cat

Introduction & Top Questions
Origin and history of cats
- Domestication
- Associations with human culture
Identifying cats
- Breed origins
- Colors and patterns
- Tortoiseshell cats
Body types and features
- Coordination and musculature
- Teeth
- Claws
- Ears
- Tail
- Skin and hair
Senses
- Touch
- Hearing and “seeing Martians”
- Taste
- Smell
- Sight and “glowing eyes”
- Cats’ “sixth sense”
Behavior
- Elimination habits
- Sexual behavior
- Body language and communication
- Vocal communication
Heredity
- Genes and chromosomes
- Dominant and recessive genes
- Mutation and new breeds
List of selected shorthair breeds
List of selected longhair breeds

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

A Maine Coon longhair cat with cream and white fur sits beside a tabby shorthair cat in a garden with green foliage in the background.

A split image of a lion and an orange cat are shown against a vintage map.

A European wildcat, Felis silvestris, stands in snow with one paw on a dead rabbit, its prey, during winter.

A black and white feral cat lies on a stone in front of the ancient columns and ruins of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Ancient Egyptian relief carving of a seated cat, representing the goddess Bastet, etched into a stone surface.

limestone ostracon depicting a cat, a boy, and a mouse magistrate

Large Maneki-neko beckoning cat sculpture with gold accents and red details stands outdoors at Hinoki Land park, surrounded by grass, purple flowers, and trees.

Cast members of the musical Cats in elaborate feline costumes and makeup perform an energetic dance on stage at the Beiteddine Palace in Lebanon.

At a Glance

domestic cat summary

Quizzes

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

Ultimate Animals Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Related Questions

How can cats see well in very low light?
How did Egyptian cats spread across the Mediterranean and Eurasia?
How did cats spread from the Middle East into Europe?
How did domestic cats spread around the world?
How do a cat’s hind legs and back muscles help it leap?
How do cat pupils change in bright and dim light?
How do cats form social groups despite being solitary hunters?
How do cats use scent glands to mark territory?
How does cat color vision differ from human color vision?
How does the colorpoint pattern develop in Siamese cats?
How long is a domestic cat’s pregnancy?
How many toes does a domestic cat have on its front and rear paws?
How were cats viewed in ancient Egypt?
What does a cat’s hiss mean?
What does it mean when a cat tucks its tail between its hind legs?
What is the purpose of a cat’s third eyelid?
When did the first catlike mammals evolve?
When were cats first associated with humans?
Who was Bastet in ancient Egyptian religion?
Why are domestic cats most active at dawn and dusk?
Why are newborn kittens blind and deaf?
Why can’t cats chew and grind food like humans do?
Why do a cat’s eyes appear to shine at night?
Why do cats chatter when they see prey that they cannot reach?
Why do cats groom themselves with their tongues?
Why do cats have a short digestive tract?
Why do cats have retractable claws?
Why do cats knead with their paws?
Why do cats purr when they are not content?
Why do cats scratch objects?
Why do cats spray urine on vertical surfaces?
Why do cats usually cover their feces and urine?
Why do female cats make loud mating calls?
Why must cats eat meat to survive?
Why were cats transported on ships by ancient sailors and Vikings?
Why were cats useful to early agricultural communities?
What is the lineage of cats?

Science Mammals Cats & the Feline Family

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A Suite of Genetic Markers Useful in Assessing Wildcat (Felis silvestris ssp.)Â— Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus) Admixture
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group - Cats
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Biology and Diseases of Cats
A-Z Animals - Cat
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Cats
Animal Corner - Cats
LiveScience - Cats: The strange and fascinating history of our feline friends
Animal Diversity Web - Domestic cat

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

cat - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
cat - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

cat

domesticated mammal

Also known as: Felis catus, domestic cat, house cat

Written by

J. Anne Helgren

J. Anne Helgren is the author of six books on cats.

J. Anne Helgren

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 11, 2026 •History

cat, (Felis catus), domesticated member (felid) of the family Felidae. The family is generally divided between cats from the subfamily Pantherinae, which roar (including lions, tigers, and leopards), and cats from the subfamily Felinae, which purr instead (including cougars, bobcats, and domestic cats). According to the latest research, purring likely stems from a special pad within the folds of a cat’s vocal cords, which adds an additional layer of fatty tissue that enables the folds...

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