Cats by NF

Characteristics  Cats walk on their toes, like horses and dogs. When they walk, they use a pacing gait, which means they move the feet on one side first, and then they move the feet on the other side.  Cats’ whiskers are as wide as their body. They use their whiskers to sense things and measure narrow spaces to see if they can fit through.  Cats have protractible claws. They are kept enclosed in their paws when not in use.  Cats have an excellent sense of smell, sight and hearing.

 Male cats have a lifespan of up to 12 – 14 years, while females can live two years longer.  Cats intimidate enemies by arching their backs, raising their fur, turning sideways, and hissing.  Cats like to chase laser pointers, feather dusters, and pieces of string.  Cats are the most popular pets in the world. Some people have more than just one pet cat. Here’s a creepy little cat from Wikimedia.

Kittens  The gestation period of a cat is usually up to 64 to 67 days. The average period is 66 days. So that would roughly be about two months.  The average litter size of kittens ranges between 3 to 5 kittens, or 1 to 8 kittens.  Kittens are weaned between 6 and 7 weeks.  A female cat can have two to three litters per year, so she would probably have up to about 150 kittens in her breeding span of 10 years.  At 4 – 10 days, the kittens’ eyes open. Kittens are always born with blue eyes. It takes about 12 weeks before they get their real eye color.  At 8 – 12 days, their ears open and they can hear.  Kittens can take care of themselves at one month old.

Feral Cats  Feral cats are wild or untamed cats. Unlike your average house cat, a feral cat can be fierce and savage. It will bite or scratch you if you try to touch it. They usually stay away from people because they don’t trust them. They live by themselves.  There are almost 40 million feral cats in the US. There are way more in Canada and Mexico.  In cities, feral cats can be found in streets, stores, parks, and cemeteries. In countries, they mostly live in barns.  Why are there so many feral cats in the world? These cats are mostly abandoned pets and litters of unwanted kittens. (Who would not want a kitten?) And these feral cats probably aren’t spayed or neutered, so they keep reproducing, increasing the feral cat population.

FERAL CATS  There are lots of feral cats in Malaysia. I should know.  A group of cats is called a clowder or a colony. A male cat is called a tom, or a gib if it is neutered. A female cat is called a molly, or a queen if it is going to have kittens.  Feral cats get into fights a lot. Some have blood or pus coming out of their eyes. And some lose one of their eyes. Here’s a feral cat I got from Wikimedia Commons.

 Unfortunately, feral cats do not live very long. They can only live for 2 – 3 years, while pet cats can live until their teen years. This is because the pet cat receives healthy and nutritional food, and also receives care from its owner.  Feral cats mark their territory with urine or feces. A male’s territory is usually larger than a female’s.  Feral cats spend most of their time hunting. You can find these cats at restaurants, especially at night, because cats are nocturnal animals. Cats either hunt for food or they scavenge, which means they eat garbage or dead matter.  If feral cats continue to be around people who they trust, then they are redeemable feral cats. That means they have a possibility of being tamed.

Breeds Abyssinian kittens Exotic shorthair kitten Manx cat. You can tell what mood a cat is in by the movement of its tail, but since Manx cats have no tail, their moods remain a mystery.