Want to wow friends and family with your knowledge of all things feline? Here are some wild cat facts to add to your collection!
The family Felidae is divided into four groups:
- Cheetahs
- Panthera group, including large cats like lions, tigers, and jaguars
- Ocelots
- Wild cats, including jungle and desert cats and our own domesticated cats
Fossil evidence suggests that felines, canines, and bears shared a common ancestor — a land based, carnivorous mammal.
The total cat population in the world is thought to be around two hundred million. Approximately a quarter of the world’s cat population resides in the United States — around seventy-five million cats. China has just under forty-seven million cats. Russia has the third largest cat population, with twelve and a half million cats.
In the United States, there is one cat for every four people. Great Britain has seven and a half million cats, making the ratio one cat for every ten people. Believe it or not, in 2005, Austria had approximately as many cats as it had human residents — a one to one ration.
An unneutered male cat is known as a tom. You may have known that one already, but did you know that an unsprayed female cat is called a queen?
If your cat is cobby shaped, it means she is short and small-bodied, with a round face. A wedge shaped cat is slender bodied and narrow faced — like Siamese and other Oriental type cats. A color-pointed cat has markings on the ears, face, paws, and tail with a lighter colored body. Color-pointed originally described Siamese cats, but can refer to other breeds as well.
Cats that are described as “blue” are actually grey. There is no such thing as a truly blue cat! Some blue cats include: the British Blue short-hair, the Korat, and the Devon Rex.