Cat

　　Thecat(Feliscatus),alsoknownasthedomesticcatorhousecattodistinguishitfromotherfelinesandfelids,isasmallfurrydomesticatedcarnivorousmammalthatisvaluedbyhumansforitscompanionshipandforitsabilitytohuntverminandhouseholdpests.Catshavebeenassociatedwithhumansforatleast9,500years,andarecurrentlythemostpopularpetintheworld.Owingtotheircloseassociationwithhumans,catsarenowfoundalmosteverywhereonEarth.

　　Catsaresimilarinanatomytotheotherfelids,withstrong,flexiblebodies,quickreflexes,sharpretractableclaws,andteethadaptedtokillingsmallprey.Asnocturnalpredators,catsusetheiracutehearingandabilitytoseeinneardarknesstolocateprey.Notonlycancatshearsoundstoofaintforhumanears,theycanalsohearsoundshigherinfrequencythanhumanscanperceive.Thisisbecausecats'usualprey(particularlyrodentssuchasmice)makehighfrequencynoises,socats'hearinghasevolvedtopinpointthesefainthigh-pitchedsounds.Catsrelymoreonsmellthantaste,andhaveavastlybettersenseofsmellthanhumans.

　　Despitebeingsolitaryhunters,catsareasocialspeciesanduseavarietyofvocalizations,pheromonesandtypesofbodylanguageforcommunication.Theseincludemeowing,purring,trilling,hissing,growling,andgrunting.

　　Catshavearapidbreedingrate.Undercontrolledbreeding,theycanbebredandshownasregisteredpedigreepets,ahobbyknownascatfancy.Failuretocontrolthebreedingofpetcatsbyspayingandneuteringandtheabandonmentofformerhouseholdpetshasresultedinproblemscausedbylargenumbersofferalcatsworldwide,withapopulationofupto60millionoftheseanimalsintheUnitedStatesalone.

　　AsTheNewYorkTimeswrotein2007,"UntilrecentlythecatwascommonlybelievedtohavebeendomesticatedinancientEgypt,whereitwasacultanimal",butastudythatyearrevealedthatthelinesofdescentofallhousecatsprobablyrunthroughasfewasfiveself-domesticatingAfricanWildcats(Felissilvestrislybica)circa8000BC,intheNearEast.Theearliestdirectevidenceofcatdomesticationisakittenthatwasburiedalongsideahuman9,500yearsagoinCyprus.