Among the families that constitute the class Mammalia , no more attractive one can be found than that of the FELIDAE...
The family comprises not only the largest and most ferocious of the beasts of prey, but also the graceful little animal that delights to make its home within man's abode...
Daniel Giraud Elliot,
A Monograph of the Felidae. 1883
Cats belong to the family Felidae within the order Carnivora, a diverse group of meat-eating mammals. Like all mammals (ourselves included), cats have hair and nurse their live-born young.
All cats are hunters. They have large, forward-facing eyes, excellent hearing, sharp teeth, and strong limbs armed with sharp claws for catching prey. Most often their tails are long and their fur is spotted or striped. All cats move silently, with unusual grace.
Wild species of cats are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica and play an important role as predators in the ecosystem. Sadly, most of the thirty-six cat species are in danger of becoming extinct within the next twenty-five years. |
