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Cats

Felis catus

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal, often kept as an indoor “housecat,” valued for companionship and for controlling rodents and other pests. It belongs to the “small cats” (subfamily Felinae), a large group that includes most cat species and typically purrs but does not roar. “Big cats” are largely the Pantherinae—especially Panthera (lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar)—which have anatomical adaptations associated with roaring. “Wild cat” can mean the species Felis silvestris specifically, but it’s also used more generally for any non-domesticated felid; feral cats are domestic cats living independently of people.

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal, often kept as an indoor “housecat,” valued for companionship and for controlling rodents and other pests. It belongs to the “small cats” (subfamily Felinae), a large group that includes most cat species and typically purrs but does not roar. “Big cats” are largely the Pantherinae—especially Panthera (lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar)—which have anatomical adaptations associated with roaring. “Wild cat” can mean the species Felis silvestris specifically, but it’s also used more generally for any non-domesticated felid; feral cats are domestic cats living independently of people.