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Photograph by Syahrail Muhamad Kasim
Like their wild relatives, domestic cats are natural hunters able to stalk prey and pounce with sharp claws and teeth. They are particularly effective at night, when their light-reflecting eyes allow them to see better than most of their prey. -
Photograph by Viesturs Pinka, My Shot
Just weeks old, a kitten tests its tiny roar. Kittens need their mother's milk to grow properly. They generally begin eating solid food after eight weeks. Young cats also need to play with other cats so they can learn to get along in social groups and practice skills they will need later on.
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Photograph by Stephen Alvarez, My Shot
High above the ground, a calico cat balances on a branch. All cats are agile and like to climb trees, although they are better at going up than coming down.
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Photograph by Sisse Brimberg
A cat finds a corner on a sod roof in Iceland. Cats live in all kinds of climates and eat all kinds of food, including small birds and rodents. Their ability to catch mice may have helped make them valuable to the ancient Egyptians, who worshipped cats. -
Photograph by Jason Edwards
Domestic cats are natural hunters able to stalk prey and pounce with sharp claws and teeth. They have a rough tongue that helps them clean every last morsel from an animal bone—and groom themselves. -
Photograph by Charles Kogod
This cat looks right at home on a piano keyboard, although few people like the tunes they scratch out. Cats, which are probably the world's most popular pets, employ a wide vocal repertoire. They can purr, squeak, chirp, click, hiss, meow, screech, grunt, and growl. -
Photograph by Konrad Wothe/Minden Pictures
Cats are playful and nimble jumpers. They are able to jump up to six times their own body length, and they can twist their bodies when they fall, usually landing on their feet. Play enables cats to perfect the skills they need to stalk, hunt, and catch prey for food. -
Photograph by Stephen St. John
A cat stretches out for an afternoon siesta in the New Mexico sun. Cats sleep more than most animals, sometimes up to 20 hours a day. -
Photograph by James L. Stanfield
A cat's whiskers help it figure out if it can fit through openings. They also help the cat feel and sense people, prey, and objects, even in the dark. A cat's whiskers grow back, much like human eyebrows do. -
Photograph by Konrad Wothe/Minden Pictures
This adult cat has one blue eye and one brown eye, a condition that also occurs in other animals and even humans. Called heterochromia, it most often affects white cats. -
Photograph by Mariella Harizanovs
Born predators, cats have many weapons beyond sharp teeth and claws. They can see better at night than humans can, and they can hear high-pitched sounds that even dogs miss. Cats also have a much better sense of smell than their owners do.
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