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| Why Cat--C-A-T? The English word "cat" is very similar to the word used for our feline pets in other languages spoken in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The table below lists the word for cat and the language it comes from: Kat ~ Dutch chat ~ French Katze ~ German gatta ~ Greek kottur ~ Icelandic gatto ~ Italian qattus ~ Maltean katt ~ Norwegian kot ~ Polish gato ~ Spanish katt ~ Swedish Clearly "cat" is an ancient word that spread into many regions from a single source. The source appears to be Arabic because the oldest use of "cat" is in North Africa where the term is "quttah". A few other terms relating to cats originate from the Mediterranean. One is the word "tabby", which is derived from the Turkish word "utabi". And the general word for a cat in Turkey is "kedi", which may be the ancestor term for the English word "kitty". Source: Catlore, by Desmond Morris, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1987, p. 175. |
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| Cat Teeth: Kittens are born with 26 needle-sharp milk teeth. These baby teeth are replaced during the first 6 months of life with 30 adult teeth. The cat has 2 upper canines, 6 upper incisors, 6 upper premolars, and 2 upper molars. On the bottom jaw, the cat has 2 lower canines, 6 lower incisors, 4 lower premolars, and 2 lower molars. The upper and lower incisors are the front teeth between the canines (fangs). The incisors grasp the prey or food. The canines (fangs) grip the food and are used to kill prey. The canine teeth sit in beds of sensitive tissue that let the cat feel what it is gripping. The cat can feel the tiny depression at the back of the neck on its prey so the cat knows where to bite. The premolars (right behind the canines) and the molars (at the very back) shear, cut, and chew meat. The cat has few molars because its diet is almost entirely carnivorous. In a natural diet, the teeth are cleaned as the scrape over bones. Pet owners have to make sure their domestic cats teeth are kept clean. The Encyclopedia of the Cat, Bruce Fogel, DVM, DK Publishing, Inc., New York, 1997, p. 68. Kitty Tongues: A cat's tongue is rough on top and smooth underneath. The rough upper surface is covered in papillae, or small bumps. There are 4 kinds of papillae. Conical papillae -- the most numerous, large, and backwards-pointing. They give the cat's tongue its rasping quality. Flattened papillae -- found at the root of the tongue. Fungiform papillae -- along the sides of the tongue. Circumvallate papillae -- the least numerous, found at the back of the tongue A cat uses its tongue for tasting and to move food into the mouth. The tongue also can rasp mosels of meat from bones. It is used to lap up liquids. It also is important for grooming. The tongue is used to clean the fur and to smooth the fur when its ruffled. The tongue also will dry the fur if it gets wet. Cats use their tongue to greet their close companions with a little lick. And cats will pant, drawing air over their tongues, to help cool themselves. Source: Cat Breeds of the World, by Desmond Morris, Viking, New York, 1996, p.24. |
| Some Interesting Cat Facts |
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| Please keep your kitty inside if you live in an area where there's lots of traffic! |
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| Links to Interesting Cat Sites NOTE! Following some of these will take you off the Earth's Kids site. We make every effort to be sure these sites are clean and OK-but sometimes content or links on them change. Ask your parents to look at them before viewing--and report anything that is not acceptable. To return, click "BACK" on your browser button. Have fun and come on back!! |
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| This website is the copyrighted property of the Earth's Kin Deep Ecology Group. It is our gift to the children. Page by EarthMomma. |
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| Graphic by Kerrybear |
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| What is a cat? |
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| Cats What is a cat? Webster's Dictionary defines cat as: (1.) " A small domestic carnivore popular as a pet. (2.) Any related carnivore, as the lion, tiger, or leopard." First we will look at the domestic cat; our companion and friend. My, what a world of difference there is between the household tabby and an African lion! And, yet, aside from size, is there really that much difference? Cats are solitary creatures by nature, can certainly fend for themselves if they need to, and yet choose to live with us as pets. We should recognize what a great compliment it is for a cat to befriend us and want to spend time with us. |
| VISIT THESE SITES FOR CAT INFORMATION |
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| The "ragdoll"kitties are waiting---- click on the attitude kitten on the left to see "Kittens 'n cats" |