The scientific name of cats is “Felis Catus”, The word felis catus means crafty cats which is derived from the Latin language. Cats are popular all over the world, many people prefer to keep cats as their pets. Their value is different in different parts of the world, You may see them in the wild where no one cares about them, and also they can be seen as an important part of families where owners treat these cats like their own child.
They are known as smart and intelligent animals, They have quick eye reflexes, a good sense of smell, and flexible bodies, and their running speed is 48 km/h. They can jump up to around 5 to 6 feet. Don’t ever think to chase these cats, you will never be able to catch them.
They kill small prey such as rats and mice that’s also the reason, many people keep cats at home. Their hearing sense comes in the range of 500 Hz to 32 KHz, so they can easily hear the sounds of mice and rats.
Population:
Their population all over the world is approximately 600 million to 800 million. If we talk about the country-wise population of cats, the United States has 76.5 million pet felines which is the most by any country. China has over 53 million cats, they rank 2nd in the list of cat populations.
Russia comes in 3rd with a 12.75 million cat population, Brazil has 12.5 million population of cats. France and Italy both have 9.5 million cat populations which comes respectively 5th and 6th in population, the United Kingdom and Germany both have 7.75 million cat populations, Japan has 7.25 million, and Ukraine has 7.5 million felines.
Breeds of Cats:
The International Cat Association (TICA) has recognized 73 cat breeds while the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) has recognized only 45 pedigreed breeds of cats.
| Cat Breed | Origin |
|---|---|
| Ragdoll | United States |
| Exotic shorthair | United States |
| British shorthair | United Kingdom |
| Persian | Iran |
| Russian blue | Russia |
| Siamese | Thailand |
| Devon rex | United Kingdom |
| Sphynx | Canada |
| Scottish fold | United Kingdom |
| Abyssinian | Egypt |
| Oriental | United States |
| American shorthair | United states |
| Norwegian forest cat | Norway |
| Cornish rex | England |
| Bengal | United States |
| Maine coon | United states |
| Tonkinese | Canada |
| Burmese | Thailand |
| Siberian | Russia |
| Birman | France |
| Balinese | United States |
| Egyptian Mau | Egypt |
| Japanese bobtail | Japan |
| Ragamuffin | United States |
| Manx | Isle of man |
| Singapura | Singapore |
| Somali | Somalia |
| American curl | United States |
| Selkirk rex | United states |
| Ocicat | United States |
| Lykoi | United States |
| Turkish angora, | Turkey |
| Bombay | United states |
| Chartreux | France |
| Colorpoint shorthair | United States |
| European Burmese | Thailand |
| Burmilla | United kingdom |
| American bobtail | United States |
| Korat | Thailand |
| Khao Manee | Thailand |
| Turkish van | Turkey |
| Havana brown | United kingdom |
| American wirehair | United States |
| LaPerm | United States |
| Cymric | Canada |
| Munchkin | United States |
| California spangled | United States |
| Himalayan | United States |
| Pixie-bob | United States |
| Nebelung | United States |
| Asian cat | United Kingdom |
| American polydactyl | United States |
| Aegean | Greece |
| Toyger | United States |
| Savannah | United States |
| York Chocolate | United States |
| Australian mist | Australia |
| Snowshoe | United States |
| Arabian Mau | UAE |
| Asian semi-longhair | United Kingdom |
| British longhair | United Kingdom |
| Bambino | United States |
| Cheetoh | United States |
| Javanese | United States |
| Chantilly-tiffany | United States |
| Brazilian short-hair | Brazil |
| Ukrainian levkoy | Ukraine |
| Serengeti cat | United States |
| Napoleon cat | United States |
| Donskoy | Russia |
| Dwelf | United States |
| Cyprus | Cyprus |
| Chausie | Egypt |
Famous Cat Breeds:
Here we have listed some cat breeds who are famous throughout the world.
- Ragdoll
- Exotic shorthair
- British shorthair
- Persian
- Maine coon
- Siamese
- Himalayan
- American shorthair
- Birman
- Bengal
Ragdoll
The ragdoll cat breed ranks 1st in all breeds of cat, this breed is large and affectionate. They are also gentle, and loveable felines.
Maine Coon
One of the largest cat breed in the world is Maine coon. These felines have majestic looks and astonishing personalities. They rank 2nd in all cat breeds.
Exotic Shorthair
The ranking of exotic shorthair is 3rd in overall cat breeds. They are similar to Persian cats that are in face structure and temperament.
British Shorthair
The ranking of British shorthair cat breeds is 4th in all over the world. These cats have strong legs and broad chests.
Persian Cats
The Persian cat breed is the number 5 rank breed in the world. Persian cats are a medium-sized cat breed, they are also known as long-haired cat breeds.
Colors and Patterns:
They come in different colors such as cream, white, black, grey, blue, brown, etc. These colors play a major role in the looks of cats and make them unique from each other. Apart from all-black color felines, these colors are easy to find, you can easily purchase a cat in your favorite color. Along with that, there are six coat color patterns of cats which we have mentioned in the following list.
- Solid
- Color Point
- Tabby
- Tricolor
- Tortoiseshell
- Bi-color
Solid
In solid coat color patterns, they have only one color in their overall body. Solid color patterns are rare to find in them but also it’s easy to recognize because they have only one color. If you see any other color or marking then it will not considered a solid coat pattern.
Color Point
Color point is the rarest color pattern in which they have lighter-colored bodies but the main part of the body such as faces, tails, and paws have a dark color which makes them amazingly attractive. You can see this color pattern in breeds like Siamese and ragdoll.
Tabby
The most common color pattern in cats is “tabby”. It has four different variations such as classic/blotched, ticked, spotted, and mackerel. “Ticked” tabby has a darker color at the tip side while a lighter color at the base. “Blotched” tabby has stripes all over the body and a marbled effect. “Spotted” tabby has different color spots on their fur. “Mackerel” tabby has vertical stripes running from the spine to the belly.
Tri-color
In tricolor patterns, they have red, black, or blue colors on their body. Along with that, they have white, grey, or cream patches on some parts of the body.
Tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell felines have a combination of both black and red fur. This coat color pattern you will mostly see on females.
Bi-color
In a Bi-color pattern, they have white coats and patches of any other color. Along with that, there is some other pattern combination of bi-color such as brown and white, white and red. A bi-color pattern usually comes in mixed-breed felines.
Cat Senses:
Like humans, they also have 5 senses which make them highly efficient predators. The five senses are
- Hearing
- Taste
- Touch
- Smell
- Sight
Hearing
They have the ability to hear any sound in the range of 500 Hz to 32 kHz, while humans can hear sound in the range of 55 Hz to 79 kHz. They can easily detect the location when they hear a noise.
Taste
They have fewer taste buds as compared to humans, they have only 473 while humans have over 9000 taste buds.
Touch
They have touch receptors on their main body parts such as paws and nose, they also have protective blink reflexes to save their eyes from damage.
Smell
The cat’s ability to smell is way better than humans. This is because of the odor sensors which cats have more than 200 million while humans have only 5 million.
Sight
Cats are not very good at seeing objects far away, they are not able to see things that are 7 to 8 meters away from them, and they need to stay 5 meters close To see things clearly.
Cats are not very good at seeing objects far away, they are not able to see things that are 7 to 8 meters away from them, and they need to stay 5 meters close To see things clearly.
Cat Personality Traits:
Not all cats have the same personality traits. Different felines have different personality types. It can be gentle, affectionate, social, etc. The environment also plays an important role in their personality, if a cat becomes a pet of a large family where she has to interact with kids and other family members then a cat probably has a social personality trait.
Introvert
Is your cat less talk? Has your cat always avoided interaction with guests or new family members? If yes then it probably means your pet has an introverted personality. It is found commonly in humans as well.
Extrovert
Extrovert is the opposite of an introvert. If your cat has this personality type, you will see your cat is much socialized and would love to interact with everyone. They will express their emotions and feelings to you, also your cat will not feel shy to ask for her favorite food. Extroverted felines are always energetic and want to play with their owner every time.
Dominant
If your cat has a dominant personality trait then you will be confused between you and your cat about who is actually the boss of your house. If that cat can’t show dominance over you, she will surely show dominance over other cats in your house. The majority of people can’t stand this personality type of cat, they want to own an innocent cat.
Cats as Pets:
Cats are one of the most popular and lovable animals all over the world. When a family thinks about owning a pet, the cat would be their first choice. According to one research, more than 46 million families in the United States own a cat.
Families and individuals buy them because of their majestic looks and gentle personality. As we know, the majority of people can’t stand rats and mice at their home, cat kills rats and mice that’s why they are very convenient to become a pet for every family. Due to their small size and social nature, they can easily adjust themselves with their human’s family in any home or apartment. They are intelligent enough to perform various tasks at home if they get trained well. They could also be convenient for those people who have tough routines and can’t give enough time to their pets.
Cats as a Stray:
Stray feline is completely independent cat and live outdoors. They have experienced living with humans as a pet at some stage of their life but now they are afraid of humans and don’t allow anyone to touch them. Stray cats can become good pets again if you approach them in a good way.
Although they are brave and sharp enough to face any problem while living outdoors but still the lifespan of stray cats is less than cats who live as pets, this is because of no quality food, and no safe environment. It will be astonishing if any of us adopt these kind of cats to make their life better. As they have already lived with humans before, they can be amazing pets. If we can’t adopt stray cats, we should not bother or hurt them, and provide them good food and water to the place where they live.
Care Routine:
Environment matters a lot for every pet as well as cats. Make sure to start your cat care routine by giving them a safe environment to stay in. Having a cat for the first time might be complicated to manage but to make this easy for you, we have given some tips in the following.
Balanced Diet
Be sure that you don’t compromise on your cat’s diet. You have to provide them with quality food every day, it may be expensive to you but there is nothing better than your cat’s health. Don’t forget to contact your vet about their diet plan.
Grooming
They love to stay clean, you can’t leave them filthy for a long time they might behave weirdly with you. Being a cat owner it’s your duty to groom your cat by cleaning their teeth, giving them a bath, and brushing your cat fur every day.
Training
As we know they are sluggish they can sit in one place for the whole day which is not good for their growth, and you can’t relax in terms of your cat’s training. If you want your cat to be more gentle and smart, make a plan for their training and start with an easy one to let your cat used to that.
Lifespan of Cats:
The Lifespan of cats mostly depends on the breed, their lifestyle, the food they get, and the environment where they live. Cats who live as pets are likely to live longer than the cats who live as stray. A balanced diet, fresh water, veterinary checkups, grooming of the cat, training, and giving love and attention to your pet will surely enhance the lifespan of a cat.
| Cats | Average Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Pet cats | 15 to 20 years |
| Stray cats | 3 to 4 years |
Pros & Cons:
Pros
Cons
FAQs:
Conclusion:
After reading this article, we can decide whether we should pet a cat or not. We came to know that there are 70+ cat breeds available in different characteristics, personality and color patterns. We can choose anyone we like. All their five senses are impressive. Their life as stray is much difficult as compare to their life as pet. Pet feline is well cared by their owner but stray felines face many hurdles for their survival.
