Portal:Cats

The Cats Portal

Felidae (/ˈfɛlɪdiː/) is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats. A member of this family is also called a felid (/ˈfiːlɪd/). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the domestic cat (Felis catus).

The 41 Felidae species exhibit the most diverse fur pattern of all terrestrial carnivores. Cats have retractile claws, slender muscular bodies and strong flexible forelimbs. Their teeth and facial muscles allow for a powerful bite. They are all obligate carnivores, and most are solitary predators ambushing or stalking their prey. Wild cats occur in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Some wild cat species are adapted to forest habitats, some to arid environments, and a few also to wetlands and mountainous terrain. Their activity patterns range from nocturnal and crepuscular to diurnal, depending on their preferred prey species. (Full article...)

The cat (Felis catus) is 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. Domestic cats are valued by humans for companionship and their ability to kill rodents. About 60 cat breeds are recognized by various cat registries. (Full article...)

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The sand cat (Felis margarita) is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment. Its head-and-body length ranges from 39–52 cm (15–20 in) with a 23–31 cm (9.1–12.2 in) long tail. Its 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) short ears are set low on the sides of the head, aiding detection of prey moving underground. The long hair covering the soles of its paws insulates its pads against the extremely hot and cold temperatures in deserts.

The first sand cat known to scientists was discovered in the Algerian Sahara and described in 1858. To date, it has been recorded in several disjunct locations in Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. In Central Asia, it was first recorded in the Karakum Desert in 1925. The large gap between these two regions of its global range was partially closed in 1948, when a sand cat skin was found in an oasis of the Rub' al Khali in Oman. It is discontinuously distributed in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. In the early 1970s, sand cats were caught in southwestern Pakistan and exported to zoos worldwide. Due to its wide distribution and large population, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. (Full article...)

More selected articles

Selected image -

Proailurus lemanensis skull

Proailurus

Credit: John Burkitt

Proailurus, the common ancestor of all members of the cat family Felidae.

List articles

List of felids – the family Felidae consists of 41 extant species belonging to 14 genera and divided into 92 subspecies.
List of domestic cat breeds – includes only domestic cat breeds and domestic × wild hybrids
List of individual cats – includes cats that have achieved some degree of popularity either in their own right or by association with someone famous.
List of fictional felines – includes a limited selection of notable felines from various works, organized by medium.

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Selected breed -

The Ragdoll is a breed of cat with a distinct colorpoint coat and blue eyes. Its morphology is large and weighty, and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. They are best known for their docile, placid temperament and affectionate nature. The name 'Ragdoll' is derived from the tendency of individuals from the original breeding stock to go limp and relaxed when picked up. The breed is particularly popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ragdolls are often known as "dog-like cats" or "puppy-like cats", due to their tendency to follow people around, their receptiveness to handling, and their relative lack of aggression towards other pets.

Did you know... -

...that the fauna of Scotland includes almost half of the EU’s breeding seabirds, but only one endemic vertebrate species, and that although a population of wildcats (pictured) remains, many of the larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times?
...that the average lifespan of a feral cat who survives kittenhood is two years, compared to 16 years for house cats?
...that in addition to human spaceflight, there have been many animals in space, including monkeys, apes, mice, dogs, guinea pigs, frogs, rats, cats, tortoises, fish, newts, insects, snails, spiders and nematodes?
...that in cat coat genetics, two different X-chromosome alleles must be expressed to create a calico?
...that Socks was one of Bill Clinton's two pets while President of the United States?
... that Grumpy Cat's signature facial expression is permanent and probably caused by feline dwarfism?

General images

The following are images from various cat-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1A domestic kitten taken as a pet (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 2A pronounced primordial pouch in a male Tabby mix (from Cat anatomy)
Image 3Close-up of a cat's claw (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 4A toilet-trained house cat (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 5A cat panting (from Cat communication)
Image 6Skeleton of a domestic cat (from Cat anatomy)
Image 7Diagram of the skeleton of a cat
1. Cervical or neck bones (7 in number).
2. Dorsal or thoracic bones (13 in number, each bearing a rib).
3. Lumbar bones (7 in number).
4. Sacral bones (3 in number).
5. Caudal or tail bones (19 to 21 in number).
1. Cranium, or skull.
2. Mandible, or lower jaw.
3. Scapula, or shoulder-blade.
4. Sternum, or breast-bone.
5. Humerus.
6. Radius.
7. Phalanges of the toes.
8. Metacarpal bones.
9. Carpal or wrist-bones.
10. Ulna.
11. Ribs.
12. Patella, or knee-cap.
13. Tibia.
14. Metatarsal bones.
15. Tarsal bones.
16. Fibula.
17. Femur, or thigh-bone.
18. Pelvis, or hip-bone.
(from Cat anatomy)
Image 8A mackerel tabby with the classic "M" on forehead (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 9A primary mode of cat communication is body language, such as the position of the ears. (from Cat communication)
Image 10General locomotor patterns of a cat by Eadweard Muybridge, 1887 (from Cat anatomy)
Image 11A cat's claw (from Cat anatomy)
Image 12A golden tabby Siberian cat (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 13Cat resting on a pillow next to an imam in Cairo, by John Frederick Lewis (from Islam and cats)
Image 14"Cat Watching a Spider" by Ōide Tōkō (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 15Ancient Roman mosaic of a cat killing a partridge from the House of the Faun in Pompeii (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 16Female tortoiseshell-and-white cat (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 17Two cats fighting (from Cat communication)
Image 18Blue (grey) and white bicolor cat (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 19A cat's skeletal leg anatomy in its digitigrade stance (from Cat anatomy)
Image 20House trained domestic shorthair cat looking at the camera (from Domestic short-haired cat)
Image 21Siamese cat, classical colorpoint pattern (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 22Cat skeleton (from Cat anatomy)
Image 23A man sleeping on a bed with his cat (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 24Eighteenth century folk art, Cat of Kazan (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 25Kitten on the move (from Cat communication)
Image 26Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011 (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 27A bicolor cat (from Felinology)
Image 28Nineteenth century oil painting, The Cat's Lunch by Marguerite Gérard (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 29Black-and-white female domestic short-haired cat sleeping in a sunbeam (from Domestic short-haired cat)
Image 30A silver tabby British Shorthair (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 31Cat on a walk being held affectionately (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 32Therapy cats at work, New Jersey, US (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 33A chocolate Oriental Shorthair kitten (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 34A typical maneki-neko (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 35Diagram of the muscular system of a cat (from Cat anatomy)
Image 36Cats in the Garden, by Mao Yi, 12th century (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 37A cat meowing for attention (from Cat communication)
Image 38Two cats sharing body heat (from Cat anatomy)
Image 39A cat's nose is highly adapted (from Cat anatomy)
Image 40A cat's ear which has special fur for sensing and protection (from Cat anatomy)
Image 41The ancient Egyptians mummified their cat companions out of respect in the same way that they mummified people. (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 42Non-pedigree cats can also compete and win at cat shows. (from Domestic short-haired cat)
Image 43Cat on a leash enjoying the outdoors (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 44Thermograph of various body parts of a cat (from Cat anatomy)
Image 45Pictures of Grumpy Cat are frequently found in the form of memes, due to Grumpy Cat's deformed features giving a permanently unhappy appearance. (from Cultural depictions of cats)
Image 46Sharp spines or papillae found in a cat's tongue. 5 types of papillae can be found in the dorsal aspect of the tongue: filiform, fungiform, foliate, vallate, and conical. (from Cat anatomy)
Image 47A blue calico British Shorthair (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 48Penile spines of a domestic cat (from Cat anatomy)
Image 49Girl with a young cat (from Human interaction with cats)
Image 50A Devon Rex cat (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 51A tortoiseshell tabby mother and her kittens, showing different colorations (the red parts of the mother are not visible, but since she has both black and red kittens she must display both of the colours) (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 52A Munchkin with legs extended (from Dwarf cat)
Image 53An Abyssinian kitten displaying the ticked tabby pattern (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 54Down, awn and guard hairs of a domestic tabby cat (from Cat coat genetics)
Image 55Feral cat in the courtyard of Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (from Islam and cats)

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