Cat Species

When it comes to kinds of cats, there is truly a great variety. The cat family includes everything from the mighty tiger to the smaller ocelot, as well as you run-of-the-mill house cat.The species names are in Latin, which can be a little confusing. However, each name helps to categorize the types of cats based on common characteristics. There are a total of 36 wild cat species that have been identified.The different types of species of cats all have identifying characteristics. The big cat species is identified by its ability to roar, and includes the lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar. The cats that cannot roar are often considered to be small cats.

Due to hunting, loss of territory, and other factors, many of the wild cat species are endangered. Endangered cat species include: Spanish Lynx, Snow Leopard, Amur Leopard, Tiger, Arabian Leopard, Florida Cougar, Asiatic Cheetah, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, and the Sand Cat. These cat species are in danger of becoming extinct and disappearing forever. Usually, in their home country, legislation has been made to try and protect these animals, and it is illegal to hunt or kill one. In places where breeding efforts have been successful, reintroduction of these cat species has been attempted.

The domestic cat species, felix catus, includes all kinds of cats that we see as pets. A common misconception is that each breed of cat is a different species. While there are many different kinds of cats, they are all considered part of the same species, and there is no separate house cat species. Within the species are the separate breeds. A breed has certain characteristics that breed true through several generations. For instance, there are several different kinds of Siamese cats; Seal Point, Chocolate Point, Blue Point, Lilac Point, and Color Point, but they all share the same characteristics.

Your traditional cat that is not purebred is often a mixture of several different types of cats. However, some mixed breeds will display characteristics of other breeds. A good way to find out what kind of cat that you have is to check out TICA or CFA’s information on cat breeds. There you can see pictures of the different registered breeds and see which is the most similar to your cat.

For all cats, Nature's Variety cat food can give your cat nutrition that he or she needs. They offer the highest quality ingredients for diets and treats that are dense in nutrition for your pet.