Cat Care: The 411
Scientific name: Felis Catus
Size: The average house cat is eight to eleven pounds, but you can have a petite six-pound calico or a big 15-pound Maine Coon cat.
Lifespan: Indoor cats regularly live to be 15 years old, and some kitties live even longer.
Colors/varieties: There are many different breeds of cats—from the hairless Sphynx and the fluffy, puffy Persian to the silvery spotted Egyptian mau. But the most popular kitties of all are non-pedigree—that includes brown tabbies, black-and-orange tortoiseshells, all-black cats with long hair, striped kitties with white socks and every cat in between!
Cats were domesticated, or bred to be friendly to humans, sometime between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, in Africa and the Middle East. Small wild cats started hanging out where humans stored their grain. Can you think of a better place to find mice?! When humans saw cats up close and personal, they began to admire felines for their beauty and grace.
Here kitty, kitty! Where can you get a pet? The best cats are available for adoption at your local shelter. You can even check an Internet database of thousands of cats in shelters across the country at petfinder.com.
Kittens are a ton of fun, but they'll need supervision 24/7. Someone should be home all the time to watch, feed and play with them. Adult cats are friendly and cuddly, too, and don't need as much attention.
Your cat may not speak your language, but she does have a way of showing you how she's feeling. We call this TAIL TALK! If her tail is straight up, she's psyched that you're near. If it's twitching and if she hisses, leave her alone. Like everybody else, cats need time out.
Show us your ID, please: Make sure your cat wears a collar with an identification tag engraved with your address and phone number.
LEARN MORE
- The 411
- Chow Time!
- Home Sweet Home
- Fun & Games
