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The cat (Felis catus), also referred to as the domestic 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.
Cat species vary greatly in body and skull sizes, and weights: The largest cat species is the tiger (Panthera tigris), with a head-to-body length of up to 390 cm (150 in), a weight range of at least 65 to 325 kg (143 to 717 lb), and a skull length ranging from 316 to 413 mm (12.4 to 16.3 in).
Current taxonomy tends to treat F. silvestris, F. lybica, F. catus, [4] and F. bieti as different species. A 2007 study of feline mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites of approximately 1,000 cats from many different regions (including Africa, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Middle East) showed 5 genetic lineages of the wildcat population. [5]
The former includes the five Panthera species tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, and snow leopard, as well as the two Neofelis species clouded leopard and Sunda clouded leopard. [2] The subfamily Felinae includes 12 genera and 34 species, such as the bobcat , caracal , cheetah , cougar , ocelot , and common domestic cat.
Domestication is a gradual process, so there is no precise moment in the history of a given species when it can be considered to have become fully domesticated. Zooarchaeology has identified three classes of animal domesticates: Pets (dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, etc.) Livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, etc.)
Household cats can participate in cat shows under a category called the household pet class. They are judged on health, temperament and grooming.
Articles relating to cats (Felis catus), a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal.It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of the family Cats are commonly kept as house pets but can also be farm cats or feral cats; the feral cat ranges freely and avoids human contact.
Felis species have high and wide skulls, short jaws and narrow ears with short tufts, but without any white spots on the back of the ears. Their pupils contract to a vertical slit. [1] A black cat from Transcaucasia described in 1904 as F. daemon by Satunin [23] turned out to be a feral cat, probably a hybrid of wildcat and domestic cat. [24]