CatCats are very popular, but also headstrong pets: sometimes they are aloof and scratchy, then again cuddly and playful.
What makes your cats tick?
From the behavior of cats you can easily read their moods. Sometimes they want to have their peace. Then they need a lot of attention again. But how is this to be recognized?
Profile
What do cats look like?
Domestic cats belong to the feline family and are predators.
In the family of cats, there are two major groups: The small cats, which include our domestic cats and, for example, the cheetahs, and big cats such as lions and tigers.
Everyone knows what a cat looks like: The four-legged friends have a round head with two small ears, long tactile hairs on the muzzle, a long tail and a soft, dense coat.
Cats can retract their claws. When they attack, they can make them spring forward in a flash and grab their prey with it – or scratch a human being!
Cats have the typical predatory bite of a carnivore. They have long canine teeth with which they hold and kill their prey.
Cats can move and climb very skillfully and hear and see very well – even in the darkness. There are many different breeds of cats today:
They are divided into longhaired, semi-longhaired and shorthaired breeds. Their fur can have many different colors and can also be mackerel.
Also the color of the eyes is different: they are green, blue or orange and copper colored.
The males, also called tomcats, are usually somewhat larger than the females and have a thicker head.
Cats weigh on average three to six kilograms.
Where do cats live?
Our domestic cats are descended from the North African tabby cat.
It was already known in the 6. Cats have been kept as pets for thousands of years; they were already popular with the Egyptians, at the time of the Pharaohs, as a companion for humans and were even worshipped as goddesses.
Today we find cats as companions of humans all over the world.
Cats live with us humans in houses and apartments.
In former times they were on the way on the farms as mice catchers.
They also like to roam through gardens, meadows and fields.
What types of cats are there?
Closely related to our domestic cats is the European wildcat. However, they have become very rare and very shy.
Today there are many different breeds of cats. The most popular is the European Shorthair, which is a common tabby domestic cat. Persian cats have silky fur, are very calm and headstrong.
Siamese cats are very elegant animals: they are slender and have a short, smooth, mostly light coat with dark markings on the head, legs, back and tail.
Turkish Van cats are good swimmers.
And the Burmese cats were revered in their homeland Burma (today: Myanmar) as temple cats. Other well-known breeds are Abyssinian, British Shorthair and Maine Coon.
How old do cats live?
Cats live about 12 to 14 years, but some can live up to 20 years.
Behavior
How do cats live?
Cats are active especially in the twilight and at night. For this these small predators are also excellently equipped.
Light is reflected in their eyes by a reflective layer at the back of the eye. So even very small amounts of light are amplified. The cats can see well even in the darkness. That is why the cat's eyes glow in the dark. Additionally cats can hear very well. Also still perceive sounds in the ultrasonic range. This means that they can still hear the peep or whisper of mice and bats. Cats also have a very good sense of smell. This also plays an important role in the behavior of the animals.
They have special scent glands on the side of the head, with which they mark conspecifics or us humans, when they rub their head against us. So it is clear that we belong to their family.
Male cats additionally mark their territory with urine – this is very unpleasant for human noses.
An additional sensory organ are the very sensitive whiskers of cats. With them they can perceive the distance to objects in the darkness. Therefore do not bump into each other even in complete darkness.
Typical for cats is grooming: In doing so, they spread the contents of the sebaceous glands in the skin all over the coat with their tongues and paws, smoothing out each hair. So their fur always stays well groomed.
Since indigestible hair enters the stomach during grooming, cats eat fresh grass from time to time and then vomit: this is how the hair is transported out of the stomach again. Larger predators like lynx or wolf. Fox can be dangerous to wild cats. The biggest enemy of the domestic cat is the car.
How cats reproduce? In spring from mid-February to mid-April. In the summer from May to mid-June is mating season for cats. Then the female cats become "in heat". They run around our legs, throw themselves on their backs, mew loudly and want only one thing: to get out into the open, where they hope to find a male cat.
If cat and tomcat meet, it is quite loud and restless: the cat rolls on the floor in front of the tomcat and the tomcat grabs him by the neck. And each of you will have heard the terrible cries that cats in love give off: they go through our marrow and bone.
After mating, however, they go their separate ways again. After about nine weeks the cat gives birth to its kittens in a protected place.
The kittens are still quite helpless and blind and are suckled and cared for by their mother. If danger threatens, the mother cat carries her kittens to a safe, new hiding place with her mouth. After about four weeks they eat solid food. And at eight to ten weeks, you may separate them from their mother and take them to a new home.
How do cats hunt?
Cats are skillful hunters. Silently sneak up on their prey, grab it and kill it with one bite. Sometimes they play for a while with the caught mouse. Since they see very well and can find their way in the dark with their tactile hairs, cats can also go hunting at night.
How do cats communicate?
Everyone knows how a cat meows and coos. But cats can also hiss. Scream terribly during mating season.
And when they are completely satisfied and comfortable, they purr.
Care
What do cats eat?
Cats are carnivores. It is best to feed them with ready-made food, which is available in stores as dry and wet food.
Attention: Young cats need a special diet, which is adapted to their needs. Adult cats receive two to three main meals per day.
The time of feeding can be adjusted according to our daily routine. But the feeding times should always be the same.
The amount of food depends on the size, age, temperament of the cat and the time of year.
Food and water bowls must be cleaned daily and food remains must not be left in the bowl. You must remove them absolutely, so that the animals do not become ill.
Sometimes cats are quite picky about food. Some eat the same thing every day. Other cats, on the other hand, love variety or like only very specific foods.
Cats always need fresh water. It is best to place several drinking bowls in the house. Cats that eat a lot of dry food need a lot of water.
If there is a persistent loss of appetite, combined with diarrhea, vomiting, constipation or faintness, the veterinarian must be consulted.
Husbandry of cats
cars are the biggest enemies of cats. Cats cope very badly with car traffic.
Therefore: If you live near a busy street, you should not let your cat out of the house.
It is ideal if the cat can leave the apartment through a cat door at any time, because the cats have to look – often only for about ten minutes – in their own territory after the right and then come home again.
If the cat lives only in the apartment, there must be a litter box with suitable litter available.
In addition, you should then provide enough toys and variety, so that the apartment becomes a real cat territory and the animals are not bored.
Care plan for cats
Daily:
– feed them (two or three times)
– Clean food and water bowl
– brushing with long-haired cats
Weekly:
– Check eyes, ears, mouth and skin
Monthly:
– preventive treatment against fleas and worms (if necessary)
Annual:
– Health examination at the vet, vaccinations
Larger relatives
Profile Tiger
Tigers live in the jungle. There they creep almost silently through the undergrowth. Stalk their prey. more.
Profile lion
Lions are considered the “kings of the animals. Their distinguishing marks: The mighty roar. The big mane of the male. more.
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