Cat Fact Files

A number of recognized breeds such as the Persian, British short-hair, American short-hair and Siamese carry the marmalade pattern. The pattern is extremely variable and represents a combination of tabby and tortoiseshell-patterned cats display even markings and are usually sturdy males.

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There is no direct mention of cats in the translated Bible. It is known that the Israelites distrusted everything associated with the Egyptians, who ruled over them. The fact that the Egyptians held cats in such high esteem encouraged the occupied population to despise them almost as much as they hated the occupiers, so this [...]

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The answer is ‘not usually’. In spite of this, there are instances where cats – normally solitary, territorial predators – will congregate together to form unnatural groups. This is often the case when feral cat groups live in an area where there is a high cat population but limited source of prey. Obviously behaving against [...]

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Territorial animals are those with a strong instinct to live within fixed land or aquatic boundaries. As small, solitary predators, cats have evolved to live within a fixed land space that is large enough to support them in terms of prey but modest enough for them to defend. In the wild, this territory is within a [...]

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The Van pattern denotes a white-coated cat with solid or tortoiseshell patches on its head and tail. The name is a reference to the Turkish Van cat, the ‘swimming cat’ with which it is associated, but the pattern can also be seen in other breeds.

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The term feral, from the Latin firal, ferus, fera, is used for plants and animals that have reverted back to nature. In connection with felines, the term is used to identify a domesticated cat that has partially regressed back to the wild. This usage dates back 400 years and (perhaps coincidentally) is similar to feralis, [...]

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In contrast to many other nocturnal animals, cats are generally thought to move about in mysterious ways. Many nocturnal animals are linked to mythology, legends, moralistic and magical tales, and fairy stories. The owl is a perfect example of the link between nocturnal animals and humans, in that mythology has associated it with attributes such [...]

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