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ALL ABOUT CATS
Domesticated cats have been gaining in popularity in the United States
and around the world. It is projected that by the year 2010 there will
be far more cats than dogs. Noted for their independence, cats can also
be loving and loyal to their owners. They adjust well to indoor living,
take great care in grooming themselves, and are easily trained to use
a cat box. Cats, when they're not asleep, are observers. They stare into
corners and spend hours sitting in windowsills. They don't bark, they
don't whine, they purr. Occasionally, they scold.
Cats are also predatory, and some are very good mousers. In a flourishing
society of condominiums and high-rise apartment buildings, many landlords
ban dogs and accept cats. One building manager puts it like this: "As
long as the cat doesn't wander through the halls and annoy others, I don't
see any problem."
Cats, more than any other mammal, exhibit similar attributes and actions,
no matter if they are wild or tame. Lions, tigers, leopards, wild cats,
panthers, and house cats look similar and act very much alike--they are
all predatory, nocturnal, fastidious, and defensive, but the domesticated
cat is much smaller than its wild relatives. How did the wild cat first
become domesticated, and where did it happen?
Origin of Cats
Looking back to the Late Eocene epoch (43.6 to 36.6 million years
ago), it has been discovered that the "cat pattern" was already
well established in the evolution of modern mammals. The earliest cats
were easily recognizable as the ancestors of present-day felines. Other
mammals had not yet evolved into a recognizable form. Typical cats (subfamily
Felinae) appeared about 10 million years ago and have changed very little
since that time.
The Anatomy of the Cat
Why is it that cats are able to curl up on the narrowest ledges, squeeze
under the smallest spaces, or disappear at will when they sense an intrusion.
The anatomy of the cat gives it great elasticity. It has a flexible spine
and uses its tail and inner ear to maintain balance. Because of its inner-ear
balance, it almost always lands on its feet when it falls and can jump
from and to great heights without injury. For this reason, the cat is
said to have nine lives.
The Historical Background of Cats
The history of the cat lends itself to drama, controversy, heroism,
and mysticism on a somewhat uneven road from its domestication around
1500 B.C. to the present. From the moment the dog became domesticated,
humans accepted it as a loyal and loving servant of man. The cat, however,
has not been so blessed. It has been an icon of worship in ancient Egypt,
a rat-catching hero during the plague years in Europe, and labeled a familiar
for witches in Puritan America.
While dogs have been trained to assist humans as hunters, guides, companions,
and enforcers, cats have no obvious purpose other than their presence
in one's life. They're simply not very trainable. Yet, the art of relaxation
has been mastered by the cat, and this attribute is assimilated by its
human owners. Nursing homes often have a resident cat who is there only
to be petted by the residents.
The Cat in Literature and Art
The cat is not as independent as it appears. It wants to be loved
and cared for, and the contradictory interaction between humans and cats
has been the subject of many children's books, novels, poems, and plays
over the years. From fairy tales to Wanda Gäg's classic "Millions of Cats"
(1929) to the long-running broadway show "Cats," based on T.
S. Elliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" (1939), to "The Marble
Cake Cat" (1977) by Marjorie and Carl Allen; from Lewis Carroll's Cheshire
Cat in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) to B. Kliban's contemporary
cartoon cats, the cat has long been a fascinating subject for both children
and adults.
Breeds of Cats
Many people believe that the Siamese cat originated in Ancient Egypt,
but it actually is from the Far East and thought to be a domestication
of the Asian wild cat. The 30 to 40 recognized distinctive breeds of cats
can be grouped into two general categories: the long-haired Persian and
the domestic shorthair. Most cats, however, unless they are show cats,
are mixed breed.
Cats Around the World
In western countries, cats as pets have long been popular. They're
not pack animals and don't adjust well to living on their own outside
the home. Stray cats tend to be loners. In some non-western countries,
cats are not treated as pampered pets, and they are sometimes a source
of food.
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