Introduction
The cat family, known scientifically as Felidae, includes all members of the biological family Felidae. This family consists of wild feline species such as lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, lynxes, and domestic cats. There are over 40 different cat species divided into two categories: big cats and smaller wild cats. All members of the cat family share several common traits while also demonstrating wide diversity in appearance, size, behavior, and habitat.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the characteristics and classifications of the cat family. Main sections will include defining the cat family, looking at big cats versus smaller cats, exploring domestic cats, examining cat senses and hunting behaviors, discussing reproduction and kittens, identifying habitats, and addressing conservation issues.
Defining the Cat Family
The technical and scientific name for the cat family is Felidae. This family includes all mammals commonly referred to as cats, from domestic cats to big wild cats like lions and tigers. Members of the cat family share many common traits that distinguish them from other mammal families.
All cats have retractable claws that can extend out when needed for hunting, climbing, or self-defense. Their claws are sharp and allow them to grasp prey and defend themselves. Cats also have flexible backs and loose skin that helps them be agile hunters. Their skeletons and muscles give them the ability to leap, run, climb, and pounce effectively.
Other shared traits of the cat family include acute senses like exceptional hearing, smell, night vision, and whiskers to aid in navigation and hunting. They have well-padded paws and soft fur. Cats are digitigrade walkers, meaning they walk on their toes. All species in the Felidae family are obligate carnivores, only consuming meat as part of their diet.
Big Cats
The largest and most well-known members of the cat family belong to the Panthera genus. This includes iconic big cats like lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars.
Lions (Panthera leo) are the largest cats in the genus, living in prides in the savannas and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. Male lions are recognizable by their mane of hair around their head and shoulders. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are the largest cats in the world and come in several subspecies including Bengal, Siberian, and Sumatran tigers. They have distinctive black stripes on an orange or white coat.
Leopards (Panthera pardus) have spotted coats that help them camouflage in trees and forests across Africa and Asia. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are found in Central and South America and are excellent swimmers. They have spotted coats similar to leopards. All big cats are powerful hunters with incredible strength and agility to take down large prey.
Other medium-sized cats in the Panthera genus include snow leopards, clouded leopards, and Sunda clouded leopards. These solitary and elusive cats are adapted to mountainous and forested habitats in Asia.
Most big cat species are endangered due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Conservation efforts aim to protect remaining populations and their natural habitats.
Smaller Cats
Some smaller cat species are a little larger in size than a domestic house cat. These wild cat species include the ocelot, which ranges from 28–35 inches in length and weighs 15-30 pounds. The ocelot is found in Central and South America and preys on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. Similar in size is the Eurasian lynx with a length of 31–51 inches and weight of 18-61 lbs. The Eurasian lynx has thick fur with tufted ears and can be found across Europe and Asia. The Canada lynx also has long tufts on the ears but has larger paws that act like snowshoes to help it move in the deep snow of Canada and Alaska.
Even smaller wild cats include species like the bobcat and the serval. Bobcats measure 20-24 inches tall and weigh 15-30 pounds. They have stubby tails and tufts on their ears. Bobcats are found across much of North America. The serval is a lanky cat with the longest legs and largest ears of any wild cat. Servals measure 24-36 inches long and weigh 15-40 pounds. They are found in Africa below the Sahara desert. Other small wild cats include Geoffroy’s cat, jungle cat, sand cat, black-footed cat, rusty-spotted cat, and more.
Sources:
https://bigcatswildcats.com/small-wild-cats-list/
Domestic Cats
Cats first began their unique relationship with humans between 10,000-12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent region, which includes modern day Egypt, Israel, and Iraq (The Natural History of the Domestic Cat). Early humans attracted wild cats with food scraps, and cats likely saw human settlements as a source of food. Over time, cats became more domesticated as they lived closely with humans.
Genetic studies show that domestic cats all descend from the African wildcat Felis silvestris lybica, which still exists today (Cat). It’s believed that the first domestication of cats occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC. Cats spread throughout the ancient world and became revered in ancient Egypt. Scholars once thought Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, but the historical record shows cats lived among humans for thousands of years prior.
Today’s house cats are still similar in anatomy and behavior to wild cats. But selective breeding over thousands of years has led to the development of different cat breeds with a range of coat colors, patterns, and body types. However, cats have not been bred to the same extremes as some dog breeds, and most domestic cats still closely resemble their wildcat ancestors.
Cat Senses
Cats have excellent senses that allow them to be effective hunters. Their sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are all finely tuned.
Cats have excellent vision and can see in light levels 6 times lower than humans. Their eyes are specially adapted to see well in low light and allowed them to be nocturnal hunters (source). Cats have a wide field of vision with peripheral vision up to 200 degrees. They can’t see well up close, but their distance vision is excellent. Their night vision gives them an advantage over prey.
A cat’s sense of hearing is very acute. They can hear frequencies up to 64 kHz compared to a human’s hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This allows them to hear high-pitched sounds made by mice and other prey. Their mobile outer ears help them locate exactly where sounds are coming from. They can move each ear independently to pinpoint sound sources (source).
Cats also have a powerful sense of smell, with more than 200 million odor-sensitive cells compared to 5 million in humans. They use their sense of smell to identify other cats, locate prey, and find mates. Their sense of smell is believed to be approximately 14 times better than humans.
While a cat’s sense of taste is not as strong, with only 473 taste buds compared to 9,000 in humans, they make up for this with their superior sense of smell which allows them to detect flavors. Cats do have taste preferences and generally prefer meaty flavors.
A cat’s sense of touch is very sensitive due to the hundreds of sensory receptors in their whiskers and paws. Their whiskers pick up subtle air currents and vibrations to aid with navigation and hunting.
Hunting and Diet
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to acquire certain nutrients for optimal health. Across all feline species, cats are predators that rely on hunting live prey. While their exact hunting strategies differ by species, habitat, and prey availability, cats universally employ skilled predatory techniques to catch their food.
Cats are patient and methodical hunters, often silently stalking their prey while remaining hidden from sight. They stealthily creep towards the prey before pouncing to deliver a lethal bite. Cats have excellent vision and hearing that aid their hunting skills. Their eyes have a wider field of view and can see well in low light. Their ears can pinpoint the location of sounds with great accuracy. These senses, along with their quick reflexes, give cats an evolutionary advantage when ambushing prey.
Larger cats like lions and tigers hunt bigger animals like wildebeests, zebras, and buffaloes. Smaller wild cats prey on rodents, birds, fish, insects, and other small animals. While domestic cats retain their predatory instincts, they mainly hunt small rodents, birds, and insects when allowed outside. Indoor cats will sometimes “hunt” toys, shadows, or their owners’ ankles as an outlet for their natural instincts. But domestication has lessened cats’ dependence on their predatory skills for survival.
Overall, the hunting and carnivorous dietary behaviors of cats highlight their shared ancestry as stalking predators. Their skills have allowed felines to thrive in diverse habitats by catching a wide range of prey. While predatory techniques vary between species, all cats demonstrate evolutionary adaptations that make them effective hunters.
Reproduction
Cats reach sexual maturity around 6-10 months old. The female cat’s reproductive cycle is unique in that they ovulate only after mating, known as induced ovulation. When a female cat goes into heat, which occurs several times a year, she will rub, roll, and vocalize to attract a mate. Cats are polyestrous, meaning they can go into heat multiple times in a year. The heat period lasts about 4-6 days if the female cat does not mate.
When a male and female cat mate, the male cat’s penis has spines that induce the female’s ovulation during intercourse. After mating, ovulation occurs and the eggs will be fertilized. Gestation lasts about 9 weeks or 63-65 days. Litter sizes average around 4-6 kittens, but can range from 1-12 kittens. The kittens are born blind and helpless, relying completely on their mother. They begin to open their eyes around 7-14 days and are weaned around 6-7 weeks old.
Some key facts about cat reproduction include:
- Female cats are polyestrous, having multiple heat cycles per year when ovulation can occur.
- Ovulation is induced by mating and stimulated by the spines on the male cat’s penis.
- Gestation lasts 63-65 days resulting in a litter of 4-6 kittens on average.
- Kittens are born blind and helpless, needing full care from the mother cat.
Overall, cat reproduction involves a unique cycle of heats, induced ovulation, a 2 month pregnancy, and a relatively large litter size for the feline’s small body size.
(Sources: https://www.whiskerdocs.com/articles/cat-reproduction, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/routine-care-and-breeding-of-cats/breeding-and-reproduction-of-cats)
Habitats
Cats are found in a remarkably diverse range of habitats across the world. The wildcat, considered the ancestor of the domestic cat, inhabits areas like grasslands, forests, and semi-arid deserts across Europe, Asia, and Africa (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/cat-diversity/). Other small cat species like the sand cat and jungle cat have adapted to thrive in deserts and tropical rainforests respectively.
The larger wild cats also inhabit a wide variety of environments. Lions and cheetahs roam the savannahs and open grasslands of Africa. Tigers prefer the dense forests and jungle habitats of Asia. Snow leopards are found at high altitudes in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. Jaguars inhabit tropical rainforests across Central and South America. Each species has evolved for optimal survival in their native habitat.
While originally from the deserts of North Africa, the domestic cat has now been introduced worldwide by humans and inhabits urban cities as well as rural farmlands. With their adaptable nature, cats can make themselves at home in diverse locales.
Conservation
Many wild cat species are threatened with extinction. According to the International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC), almost 80% of the world’s 37 species of wild cats are declining in number, with some of the most endangered including the Iberian lynx, Amur leopard, and Asiatic cheetah. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats facing wild cats, as forests are cleared for agriculture and development.
Conservation groups like the National Wildlife Federation and Wildlife Conservation Society are working to protect endangered cats through a combination of research, education, anti-poaching efforts, and establishing protected reserves. Many wild cat species require large ranges, so preserving connectivity between fragmented habitats is crucial. Reducing human-wildlife conflict in communities that border cat habitats is also an important conservation strategy.
With dedicated efforts, it is possible to bring back endangered cat populations. The Iberian lynx, for example, has rebounded from just 94 individuals in 2002 to over 800 today thanks to captive breeding programs and reintroduction efforts. Continued support and funding for conservation programs offer hope for protecting these iconic and ecologically important predators.