Cat Characteristics

Cats are animals that have lived with us for at least 3 years, when the Egyptian civilization worshiped a multitude of gods, and worshiped Pharaoh. During that time, these little felines they began to see themselves as an ally of humans against pests, like mice and other types of rodents that ate the corn they had in the barns.

Thus, the farmers did not take long to see in the furry a companion, a friend. And, little by little, but without pause, the human-cat relationship began to establish itself. But what is it about these animals that we like so much? What makes the cat the way it is? In this special you will discover the general characteristics of cats. If in the end you see that we have left some, do not hesitate to comment.

Origin and history of the domestic cat

The origin of our friend, the truth is that it's still a mystery without resolving. While the theory that it descends from Felis sylvestrix Libyca, better known as the African wild cat, is the most accurate, the reality is that there are still experts who doubt. Still, if we take such a theory as valid, then the cat sleeping on our sofa would go back, as we said at the beginning, to the time of Ancient Egypt. In this magnificent place, these animals became so adored and loved, so much that they reached the category of goddess which they called Bastet.

Other theories hold that the domestic cat is descended from the felis ornate, who lives between India and Pakistan. Supporters of it say the brain volume of this feline species more closely resembles that of the domestic.

Be that as it may, we are facing an animal that has had to fight a lot to reach our days. At present, it seems that they have forgotten - fortunately - everything they have had to go through. Perhaps because of the ignorance of those times, perhaps for other reasons, during medieval times they were persecuted until bringing them almost to extinction throughout the European continent. The reason? It was believed that they were children of the devil, something that in a period as religious as that led you directly to the stake, among other fatal destinations. As the feline population dwindled, the rodent population increased, and the plague was not long in coming. When that happened, the poor cats were also accused of being carriers of this terrible disease.

But the years passed, and little by little people began to trust them again. We suppose it cost them quite a bit, as it must not have been easy to stop believing in something they believed in for centuries. But the cat managed to get ahead thanks to the fact that always, even in the worst moments, there was someone who supported and protected them.

The cat as a predatory animal

Thus, he came to our days safe and sound, and with many, many things to offer us. But ... is it still a predatory animal? The answer is yes. In fact, never stopped being. Bill Patas, It was designed by and for the hunting of small rodents, or birds. Let us know why:

• Their eyes, which can be brown, green or blue, come great at night: while we would only see the profile of an object, he can distinguish details. However, the human being sees much better during the day than the feline, since it only sees greenish tones, blue and light blue.
• His sense of hearing is highly developed. You can hear the sound of a mouse from no more and no less than 7m away, something that people find it impossible to perceive.
• He is an excellent tightrope walker. Its body is slim, which allows it to stand on high places. In addition, the tail also helps you stay balanced.
• Thanks to the characteristics of its legs, it can approach its prey even a few meters to hunt it down. This is because the cat, when walking, supports the weight of your body on your fingers, and not in the »hand»; well, it does not make noise.

But ... what happens when our friend goes outside and brings us dead animals? Okay, I think it's time to unveil another mystery: the domesticated ... we are. Yes, yes, it may sound strange to you -it seemed to me when they told me-, since at the end of the day we were the ones who decided to live with one -or several- of them, and it is our name that appears in the housing papers. However, although this is the case, the human-cat relationship can be seen from the point of view of the person, or from the point of view of the feline. And he believes that your house is actually his. For this reason, every day spend some time quitting your pheromones in furniture, in clothes,… and in humans.

So, I'm very sorry to tell you this, but we belong. But don't worry, you will never see us as a »material object», but always, he will always do it like someone from his family. And he's not going to let his family go hungry. It is not in their genes. It may be a solitary or independent species, but it has learned that it can trust the human at home.

The sociability of the cat

And now is when we get into the whole issue of the sociability of our cats. Well, a stray cat, which was born and raised on the street, the most normal thing is that it moves away from humans, but not from other cats. In fact, if we look at a colony of stray cats, we will always see a group of between 5-9 copies, perhaps more, that go together. As we know, they are very territorial, but the conditions are so harsh that they lean on each other to survive. Even when you want to join a new one to this social group, to this family, there may be fights or fights, but in most cases it will end up being accepted after a while, which will vary according to the character of the strongest cats (eye , it is important to know that these animals they do not live in a herdTherefore, there are no dominant or submissive ones, but there are cats that by age or by force are the ones who "decide" whether or not to accept the "intruder". In general, it is the adult males who carry out this task, since the females are more dedicated to looking for food for their young).

Now, we must know that a stray cat will not want to live inside a house with humans, for the following reason: he has not gotten used to it as a child, therefore he is afraid of these conditions and will flee. These animals must be outside, otherwise you will end up with serious behavior problems.

Otherwise we have those furry ones that have been socialized with human beings since they were puppies. With any of them we will spend very funny and endearing moments, well they will love to be with us. In fact, they can become so sociable that they will even wait for you behind the door, it will be your alarm clock every morning, it will make you laugh more than one laugh when you find it doing some other mischief,… Anyway. There are many memories that, from now on, I advise you to keep in your camera, as they grow up very fast, almost without realizing it.

On the other hand, let me tell you that more and more health centers are incorporating cat therapy. The cats they are an excellent company, something that all of us who have one with us know, but that all those who benefit from this new type of therapy also know. Older people or those who live alone will find in these furry a friend to trust and care for; and without a doubt this will do them a lot of good, when they feel useful again and above all dear.

Benefits of having a cat

Much has been said about the benefits of having a cat -or several- living with us in our home, but I am going to talk to you from my own experience. I had my first cat when I was 10 years old; and now with 27 I am lucky to share my life with 9 cats, including those from the colony. Each one of them is unique and unrepeatable. Everyone contributes their part, everyone makes me smile every morning. Thus, I highlight the benefits what else you might like:

• They purrPurring is the best stress reliever I know. It is enough that you stay watching your friend, while he is resting, and you go gently caressing him, being careful not to wake him up. Your purr may be even louder. Little by little, you will get to feel better.
• They give you companyWhen you are sad, when you need someone to just be with, let your cat be with you. Let him spend time with the person he loves the most in the world. We are never alone with a cat.
• They bring out the best in you: Every time you are experiencing a tense moment, he will notice it, and that is when he may start to urinate off the tray or do things that he is not supposed to do. When you find yourself in this situation, what you have to do is identify the problem, and try to understand your friend. Remember that any change, no matter how small, that occurs in your life, will influence living with your cat. Besides ... who is capable of suppressing a smile when he is sleeping peacefully?
• They teach you to live: Although it seems curious, but it is so. They teach you a lot about life. We are very used to thinking about the past or the future, but animals only think about the now, at this very moment. The days that are behind will not return, and those that are to come ... have not yet come, so there is no point in worrying. In the present you have a cat who adores you, and who only wants the best for you.

Finally, we end with a very beautiful phrase, said by the well-known and enigmatic painter Leonardo da Vinci, who said: »the smallest cat is a masterpiece».