House Cat

Origin and History of the House Cat

Formerly, it was carelessly thought that our house cats were simply the progeny of tamed pairs of the European wildcats; but anatomy has denied the probability of this and historical investigation shows that they came from another source. Historical evidence, which includes innumerable mummies, shows that the cat was domesticated by the Egyptians before the time of the oldest monuments of their civilization.

Moreover, the characteristic specific markings of the caffrc cat (still wild as well as tame in the Nile Valley) reappear unmistakably in our common house cats in spite of the fact that interbreeding with other species has intervened. A well-marked variety of this cat, known as the Mediterranean cat, was and is found in ancient times as well as now in Syria and eastward. It is established that many centuries before the Christian era the Egyptians, Cretans, Phoenicians and other men of the Levant were constantly voyaging all over the Mediterranean Sea. They were busy founding trading-posts on both its shores, where finally arose and spread the extensive civilizations of Greece and Rome on the north, and of Carthage on the south.

With these colonists undoubtedly went their friendly and useful mousers. That they then were crossed somewhat with the native wildcat seems to be shown by the appearance of the peculiar form we call "tabby" cats. In brief, this is the history of the common European House Cat and also those of America and most of the civilized world because of immigration. However, in the remote and isolated East exists races of domesticated cats of more local origin. Prof. G. Martorelli, of Milan, Italy, made a special study of this whole subject and he has concluded that the ordinary domestic cat of India has descended from the Indian desert cat.

From it, he says, are derived their common spotted breed, while the fulvous breed seen in India has been produced by a cross with the native jungle cat. Both these have interbred with the imported western cats in recent years. The Persian or ''Angora" long-haired breeds may probably have come from the Pallas' cat of central Asia; and the curious Siamese cat is regarded as derived from the golden cat. Whether accidentally or by the design of breeders, intermingling of these various species and races has produced the bewildering variety of forms now seen.

NOTE: This article is for information only. See your veterinarian for medical advice.

We plan to post articles that are informative and helpful to other cat lovers. Having been "owned" by cats for years, we know they can be demanding, but also be very entertaining and fun.
Best House Cat Care
Visit our website for products your cat may enjoy www.besthousecatcare.com

My cat might die no one knows what's wrong?
I live on a farm, but we aren't farmers. When we bought the house it came with tons of barn cats. Years later one of our cats had kittens that we saved in the winter. They were house cats for a while but became outdoor cats in the spring/summer. One of them has been sick. She was in our breeze way for a while and didn't move at all. And she wasn't eating. My mom brought her inside and gave her whetted down cat food in case she was dehydrated and or hungry. My mom took her to the vet the next day. He has no clue what is going on, but it doesn't look good. She might die and we don't even know what's wrong! What is wrong with her? (she's fixed if that makes a difference) Symptoms again: Wasn't eating or moving. Started crying a little to. There are no marks on her and she looks fine.

Get the answers...

What animal did I just see?
So I was riding my bike in a suburban area and in the grass off to the side of the road I saw silhouettes of two animals. It was very dark and when I got close, they ran away. They were about the size of a large house cat, but fatter, sort of like a very large groundhog. My first thought was groundhog or raccoon, but when they ran, they seemed to be more off the ground than a groundhog (groundhogs kind of slink along the ground; often you can't even see their legs), more like a cat, but with stubbier legs. I don't think they were raccoons because they had rather stubby tails. It was too dark to make out colouring or patterns. I saw them in a suburb around Ottawa. All in all it's not a huge deal, I'm just very curious and would like to know what it was I saw. I've seen plenty of groundhogs, foxes, rabbits, etc. around here but it didn't seem like any of them.

Get the answers...

How long before i let my 2 new cats outside?
Hello, we re-homed 2 1 year old cat sisters 8 days ago from a local animal sanctuary. im not sure how to go about letting them outside for the first time here at their new home. They have bonded really well with me and my wife, more so with myself as i have spent more time with them since we got them ( i work away for half of the month and home for the other half, so ive been with them most of the time they have been here whist my wife has been working). Yesterday i bought a kitty harness and took one of them outside for 10 mins, and today i have had her outside twice in the harness and her sister only the once today but she managed to slip the harness straight away and i had to catch her (which i did no problem). Anyhow my wife insists we use the harness for a few weeks for 15 mins or so at at time so they get used to their new surroundings. The problem is the one one that has been out the most is crying at the front door alot for out now that she has been there, so how long before we let them outside without the harness? The area we live in is pretty quiet and we already have 2 cats ( both strays who we started feeding and they kept coming back) who already get out when they please. For those that want to tell me to keep them inside as house cats, please dont , i believe this to be cruel if the cats have a desire to go outside. Any help welcome. This is a note to Mircat who posted below. Our other cats, were not sure their exact age but we know that at least one is 12 and the other is 14, so your law of averages to me are nonsense. Mabey someone should lock you up all your life like a prisoner and see how much you enjoy it? As for you expertise in cats, it would appear that your only an expert to yourself.

Get the answers...

How can i deal with being sad infront of people?
I'm 14 and my cat is a house cat and my dumb brother left the door open and she ran out a week ago. I live with my dad but I go to my moms all the time and she has been trying to help my find my kitty. And so I go to her house today and she has a new cat. And she keeps staring at me when someone holds it. Like she feels bad for me. And I just want to cry but not infront of every one. :( how can i deal with being sad in a better way with out crying?

Get the answers...

How do i tell my friend that I don't want to be in or near her house because of the smell?
Okay, so my friend has a LOT of animals, and for some reason, she keeps most of them in the house. Cats, dogs, mice, chickens, guineas, snakes, rabbits, turtles, you name it. She even had a goat and a pig in there at one point. The point is, she lets most of them do their business on the floor, and then never picks it up. She just lets it sit for months if she can. If she doesn't want to eat part of something, she'll just throw it in the floor. She spits in the floor if she has a wierd taste in her mouth, and I have seen her literally pee in her living room floor. She has trash overflowing onto the floor in every room with a bin, kitchen, bathroom, etc. Her house is completely infested with roaches, big ones, fleas, and alot of other bugs and insects that I can't identify. Her house is small, a trailer, so you can't really escape the smell. Even the outside stinks really badly. Her whole yard, which is huge, consists of only dirt and animal leavings, there is no grass. You can't get within 30 feet of her house without wanting to gag. She is 18 and her mom is 60, her mom works but she refuses to even look for a job. I don't mind spending time with her, as long as it's not too long a period of time, because even she has an awful smell to her, and tends to stink up everything she sits or lays on. I had to get a new seat in my car because I couldn't get the smell out. I can't stand going to her house though. My eyes literally start to water and I have to force myself to breathe. I never stay long unless I can't get to the roads and I'm stuck there, and when I get home I have to wash my clothes, shoes, and anything I had with me, I have to wipe down with peroxide to get rid of the smell, and I have to immediately take a shower so I don't stink up my own house. How do I tell her that I don't want to be near her house because of the smell without her getting mad at me? She's a good friend, I just can't stand being at her house or around her for too long. I consider her a good friend mostly because I've known her for about 7 years and she was there for me during some hard times, but that was a few years ago. Before that and now, it seems that I'm supporting her and her gross, trashy, and wh*re-ish habits. Lately I really haven't wanted to be her friend, because of her ridiculous habits, and thinking she can do whatever she wants with no consequences, and believing she deserves special treatment because people have told her to go bathe and to clean her house, mostly when she goes about a week without a shower and comes to school. We are both in senior year. Maybe I should just dump her as a friend?

Get the answers...

House Cat News

Video: A house cat and bobcat bond

A house cat and a bobcat have a tender moment through a sliding door. Kadiann Thompson of Arizona's KPHO reports.

Video: Bobcat and House Cat Go Paw-to-Paw

A cat used to living the comfortable life of a home indoors cared for by loving owners could be expected to scurry away at the sight of a wild cat. Not so in the case of a house cat in Arizona named Pima who did...

VIDEO: Moment between bobcat, house cat

An unusual moment between a house cat and a bobcat outside a Cave Creek home has become the talk of the Valley.

Watch: Bobcat and Cat Meet Their Match

A bobcat and a house cat in Arizona tried to touch paws through a glass door.

Vets closely monitor meth-positive cat

When Wagoner County deputies arrested a couple this week on drug charges, they found more than a dozen cats inside the home. Most of them feral, except for one: a neutered house cat that fell victim to its owners' drug problem.

Mysterious 'massive' black cat spotted again in Pleasanton hills

PLEASANTON -- The Bay Area's version of Nessie has been spotted again. This time, the mysterious and elusive large black cat that has reportedly stalked East Bay hills was seen in Pleasanton.

Pet Pointers: Fat cats

Obesity in cats can lead to health problems like arthritis and diabetes. Your feline friend may need to trim down a bit. Learn more in this edition of Pet Pointers.

Bitten Merritt Island cat owner starts rabies treatment

Baby, it turns out, had rabies, health officials said. / For FLORIDA TODAY Brevard County Health Department issued a rabies alert Wednesday to pet owners on Merritt Island after a house cat that attacked and bit its owner was found to have the deadly disease.