Cats outnumber dogs by
millions as house pets in
the USA , UK and many countries
of Europe. In the USA alone,
there are about sixty million
cats kept as pets. In the
USA, thirty seven percent
of houses have at least one
pet cat. In the UK about twenty
five percent of houses have
at least one pet cat. In Australia,
twenty six percent of houses
have at least one pet cat.
There are more than seven
million pet cats in the UK.
In Canada, there are about
five million domestic cats.
There are about five hundred
million pet cats in the world.
Cats are also widely domesticated
in other parts of the world
such as Russia, Australia,
New Zealand, Canada, Brazil,
Israel, Japan, South Africa,
all European Countries and
many other countries of the
world. In India also,
many people are keeping cats
as pets. The earliest ancestor
of the cat was the
miacis, which lived over fifty
five million years ago. The
miacis had a long body and
tail, short legs and looked
somewhat like a weasel. The
ancestor of all domestic cats
is the African wild cat. All
domestic cats are members
of same species, Felis Catus.
African wild cats were found
in fossil form as early as
thirty eight million years
ago. Cats are one of the oldest
mammals on the earth. The
cat family includes large
members such as the Lion,
Tiger , Leopard , Cheetah
, Cougar, Jaguar, Panther
and Lynx. Other small members
of the cat family include
European wild cat, Kodkod,
Pampas cat, Geoffroy's cat,
Tiger cat, Puma, Ocelot, Bobcat,
Jaguarundi, Margay, Andean
mountain cat, Leopard cat,
Jungle cat, Fishing cat, Pallas's
cat, Rusty-spotted cat, Marbled
cat, Bay cat, Iriomote cat,
Temminck's golden cat, Flat-headed
cat, Chinese desert cat, Sand
cat, Caracal, African wild
cat, Serval, African golden
cat and
Black-footed cat. There are
about forty different species
of wild cat. The domestic
cat is one of the species
of cat. The sand cat found
mainly in Africa burrows into
the sand to protect themselves
from the heat of the sun during
the day. Many wild cats also
live in caves. The fishing
cat found in India and Pakistan
finds most of its prey in
the water. The fishing cat
is an excellent swimmer. The
fishing cat catches fish,
frogs and reptiles and feeds
on them. The Cheetah is the
world's fastest mammal. The
Cheetah can run up to speeds
of seventy miles an hour over
short distances. A cheetah
may also pursue prey for a
considerable distance, as
much as 5.5 kilometers. The
Puma or Panther or Cougar
is a sandy colored cat which
is an excellent climber and
can get up
into the lower branches of
trees with one graceful leap.
The cats have developed their
own camouflage. Their coats
blend to their environment
and are suited to their habitat.
For example, the sand cat
has a pale ticked coat which
blends admirably into its
surroundings. Other examples
of camouflage are Bay cat,
Pampas cat and Clouded Leopard
cat. Cats love to sit in high
places. The life span of a
pet cat varies from about
fifteen to twenty years but
some pet cats live for more
than thirty years. The average
life span of an outdoor cat
is from two to three years
whereas the average life span
of an indoor cat is about
twenty years. Neutered cats
live longer than non neutered
ones, partly because they
have less desire to roam.
Outdoor cats die earlier as
compared to indoor cats due
to lack of treatment of diseases,
parasites, cruel people, road
accidents, pesticides, dogs
and strong poisons like rat
poisons. Most USA cat experts
like Cat Fancier's Association
and humane organisations are
continually trying to reach
the public with the message
that keeping a cat indoors
protects him from disease
and other means of danger.
A pet cat of England died
at the age of thirty six years.
About the Author
I am owner and webmaster of
website http://www.catswelfare.org.I
am working in SPCA Mumbai
for the past seven years.I
am also a cat dentist.
|
