Cats Flashcards
What are the characteristics of all cats?
Rounded head, flexible and light footed body, excellent balance, speed, hearing, eyesight for detection of movement
What is the scientific name of the domestic cat?
Felis catus
What changes occurred with domestication?
Reduction in size, shortening of jaw, reduction in skill size and brain capacity, changes in carriage of ears and tail, changes in cat color and texture and eye color, more “juvenile” (play, stronger attachment to humans and other cats)
What characteristics are still similar after domestication?
Same number of chromosomes, still capable of interbreeding, seasonal breeders, remained fairly independent
What were the reasons that cats quickly spread around the world?
Trade routes, Romans introduced them to Europe to destroy pests, brought to America as rodent control on ships
How did natural selection result in differences in body type and coat of cats?
Adapt to climates
I. Thicker protective coat and larger body in cold climates
II. Smaller, thinner bodies, spare coat in warm climate
What changes occurred with selective breeding?
No longer classifies as a subspecies of wildcat but as own species, mating without human involvement still primary method in cats, resulted in increased coat type and color (black, orange, white spotted, all white, blue), color mutations occurred and people bred or selected for those mutations
What are differences between cobby and foreign body types?
Cobby:developing in cold climate, thick coat, sturdy/stocky body type, broad shoulders, deep chest, heavier bones, shorter legs, round head
Foreign: tropical/temperate climate, lighter boned, longer legs, slender body, thinner hair, wedge/triangle shaped head, longer tails
What is different about Rex cat hair?
Kinky, curly hair
What are concerns with Scottish fold cat breed?
Ears folded down
What are concerns with ragdoll cat breed?
Lazy, believed to not have a response to pain but they actually do
What are the concerns with Sphinx cat breed?
Short, almost no hair
What are concerns with the munchkin cat breed?
Short legs, health and grooming problems
What is declawing?
The third section of their digit toe is removed
What are the reasons for declawing?
Prevent cars from scratching furniture and people, prevent cat from harming wildlife, easier to place in home/prevent from going to shelter, some apartment complexes require
What are reasons against declawing?
Painful, unnecessary, training cat would prevent negative behavior, need claws for protection, can trim or put nail caps in
What is the self-righting reflex?
Cats will land on their feet if given enough time, precise system to movement of body, vertebral column flexes, land feet first with back arched to absorb impact, can survive falls from several stories
How is the vision of the cat adapted to being good hunters?
A. Very large eyes relative to body size, eyes set forward in head, wide range of vision: binocular vision range-120 degrees, lateral vision range- 80 degrees, total range - 280 degrees
B. Similar to dog: tapetum, more rods than cones, see greens and some blues-not reds, third eyelid (moistening eye)
C.large size of cornea and lens, pupil capable of opening widely (illumination similar to that of nocturnal animals), short distance between pupil and retina, 5x higher retinal illumination, utilize 50% more available light
D. Slightly myopic- focus best in objects between 7-20 ft
How is the sense of smell enhanced in the cat?
A. Epithelium surface area: 200 million scent receptors
B. Sniffs the same way a dog does
C. Vomeronasal organ- flehmen response, courtship and sexual behavior, identify other cats and people
How does the cat use its sense of hearing to improve its hunting skills?
A. Detect a wide range of frequencies
I. As high as 60,000 to 80,000
cycles/sec
II. As low as 20 to 55 cps
B. Ear structure important-pinna (outside portion of ear) aids in collecting and locating sounds
C. Muscles allow for 180 degree rotation
D. Cochlea has more than 40,000 nerve fibers
E. At a distance of 3 feet, can distinguish between 2 objects 3 inches apart
How do the vibrissae of the cat help with perception?
A. Whiskers
B. Muzzle and above eyes
C. Carpel hairs- on back legs, wrists
D. Sensitive to air currents, sensory information about position of legs and head, movement in dim light
E. Protect face and eyes- eye-blink reflex when stimulated
What is the anagen phase of hair growth in the cat?
A. Growth phase
B. 6-8 weeks
C. Up to 70% of follicles in summer
D. Only 10% in winter
What is the telogen phase of hair growth in the cat?
A. Rest phase
B. Weeks or months
What causes allergies to cats?
If allergic to cats, you are allergic to glycoprotein Fel d1
I. Secreted by sebaceous glands
II. All cats produce this protein- females less than males
How is the cats gastrointestinal tract designed to digest its natural diet?
Simple stomach-70% digestive capacity, intestine: 4x body length, small intestine-80% colon-20%, small cecum, short tubular colon
What does it mean to be seasonally polyestrus?
Polyestrus-go through estrus more than once
What does it mean to be an induced ovulator?
Ovulate in response to mating
Why is being an induced ovulator advantageous to the cat?
They can have multiple litters a year, almost always ensures pregnancy
How does ova development differ in the car compared to the dog?
Ova is fully mature at ovulation; upon release in oviduct, ova go through first stage of meiosis; second stage occurs after fertilization
