cats as pets: Quick Facts

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Photos and Videos

Young boy in a red shirt smiles while hugging a fluffy tabby cat, their faces close together.

Ryan Guenther pours food or water into a dish while tending to several cats in stacked cages at Sean Casey Animal Rescue in New York City, with signs reading do not touch any cats or kittens.

collage of cat types

Bengal cat with a spotted coat eating wet food from a white ceramic dish on a white surface.

Fluffy kitten standing on hind legs, batting at a feathered toy attached to a blue ball on the floor.

A red Maine Coon cat with long fur licking its front paw while grooming itself, eyes closed in a relaxed expression.

A hairless Sphynx cat with green eyes lies curled on a fluffy tan bed, looking alertly to the side.

“glowing” cat eyes

Two anatomical diagrams of a domestic cat's paw show a cross-section of the claw retracted on the left and extended on the right, illustrating how the claw is drawn in or exposed.

A clump of cat hairball with visible strands of hair and mucus rests on a textured fabric surface.

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

Meet shorthair cat breeds: Cornish Rex, Manx, and more

catnip's effect on cat behavior

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Topics

9 (Lives of) Famous Cat Lovers pet How Easy Is It to Clone Your Pet?Why do churches bless pets?Who was the first cat in space?Why Are Lilies Toxic to Cats?Why do cats like catnip?Why do cats like boxes?Why do they say cats have nine lives?Why do cats like scratching posts?Why do Sphynx cats appear hairless?Why do cats rub against your legs?