Domestic Kittens and Cats
Domestic kittens and cats have been useful companions for humans for thousands of years. They have been traced as associated with us as far back as 9500 years. There is evidence that a domesticated kitten was buried with human remains in Cyprus at that time.
Although most people are more familiar with the cult status of the cat in ancient Egypt, it seems that over time they have enjoyed tremendous esteem and favour in many civilizations. In their most familiar prehistoric role, they served as the model for gods and goddesses such as Bast or Bastet, the Cat Goddess of Lower Egypt. Bastet is the goddess of protection, cats, life giving, fire and pregnant women.
Few domestic kittens or cats are able to definitively trace their bloodlines back through time as a particular established breed. They do have a rapid breeding cycle that has permitted the development of the present bloodlines of purebred cats. These have been developed by cat fanciers worldwide.
Domestic kittens with an unknown ancestry are referred to as either domestic longhairs or domestic shorthairs, depending on the type of coat they sport. Scientifically they were originally known as Felis catus when they were classified since 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus. This was officially changed in 2003 to Felis silvestris.
Even when there is no record of their ancestry, domestic kittens are still highly valued for their ability to remove vermin from human habitations. They are often found working in a wide variety of locations where their talents are often greatly appreciated.
Cats like this have been known to spontaneously create a new breed. The Rex is a genetically controlled hair pattern that was identified in domestic cats and then carefully bred to strengthen the gene.
The domestic cat has become the most popular pet in the world, and can be found in almost every place that man inhabits on this globe. There are estimates that place the worldwide population of cats around 500 million cats kept as pets.
They usually have strong, muscular and very flexible bodies. They have very sharp retractable claws that they use to catch and hold small prey, such as mice. They have teeth that are well adapted to dispatching them when they have been captured.
Cats have not lost their ability to fend for themselves in the wild as a result of the long years of domestication, the behavior of the various domesticated cats is not far removed from the feral wildcats.
For the great majority, a domestic cat is quite capable of surviving in the wild if it must. They have a well deserved reputation of being independent and doing just what they want to do.
Most cats prefer to hunt during the evening, and they are usually solitary when on the prowl. Their eyes are adapted to providing excellent vision during low light situations. In addition, their hearing has also been tailored to nocturnal hunting.
They can perceive sounds that are much too faint for human hearing, and the range they are able to listen is also much higher than human hearing is able to discern. Since mice and other small rodents do make high pitched sounds, this is a distinct advantage for stalking their chosen prey. Finally, their hunting arsenal includes a much better sense of smell.
Although they do prefer to do their hunting on their own, cats, for the most part can be quite sociable with their own kind as well as people who care for them.
They have a number of distinctive vocalizations that they will use, such as purring, meowing and growling when upset. They also will quite often walk through the legs of people they come into contact with to show a measure of affection.
Cats highly adapted sense of smell can make feeding a pet difficult. They are carnivorous and prefer to eat meat as their staple diet. Occasionally they will eat grass as a treat to help their digestion.
They do react to various factors when selecting a food, cold foods are often ignored, as well as any that may smell bad to them for whatever reason. They respond better to moist foods and those with the texture or ingredients that are closer to meat.
