Since time immemorial, cats and humans have had a close relationship. Egyptians used to revere a cat as a deity, then slowly brought cats into their home. It has been thought the Egyptians domesticated the African Wild Cat and that the Egyptian Mau could also be an ancestor of this wild cat. The Egyptian Mau is a breed of domestic cat that is strikingly spotted.
The ancestry of a domestic cat is from the wild cats, and there are still many features that can be seen in them from their wild ancestral path. All cats of today, whether they are a domestic cat or a big cat in the wild have their roots in the family of Carnivores known as Miacids. A few Miacids became lions, tigers and cheetahs and other big wild cats. Today, there are a diverse species of the wild cat. These can range from the small black footed cat found in Southern Africa as well as to the magnificent cats found in Africa.
The small cat of today is believed to have its roots in the Martelli's wild cat. The modern wild cat is the result. The wild cat is characterized into further sub sections. These are the African Wild Cat, the Asiatic Desert Cat and the European Wild Cat. Our beloved domestic cats and their kittens are believed to have come from the African Wild Cat.
The African Wildcat is a small and fierce cat that lives in brush lands, grasslands, and forests in Africa as well as the Middle East. They are mostly nocturnal when the weather is warm but diurnal when the weather is cold. Diurnal means that they are more active during the daytime. These wild cats are excellent climbers and are carnivores.
They are fast and solitary hunters and eat smaller mammals, eggs, invertebrates, frogs, reptiles and birds. They are also about 50% larger than a domesticated cat and live for up to 15 years. The wild cat is actually very timid and stays away from human contact. They live alone and stay within a territory of about 3 sq km. There are 36 species within the family of wild cat which can be found in most parts of the world with the exception of the continents of Australia, Antarctica and a few island groups. A lot of species can be found within similar habitats that span several continents. For example, the leopard ranges from southern Africa and across Asia towards China. Wildcat species are found in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Most species though, will be indigenous to one continent. The Atlantic Ocean barrier divides the 'Old World' from the 'New World' species. The only exception is the Lynx. The leopard and the New World Jaguar have similar appearances. They share a common ancestry. It is believed that Jaguars actually evolved within Asia then made their way towards the Americas by way of the land bridge in the north that lay between these two continents. Similarly, ancient species of cheetah and lion used to roam the continents of the New World. The young of a big cat are not called kittens but are called cubs. The smaller wild cat such as the lynx, caracal and ocelot can call their young either cubs or kittens, but they are usually called kittens for these specific species.
The ancestry of a domestic cat is from the wild cats, and there are still many features that can be seen in them from their wild ancestral path. All cats of today, whether they are a domestic cat or a big cat in the wild have their roots in the family of Carnivores known as Miacids. A few Miacids became lions, tigers and cheetahs and other big wild cats. Today, there are a diverse species of the wild cat. These can range from the small black footed cat found in Southern Africa as well as to the magnificent cats found in Africa.
The small cat of today is believed to have its roots in the Martelli's wild cat. The modern wild cat is the result. The wild cat is characterized into further sub sections. These are the African Wild Cat, the Asiatic Desert Cat and the European Wild Cat. Our beloved domestic cats and their kittens are believed to have come from the African Wild Cat.
The African Wildcat is a small and fierce cat that lives in brush lands, grasslands, and forests in Africa as well as the Middle East. They are mostly nocturnal when the weather is warm but diurnal when the weather is cold. Diurnal means that they are more active during the daytime. These wild cats are excellent climbers and are carnivores.
They are fast and solitary hunters and eat smaller mammals, eggs, invertebrates, frogs, reptiles and birds. They are also about 50% larger than a domesticated cat and live for up to 15 years. The wild cat is actually very timid and stays away from human contact. They live alone and stay within a territory of about 3 sq km. There are 36 species within the family of wild cat which can be found in most parts of the world with the exception of the continents of Australia, Antarctica and a few island groups. A lot of species can be found within similar habitats that span several continents. For example, the leopard ranges from southern Africa and across Asia towards China. Wildcat species are found in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
Most species though, will be indigenous to one continent. The Atlantic Ocean barrier divides the 'Old World' from the 'New World' species. The only exception is the Lynx. The leopard and the New World Jaguar have similar appearances. They share a common ancestry. It is believed that Jaguars actually evolved within Asia then made their way towards the Americas by way of the land bridge in the north that lay between these two continents. Similarly, ancient species of cheetah and lion used to roam the continents of the New World. The young of a big cat are not called kittens but are called cubs. The smaller wild cat such as the lynx, caracal and ocelot can call their young either cubs or kittens, but they are usually called kittens for these specific species.
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