House Cats

The house cat is a small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the Felidae family and is often referred to as the domestic cat to distinguish it from the family's wild members. A cat can be categorized as a house cat, a farm cat, or a feral cat, the latter of which roams freely and avoids human contact. Humans value domestic cats for their companionship and their ability to kill rodents. Various cat registries recognize approximately 60 cat breeds.

The house cat was long thought to have begun in ancient Egypt, where cats were venerated from around 3100 BC, but recent advances in archaeology and genetics have revealed that it occurred in Western Asia around 7500 BC. The house cat is one of the most common domesticated animals, and many people own one. The house cat is well-known for its ability to hunt vermin and keep them away from homes. Most people believe that the house cat lives a carefree life, doing nothing but sleeping, eating, and playing. House cats can be a wonderful addition to any family and can often assist with pest control and home security.

There were an estimated 220 million owned cats and 480 million stray cats in the world in 2021. House cats were the second most popular pet in the United States in 2017, with 95.6 million cats owned and approximately 42 million households owning at least one cat. In the United Kingdom, 26% of adults own a cat, with a projected population of 10.9 million pet cats by 2020.