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cat: References & Edit History
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Assorted References
- ancestry
- In wildcat
- catnip
- In catnip
- cats as pets
- In cats as pets
- CC, The First Cloned Cat
- characteristics of felines
- In feline
- conservation and introduced species issues
- Do Cats Cause Schizophrenia?
- Dwarfism in Cats: It’s Only Cute ‘til Someone Gets Hurt
- Famous Cat Lovers
- Feral Cats of the Last Frontier
- Longhair Cat Breeds
- Shorthair Cat Breeds
- Trichinella spiralis
- Vikings Helped Cats Conquer the World
- Why Are Maine Coon Cats So Big?
- Why Are Most Calico Cats Female?
- Why Are Orange Cats More Likely to Be Male?
- Why Do Cats Blink Slowly?
- Why Do Cats Clean Themselves So Much?
- Why Do Cats Hate Water?
- Why Do Cats Have Slit Pupils?
- Why Do Cats Have Whiskers?
- Why Do Cats Like Boxes?
- Why Do Cats Like Catnip?
- Why Do Cats Like Scratching Posts?
- Why Do Cats Open Their Mouths After Smelling Something?
- Why Do Cats Purr?
- Why Do Cats Rub Against Your Legs?
- Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?
- Why Do They Say Cats Have Nine Lives?
pets
- Abyssinian
- In Abyssinian
- Burmese
- In Burmese
- calico
- In calico cat
- domestic shorthair
- Himalayan
- In Himalayan
- longhair
- In longhair
- Maine coon cat
- Manx
- In Manx
- Norwegian Forest Cat
- Rex cat
- In Rex cat
- Russian Blue
- In Russian Blue
- Siamese
- In Siamese
- tabby
- In tabby
- Turkish Van cat
ProCon article
- CBD for pets debate
Additional Reading
Classic works relating to the history and behavior of the domestic cat include Patricia Dale-Green, Cult of the Cat (1963, reissued as The Archetypal Cat, 1983), a historical study of humankind’s long relationship with felines; Michael W. Fox, Understanding Your Cat (1974; rev. and updated, 1994), a book for the layperson; Dennis C. Turner and Patrick Bateson (eds.), The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behavior, 3rd ed. (2013), a collection of research studies on various aspects of cat behavior, for readers with some scientific knowledge; and Bonnie V.G. Beaver, Veterinary Aspects of Feline Behavior (1980), a detailed review of behavior problems and their interpretation and treatment.
Also highly useful are Niels C. Pedersen, Feline Infectious Diseases (1988); Niels C. Pederson and Paul W. Pratt, Feline Husbandry (1991); Carolyn M. Vella and Roy Robinson, Robinson’s Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians, 4th ed. (1999); Debra M. Eldredge et al., Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, 3rd ed. (2007); L.A. Vocelle, Revered and Reviled: A Complete History of the Domestic Cat, rev. ed. (2017); Ramona D. Marek, Cats for the Genius (2016); Amy Shojai, Cat Life: Celebrating the History, Culture and Love of the Cat (2019); and Jonathan B. Losos, The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa (2023).
Books on cats as pets include the very early one by Harrison Weir, Our Cats and All About Them (1889); as well as the following more-contemporary books: Bruce Fogle and Andrew Edney, Complete Cat Care Manual (2006); David Brunner, The Cat Owner’s Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance (2014); Linda P. Case, The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health (2003); Amy Shojai, Cat Facts: The Pet Parent’s A-to-Z Home Care Encyclopedia (2015); and Lynn Curtis, Feline Nutrition: Nutrition for the Optimum Health and Longevity of Your Cat (2011).
Additional useful works on cats as pets include Amy Shojai, Complete Care for Your Aging Cat, 3rd ed. (2017); Sally E. Bahner, The Art of Raising a Kitten (2022); Marilyn Krieger, Naughty No More!: Change Unwanted Behaviors Through Positive Reinforcement (2010); Deborah Barnes, Makin’ Biscuits: Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them (2016); Andrew Edney and Bruce Fogle, Complete Cat Care Manual: The Essential Practical Guide to All Aspects of Caring for Your Cat (2006); Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, Ask the Vet About Cats: Easy Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (2003); and Wendy Christensen, Outsmarting Cats: How to Persuade the Felines in Your Life to Do What You Want (2013).
Detailed descriptions of various cat breeds may be found in J. Anne Helgren, Barron’s Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds, 2nd ed. (2013); James Kavanagh, Cat Breeds: A Field Guide to 40 of the Most Popular Breeds (2011); and Alex Gough, Alison Thomas, and Dan O’Neill, Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats, 3rd ed. (2018).
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
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J. Anne Helgren
J. Anne Helgren is the author of six books on cats.
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
Other Contributors
- D.M. McGowan
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Biology and Diseases of Cats. | Nov 27, 2025 | ||
| Added cross-references. | Jul 10, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Mar 19, 2025 | ||
| Media added. | Jan 07, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Animal Diversity Web - Domestic cat. | May 06, 2024 | ||
| Added links. | Mar 15, 2024 | ||
| Link added. | Feb 15, 2024 | ||
| Article revised. | Feb 13, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: LiveScience - Cats: The strange and fascinating history of our feline friends. | Nov 30, 2022 | ||
| Add new Web site: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Cats. | Aug 16, 2022 | ||
| Added a map of the distribution of wildcat subspecies (Felis silvestris). | May 19, 2021 | ||
| Deleted video. | Nov 21, 2019 | ||
| Added photographs of a mummified cat and a fan depicting cats. | Oct 23, 2019 | ||
| Added a photograph of the glowing eyes of a domestic cat (Felis catus). | May 14, 2019 | ||
| Media added. | Jan 14, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: Animal Corner - Cats. | Jan 10, 2019 | ||
| Added photographs that depict a black cat, a Norwegian Forest Cat, a statue of the Egyptian goddess Bastet, and one cat grooming another. | May 01, 2018 | ||
| Changed title from "domestic cat" to "cat." Noted genetic evidence for cats (Felis catus) arising in two locations, the species' apparent self-domestication, and the replacement of leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) with cats in China. | May 01, 2018 | ||
| Bibliography thoroughly revised. | Apr 18, 2018 | ||
| Add new Web site: Progressive Animal Welfare Society - About Cats. | Dec 02, 2016 | ||
| Add new Web site: Easy Science for Kids - Cat Family and Its Members. | Dec 02, 2016 | ||
| Add new Web site: A-Z Animals - Cat. | Aug 18, 2016 | ||
| Upper limit of cat hearing changed from "25,000 vibrations per second" to "85,000 vibrations per second." | Jul 15, 2016 | ||
| Added video. | Dec 23, 2015 | ||
| Added video. | Mar 20, 2015 | ||
| Text added describing the cat parasite Tritrichomonas foetus. | Jan 24, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: Animal Planet - Domestic Cat. | Dec 27, 2013 | ||
| Text added describing early cat domestication in China 5,300 years ago. | Dec 17, 2013 | ||
| The timing of the origin of cat domestication changed to 9,500 years ago. | Nov 14, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: CatInfo.org - Common Sense - Healthy Cats. | Aug 08, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: CatInfo.org - Common Sense - Healthy Cats. | Aug 08, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: CatInfo.org - Common Sense - Healthy Cats. | Aug 08, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: CatInfo.org - Common Sense - Healthy Cats. | Aug 08, 2011 | ||
| Description and purpose of spines (filiform papillae) on the feline tongue clarified. | Dec 28, 2010 | ||
| Geologic time data updated. | Sep 15, 2009 | ||
| Nutrition section updated. Changes reviewed by author of article, Michael W. Fox. |
|
Jun 17, 2009 | |
| Added new Web site: National Geographic - Animals - Domestic Cat. | Sep 02, 2008 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Apr 11, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Animal Corner - Cats. | Feb 07, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: CatsInfo - Feline Care. | May 02, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: CatsInfo - Origins of the Domestic Cat. | May 01, 2007 | ||
| Article revised. | Mar 28, 2003 | ||
| Article revised. | Jan 12, 2000 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 20, 1998 |
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