Cat
The Hiss-tory
The cat, or it's species name Felis Catus, has been around humans for thousands of years, starting around the Neolithic era. Native to Eurasia, they are the only cat part of the Felidae family to be domesticated. Although these animals have been around humans for over 10,000 years, their domestication has only been relatively recent compared to other animals (Brown, 2020). Cats were mainly found in ancient Egypt until trade began, where they were then spread almost everywhere in our world (Serpell, 2014). As they slowly evolved away from their wild ancestors, there were changes such as smaller bodies, coat length, and even "speaking" to interact with humans.
Cobby Breed
Oriental Breed
Fun Feline Fact
Did you know that cats from the East and West are actually different from each other? Cats in Asia tend to be known as Oriental breeds, which makes them more slender looking, while towards the West, a majority of cats have gained a stockier form, also known as "Cobby". According to (Brown, 2020), this is thought to have happened because when cats were traded across the Atlantic ocean, there were now other feline animals for them to breed with. Therefore, the Asian population of cats has experienced less interbreeding than cats in the West.
Image from Google
Cat-tastic Carnivore
This predator eating meat is formally known as a carnivore. This hunter is a part of the order Carnivora, and is a discontinuous eater, which means they eat small meals at different times. Cats have sharp canines and small molars so that they are able to tear through tough meat as well as bones. Eating small rodents and other creatures allows cats to get all the nutrients they need to survive. There are some cases when cats will eat plants in order to help them with upset stomachs or trying to remove other impurities from their system (Fox, 2023).
Paw-sitively Interesting Process
The first step of digesting food happens in the mouth. Cats are able to break down meat from their prey because it is mainly protein or fat and don't contain a lot of carbohydrates (Verbrugghe et al., 2017). Eating a lot of fat allows for important vitamins such as A, D, and E to be absorbed into the body. The meal then travels through the stomach, directly to the pancreas and small intestine to be chemically broken down. When cats absorb too much starch, it can cause problems in the digestive and urinary tract. Not getting the right nutrients and eating foods that their bodies are not able to process can lead to illnesses such as obesity, urinary tract infections, and even diabetes (Fox, 2023). However, assuming that they are eating the correct diet, cats can easily obtain the right nutrients for body maintenance.
Image from Dreamstime
Purr-ty Cool Anatomy
Cats have impressive features throughout their body. They have between 52-53 vertebrae lining all the way through their tail (Brown, 2020). These vertebrae allow the cat to increase its movements and bend underneath tight spaces. The muscular system has the cardiac muscles, which help with their cardiovascular system, and the smooth muscles, which help with maintaining breathing (Brown, 2020). These felines are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes instead of the entire foot. They can move very quickly while also being extremely quiet. Cats are crepuscular, which means that they are most awake and active around dusk and dawn (Brown, 2020). To help them catch their meal during these times of low light, they have adaptations that maximize the light available to them. In addition, their vision can range to over 200 degrees (Brown, 2020).
From Youtube Channel: The Telegraph
More Anatomy, Right Meow!
According to (Brown, 2020), a cat landing on their feet has a series of reflexes. First, the cat detects that it is falling through it's ears and focus on balancing their organs. The ears are filled with fluid and tiny hairs that are able to detect when balance is off. They will immediately move their head so it is upright from where they are falling. Next, the legs will follow to be facing the floor. In the video, we are able to notice that once upright, the cat will arch it's back to relieve all the tension from falling certain heights. This is a quick process that can happen in seconds.
References
Brown, S. 2020. The Cat: A Natural and Cultural History. 1st ed. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Fox, M. W. 2023. Cat. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/cat#ref59410
Verbrugghe, A., and M. Hesta. 2017. Cats and Carbhydrates: The Carnivore Fantasy?. Vet Sci. 4:55. 10.3390/vetsci4040055
Serpell, J. A.. 2014. Domestication and history of the cats. Page 98 in The Domestic Cat: The Biology and it's Behavior. D. C. Turner, P. Bateson, eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, NY.