All about Cats!

SCIENTISTS believe that the cat originated from a small weasel-like animal called the Miacus, which lived some 50 million years ago.

Cats have the same basic skeleton and internal organs like that of human beings and other meat-eating animals. While a human being has around 206 bones, a cat has nearly 250 bones, the number of bones varying with the length of its tail.

The cat has a supple body which enables it to run at high speeds of up to 50 km/hr, leap over long distances and balance expertly on narrow fences and ledges. When a cat falls, it invariably lands on its feet.

The graceful animal glides rather than walks. It moves both the front and rear legs of the same side simultaneously, unlike most other animals, who move their front and rear legs of opposite sides together.

A cat’s whiskers are a great help when it hunts for food. They help it to feel its way in the dark and to judge distances.

A cat cannot see in total darkness, but it can see well in dim light. A cat’s eyes may be green, yellow, orange or blue. Odd-eyed cats have eyes of different colours.

Most cats hate to get wet. And if they do, they stand and shake themselves till they are dry. Though they may not bathe, they lick their paws and clean their fur with the wet paws at least once a day.

The toes of a cat end in hook-like claws, which are kept sharp by scratching rough surfaces regularly. The claws are retractile and are drawn out only when the cat has to climb or hunt or defend itself.

A cat’s sense of hearing is sharp. Each ear can move independently. So the cat is able to aim the cup of its ear in the direction of the sound and thus hear better. Though cats are seldom known to be deaf, white cats with blue eyes generally are. A cat can make 60 different sounds, varying from a soft purr to a loud wail.

Generally a cat has around 8 kittens in a litter, each weighing around 100g. A kitten is born blind and deaf. It is totally dependent on its mother and feeds on her milk. The father plays no role in caring for the young. By one year, it reaches its adult body size. Its lifespan is from 12 to 15 years.