Cats

In the wild, most forest-living members of the cat family tend to be solitary hunters. Some species live in pairs, while others, such as lions, live in family groups. Cats engage in daily grooming which not only keeps their fur in good condition, but also helps regulate their body temperature (fur licking helps cool the cat through evaporation), and spreads oils to keep their coat waterproof.

Cats need a great deal of sleep, which is consistent with the large amounts of energy they expend when hunting. They typically sleep intermittently almost twothirds of the day. Because of a slight fall in their body temperature when they sleep, cats often look for warm, sunny places for dozing.

Most cats are excellent climbers, great jumpers, and have remarkable balance. Except for the cheetah, cats have retractable claws that are curved, sharp, and sheathed. The claws are particularly useful when climbing trees. The bones of their feet (like those of dogs) are arranged in a digitigrade posture, meaning that only their toes make contact with the ground, which increases their speed of running. Cats have the a remarkable ability to right themselves when falling, when first the head, then the rest of the body turns toward the ground so that the cat lands on its feet.

Cats follow a well-defined hunting sequence that begins with the sighting or smelling of prey. The hunting skills that cats display are in some aspects instinctual and in others learned. Cats begin learning how to hunt through the play they engage in when young. Mother cats teach hunting skills to their young, first by bringing back dead prey, later by bringing back immobilized prey, allowing the young to kill it themselves. Still later, the mother cat will take the young on stalking and killing missions. Cats that do not have the opportunity to learn to hunt from their mother do not become good hunters.

Cats are territorial, marking their territory by spraying its boundary with urine. Cats also scratch and rub against fixed objects to mark their territory. Within the territorial boundary of a male cat, there may be several female territories. During mating, the male will seek out or be lured to nearby females that are in heat (estrous). Females may vocalize loudly when they are ready to mate, thus attracting males. Frequent scenting and rubbing against trees by the female cat also help the male know she is ready to mate. Frequent sexual intercourse during estrous is also important to ensure successful ovulation.

The gestation (pregnancy) period in cats depends upon their body size. Gestation ranges from slightly less than 60 days for smaller species to about 115 days for large cats, such as lions. The number in the litter varies from one to seven. The body size is not a consistent factor determining litter size; it may have more to do with the availability of food and the survival rate in the ecosystem the cat inhabits. With the exception of lions, the care and training of the cubs or kittens are left to the mother. Nursing continues until the young are weaned and learn to eat meat.