CatsSpecies profile

Domestic cat

Felis catus · Linnaeus, 1758

By Strange Animals · Updated 15 Nov 2026 · 15 sources

A small desert wildcat that moved in with farmers about 10,000 years ago and has changed remarkably little since. It is the only cat people have domesticated, still a capable solitary hunter, and now lives on every continent except Antarctica, in numbers somewhere above half a billion.

How cats joined us See the numbers

FamilyFelidae (cats)

AncestorAfrican wildcat

StatusDomesticated

DietMeat only

CATS AT A GLANCE

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a small carnivore descended from the African wildcat, Felis lybica. It began living alongside people in the Near East around 10,000 years ago, drawn to the rodents in grain stores. Adults usually weigh 3.5 to 5 kg and live 12 to 15 years. Cats must eat meat, see well in dim light, hear far into the ultrasonic range and are most active at dawn and dusk. Unlike dogs, they were never bred for work, and most still choose their own mates. Kept, stray and feral cats together number in the hundreds of millions and are a major predator of wildlife.

Figures graded and sourced in the fact sheet below.

KEY DISCOVERIES

2004Oldest pet catA cat buried beside a person in Cyprus, about 9,500 years ago, shows cats were already living with people (Vigne et al.).

2007One ancestorDNA from 979 cats traces every house cat to the African wildcat of the Near East (Driscoll et al.).

2013Counting the killsA US study estimates cats kill 1.3 to 4 billion birds a year there (Loss et al.).

2017Two wavesAncient DNA shows cats spread first with early farmers, then again from Egypt on ships (Ottoni et al.).

2019AttachmentIn a standard bonding test, about 64% of cats behave as securely attached to their owner (Vitale et al.).

2023How purring worksPads in the vocal folds let a small larynx make very low sounds without constant muscle effort (Herbst et al.).

ONLY IN THE CAT

What makes the domestic cat unlike any other animal?

Short answer: It is the only domesticated animal that was a solitary hunter, and it largely domesticated itself.

01Self-domesticatedWildcats moved into farming villages for the mice. People tolerated them; nobody set out to tame them.Driscoll et al. 2007

02A low purr from a small throatPads in the vocal folds slow their vibration, giving a 25 to 30 Hz rumble no animal that size should manage.Herbst et al. 2023

03Cannot taste sugarA broken gene leaves cats without a working sweet receptor.Li et al. 2005

04Lands on its feetA falling cat twists its front and back halves in opposite directions to turn upright in mid-air.Kane & Scher 1969

05Hears higher than a dogIts hearing runs from about 48 Hz to 85,000 Hz, one of the widest ranges of any mammal.Heffner & Heffner 1985

06Meows are for usAdult cats rarely meow at each other. The sound is used mainly on people.Bradshaw 2013

FACT SHEET

How long do cats live?

Short answer: Usually 12 to 15 years as pets, and often longer indoors. The oldest on record reached 38.

MeasuredEstimatedQuoted, unverified

WeightMeasured~3.5 to 5 kgTypical adult3.5 to 5 kgLarge Maine Coonup to ~10 kgMales are usually heavier than females

LifespanMeasured~12 to 15 yearsPet cats, average12 to 15 yrsOldest recorded38 yrsIndoor cats tend to live longer. Record: Creme Puff, Texas, 1967 to 2005 (Guinness)

SleepEstimated~12 to 16 hours a dayCat12 to 16 hHuman~8 hMostly light dozing, in many short bouts

Hearing rangeMeasured48 Hz to 85 kHzCatto 85 kHzHumanto 20 kHzCovers the ultrasonic squeaks of mice. Heffner & Heffner 1985

Night visionEstimated~6× less light neededHuman needs6×Cat needs1×A reflective layer behind the retina gives light a second pass

Top speedQuoted, unverified~48 km/hRepeated everywhere, but we could not trace it to a timed measurement. Treat it as a rough upper guess for a short sprint.Popular figure

Purr pitchMeasured~25 to 30 HzPurr25 to 30 HzMeowhundreds of HzUnusually low for an animal this small

PregnancyMeasured~63 to 65 daysGestation~9 weeksLitter~3 to 5 kittensFemales can breed from about 5 to 10 months old

World populationEstimated~600 millionAll cats, est.~600 million?Published rangeup to ~1 billionPets, strays and ferals. No census exists and estimates differ widely

Lifespan Lookup →

DOMESTICATION

When were cats domesticated?

Short answer: About 10,000 years ago in the Near East, when farming began. Cats came for the rodents and stayed. Egypt came later and spread them further.

~10,000 yrs agoGrain storesThe first farmers in the Fertile Crescent store grain. Mice move in, and wildcats follow.

~9,500 yrs agoCyprusA cat is buried with a person on an island with no native cats. Someone brought it by boat.

~3,500 yrs agoEgyptCats appear in paintings under chairs and on leads, clearly household animals.

~2,000 yrs agoShips and roadsCats travel on trading ships and with Roman armies across Europe and Asia.

Last ~150 yearsBreedsAlmost all pedigree breeds date from the late 1800s onwards.

Cat and dog: two routes to the sofaAncestorSolitary wildcatSocial wolfWhen~10,000 years agoAt least 15,000 years agoWhyPest control; came by itselfHunting and guarding partnerBred for jobsHardly at allHundreds of working typesChange in bodySlightLargeLeft: cat. Right: dog.

Barely changedA house cat’s skeleton is hard to tell from a wildcat’s. The genome differs mainly in genes for tameness and reward.

Blotched tabbyThe swirled coat pattern only became common in the Middle Ages. Before that, cats were striped like wildcats.

Still interbreedingFeral cats breed with wildcats, which threatens the Scottish wildcat in particular.

About 70 breedsRegistries recognise roughly 45 to 75. Most cats in the world belong to none.

Driscoll et al. 2007; Vigne et al. 2004; Ottoni et al. 2017; Montague et al. 2014.

SENSES

How well do cats see, hear and smell?

Short answer: Built for hunting small prey in low light: good dim-light vision, exceptional hearing, a strong nose and whiskers that work as close-range sensors.

Hearing Range tool →

VisionSlit pupils open very wide at night. A reflective layer, the tapetum, causes eye-shine. Detail and colour are poorer than ours.

HearingEach ear swivels by itself to pinpoint a rustle. The range reaches the ultrasonic calls of rodents.

SmellUp to 200 million scent receptors, plus a second scent organ in the roof of the mouth, used with an open-mouthed grimace.

WhiskersAbout 24 on the muzzle, set deep among nerves. They sense air movement and whether a gap is wide enough.

TasteFew taste buds and no sweet receptor. Cats respond strongly to amino acids in meat.

Close-up blind spotCats focus poorly on things right under the nose and use whiskers and smell there.

Dawn and duskMost active in twilight, when their prey is moving. They are not truly nocturnal.

CatnipOnly about two in three cats respond. The reaction is inherited and harmless.

Heffner & Heffner 1985; Li et al. 2005; Bradshaw 2013.

BODY AND MOVEMENT

How do cats always land on their feet?

Short answer: With the righting reflex. A falling cat bends in the middle and rotates its front and back halves separately, so it turns over without anything to push against.

01SenseThe inner ear detects which way is down within a fraction of a second.

02BendThe cat folds at the waist, so the two halves can turn on different axes.

03Twist the frontFront legs tuck in, back legs stretch out. The front half spins quickly.

04Twist the backThen the reverse: front legs out, back legs in, and the rear follows.

05BraceLegs extend, back arches, and the limbs absorb the landing.

Flexible spineLoosely linked vertebrae and a collarbone that floats free of the shoulder let it squeeze through any gap its head fits.

Retractable clawsSheathed while walking to stay sharp, and extended to climb or grip prey.

JumpA cat can leap several times its own body length from a standstill.

TongueCovered in hollow, backward-facing spines that carry saliva deep into the fur for cleaning and cooling.

Kane & Scher 1969; Noel & Hu 2018. Kittens show the reflex from about 3 to 4 weeks old. It does not make falls safe: cats are often badly injured.

COMMUNICATION

Why do cats purr and meow?

Short answer: Purring signals contact and comfort, but cats also purr when hurt or anxious. Meowing is a kitten call that adult cats keep mainly for people.

Read: how cats communicate →

PurrA steady 25 to 30 Hz rumble on both the in-breath and out-breath. Mothers and kittens use it from the first days.

MeowRare between adult cats. Each cat and owner tend to develop their own set of meows.

Slow blinkNarrowing the eyes slowly at a cat makes it more likely to approach. It works as a friendly signal.

Tail upA raised tail with a hooked tip is a greeting, shown to friendly cats and people.

Scent marksRubbing cheeks and flanks on objects leaves scent from skin glands. Scratching leaves both a mark and a smell.

Ears and whiskersEars flattened sideways and whiskers pulled back mean fear or irritation.

KneadingPushing with the front paws is a nursing movement carried into adult life.

Solicitation purrSome cats add a high, cry-like note to the purr when they want food. People find it hard to ignore.

Herbst et al. 2023; Humphrey et al. 2020; McComb et al. 2009; Vitale et al. 2019.

CATS AND WILDLIFE

Are cats bad for wildlife?

Short answer: In many places, yes. Free-roaming cats kill billions of small animals a year, and on islands they have helped drive dozens of species extinct. Most of the killing is done by unowned cats.

Read: how to keep your cat indoors safely →

Animals killed by cats each year, United StatesMammals, median~12.3 billionMammals, upper22.3 billionBirds, median~2.4 billionBirds, upper4.0 billionUnowned cats (strays and ferals) account for roughly 69% of the bird deaths and 89% of the mammal deaths. These are modelled estimates with wide ranges, and some researchers think they are too high.Loss, Will & Marra 2013.

IslandsHIGHFeral cats are linked to the extinction of at least 63 species of birds, mammals and reptiles, mostly on islands.

MainlandDEBATEDEffects on whole populations are harder to prove, because cats often take common species and weak individuals.

AustraliaHIGHCats are a leading cause of native mammal extinctions there.

Indoors or enclosedIndoor cats and cats with outdoor enclosures kill nothing and live longer.

Meat-rich food and playIn one trial, a high-meat diet cut prey brought home by 36%, and daily play by 25%.

NeuteringReduces roaming and stops pet cats adding to the stray population.

Doherty et al. 2016; Cecchetti et al. 2021.

EVOLUTION

Are house cats related to lions and tigers?

Short answer: Yes, as distant cousins. All living cats share an ancestor about 11 million years ago. The house cat’s own branch, the small cats of the genus Felis, split off about 6 million years ago.

Big Cats →

Relationships simplified, not to time scale. After Johnson et al. 2006.

African wildcatFelis lybica, a sandy, faintly striped cat of Africa and the Near East. It still lives wild and looks like a lean tabby.

Purr or roarSmall cats purr continuously. Lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars roar instead, thanks to a different voice-box structure.

HybridsBengals come from crosses with the Asian leopard cat, and Savannahs from the serval. Neither wild species is a close relative.

MYTH OR FACT

Six cat claims, checked

3Myths2Half true1Facts

01MYTH“Cats always land on their feet, so falls don’t hurt them.”WHERE IT CAME FROMThe righting reflex is real and impressive.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSThe reflex needs height and time to work, and vets treat many cats for broken jaws, legs and chest injuries after falls from windows.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADThey usually turn upright. They are often still hurt.Sources: 05

02MYTH“Cats should be given milk.”WHERE IT CAME FROMFarm cats and picture books.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSMost adult cats lose the enzyme that digests lactose after weaning, so milk can cause diarrhoea.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADWater is all an adult cat needs to drink.Sources: 03

03HALF TRUE“Cats can see in the dark.”WHERE IT CAME FROMTheir eyes shine at night.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSThey need about one-sixth of the light we do, but in total darkness they see nothing and rely on whiskers and hearing.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADVery good in dim light, not in none.Sources: 03

04MYTH“Cats don’t care about their owners.”WHERE IT CAME FROMTheir independence, compared with dogs.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSIn bonding tests most cats use their owner as a secure base, at rates similar to dogs and human infants.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADMost cats are attached; they show it differently.Sources: 13

05HALF TRUE“Purring means a cat is happy.”WHERE IT CAME FROMIt is most often heard when a cat is relaxed.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSCats also purr when frightened, in pain or dying. It seems to signal a wish for contact or care.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADOften content, not always.Sources: 08

06FACT“Tortoiseshell and calico cats are almost always female.”WHERE IT CAME FROMBreeders noticed long ago.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYSThe orange and black coat genes sit on the X chromosome, so a cat needs two X chromosomes to show both. Rare males have an extra X.

WHAT IS TRUE INSTEADTrue.Sources: 03

OPEN QUESTIONS

What science still doesn’t know

?Why do cats purr?The mechanism is now clearer, but what purring is for, and whether it helps healing, is not settled.

?How many cats are there?No country counts strays and ferals properly, so world totals are guesses.

?How domesticated are they?Some researchers call cats only semi-domesticated, since most still breed without human choice.

?What do they understand?Cats can tell their own name from other words, but tests of what else they follow are few.

?Why do some ignore catnip?The response is inherited, yet the genes behind it have not been identified.

?How much do pet cats affect wildlife?Estimates for unowned cats are firmer than for well-fed pets, where studies disagree.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long do cats live?+

Pet cats usually live 12 to 15 years, and indoor cats often longer. The oldest on record lived to 38.

Why do cats purr?+

Purring signals contact and comfort, but cats also purr when in pain or anxious. Its exact purpose is still debated.

When were cats domesticated?+

About 10,000 years ago in the Near East, when wildcats began living around the first farming villages.

Can cats see in the dark?+

Not in total darkness. They need about one-sixth of the light humans need.

How much do cats sleep?+

About 12 to 16 hours a day, mostly in short naps.

Are cats bad for birds?+

Free-roaming cats kill large numbers of birds and small mammals. Keeping cats indoors or in an enclosure prevents it.

COMPARE AND EXPLORE

Explore cats further

TOPICCat BreedsOpen →PROFILECheetah profileOpen →TOOLHearing RangeOpen →TOOLLifespan LookupOpen →

HOW WE KNOW

Sources and how we check

This page is written by Strange Animals and checked against primary research. Every figure carries a grade and a numbered source. It is not veterinary advice.

Cite this pageStrange Animals. (2026, November 15). Domestic cat (Felis catus): domestication, senses, behaviour and wildlife. https://strangeanimals.info/pets/cats/domestic-cat