Portal:Cats

The Cats Portal

Felidae (/ˈfiːləˌdiː/ FEE-lə-dee) is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats. A member of this family is also called a felid (/ˈfiːlɪd, -ləd/ FEE-lid, -⁠ləd).

The 41 extant Felidae species exhibit the greatest diversity in fur patterns of all terrestrial carnivores. Cats have retractile claws, slender muscular bodies and strong flexible forelimbs. Their teeth and facial muscles allow for a powerful bite. They are all obligate carnivores, and most are solitary predators ambushing or stalking their prey. Some wild cat species are adapted to forest and savanna habitats, some to arid environments, and a few also to wetlands and mountainous terrain. Their activity patterns range from nocturnal and crepuscular to diurnal, depending on their preferred prey species. (Full article...)

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected species - show another

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a small wildcat species that was described in the late 18th century. Its fur is brownish to grey with stripes on the forehead and on the sides. It has a bushy tail with a black tip. Its head-to-body length reaches up to 65 cm (26 in) with a 34.5 cm (13.6 in) long tail, and it weighs up to 7.5 kg (17 lb).

The European wildcat is native to continental Europe, Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus. It primarily inhabits broad-leaved and mixed forests. In France and Italy, it is predominantly nocturnal, but also active in the daytime when undisturbed by human activities. It preys foremost on small mammals such as lagomorphs and rodents, but also on ground-dwelling birds. (Full article...)

List articles

List of felids – the family Felidae consists of 41 extant species belonging to 14 genera and divided into 92 subspecies.
List of domestic cat breeds – includes only domestic cat breeds and domestic × wild hybrids
List of individual cats – includes cats that have achieved some degree of popularity either in their own right.
List of fictional felines – includes a limited selection of notable felines from various works, organized by medium.

Related portals

WikiProjects

WikiProject Cats

WikiProject Animals

Selected breed - show another

Young cat at a cat show in Finland

The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Its short-haired coat has a bicolour colourpoint pattern. The breed takes its name from the characteristic white feet forming the white shoe pattern. It is a pointed cat with blue eyes.

Snowshoes were first produced when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding programme to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bicolour American Shorthair cats and other breeds. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings. (Full article...)

Did you know... - show different entries

...that the fauna of Scotland includes almost half of the EU’s breeding seabirds, but only one endemic vertebrate species, and that although a population of wildcats (pictured) remains, many of the larger mammals were hunted to extinction in historic times?
...that the average lifespan of a feral cat who survives kittenhood is two years, compared to 16 years for house cats?
...that in addition to human spaceflight, there have been many animals in space, including monkeys, apes, mice, dogs, guinea pigs, frogs, rats, cats, tortoises, fish, newts, insects, snails, spiders and nematodes?
...that in cat coat genetics, two different X-chromosome alleles must be expressed to create a calico?
...that Socks was one of Bill Clinton's two pets while President of the United States?
... that Grumpy Cat's signature facial expression is permanent and probably caused by feline dwarfism?