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Cats
outnumber dogs by millions as house pets. In the US alone,
there are about sixty million. In the US, thirty seven
percent of houses have at least one pet cat. In the UK,
about twenty five percent of houses have at least one
pet cat. In Australia, twenty six percent of houses have
at least one pet cat. There are about five hundred million
pet cats in the world. |
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The
earliest ancestor of the cat was the miacis, which lived
over fifty five million years ago. The miacis had a long
body and tail, short legs and looked somewhat like a weasel.
The ancestor of all domestic cats is African wild cat.
All domestic cats are members of same species, Felis Catus.
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Other
small members of cat family include the European wild
cat, Kodkod, Pampas cat, Geoffroy’s cat, Tiger cat,
Puma, Ocelot, Bobcat, Jaguarundi, Margay, Andean mountain
cat, Leopard cat, Jungle cat, Fishing cat, Pallas’s
cat, Rusty-spotted cat, Marbled cat, Bay cat, Iriomote
cat, Temminck’s golden cat, Flat-headed cat, Chinese
desert cat, Sand cat, Caracal, African wild cat, Serval,
African golden cat and Black-footed cat. There are about
forty different species of wild cat. |
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The
sand cat found mainly in Africa burrows into the sand
to protect itself from the heat of the sun during the
day. Many wild cats also live in caves. The fishing cat
found in India and Pakistan finds most of its prey in
the water. The fishing cat is an excellent swimmer and
catches fish, frogs and reptiles to feeds on. |
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Cats
are one of the oldest mammals on the earth. African wild
cats were found in fossil form as early as thirty eight
million years ago. The
average life span of a cat is twelve years, this can vary
with health, diet and breed. |
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