Saturday, October 12, 2019

Cats

Cats
  Throughout the centuries-old history of mankind, cats accompany people, giving a lot of positive emotions and making up for the need for communication and warmth. These affectionate, playful, intelligent, proud and independent animals can not leave anyone indifferent, causing admiration and tenderness, both in adults and in children. The cat has long become a traditional member of the family and has won the love of people around the world.
Domestic cats are the classic representatives of carnivorous feline mammals. Anatomically, these animals are similar to their relatives in the family and have a strong, flexible body, lightning-fast reaction and sharp claws and teeth, which reflects the membership of cats in predators. In addition, the cat has a hearing that is unique in sensitivity, which allows it to hear sounds inaccessible to the human ear due to low intensity or high frequency. The vision of these predators is perfectly adapted for night hunting and gives them the opportunity to drive close objects in the dark. As for color perception, cats, like most predators, are inferior to humans in this respect, but are significantly ahead of humans in terms of smell

Cats are characterized by high breeding rates, which, according to scientists, has caused the extermination of about 33 species of birds. These statistics once again indicate the predatory nature of these cute domestic mammals, which combine seemingly incompatible character traits. The history of the taming of this predator totals, according to historians, more than 9.5 thousand years and originates in the Neolithic era. During this time, cats in various cultures went through the stages of worship and veneration on a par with the Gods, as well as the stages of destruction and equating with evil spirits. However, these pets have proven their necessity to humans, which has led to the spread of cats throughout the globe. Scientists say that today in the world there are more than 70 different breeds of domestic cats. The experts of the "Encyclopedia of Pets" collected the most complete and reliable information regarding the breeds and rules for caring for cats, as well as formulated a number of invaluable recommendations regarding the needs of cats at different stages of her life.

History and Mythology

 For many years, Egypt was considered the birthplace of domestication of cats, where drawings of these animals dating back more than 1500 BC were discovered. However, in 2004, archaeologists made a sensational statement, which indicates the discovery in Cyprus of a joint burial of a man and a cat. Moreover, the estimated age of the burial site is 9.5 thousand years, indicating the coexistence of domestic cats and humans in the Neolithic era. After conducting a series of studies, scientists came to the conclusion that the true homeland of domestication of cats is the country of the Middle East, from where this tradition migrated to the territory of modern Cyprus and Egypt. Most historians believe that cats came to human settlements following small rodents, which in turn were attracted to the abundance of grain and other cereal crops.

Having entrenched among people, the cat became a real deity and a subject of worship in Ancient Egypt. One of the revered goddesses of Bastet was often depicted as a cat or lioness. Hundreds of myths and art objects of Egypt are devoted to this animal, including one of the oldest engravings that have survived to this day, depicts a girl holding a cat in her arms. Cats were most likely to be ubiquitous in the era of great geographical discoveries, when travelers took them with them as companions. The importance of cats in the religion and mythology of various countries is difficult to overestimate. So in most cultures, cats are still considered the embodiment of spirits and the embodiment of the souls of the dead. In Japan, a cat is a symbol of good luck and favor of heaven, while Islam calls this animal the favorite companion of the prophet Muhammad. Norse mythology also assigned a special role to this predator, connecting it with the goddess of love Freya.
Around the world there are many superstitions and negative signs that are directly related to cats. So in many countries a black cat that has crossed a person’s path is considered a symbol of failure. In addition, most of the reflections of black magic, witches and witchcraft are also associated with black cats, believing that these animals can enhance dark magic. Almost all peoples devote several lives to these predators, and in different countries this number varies: 6, 7 and even 9.

Features of feline physiology

                        Being the classic representatives of the order of mammals, cats exhibit several extremely unusual physiological features, which include the following facts:
  • The body temperature of a cat can increase to 52 ° C, without causing any discomfort to the animal. At the same time, this temperature does not change during the day, which leads to the same activity of the animal both day and night.
  • The kidneys of cats work so effectively that the animal can survive by eating only fresh meat, without receiving additional fluid. In addition, cats are one of the few mammals that can get enough moisture by consuming salt water.
  • Being a carnivore, a cat requires maintaining a balanced diet, at least 20% of which should be protein.
  • The cat's body shows high sensitivity and the need for such amino acids as arginine and taurine, since these substances are not produced independently, but can only be obtained with food. The deficiency of these amino acids leads to blindness, weakness, and even death of the animal.
  • The deficiency of these amino acids leads to blindness, weakness, and even death of the animal. The cat’s gastrointestinal tract is relatively short and produces a minimal number of various enzymes, which is aimed at digesting protein foods and complicates the processing of carbohydrates.

Feelings and reactions

                        Cats have excellent twilight vision, which is achieved by passing through the retina all the rays of light received. In addition, the ability to see in the dark can be associated with a relatively large pupil of the animal. Moreover, such a physiological ability significantly limits color perception, narrowing the possibilities of distinguishing colors to blue and green.
Feline hearing is sensitive in a wide frequency range - from 55 kHz to 79,000 kHz, which makes this animal more sensitive and susceptible in this regard than any breed of dog. In addition, cats perfectly perceive ultrasonic signals, which greatly facilitates the hunt for small rodents that use these waves as a communication system. The developed olfactory reflex of cats is associated with a relatively large olfactory bulb and a large surface of the nasal mucosa, which contains specific sensory receptors. The last indicator in a cat is almost twice the corresponding characteristic for humans. Acutely perceiving any odors, cats are able to capture and recognize various pheromones, which to a greater extent forms the sexual behavior of these animals.

Interestingly, cats have a relatively poor palatability compared to humans. The small quantitative content of taste buds in the oral cavity does not allow cats to perceive sweet, bitter and sour tastes. The cat's whiskers play the role of a kind of coordinator and navigator, which has no analogues in nature. Read more about the behavior and characteristics of cats here.

Cat health

                The average life expectancy of a cat today is 12-14 years. This can be attributed to the achievements of modern veterinary medicine, since in 1980 this figure did not exceed 7 years. Nevertheless, the case is described when a cat passed away in 38, fixing a kind of record. An important factor in increasing the life span of these animals is ovarian removal, sterilization, and castration. Studies have shown that castrated cats live on average twice as long as individuals who have not undergone this manipulation. For females, this figure is 62%.
A cat can tolerate dozens of different diseases, which requires careful attention to the health of the pet on the part of man. Timely contacting a veterinarian at the first sign of poisoning or infection, guarantees an increase in the quality and longevity of the animal. Domestic cats are equally active both in the daytime and in the evening. Sleep takes an average of 12-16 hours of their daily routine, and this figure is growing steadily with the age of the pet. The behavior of a cat also changes greatly with time, transforming from a more playful in childhood to a more rational and stable in adulthood. Nevertheless, domestic cats are distinguished by sociability and sociability, which earned the centuries-old love and devotion of man.


Encyclopedia of Pets is:

  • all the details of caring for cats of any breed and age;
  • advice from professional veterinarians regarding pet health;
  • rules for feeding and choosing the right food for your kitten or adult animal;
  • detailed descriptions of breeds and subspecies of cats;
  • subtleties of raising and taming a kitten;
  • interesting facts and real stories from animal life.
Attitude towards animals characterizes a person as a person, revealing hidden corners and intricacies of his soul. Love for pets and loyalty to four-legged friends is a sign of the wealth of the inner world and the breadth of the soul. Cats, like natural sensors, will feel your love and repay you the same. Soft and fluffy, gentle and affectionate, graceful and graceful, amazing and mysterious, funny and funny, proud and friendly - expressions that people use to characterize cats. Who in childhood did not bring a fluffy lump home and did not persuade parents to tear a kitten with tears? These wonderful creatures of nature leave few indifferent, and especially children.
                          
             
          

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