Scientific Name of Cat: Felis catus

Scientific Name of Cat: Felis Catus is the Scientific Name of the Cat. Scientific Names are the names of organisms that indicate the Genus and Species of an Organism. One of the smallest carnivores of the Felidae family is none other than a cat. Cats are well recognized for having retractable claws, which serve both in self-defense against potential predators as well as enable them to hunt down smaller animals. One of the first animals to be largely tamed is the cat. Cats are members of the genus Felis, which is part of the family Felidae and from here only domestic cats originated. There are about 60 distinct cat breeds.

What is the Scientific Name of Cats?

Cat’s scientific name is Felis Catus.

The word Felis Catus has been derived from Latin Word which means crafty cat. The domestic cat is a member of the genus Felis and the family Felidae. Cats, like the rest of their family, are hypercarnivores in nature. It means that cats consume at least 70% of their diet as meat. A cat’s average weight is between 4 and 5 kilograms. Domestic cats frequently breed with feral cats, resulting in hybrid offspring. Around 7200 BC, the oldest reported evidence of an African wildcat, F. Lybica, being tamed by humans was discovered near a Neolithic cemetery in Shillourokambos, Southern Cyprus. The Felidae family, of which the domestic cat is a part, shared an ancestor about 10-15 million years ago. In the past 6-7 million years, the genus Felis split off from other Felidae. The wild Felis species evolved through sympatric or parapatric speciation, but the domestic cat evolved through artificial selection, according to the findings of phylogenetic analysis. Both the domestic cat and its closest wild predecessor are diploid, with 38 chromosomes and about 20,000 genes between them. Around 5500 BC, China independently domesticated the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). The current domestic cat populations do not contain any descendants of this strain of partially domesticated cats.

Taxonomy of Cat

The Scientific Name of cats is based on the following taxonomy tree:

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae
Genus	Felis
Species	Catus

Characteristic of Cat

1. A domestic cat’s body typically contains 244 bones, with 30 of those being vertebrae. 
2. They can jump five times their own height and squeeze through small spaces because they lack a collarbone and have scapulae that are medially positioned on their bodies.
3. The majority of the movable whiskers (vibrissae) on a cat’s body are situated on its face. Cats’ sense of direction and navigation aris improved by this. 
4. Cats merely have fewer taste buds than people do.
5. Cats are excellent at retaining heat. In reality, they have sweat glands that contribute to evaporative cooling.
6. Cats have amazing night vision, needing only one-sixth as much light as humans do.
7. In cats, a Jacobson’s organ is located in the lips and is employed in the behavioral process of flehmening. They can recognize some smells that humans are unable to due to this ability.
8. All cats are quick and nimble, and their long tails aid in maintaining their superb balance.

FAQs on the Scientific Name of Cat

Q: What is the suborder of Cat? 

Answer:

Cats (Felis catus) are members of the suborder Feliformia.

Q: Name the smallest member of the Felidae family. 

Answer:

Cat (Felis catus), is the smallest member of the Felidae family of the order Carnivora and is a domesticated cat that is also known as a house cat or domestic cat.

Q: Name the only species belonging to the Felidae family that is domesticated.

Answer:

Cats are the only species in the Felidae family that are regarded as domesticated animals, and their scientific name is Felis Catus.

Q: What is the Kingdom and phylum of cats?

Answer:

The cat belongs to Kingdom: Animalia and Phylum: Chordata.