The cat encyclopedia : the definitive visual guide

322 Pages·2014·78.273 MB·English

by  Miezan Van Zyl, DK Publishing, Inc

T H E D E F I N I T I V E V I S U A L G U I D E
Contains content previously published in The Complete Cat Breed Book

CAT
T H E
E N C Y C L O P E D I A

CAT
T H E
E N C Y C L O P E D I A
Contains content previously
published in The Complete
Cat Breed Book
CONTENTS
LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,
MUNICH, AND DELHI
DORLING KINDERSLEY
Senior Art Editor Gadi Farfour
Project Editor Miezan van Zyl
Project Art Editor Amy Child

Editorial Assistant Henry Fry
US Editor Margaret Parrish 1INTRODUCTION
Jacket Designer Laura Brim
Jacket Editor Maud Whatley
TO CATS
Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia Tampakopoulos
Producer, Preproduction Francesca Wardell
Producer Mary Slater
Additional Photography Tracy Morgan
Managing Art Editor Karen Self Cat species around the world 8
Managing Editor Esther Ripley
Publisher Sarah Larter What is a cat? 10
Art Director Phil Ormerod
Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler
From wildcat to house cat 14
Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf
Consultant Editor Kim Dennis-Bryan How domestic cats spread 18
Contributors Ann Baggaley, Jolyon Goddard, Katie John
Feral cats 20
DK INDIA
Senior Editor Monica Saigal
Editor Antara Moitra
Art Editors Neha Sharma, Supriya Mahajan
Assistant Art Editors Namita, Roshni Kapur, Vansh Kohli
Managing Editor Pakshalika Jayaprakash 2 CATS IN
Managing Art Editor Arunesh Talapatra
DTP Designers Bimlesh Tiwary, Mohammad Usman, Nityanand Kumar
Preproduction Manager Balwant Singh CULTURE
Production Manager Pankaj Sharma
Picture Research Surya Sankash Sarangi
Cats in religion 24
First American Edition, 2014
Published in the United States by DK Publishing,
4th Floor, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 Myths and superstition 26

14 15 16 17 18 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001—193220—Jul/14 Folklore and fairy tales 28
Copyright © 2014 Dorling Kindersley Limited
All rights reserved
Cats in literature 30
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Cats in art 32
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright
owner and the above publisher of this book.
Cats in entertainment 38
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4654-1959-0
Printed and bound in China by South China Printing Company.
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales 3 FELINE
promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact:
DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
or [email protected]. BIOLOGY
Discover more at
www.dk.com
Brain and nervous system 42
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is accurate.
Neither the publishers nor the authors accept any legal responsibility for any
Cat senses 44
personal injury or injuries to your cat or other damage or loss arising from the
undertaking of any of the activities or exercises presented in this book, or from
the reliance on any advice in this book. If your cat is ill or has behavioral problems, The skeleton and body form 48
please seek the advice of a qualified professional, such as a vet or behavioral expert.
Skin and coat 50
Muscle and movement 54
Heart and lungs 58
Digestion and reproduction 60
The immune system 62
Understanding breeds 64
Choosing the right cat 66
4 C ATALOG
OF BREEDS
Shorthairs 71
Longhairs 185
5 C ARING FOR
YOUR CAT
Preparing for arrival 256
Living indoors 258
Going outdoors 260
Essential equipment 262
First days 264
First vet check-up 268
Food and feeding 270
Handling your cat 274
Grooming and hygiene 276
Understanding your cat 280
Socializing your cat 282
Importance of play 284
Training your cat 288
Behavioral problems 290
Responsible breeding 292
Inherited disorders 296
A healthy cat 298
Signs of illness 300
Health and care 302
The aging cat 308
GLOSSARY 310
INDEX 312
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 319

CHAPTER 1

NS
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INTRODUCTION TO CATS | CAT SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD
Cat species around the world
Elegant, powerful, and elusive, wildcats can be large and may roar like a lion, or small
and purr like a domestic cat. They are superb hunters, adapted to be as successful living
in a dry sandy desert as they are in a dense tropical forest.
Cats are predatory hunters belonging to the that they can roar (see panel, below), whereas Wildcats are successful in evolutionary terms
order Carnivora. They are, like all carnivores, the smaller cats can only purr. In recent years, in that they were once widespread and found
adapted for stalking, catching, and eating genetic evidence has allowed scientists to in many different habitats, but most species
other animals. For example, they have large better understand the relationships between are now either endangered or threatened. In
canine teeth and powerful jaw muscles. the smaller cats and further subdivide them contrast, there are an estimated 600 million
There are 37 species of cat in the family into seven groups, or lineages. domestic cats worldwide.
Felidae. All are similar in having retractile
claws, rather blunt, flattened faces, acute The world of cats
hearing, and large eyes that enable them This map shows the distribution of
seven species of the Felinae. Each cat
to hunt at night. Those living in open represents one of the seven lineages
landscapes tend to be sandy colored, while that has been revealed by recent
anatomical and genetic analyses.
those living in woodland and forest often
have spectacular markings that break up
their outline and keep them well hidden
from their prey.
The cat family is divided into two
main groups—the Pantherinae and
the Felinae. The pantherines (big
N O R T H
cats) have long been distinguished
A M E R I C A
from other cats on the supposition
BIG CATS
There are seven species of pantherines, or big
cats—the lion, leopard, tiger, snow leopard, two
species of clouded leopard, and the jaguar. The
lion and leopard have the widest distribution,
being found in both Africa and Asia. The tiger,
snow and clouded leopards are limited to Asia.
Puma
The only big cat found in the Americas is the
Puma concolor
jaguar. Although commonly referred to as the
roaring cats, only some, such as lions, can do The puma is one of three cat species in the puma lineage, the other
two being the jaguarundi from South America and the cheetah
so. This is because they have more complicated
from Africa and Asia. It is able to survive in remarkably diverse
and flexible vocal chords in their larynxes than environmental conditions, being found over a wide geographical S O U T H
those found in the smaller cats (see p. 59). area and at elevations up to 10,000ft (4,000m). However, it needs
large prey, such as deer, to feed on if it is to thrive. A M E R I C A
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
The ocelot lineage comprises seven
species. All belong to the genus
Leopardus and are found in South
and Central America—only the range
of the ocelot extends farther north
into southwestern Texas.
The ocelot feeds mainly on
ground-dwelling rodents,
which it hunts at night
by waiting quietly for a
potential victim to pass by.
8