About Cats
The cat, commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae. Recent advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC.
Senses
This is all thanks to those sensitive whiskers! Compared to humans, cats are nearsighted because their eyes are so large and placed so forward on their face. In fact, they can’t focus on anything less than 1 foot in front of them. This is where the whiskers come into play, as they can swing the whiskers forward to feel in front of them. However, they make up for this nearsightedness with an excellent ability to see in the dark. Cats have extra dark-specializing cells called rods and a “reflective mirror” called a tapetum in the back of the eye. These work together, so cats can see light at eight times dimmer illumination than you can.
Territory
Cats have tiny scent glands on their feet, and when they scratch furniture they leave just a little bit of their smell on it. This tells other cats, “This sofa is in my territory, and these are my people—keep away!” Additionally, shredded corners of a couch or chair are a visual sign of your cat’s space. So although you don’t want your cat destroying your furniture, the scratching is a signal that they love you and their space.
Species
There are around 71 species of cats, this includes wild cats such as tigers. Many of the domestic cat species vary by colour, this includes black, grey, white, brown and orange.
