 The
cat, also called the domestic cat or the house
cat, is a small feline carnivorous mammal of
the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. Its
most immediate, pre-domestication ancestor is
the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica.
The cat has been living in close association
with humans for at least 3,500 years; the
Ancient Egyptians routinely used cats to keep
mice and other rodents away from their grain.
The history of the domestic cat may stretch
back even further, as 8,000-year-old bones of
humans and cats were found buried together on
the island of Cyprus.
Currently, the cat is
one of the world's most popular household
pets.
 A
group of cats is referred to as a clowder,
while a male cat is called a tom, and a female
is called a queen. An immature cat is called a
kitten (which is also an alternate name for
young rats, rabbits, hedgehogs, beavers, and
squirrels).
A cat whose ancestry is formally
registered is called a purebred cat, a
pedigree cat, or a show cat. Purebreds are
less than one percent of the total feline
population; cats of mixed ancestry are
referred to as domestic longhairs and domestic
shorthairs.
 There
are dozens of breeds of domestic cats, some
hairless or tailless, and they exist in a
variety of different colors including
multicolored.
They are skilled predators and
have been known to hunt over one thousand
different species for food. They are also
intelligent animals: some are able to
manipulate simple mechanisms such as
lever-handled doors and flush toilets.
They
communicate by calling ("meow"/"miaou"),
purring, hissing, and gesturing. Because the
domestication of the cat is relatively recent,
cats may also still live
effectively in the wild, often forming small
colonies.
The cat's
association with humans leads it to figure
prominently in the mythology and legends of
several cultures, including the ancient
Egyptians, Vikings, and Chinese.
2008
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