Cats
The cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from other felines, is a small carnivorous species of nocturnal mammal that is often valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin. It has been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years.
A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over 1,000 species for food. It is intelligent and can be trained to obey simple commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn to manipulate simple mechanisms. Cats use a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for communication, including mewing ("meow" or "miaow"), purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. Cats are popular pets and are also bred and shown as registered pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the cat fancy.
A study by the National Cancer Institute published in the journal Science asserts that all house cats are descended from a group of self-domesticating desert wildcats Felis silvestris lybica circa 10,000 years ago, in the Near East. All wildcat subspecies can interbreed, but domestic cats are all genetically contained within F. s. lybica
Cats Wikipedia
House Cat Origin Traced to Middle Eastern Wildcat Ancestor National Geographic - June 28, 2007
DNA traces origin of domestic cat to Middle East BBC - June 28, 2007
The ancestry of the world's household cats can be traced to just five
lineages which lived alongside ancient settlers in the Fertile Crescent,
an area stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the Gulf.
Fertile Crescent Wikipedia
Blind Cats Get Implants Live Science - January 17, 2007
Dogs Get Found, Cats Stay Lost Live Science - January 15, 2007
New cat family tree revealed BBC - January 7, 2006
Cat in the pink over new colour BBC - September 6, 2005
Kitten Born With Two Faces WLKY.com - March 10, 2005
Dig discovery is oldest 'pet cat' BBC - April 2004
While ancient Egypt provides the first written record of cats,
a burial discovered on Cyprus indicates that humans and felines
may have become associated much earlier extending 9,500
years or more into the past.
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