What affects us affects cats
Lil Bub is probably the second most celebrated Internet cat after Grumpy Cat. Her name is a great success. Her appearance is characterised by her diminutive size and a tongue which is perpetually hanging out. She also has extra toes on each paw, no teeth and an undersized jaw. It has been found that …
On Twitter a cat owner uploaded a picture of her tabby cat with this caption: My cat got shaved for sterilization but new fur become different color XD. I have changed the wording a little but the photograph is interesting: So why is this? The first observation that I have is that the tail …
How has the domestic cat evolved over the approximate 10,000 years of its domestication from the Near Eastern wildcat? We have the beginnings of an answer at least. In 2014 scientists collected DNA samples from cheek swabs of 22 domestic cats. Unfortunately (for me) they were all purebred cats of various breeds including the …
Do wild cats shed as much as house cats? I have the best books on the wild cats and there is nothing in them on the speed at which the wild cat species shed fur, which is unsurprising because it is not something which is awfully important. However, that said, I will endeavour to …
How many genes do cats have? Domestic cats have 20,285 genes and 38 chromosomes (sciencedaily.com). Humans have roughly 20,500 genes (geneticdigest.com). The water flea has 31,000 genes (earthsky.org). Of these only a small number are concerned with the appearance of the cat. For example the difference between a Siamese and a Maine Coon pedigree …
The genetics of the Siamese coat color is a form of Himalayan albinism which is found in many animals including the rabbit (Himalayan rabbit) and mouse. In the Siamese cat more pigmentation is displayed than normal. The eyes are blue rather than pink and the body is slightly shaded rather than stark white. Himalayan …
Geneticists call red cats ‘orange’! Cat breeders describe them as ‘red’. The general public say they are ‘ginger’ while story-tellers refer to them as ‘marmalade cats’. They are also still referred to as ‘yellow cats’ by some people. The confusion over the description of red cats reminds me of the various names for the …
Male tortoiseshell cats have feminine personality traits as described below. We know that the chances of finding a male tortoiseshell cat are very rare. I’ve seen various estimates as to their rarity. The lowest figure I’ve seen is about 200 to 1 and the highest about 10 times that or more. We also know …
