CATS102
Animals
Animal senses
Egypt, ancient
Lions, tigers,
and other big cats
MammalsKITTENS
Young cats are called kittens.
They spend hours chasing
their tails, springing on each
other, and having mock fights.
Their play has a serious purpose.
It helps them develop hunting
skills, quick reactions, and
strength and suppleness for
those times when they have
to fend for themselves.The mother cat guards
her young until they
are able to fend
for themselves.BEHAVIOR
Domestic cats resemble their wild ancestors
in several ways. Although most domestic cats
do not have to catch their own food, they
show many signs of hunting behavior such as
being particularly active at dawn and dusk,
and stalking and pouncing on pretend prey.
Much of this behavior is instinctive, or
inborn, and does not have to be learned.
A cat that is brought up away from all
other cats still behaves in this way.HAIRLESS CAT
The Sphynx breed of cat was
developed in the 1960s from a kitten
that was born without fur. The Sphynx
has bare skin except for a fine layer of
down. It is unlikely that a hairless cat
such as this one could survive in the
wild for long.Ancient Egyptians
kept domestic cats
to guard grain
stores. Cats
became so
celebrated that
some were
worshiped
as gods, and
statues, such as
the one shown
here, were made.BREEDING
Female cats, or queens, are pregnant for about nine weeks.
They give birth to between one and 10 kittens, but two to five
kittens is average. A family of young kittens is called a litter.
Newborn kittens are helpless. Their eyes are closed for the
first week or more, and they do not begin to crawl for about
two weeks. They feed on their mother’s milk at first. After
about eight weeks, they gradually stop taking milk and begin
to eat solid foods. This process is called weaning. About
four weeks later, the mother cat is ready to mate again.
During lactation
(milk secretion),
the kittens suck
milk from teats
on their mother’s
abdomen.SLEEPING
The average
cat sleeps 16 hours each day, usually in
short intervals called cat naps. A cat’s
body is designed for quick bursts of
action, with much rest between.LEAPING
Long, supple legs, with strong muscles and
flexible joints, give cats great jumping ability.
A cat usually looks before it leaps, moving
its head from side to side so that it can
judge the distance accurately. If the
jump is too big, the cat may try
to find another route.HUNTING
A cat’s sensitive nose easily
picks up the scent of a
mouse. As the cat nears its victim,
its eyes and ears also come into use.
After stalking up silently and slowly,
the cat leaps forward with bared
claws and grabs the prey, often
biting it on the back of the
head to break its neck.GROOMING
Cats are famous for their
cleanliness. Every day they
spend at least an hour
washing their fur with saliva
and licking it with their
rough-surfaced tongues.
This makes the fur smooth
and glossy. It also helps
keep body heat in, removes
pests, and stimulates the
skin’s blood flow.
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