautiful cat, Timofey.
In which countries and when did domestic cats first appear?
As mentioned earlier, the domestication of cats began with the island of Cyprus, Israel, and then Egypt. There is tentative data on the time of appearance of domestic cats in other countries and continents:
- European countries - 2 thousand years ago.
- India - 2 thousand years ago.
- China - 2 thousand years ago.
- America - 500 years ago.
- Australia - 400 years ago.
Bastet in Ancient Egypt
Of course, Egypt played one of the main roles in the domestication of cats and their spread throughout the world. In this country, cats were considered a deity, they were bred and carefully looked after, and the remains were mummified. Killing a cat was punishable by death. Caring for cats was considered one of the important tasks that was passed down from generation to generation.
Despite the state ban on the export of cats from the country, about 500 BC. the animal was exported by man to Greece and Italy (Rome). Cats were taken with them as predators on grain ships, but of course not all animals remained on the ship. The Roman Empire expanded rapidly, and cats traveled with people throughout Europe.
This is interesting! In the Roman Empire, the cat was considered the companion of the goddess Libertas; it symbolized freedom.
The role of cats in different countries
Meanwhile, the gradual spread of domestic pets was also taking place in the East. Domestic cats that came to the Far East interbred with native wild cats. Mutations occurred, cats developed new coat colors, and the shape of the skull changed. This is how native cat breeds (Siamese, Korat, Burmese) were born.
Cats supposedly appeared in Russia about a thousand years ago. Their spread began from the territory of modern southern Ukraine. Like many other countries, cats were brought to Rus' by sailors. The animal quickly gained popularity. In the 12th century, cat breeding became common; even churches kept these animals, because they protected grain bins. There was a huge fine for stealing a cat. Traditionally Russian signs, sayings and beliefs associated with the cat breed appeared.
Little is known about the introduction of cats to the American continent. It is believed that Columbus and other travelers took pets with them on board. The appearance of cats in Australia is also believed to be due to sailors who took cats as protection against rodents on board.
Video - Who domesticated cats?
When did people start breeding cats?
Purposeful breeding of cat breeds began only in 1800. Decorative breeds of the animal were created in Great Britain, which were then demonstrated at an exhibition in London. The Persian and Siamese breeds especially attracted people's attention. Currently, geneticists are developing new breeds of cats with a certain color and type of coat, body size and other morphological characteristics.
Can we say that man has completely domesticated the cat? Not really. Cats do not depend on humans when choosing a mate, they know how to get food themselves and are able to survive in different weather conditions. The cat's skeletal structure also closely matches that of its ancestors. There are only minor changes: the intestines have become longer and the legs have become shorter. The cat has become an example of multi-stage evolution, and man can no longer imagine his life without this animal.
