It might be useful to quickly go over the difference between ‘cat breeds’ and ‘cat species’. It’s quite as subtle difference but a very important one. In 1758 the modern idea of classifying all the world’s animals and plants began. … continue reading…
The problem with this question is that it is badly formulated. Therefore, it doesn’t really make sense which means it is difficult to answer. If it was well formulated it would still be difficult to answer (for me at least) … continue reading…
Here is an Infographic which shows you how the cat family is currently classified by the experts. It is called ‘taxonomy’. The difficulty with the classification of cats is that it is still, despite DNA testing, somewhat in flux. The … continue reading…
Despite the puma being a physically large cat and the fact that their size is frequently overestimated, they are not classified, scientifically, as one of the big cats. The phrase “big cat” is very specific in this instance. It does … continue reading…
This is how you pronounce Panthera onca. It looks easy! But a major website which has the sole purpose of informing you how to pronounce words totally screws up 😕 . That site is: synonyms.com. Sorry guys but your work … continue reading…
Yes, there is a common ancestor to the cat and dog. If you believe in evolution as set out by Charles Darwin in his work “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection…” you will believe that there … continue reading…
Wikipedia has got this wrong. At present, there is only one known species or type of caracal with the scientific name Caracal caracal. Wikipedia refers to a lengthy 2017 document which is online called: “A revised taxonomy of the Felidae: … continue reading…
Do domestic cats come from big cats? The answer has to be no. The reason is because the big cats split off and formed their own path millions of years ago. This is a discussion about the taxonomy of the … continue reading…
I am picking up on a study that I have written about before which genetically analysed the Chinese mountain cat to confirm (1) that it is a subspecies of wildcat and not species in its own right and (2) that … continue reading…
Nearly all domestic cats are not a breed of cat but a species of cat. The purebred cats, those cats which are selectively bred by cat breeders, are various breeds of cat of which there are about 104 maximum. Some … continue reading…
There is a major difference between ‘breed’ and ‘species’. The domestic cat is a species of cat and in the family of cats is called Felidae. There are about 36 species of cat, all of which are wild except for … continue reading…
Although there is one species of domestic cat there are between about 44 and 104 breeds of cat depending on your point of view, and hundreds of different kinds of cat coat colour and pattern. In addition, you will see, … continue reading…
The difference between a wild cat and a feral cat is found in their origin and their history both individually and collectively. Taxonomically they are classified differently by the scientists based on their DNA. Feral cats are classified under domestic … continue reading…
The answer is no and I’ll explain why. The classification of the species is decided by experts and it is still not fully settled. Early on, up to 200 years ago, scientists got the classifications wrong or a least it … continue reading…
Yes, the domestic cat is a species. Although I think it is a slightly tricky question because the domestic cat could be a subspecies. This is the science of TAXONOMY which is fairly settled nowadays but scientists are still making … continue reading…
