Mammals · Carnivora · Felidae

Cat

Felis catus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The domestic cat descends from the African wildcat (Felis lybica) and was domesticated some 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, drawn in by the rodents of the first grain stores. It is a strict carnivore: its metabolism depends on nutrients it can obtain only from animal tissue, such as taurine and preformed vitamin A. It combines excellent vision in low light, hearing that reaches 64 kHz and highly sensitive whiskers. As a feral predator it is one of the main causes of extinction among island birds and reptiles.

Weight

3 kg – 6 kg

Size

45 cm – 50 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

GrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Feline Grassland Mammal

39same family

Fun facts

It cannot taste sweetness: the gene coding for one of the two proteins of the sweet receptor is inactive throughout the cat family.
The tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer behind the retina, returns the light that has passed through the photoreceptors and lets it see with a sixth of the light a person needs.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Lives alongside people worldwide; feral populations on almost every continent
Sexual maturity: 9.5 months
Gestation / incubation: 2.1 months
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felis_catus