Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. catus
The Felis silvestris catus, commonly known as the domestic cat, is a small carnivorous mammal which belongs to the Felidae family. In fact, it still keeps many characteristics of the wild felines: it is a carnivore and a predator, it has got a flexible body, being very agile. It has got retractable claws. There are over 50 different races, with a great variety in colours and types of fur.
Its popular name, and its translation to different languages such as Spanish, French, Catalan, Italian, etc, derive from the Latin word catus, w
hich was used to differenciate them from wild cats. In the 18th century, the Swedish scientific, Carl Linné, wrote a book called Systema Naturae where he classified domestic cats as Felis catus. Later in 1775, his apprentice, the German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber called Felis silvestris to the wild cats. Nowadays, it is considered a subspecies of wild cats since it is believed that the first cat which might have been domesticated 4,000 years ago was the African wildcat (Felis Silvestris Lybica). In 2003 the International Comission on Zoological Nomenclature ratified the use of Felis silvestris to denominate the wild cat and Felis silvestris catus for the domesticated ones.
Its popular name, and its translation to different languages such as Spanish, French, Catalan, Italian, etc, derive from the Latin word catus, w
hich was used to differenciate them from wild cats. In the 18th century, the Swedish scientific, Carl Linné, wrote a book called Systema Naturae where he classified domestic cats as Felis catus. Later in 1775, his apprentice, the German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber called Felis silvestris to the wild cats. Nowadays, it is considered a subspecies of wild cats since it is believed that the first cat which might have been domesticated 4,000 years ago was the African wildcat (Felis Silvestris Lybica). In 2003 the International Comission on Zoological Nomenclature ratified the use of Felis silvestris to denominate the wild cat and Felis silvestris catus for the domesticated ones.
