Cat

From Conservapedia

(Redirected from Feline)

Cat

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae
Genus	Felis
Species	F. silvestris
Subspecies	F. s. catus (Domesticated cat)

Cats are a group of carnivorous mammals with sharp teeth and retractable claws (except in the case of the cheetah) on their paws, originally distributed worldwide apart from Australasia, Madagascar and Antarctica. Several of the larger kinds of cat can be dangerous to humans.

The domestic cat, believed to derive from the African wildcat, has been used to control vermin or kept as a pet for thousands of years, and worshiped as a god by the ancient Egyptians, amongst others. Today the domestic cat remains extremely popular as a pet; there are an estimated 76 million pet cats in the United States.

Species of cat include the lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, puma, ocelot, lynx, caracal, serval and many smaller breeds.