CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

.1.
CAT FACTS
Classification
What Are Cats?
How Are Cats Classified?
How Do Cats Differ from Other Carnivores?
Physical Features and Senses
How Are Cats Alike?
Why Can’t Cheetahs Retract Their Claws?
How Do Cats Climb?
How Do Cats See?
How Can Cats See in the Dark?
Are Cats Color-blind?
How Do Cats Hear?
How Do Cats Taste and Smell?
How Do Cats Sense the World through Touch?
What Are Cats’ Coats Like in Texture, and Why Are They Striped, Spotted, or Plain?
Why Do Cats Have White Spots on the Backs of Their Ears?
Why Are Some Cats Black?
Why Are Some Cats White?
Do Male and Female Cats Look Alike?
Why Are Male Cats Larger Than Females?
What Is the Main Purpose of Manes in Lions?
What Are the Biggest Cat and the Smallest Cat?
What Does Size Have to Do with It?
Diet and Predation
What Do Cats Eat?
Do Cats Hunt Indiscriminately?
Why Don’t Cats Eat Fruits and Vegetables?
Do Cats Need Water?
Do All Cats Avoid Water, as Domestic Cats Do? Can All Cats Swim?
Where Do Cats Hunt?
When Do Cats Hunt?
How Far Do Cats Travel in a Day or Night and How Fast?
How Do Cats Find and Pursue Prey?
How Fast Can Cats Run?
How Far Can Cats Jump?
Are Cats Perfect Hunters?
How Do Cats Kill Prey?
Are Cats Ever Hurt by Prey?
Why Do Cats Sometimes Kill More Than They Can Eat?
How Much Prey Do Cats Kill and How Often?
Do Cats Store Food?
Do Cat Numbers Affect Prey Numbers and Vice Versa?
Social Behavior
Why Do Most Wild Cats Live Alone and Why Are Some Species Exceptional?
How Does a Cat’s Home Range Relate to Its Reproductive Success?
How Big Are Cat Home Ranges?
How Do Solitary Cats Communicate?
What Is Scent Marking?
Do All Cats Spray?
Do All Cats Bury Their Feces?
Do All Cats Head-rub?
What Is Flehmen?
What Are Some Cat Vocalizations?
Do Big Cats Roar and Small Cats Purr?
Why Do Cats Roar, Chirp, or Meow?
Why Do Cats Purr?
How Often Do Cats Reproduce?
How Do Cats Find Mates?
How Do Cats Mate?
How Long Is Gestation?
How Many Babies Are in a Litter?
Where Do Cats Have Their Babies?
Do Fathers Help Raise Young?
How Large Are Newborn Cats and How Fast Do They Grow Up?
How Do Cats Learn to Hunt?
Cat Life
Where and How Much Do Cats Sleep?
Do Cats Dream?
How Smart Are Cats?
Do Cats Have Enemies?
Are Cats Always Afraid of Dogs?
Do Cats Get Sick?
Do Cats Have Nine Lives?
Do Cars Kill Many Wild Cats?
How Long Can Cats Live?
Do Domestic Cats Always Land on Their Feet?
Do Wild Cats Like Catnip?
.2.
CAT EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY
Evolution
When and Where Did Cats Evolve?
How Do Different Cat Species Evolve?
What Are Saber-toothed Cats?
Were Big Cats Once Bigger?
Did Lions and Tigers Once Live in North America?
Distribution and Abundance
In What Parts of the World Do Cats Live?
How Widely Distributed Are Various Cats?
Diversity
What Are the Rarest Cats?
What Characterizes the Lineages of Cats?
Panthera Lineage: Clouded Leopard, Lion, Tiger, Jaguar, Leopard, and Snow Leopard, plus Marbled Cat
Lynx Lineage: Bobcat, Canada Lynx, Eurasian Lynx, and Iberian Lynx
Leopard Cat Lineage: Leopard Cat, Iriomote Cat, Fishing Cat, Flat-headed Cat, plus Rusty-spotted Cat
Caracal Lineage: Caracal and African Golden Cat, plus Serval
Bay Cat Lineage: Bay Cat and Asian Golden Cat
Puma Lineage: Cheetah, Puma, and Jaguarundi
Felis Lineage: Wildcat, Domestic Cat, Chinese Mountain Cat, Sand Cat, Jungle Cat, and Black-footed Cat, plus Pallas’ Cat
Leopardus Lineage: Ocelot, Margay, Oncilla, Chilean Pampas Cat, Pantanal Cat, Argentinean Pampas Cat, Kodkod, Geoffroy’s Cat, and Andean Mountain Cat
How Many Different Cat Species Can Live in One Area?
.3.
CATS AND HUMANS
Decline and Recovery
Why Are Wild Cat Numbers Declining?
How Do People Affect Wild Cats?
What Is the Large Carnivore Problem?
What Is Happening to All the Wild Cat Habitat?
Why Are Some Cats More Vulnerable Than Others to the Actions of People?
How Does the Wildlife Trade Affect Cats?
What Are the Most Endangered Cats?
What Do We Mean When We Say Cats Are Umbrella, Flagship, Landscape, Keystone, or Indicator Species?
How Can We Save Wild Cats?
What Can I Do to Help?
Domestic Cats
When and Where Were Cats Domesticated?
How Did Domestic Cats Spread from Egypt to the Rest of the World?
What’s the Difference between Wildcats and Domestic Cats?
What Are Feral Cats and How Do They Live?
Why Are Feral Cats—and Pet Cats—Sometimes a Menace?
How Many Breeds of Domestic Cats Exist and Where Did They Come From?
Why Are Cats, Especially Black Cats, Associated with Witches?
What Are Some Superstitions about Cats?
Man Killing
Do Cats Attack and Kill People?
Why Do Cats Attack People?
How Can Someone Avoid a Large Cat Attack?
Who Are Some Famous Man-eaters?
How Did Our Defenseless Ancestors Get along with Big Cats?
Cats and Culture
What Roles Have Lions Played in Different Cultures?
What Roles Have Tigers Played in Different Cultures?
What Roles Have Jaguars and Pumas Played in Different Cultures?
What about the Roles of Other Wild Cats in Human Cultures?
What Practical Uses Do People Have for Cats?
What Good Are Wild Cats to People?
Cats and Science
How Can I Become a Wild Cat Biologist?
How Do Scientists Study Cats Living in the Wild?
How Do We Tell Individual Wild Cats Apart to Study Them?
How Are Big Cats Caught?
What Is Left to Learn about Cats?
Where Can I Get More Information about Cats?

Appendix 1: Scientific and Common Names of the Family Felidae

Appendix 2: Conservation Status of Cats of the World in 2003, according to Top Three Authorities

Appendix 3: Web Resources on Cats

Glossary

References

Taxonomic Index

Subject Index

Photograph gallery follows page