The most beautiful representatives of the cat family (Top 20)

The cat family is considered one of the largest groups in the world, consisting of several genera. Scientists divide wild cats into large and small, which also includes the domestic cat. The origin of ancient cats goes back to the Miocene period. The geography of distribution is extensive - Eurasia, Africa, America, Asia. It is interesting to find out how and what felines eat, their character and behavior, as well as who threatens the animals in their natural habitat.

According to scientists, the largest representative of the cat family is the liger - a cross between a tiger and a lion and reaches a weight of 400 kg, and a height of about 4 m when standing on its hind legs.

Continuation of the family line

Small cats breed annually or more often, depending on the length of daylight hours, large cats give birth once every 2...3 years.

The duration of gestation for kittens is from 64 to 78 days. The number of kittens in small cats can be up to 5...6, large cats bring 2..4 kittens.

Little kittens are helpless and blind; their mother takes care of them and teaches them hunting skills. The father almost never takes part in their lives.

The kitten stays with its mother for up to 8-12 months, then goes off to search for its hunting territories. At 12 months for small cats and 2 years for big cats, puberty begins.

Classification

The names of feline genera are usually given based on the appearance, habitat, or surname of the researcher who discovered and described the individual first.

In accordance with the decoding of the cat genome, 8 genetic lines of cats have been identified:

Panther line:

• genus Panthera;
• genus Clouded leopards (Neofelis);

Kalimantan cat line:

• genus Marbled cats (Pardofelis);
• genus Catopuma (Catopuma) - since 2006, Catopuma has been classified as a member of the genus Marble cats;

Caracal line:

• genus Caracal;
• genus Serval (Leptailurus);
• genus Golden cats (Profelis);

Ocelot line:

• genus Tiger cats (Leopardus);

Trot line:

• genus Lynx;

Cougar Line:

• genus Puma (Puma);
• genus Cheetahs (Acinonyx);

Bengal cat line:

• genus Asian cats (Prionailurus);
• genus Manula (Otocolobus);

Domestic cat line:

• cat genus (Felis);

Modern zoological classification taking into account genetic data:

Cheetah

Subfamily Small cats (Felinae):

• genus Cheetahs (Acinonyx); cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus);

Subfamily Big cats (Pantherinae):

[edit] Subfamily Big cats (Pantherinae)

Lion Tiger
Big cats are characterized by incomplete hardening of the hyomandibular cartilage of the hyoid bone, which allows them to roar.

The subfamily includes 3 genera and 6 species.

• Subfamily big cats ( Pantherinae
  ): genus clouded leopards (
  Neofelis
  ): species clouded leopard (
  Neofelis nebulosa
  ).

What do they eat?

Cats are carnivorous animals; their main food is meat and protein. The large predator preys on artiodactyls and odd-toed ungulates, sometimes eating carrion. A leopard or lion can snack on a crocodile or reptile.

Small cats hunt rodents, hares, and rabbits. Cats living near water hunt for fish, frogs and small sea animals.

If there is a lack of water, they can eat fruits.

Position in the food chain

Felines occupy a place at the top of the food chain, they are carnivores. However, by eating prey - ungulates, hares, mice, birds along with skin, fur and stomach contents, cats receive ballast substances and plant fibers that improve digestion.

cat family

One cat in the house is great, but what if there are two, three or more?

It would seem that with an increase in the number of charming animals, the life of the owners will become more interesting and richer, although they will have to spend more on food, vaccinations and litter for the toilet. What are these little things compared to the opportunity to watch cat games, which are funnier than any circus attraction! How touchingly cats lick each other, how pleasant it is to feel not just one purring “machine” on your lap, but several! In addition, you can leave the cats alone for a whole day with peace of mind: the girlfriends will certainly entertain each other.

However, regarding cats, the thesis “the more the better” is not always confirmed by the realities of life: in reality, everything can happen exactly the opposite. Instead of a tender friendship between cats, there is an endless war, the apartment becomes a war zone, and fun games turn into skirmishes to the point of bloodshed.

Returning home, instead of a joyful cat greeting, the owner sees clumps of torn fur and almost physically feels the vibes of hatred emanating from the pets. Several pairs of cat eyes warily and with undisguised hostility watch the owner and each other from different angles. And what’s most offensive for the owner is that cats often take out their anger on him by biting and scratching.

But cats have all the conditions for a pleasant and carefree life. Soft sleeping baskets are located in the coziest places, several large bowls are full of delicious food, the size of the home allows cats to coexist safely without stepping on each other's toes, a variety of toys are stocked, and the owners spare no time and effort in grooming, playing and affection. The poor owners can only wonder and from time to time heal the wounds on one or the other cat. When patience runs out, with pain in your heart you will have to put one of the cats in a cage and give it to friends or to a shelter.

Trying to refute the axiom “the cat walks by itself,” the owner, naturally, failed; But one fine day he won’t believe his eyes, observing the complete idyll and tender friendship between three cats living in a co-worker’s house. And he will ask himself: what was he wrong about, or did his cats simply “do not get along” and there was no other way out except “divorce”?

The topic of relationships between cats and their relatives is perhaps one of the most complex and poorly studied in felinology. There are many more questions than comprehensive and so important from a practical point of view answers. The social life of dogs, for example, has been much better studied.

Animal behaviorists offer only general guidelines for keeping multiple cats and always note that exceptions are possible - after all, each individual cat has its own personality.

Veterinarians also often find themselves at a dead end: medications may be effective in one case, but ineffective in another, similar situation.

Therefore, owners of several cats and those who are just planning to expand their “cat household” need to know in general about the social behavior of cats, about possible pitfalls in cat relationships, and also thoroughly study the peculiarities of the psychology of their own (or their own) animals. Only in this case will he be able to prevent or peacefully resolve the conflict and his cat family will be happy and prosperous.

CAT AND SOCIETY

In a few words, we will talk about the social system of cats, about their ability to exist next to their relatives.

All representatives of the cat family, with the exception of lions, who live in small groups - prides, are solitary predators. In natural conditions, it is much easier for a cat to survive, that is, to feed itself, in splendid isolation. Only during the mating season do cats form pairs for a short period of time, and the mother cat spends several months inseparable from her babies.

In the last decade, the view of the social life of the domestic cat has changed somewhat.

In America, the relationships of cats living near farms were studied. To be honest, their life is wonderful: a warm overnight stay in the hayloft, the opportunity to hunt as much as they want, unlimited freedom of movement and, in addition, regular feeding and, if necessary, treatment provided by good-natured farmers.

In such favorable conditions, cats hunt separately, but live in groups: they sleep and play together, lick each other, and the kittens are considered “children of the regiment”; they are cared for not only by the mother cat, but also by other members of the colony. The cat community is most reminiscent of a hippie settlement: unlimited freedom, equality and the absence of a “leader”. The group includes female individuals related by close or distant relationships: mothers, daughters, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and aunts, as well as castrated males.

Male kittens are “finished” and released into the “big life”. So the cats live separately and have a fairly large territory. They visit “women’s society” only when the need arises: during the mating period. Some particularly independent cats that have reached maturity also leave the colony of their own free will.

This study, carried out in accordance with all the rules of zoology, proved that cats with sufficient nutrition and favorable living conditions voluntarily unite into groups without a pronounced social hierarchy. Relations between cats - members of the colony are surprisingly friendly. But the stranger cat who wanted to join the group is forced to flee, having received a well-coordinated rebuff.

True, the cat “family” sometimes accepts single females. Thus, cats are not at all selfish individualists, but have a flexible social organization, and a sense of camaraderie is not at all alien to them.

But don’t assume that friendly cats live only in the American provinces. Who among us has not seen several cats peacefully basking in the sun at a dacha or in a village, radiating tranquility? Or, while relaxing on the sea coast, observe large groups of cats living near the port?

CENTER OF THE CAT UNIVERSE

The most important characteristic of cat psychology is the desire to have its own territory. Obviously, for an outdoor cat, territory, i.e., hunting grounds, is vitally important: food is obtained there. Outsiders who enter the territory are immediately expelled.

The domestic cat receives food on a plate and, it would seem, does not need any possessions at all. Nevertheless, all domestic cats, without exception, have retained their possessive instinct to one degree or another: every day they rub their heads against the legs of tables and chairs, marking their territory. Therefore, popular rumor claims that a dog becomes attached to its owner, and a cat becomes attached to a place. In any book about cats there are stories about cats returning to an old house tens of kilometers away.

It is the defense of territory, territorial aggression, that is the most common cause of conflicts between cats living in the same house. The sweetest and most affectionate domestic cat can be a terrible owner and perceive another cat as a malicious invader who has encroached on all sovereign possessions.

But many cats allow fellow cats into their little “principality.” Before getting a second cat, it doesn’t hurt to figure out whether the first cat is an “individual kulak” or is ready to live on a “collective farm”.

Unfortunately, there is no method yet for accurately determining the degree to which a cat is attached to a territory. If a cat is calm about moving to another apartment, without showing the slightest dissatisfaction and without falling into apathy, if she happily moves in with friends for the holidays, has not had any unpleasant encounters with relatives and, moreover, is well socialized (there is enough time in childhood spent with her mother and siblings), then most likely she will perceive the new cat as a friend.

Territorial instincts do not depend on breed or gender and are fully manifested only when animals reach maturity, sometimes later, by two or three years.

Young cats are usually happy to have a companion, especially when the age difference is small; but after a year of peaceful life, stormy showdowns may begin. In this case, any of the cats can be the initiator of a territorial conflict. If there are three or more individuals living in the house, there are even more options. One of the cats may be aggressive towards the other and be affectionate with the others. Cats that are not involved in the conflict can completely distance themselves from quarrels, or they can support one of the “warring parties” from time to time.

You can make sure that problems between cats have arisen on territorial grounds by looking at the following signs.

• Firstly, one of the cats is the aggressor, the other is the victim. This division of roles is constant.

• Secondly, territorial conflicts develop gradually. At first, the aggressor cat hisses and snorts, takes on intimidating poses, and after a while enters into open confrontation: it attacks from ambush, starts chases and fights.

The prey cat runs away, hides, and when pinned in a corner, desperately defends itself. At the same time, she is clearly afraid of the aggressor and may not leave the shelter for a long time, refuse food and even use the toilet.

This gradual development of events is not accidental. The aggressor cat, at first intelligently, and then more and more harshly, makes it clear to the other cat that its presence is extremely undesirable and it would be very nice if it disappeared out of sight.

The victim cat has nowhere to go, its living space is limited by the walls of the apartment, all that remains is to run away and hide.

Territorial aggression is the most dangerous pitfall in relationships between cats; it can arise both when a new cat appears in the house, and after several years of peaceful coexistence of several animals. If measures are taken at the very beginning, before it comes to fights, then it is easier to reconcile the cats: they have not yet developed stereotypes of aggressive behavior.

At the slightest suspicion, the owner must immediately isolate the cats: separate them into different rooms. And then use the behavior modification technique developed by felinologists in order to teach them to treat each other without displays of aggression and/or fear.

This method is also called the dating procedure, which can be either initial or repeated. The owner of “swearing” cats should be patient: sometimes a few days are enough to establish peace between pets, and in other cases it takes weeks.

So, the new girl was brought in a cage or string bag. More than half the time, cats will be curious and not show the slightest displeasure. Then the new cat can be released. Cats will sniff each other and with all their appearance will demonstrate mutual sympathy and friendliness.

Then the old-timer cat will show the new one her possessions. And then you should feed them from different bowls. Let eating - one of the most pleasant events in life - be associated with the presence of another cat. This is the easiest way to consolidate a positive stereotype of perceiving each other in the minds of animals.

But, unfortunately, the situation does not always work out so successfully. An old-timer cat may be wary of a new cat, hide under the sofa in fear, or greet a new one with hostility: hiss and snort. Then it is necessary to make a “presentation”. Give your new cat a separate room with a sleeping basket, food bowl and litter box. Cats should be completely isolated and guess each other's existence only by smells and sounds.

During this time, pay more attention to both. The newcomer must get used to the owner, but the old-timer needs moral support: she feels the impending changes and can be very worried.

After a couple of days, bring one of the cats “bedroom” to the other, and vice versa. Wrap the cat in a towel and pet it, then wrap another cat in the towel. This way the animals will get used to each other's smells. Then place an old-timer cat in the new girl's room; In the meantime, the new girl will calmly explore the apartment.

Let a few more days pass. If both cats are calm, move them to adjacent rooms, preferably separated by a glass door. This is how cats can contemplate each other.

Feed them at the same time. Eating food should be associated with the presence of another cat.

You can play with one and then the other using the same toy. The purpose of this is the positive emotions experienced by both cats, who have not yet come into direct contact, but see and smell each other.

If everything goes well, the animals do not show the slightest dissatisfaction or irritation, rather they are interested in each other, it’s time to arrange a personal meeting for them.

Place two bowls with the most delicious food in different corners of the room. Bring one cat to its bowl first, then the second. For greater safety, you can put a harness on the animals or keep them in cages.

Then act according to the situation.

If the cats have eaten and in a peaceful mood want to get to know each other better, give them this opportunity (of course, keep the situation under control). Try to play with them.

If one of the cats is wary, frightened, or takes an “angry” pose, again separate the animals into different rooms.

The next time you feed, leave the bowls in the same place. If the cats have gotten used to each other, place the bowls a little closer, and the next day - even closer.

At first, keep an eye on the cats when they are in the same room; at night, for your own peace of mind, separate them into different rooms.

When a normal “family” relationship develops between the cats, you can safely leave them together and go about your business. Sooner or later, both of them, if they don’t become bosom friends, will at least tolerate each other.

However, if, despite all your tricks and boundless patience, the cats simply cannot stand each other, you will have to find a new home for one of them. The most adamantly territorial “owner” can be a wonderful pet in a family where she will be the only animal.

FIGHTS FOR NO REASON

The next reason for conflicts between cats is fear. Cats can get along well for many years, and then suddenly, frightened by something, take on warlike poses and rush at each other with a desperate cry.

This behavior is called fear-induced aggression. The situation, creature or object that frightened cats seems completely harmless to us humans, moreover, we often do not notice them. Therefore, the owner is completely bewildered: why did the cats suddenly start quarreling? And the reason may be... a simple physical collision of animals.

Hearing the sound of the lock being opened, the cats rush to the front door to meet their owner and accidentally bump into each other. They perceive this situation not at all with humor, but as something strangely scary: almost simultaneously they fall to the floor, hiss, snort, fluff up their fur and rush to thrash each other with their front paws.

This is the picture the owner can see when he returns home. Cats can be frightened by a sudden sound, such as a vacuum cleaner being turned on.

Or this situation: one cat sits peacefully on the windowsill and sees a street cat walking. Another sits on a high cabinet and, noticing a street cat, which she strongly dislikes, rushes to the window, trying to attack the dog. The unsuspecting first cat sees the second cat standing nearby in an attack pose and snorting angrily, and its natural reaction is fear. It seems to her that the second cat “lashed out” at her, and not at the street cat.

The best defense is attack. Therefore, the first cat becomes almost a mirror image of the second, which has already switched its attention from the street cat to a closer and more real rival, who was a close friend a minute ago. So literally in an instant two friendly animals turn into angry furies. Another second - the cats are fighting.

It is impossible to foresee such unfortunate situations. The most annoying thing is that such a misunderstanding can ruin the relationship between cats for a long time.

However, fear-induced aggression is easier to overcome than territorial aggression. It is necessary to separate arguing cats by spraying them with water or throwing a small light object at them: a toy; pillow, crumpled paper - and place them in different rooms. And then conduct a “course of cat psychotherapy” - the introduction procedure described above.

It is worth noting that this retraining of cats to each other takes less time than in cases of territorial aggression, and if carried out carefully will always be successful.

Sudden fights for no apparent reason can be caused by more than just fear in one or both cats. This behavior is called displaced (delayed) aggressiveness. Moreover, even the most observant owner will not notice any irritating stimulus in the cat’s immediate environment. He's not there!

The cat got into an unpleasant situation a few minutes, hours or even days ago. Then she got scared or angry. But for some reason she couldn’t take her soul away and “tell” the offender everything she thought about him. Only later will the cat suddenly remember about the negative emotions that had no outlet and take it out on the first person who comes to hand. It could be an unsuspecting other cat or the owner. Don't think that your cat has suddenly gone crazy or turned into a vindictive bitch.

People behave similarly, taking out their resentment and irritation on innocent objects or their loved ones. For example, having received a beating from a boss and not being able to “fight back,” a person comes home and begins to quarrel with his wife.

This is how many of us let off steam. The same thing happens with a cat. Often, after a visit to the hospital, a cat that has suffered fear, or even pain, and did not have the strength to escape from the deft hands of the “villain” doctor and take proper revenge on him, having come to its senses at home, attacks another cat or owner.

Another example of displaced aggression: one of the cats heard a dog barking coming from the stairwell. The cat cannot leave the apartment and “deal” with the noisy, ill-mannered neighbor and takes out its irritation on the second cat, which, unfortunately, happens to be nearby.

The method of dealing with delayed aggression is the same as with aggression caused by fear. Some experts recommend isolating the attacking cat in a darkened room. Re-introduction can be made only when both cats have completely calmed down. Sometimes a few minutes are enough for this, sometimes a couple of days.

ANOTHER REASON FOR QUARKS

No cat likes visits to the veterinarian. And it may take several days for her to calm down, even though the doctor caused her virtually no pain.

When several cats live in the house, a visit to the veterinarian affects not only the mental state of the sick woman, but can also cause cat fights. In this situation, we are dealing with a whole bunch of aggressive behavioral reactions.

• A cat returning from the doctor smells different, and others may not recognize it, believing it to be a stranger who urgently needs to be expelled from their possessions (territorial aggression).

• The opposite effect is also possible: cats left at home will be afraid of their strange-smelling friend. Therefore, clashes caused by fear are possible.

• In addition, after a visit to the hospital, a cat often takes out her frustration on other cats (displaced aggression).

• Finally, the cat may be in pain or unwell and snap violently at healthy animals.

How to deal with this explosive situation?

If the cat has undergone surgery, for example, or is sick, it must be isolated until it has fully recovered.

During the recovery period, depending on the situation, you can carry out a re-acquaintance procedure. If the cat has been vaccinated and is not feeling unwell, to prevent territorial aggression, experts recommend applying a drop of juice from canned fish or cat food to the backs of all cats. This way, the smell of the veterinary hospital will be overwhelmed by the aroma of delicious food.

Cats will begin to lick themselves and each other, which is the highest degree of trust. You can wrap the remaining cat in a towel and rub the other one with the towel, then let the first cat smell it. And yet, the owner should try once again not to take the cat to the doctor unless absolutely necessary. It is better to do routine vaccinations to all cats at the same time and at home.

Lina Laslovskaya (Cats' Friend 2003-06)