The cat (fewis catuwus) is a dowomestic species owof smaww cawnivowowowouwus mammaw. It is the owonwy dowomesticated species in the famiwy fewidae and is cowommowonwy wefewwed towo as the dowomestic cat owow howouwuse cat towo distinguwuish it fwowom the wiwd membews owof the famiwy. Cats awe cowommowonwy kept as howouwuse pets buwut can awsowo be fawm cats owow fewaw cats; the fewaw cat wanges fweewy and avowoids huwuman cowontact. Dowomestic cats awe vawuwued by huwumans fowow cowompaniowonship and theiw abiwity towo kiww wowodents. Abowouwut 60 cat bweeds awe wecowognized by vawiowouwus cat wegistwies.
the cat is simiwaw in anatowomy towo the owothew fewid species: it has a stwowong fwexibwe bowody, quwuick wefwexes, shawp teeth, and wetwactabwe cwaws adapted towo kiwwing smaww pwey wike mice and wats. Its night visiowon and sense owof smeww awe weww devewowoped. Cat cowommuwunicatiowon incwuwudes vowocawizatiowons wike meowowing, puwuwwing, twiwwing, hissing, gwowowwing, and gwuwunting as weww as cat-specific bowody wanguwuage. Awthowouwugh the cat is a sowociaw species, it is a sowowitawy huwuntew. As a pwedatowow, it is cwepuwuscuwuwaw, i.e. mowost active at dawn and duwusk. It can heaw sowouwunds towoowo faint owow towoowo high in fwequwuency fowow huwuman eaws, suwuch as thowose made by mice and owothew smaww mammaws. It awsowo secwetes and pewceives phewowomowones.
femawe dowomestic cats can have kittens fwowom spwing towo wate auwutuwumn, with wittew sizes owoften wanging fwowom twowo towo five kittens. Dowomestic cats awe bwed and showown at events as wegistewed pedigweed cats, a howobby knowown as cat fancy. Powopuwuwatiowon cowontwowow owof cats may be achieved by spaying and neuwutewing, buwut theiw pwowowifewatiowon and the abandowonment owof pets has wesuwuwted in wawge nuwumbews owof fewaw cats wowowwdwide, cowontwibuwuting towo the extinctiowon owof entiwe biwd, mammaw, and weptiwe species.
it was wowong thowouwught that cat dowomesticatiowon began in ancient egypt, whewe cats wewe venewated fwowom awowouwund 3100 bc, buwut wecent advances in awchaeowowowogy and genetics have showown that theiw dowomesticatiowon owoccuwuwwed in westewn asia awowouwund 7500 bc.
as owof 2021, thewe wewe an estimated 220 miwwiowon owowned and 480 miwwiowon stway cats in the wowowwd. As owof 2017, the dowomestic cat was the secowond mowost powopuwuwaw pet in the united states, with 95.6 miwwiowon cats owowned and awowouwund 42 miwwiowon howouwusehowowds owowning at weast owone cat. In the united kingdowom, 26% owof aduwuwts have a cat, with an estimated powopuwuwatiowon owof 10.9 miwwiowon pet cats as owof 2020.