By Tanya Fyfe DVM
Associate veterinarian at Clark Fork Veterinary Clinic 

Cat facts

Pet Lyfe with Dr. Fyfe

 

Photo provided

Tanya Fyfe, DVM. Associate veterinarian at Clark Fork Veterinary Clinic. tanyafyfe.com • tanyafyfe@outlook.com

After recently adopting a stray Siamese kitty and having one irreversibly damaged eye of hers removed by a colleague, I have since shared several photos and stories of her ridiculous antics on social media. It has surprised me to read how many people have commented that they "know nothing about cats."

Well... here goes!

It is estimated that Felis catus domesticated themselves in the Middle East around 10,000 years ago. While humans had a hand in domesticating most species (wild chickens for eating and wild horses for riding, for example) DNA evidence suggests that the wild cats of old chose to hang out with us. Most domesticated animals now have vastly different DNA from their wild counterparts, which is intuitive when you consider that a Boston Terrier's ancestors were wolves. Modern house cats, though, share much of the same genetic material as their ancestors. They started palling with the bipeds because wherever we went, rodents followed.

Cats have lived harmoniously alongside humans, originally as voracious hunters of unwanted vermin and eventually as loved and loving companions. These carnivorous mammals tend to be solitary hunters, preferring to hunt at dawn and dusk where their highly adapted night vision and keen sense of smell are extremely useful. Their athletic, flexible bodies and quick reflexes also aid in feline hunting behaviors. While they tend to be solitary hunters they are also sociable creatures.

Cats communicate many feelings such as happiness, relaxation as well as fear and aggression (the rapid side-to-side swoosh of a tail along with flattened ears is a clear 'Kitty means business' posture) Cats use their eyes, ears, mouth, tail, hair coat and body postures to convey a wide range of emotions with other animals and humans.

Taurine is an amino acid found in animal protein that is essential to all cats. It isn't stored in large quantities in feline bodies so it must be consumed regularly. Taurine is added to all commercial cat foods and it is important to not feed dog or other pet foods exclusively to cats.

We are all familiar with a group of lions being called a pride, but a group of cats is actually called a clowder or a glaring, the latter being more common if the cats are uncertain of one another. A litter of kittens can be called a kindle.

If you share your world with one or more of the 60 recognized cat breeds, you likely knew about the tail-swishing and taurine. But for my friends who knew nothing about this unique, quirky species, I hope you garnered some appreciation for the cat fanciers among us and why they love these mysterious little creatures!

 

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