Our furry friends

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 12

Our furry friends

People through the ages have kept cats as pets, others have worshipped them, considered them sacred, or thought them unlucky.

The domestic cat is re- ' lated to the lion, the tiger, the wild cat, the panther, the cheetah, the leopard, and all the other “big cats.” The hunter All these animals are hunters and meat-eaters. They may occasionally eat other foods, but they need to eat only meat and water to survive.

The cat’s teeth are designed so that it can grip its prey, tear it up, and chew it even though it is raw. You may have noticed that cats have rough tongues — this enables them to clean the

meat off the bones of their dinner.

When a cat is walking or stalking an animal, its claws are pulled in so it cannot be heard. When they attack, their claws spring out very quickly. They also extend their claws when they want to sharpen them against something.

The cat has a sharp sense of smell so that it can smell its prey or any animal which might be dangerous. They also hear very well. If a cat pricks up its ears for no obvious reason, it can probably hear something that you cannot.

They also see very well, especially in the dark. Cats are often nocturnal — they hunt or prowl about at night and sleep during the day. Family pets sometimes differ from this pattern because they do not catch

their own food, but most still like to prowl under the moon at night. In the dark, the pupils of the cat’s eyes open very wide to let the light in.

The back of a cat’s eye is reflective — that is why they may seem to glow in the dark. Its whiskers are also sensitive, and the cat know’s when something is touching them. Origins Cats were first domesticated by the ancient Egyptians about 4000 years ago. The Egyptians took cats into their homes, cared for them, and later came to worship them.

There is a story that when one ancient Persian king was trying to capture the Egyptian city of Delusion, he made his army tie cats to their shields so the Egyptians, who would not kill the sacred animals, would not attack the army.

In about 1000 B.C. the Egyptians declared the cat sacred to Bast, the lion goddess. Cats were worshipped, considered more valuable than humans, and were often wrapped as mummies when they died.

Another story about cats concerns the ancient prophet, Mohammed. It is said that Mohammed was devoted to his pet cat. One day when the cat was asleep in the sleeve of Mohammed’s robe, he was called to prayer. Rather than disturb his cat, Mohammed cut off his sleeve so she could continue sleeping.

In England in the Middle Ages, many people believed that cats were creatures of the devil, and that women who kept them were witches. Some people still think it is unlucky for a black cat to cross your path. Breeds Unlike dogs, domestic cats are all fairly similar to each other in size and build. The main difference between the breeds is the colour and length of the coat and the shape of some of their features.

Long-haired cats are known as Persians. They have fur of one colour, which can be anything from

black to grey to white to orange. White Persian cats with black lines around their green eyes are called chinchillas.

A cat which is a cross between a Persian and a cat with a patterned coat may have long patterned fur.

Among the common patterns found on short-furred cats are tabby' (with a striped design running across the back), black-and-white, ginger, and tortoiseshell (a combination of orange and black). Ginger cats are usually male and tortoiseshell cats are usually female, while white cats usually have blue eyes and are deaf. All these factors are passed on from the cat’s ancestors.

Siamese cats are unique in their colouring because they are bom all one colour. Later, the dark colour on their heads, legs and tails develops. All other cats have their colour from birth. There are a few other unusual breeds of cat. Abyssinians have fur which is speckled. Rex cats have curly fur which falls neatly into narrow rows on their body.

Manx cats must be the most unusual of all. They have either a very short tail or no tail at all, and their back legs are more like those of a rabbit. This is because they move with a hopping motion rather than a running motion because their lack of a tail means it is hard for them to balance. They are said to originate from the Isle of Man, in the British Isles.

Next week: How to care for your cat.