| Cats are available in all rainbow colours and their | | | | Cornish Rex and Devon Rex breeds. Most breeds of |
| shades. Cats are available in hundreds of colours. The | | | | cats have rounded face. The most favorite breeds |
| common coat patterns in cats are solid, tabby, | | | | of cat are Persian, Siamese and the Maine Coon. |
| tortoiseshell, bi colour, tri colour and colourpoint. Eyes | | | | Many breeds of cats have narrow or flat face. Many |
| of cats are most beautiful as compared to all other | | | | cat encyclopedias are now available at Cat |
| animals. Eyes of cats are also found in all rainbow | | | | Encyclopedias like Catlopedia, The Ultimate |
| colours and their shades. A cat can have each eye of | | | | Encyclopedia Of Cats, Cat Breeds and Cat Care by |
| different colour. Each eye of a cat can have two or | | | | Alan Edward, The Encyclopedia of the cat by Michael |
| more colours. The eyes of kittens change color over | | | | Pollard ,The cat - A Complete Guide by Claire |
| a period of months to the final eye color. Eyes of cat | | | | Bessant, The new encyclopedia of the cat by Fogle, |
| are found in slanted, almond and oval shapes. The | | | | Bruce and Dorling Kindersley and the Cat Encyclopedia |
| eyes of cat shine at night because they have a layer | | | | by Verhoef Verhallen and Esther J.J. are now available |
| of reflective cells at the back of each eye known as | | | | at Many cat Magazines and cat periodicals like All |
| Tapetum Lucidium of yellowish colour which acts like | | | | About Cats, Your Cat and Cat World are now |
| a sort of bright mirror reflecting the light on the | | | | available. Teeth of cats are sharp and they are |
| retina. Cats are able to see clearly in dim light. The | | | | adapted for tearing flesh because cats are |
| night vision of cats is six times greater than human | | | | carnivorous animals. Cats have from thirty to thirty |
| beings. Cats are not able to see in complete | | | | two teeth. The anatomy of cats is very similar to |
| darkness. For function of vision, Cats have more | | | | the anatomy of human beings. The skeleton of cat |
| nerve cells in their brain as compared to human | | | | contains 250 bones while the skeleton of human |
| beings and all other mammals. Cats also have about | | | | beings contains 206 bones because the cat has some |
| three times more rods in their eyes as compared to | | | | extra bones in its tail. Cats are free from many |
| human beings so they can see better than human | | | | skeletal abnormalities that can affect dogs. All cats |
| beings in dim light. Cats have Peripheral vision and | | | | have flexible spine. The cat's body has great |
| binocular vision which enables it to accurately judge | | | | elasticity. Because the vertebrae of the spinal column |
| large distances. Eyes of cats have a additional third | | | | are held together by muscles rather than by |
| eyelid or nictitating membrane which is a thin fleshy | | | | ligaments, as in humans, the cat can elongate or |
| membrane that is usually tucked away at the inner | | | | contract its back, curve it forward, or oscillate it |
| corner of the eye. The third eyelid helps in protection | | | | along the vertebral line. The construction of the |
| and cleaning of eye. The retina of the cat's eye is | | | | shoulder joints permits the cat to turn its foreleg in |
| made extra sensitive to light by a layer of guanine, | | | | almost any direction. The hip joint enables a cat to |
| which causes the eye to shine at night in a strong | | | | leap easily. Other special joints allow a cat to turn its |
| light. Cats have highly developed sense of touch. The | | | | head to reach most parts of its body. A cat uses its |
| skin of cats is covered with highly sensitive touch | | | | tail for balancing while jumping or falling. All cats have |
| spots which respond to the lightest pressure. The | | | | an excellent sense of balance, which enables them to |
| skin of cats shine due to sebum, a lubricant secreted | | | | leap and pounce with ease. The cat's claws are |
| by the sebaceous glands of skin. Ear of cats can | | | | designed for catching and holding prey. The sharp |
| rotate up to 180 degrees in order to locate and | | | | hooked retractile claws are sheathed in a soft, |
| identify even the faintest of squeaks, peeps and | | | | leathery pocket at the end of each toe, and are |
| rustling noises. Ears of cats have twelve muscles. | | | | extended for fighting, hunting and climbing. The claws |
| Tiny erector muscles, attached to hair follicles, enable | | | | usually are retracted under the skin by elastic |
| the cat to bristle all over. In relation to their body | | | | ligaments, which are a type of connective tissue. |
| size, cats have largest eyes as compared to any | | | | However, when the claws are needed, certain |
| other mammal including human beings. Domestic cats | | | | muscles quickly pull the tendons connected to the |
| possess some colour vision. Domestic cats are able | | | | claws. This action extends the claws. A cat has five |
| to see blue, green, yellow and gray colours. Cats | | | | toes on each forepaw, including a thumblike inner toe |
| sense of hearing is one of the highest in animal | | | | that is helpful in catching prey. Each hindpaw has four |
| kingdom. Cats can hear ultrasonic waves. Hearing | | | | toes. Some cats have extra toes. Each of a cat's |
| power of cats is about three times greater than | | | | toes ends in a sharp hooklike claw. Several spongy |
| human beings. Hearing power of cats is about two | | | | pads of thick skin cover the bottoms of a cat's feet. |
| times greater than dogs. Cats can hear sounds of | | | | The pads cushion the paws and enable a cat to |
| upto 65kHz and dogs can hear sounds of upto | | | | move quietly. Cat hunts and kills birds, rats, mice, |
| 30kHz. There are more than forty thousand nerve | | | | insects, rabbits, frogs, squirrels, lizards, snakes, fishes, |
| fibres present in the auditory nerve of cats as | | | | cockroaches and other small animals. Cats are most |
| compared to human beings having about thirty | | | | skillful hunters out of all other animals. A cat usually |
| thousand. Deafness is an inherited defect among | | | | hunts alone instead of hunting in groups because |
| some white cats, particularly those with blue or odd - | | | | hiding and pouncing cannot be successful in a group |
| color eyes. Sense of smelling in cats is highly | | | | whereas dogs always hunt in groups. Cats are able to |
| developed. Cats have fourteen times more smelling | | | | catch other animals by approaching them swiftly and |
| power than human beings. Smelling power of dogs is | | | | quietly on padded feet. Or they may wait motionless |
| greater as compared to cats. The cats have | | | | until an animal comes close and then spring upon it |
| additional smelling organ known as jacobson's organ | | | | suddenly. Cats also have a keen sense of balance |
| besides having nose. The jacobson's organ is located | | | | and can easily walk along the tops of narrow fences |
| in the upper surface of a cat's mouth. A cat has a | | | | or along narrow ledges. When cats fall, they almost |
| small wedge - shaped nose. The tip of nose is | | | | always land on their feet. Most cats hunt at night. |
| covered by a tough layer of skin called nose leather. | | | | Cats generally are nocturnal in habit. All cats are |
| The nose leather may be of various colors. It is | | | | excellent fisherman. Cats can be used as catchers of |
| usually moist and cool. A sick cat may have a warm, | | | | fish. Cats run faster than any other animal. A |
| dry nose. The sense of taste in cats is as developed | | | | domestic cat can run at speeds of upto thirty miles |
| as sense of smell. The taste buds are present in | | | | per hour. Cheetah run faster than any animal. |
| tongue of cats. Cats prefer salty and sour tastes | | | | Cheetah can run at speeds of seventy miles per |
| more than sweetness and bitterness. The tongue of | | | | hour. Cats are also excellent swimmers. Some cats |
| cats is covered with hooklike rough protuberances or | | | | can do swim for pleasure and some cats specially the |
| papillae, that it uses to rasp meat from bones and to | | | | tiger swim for long distances. All cats have |
| groom itself. Out of all domestic animals, only cats | | | | retractable claws. All cats walk on the tips of their |
| have true furs. Cats have both undercoat fur and | | | | toes, not on the soles of their feet. The Giraffe and |
| outer fur. The fur of cats are warm, soft, shiny, silky | | | | Camel are the only known animals that walk on the |
| and of various lengths depending upon breed of cat. | | | | tips of their toes similar to cats. Cats walk on their |
| The cats can have upto two hundred hairs for every | | | | toes, their steps cushioned by pads, which aid silent |
| square millimeter on their body. There are more than | | | | hunting and enable them to move swiftly when they |
| hundred breed of cats. There are about forty | | | | need to pounce. Cats are sleepiest of all mammals. A |
| internationally recognized breeds of cats which differs | | | | cat sleeps for sixteen to eighteen hours in a day. Pet |
| mainly in their personality, intelligence, coat colour, | | | | cat prefers to sleep in laundry basket, chair, bed, on |
| coat colour pattern, body size, ear size, ear shape, | | | | a window sill or in a box while stray cats always |
| nose size, eye colour, tail length, tail shape, thickness | | | | sleep in safe places. A newborn kitten is unable to |
| of tail, fur length, face shape and eye shape. The | | | | see, hear or walk. All kittens are born with blue eyes. |
| famous cat breeds include Siamese, Persian, Ragdoll, | | | | The colour of eyes of kitten changes as they |
| Balinese, Russian Blue, Maine Coon, American Curl, | | | | become old. Kittens start walking at the age of |
| Manx, Himalayan, Burmese, Abyssinian and Birman. | | | | about two weeks. Whiskers are long straight hairs |
| Other breeds include Bombay, Norwegian Forest Cat, | | | | that protrude from the lips of cats. The whiskers are |
| Scottish Fold, British Shorthair, American Shorthair, | | | | sensitive to air currents. Whiskers or vibrissae are |
| American Wirehair, American Bobtail, Laperm, Ocicat, | | | | delicate sensitive organs of touch equivalent to |
| Siberian, Egyptian Mau, Oriental, Colorpoint Shorthair, | | | | fingertips of human beings. Whiskers may help catch |
| Chartreux, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Somali, | | | | reflections of sound, thus serving somewhat the |
| Singapura, Exotic, European Burmese, Havana Brown, | | | | same function as antennae do in other animals. As |
| Japanese Bobtail, Turkish Angora, Turkish Van, | | | | the air moves, the whiskers vibrate and cats use |
| Tokinese, Sphynx, Javanese, Korat and Selkirk Rex. | | | | messages in these vibrations to sense the presence, |
| The coat colour patterns in different breeds of cat | | | | size and shape of nearby objects without seeing or |
| are Solid, Tabby, Shaded, Parti - Color, Colorpoint, | | | | touching them. Cat also uses its whiskers for |
| Tortoiseshell or Calico and Bi - Coloured. Out of all cat | | | | determining width of a gap. Cats have about twenty |
| breeds, the Persian breed of cats have longest and | | | | four movable whiskers, twelve on either side of their |
| thickest fur. The coat of Russian Blue cats is blue | | | | nose. Small groups of whiskers are also situated on |
| coloured. The Manx breed of cats do not have a tail. | | | | other parts of the body as well such as on the outer |
| The largest breeds of domestic cat are Ragdoll and | | | | edges of cheeks, above the eyes and on the back |
| Maine Coon. The Siamese breed of cats is | | | | of the front legs. The whiskers function as radars in |
| exceptionally more vocal. The Sphynx breed of cats | | | | cats. Cats have retractable claws. The useful |
| is hairless. The Japanese Bobtail breed of cats has a | | | | websites related to cats are op/recreation/pets/cats, |
| short rigid tail with bushy hair. The Scottish fold is a | | | | , , , , , , , , , , , eleport/partners/discovery.aspURL= |
| medium sized cat with ears that fold toward the | | | | For information about cats visit the website of animal |
| face and downward. The Maine Coon breed of cats | | | | planet channel cat guide at For more information on |
| looks somewhat like a Raccoon. The American Curl | | | | cats visit the website of Encyclopedia Encarta at the |
| breed of cats have ears that curl away from the | | | | encyclodedia Aniwa at and visit the website of |
| face. The American Wirehair breed of cats have a | | | | Encyclopedia Britannica at . |
| unique wiry coat that is not dissimilar to that of | | | | |