![]() Domestic cats are bred and shown at events as registered pedigreed cats, a hobby known as cat fancy. It also secretes and perceives pheromones.įemale domestic cats can have kittens from spring to late autumn in temperate zones and throughout the year in equatorial regions, with litter sizes often ranging from two to five kittens. It can hear sounds too faint or too high in frequency for human ears, such as those made by small mammals. Cat communication includes vocalizations like meowing, purring, trilling, hissing, growling, and grunting as well as cat body language. It is a social species, but a solitary hunter and a crepuscular predator. It has a strong flexible body, quick reflexes, sharp teeth, and its night vision and sense of smell are well developed. Because of its retractable claws it is adapted to killing small prey like mice and rats. It is valued by humans for companionship and its ability to kill vermin. It is commonly kept as a house pet and farm cat, but also ranges freely as a feral cat avoiding human contact. ![]() Recent advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East around 7500 BC. Thumbnail: Photography by EgyptianStudio on Thinkstock.The cat ( Felis catus), commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae. Tell us: What are your favorite myths and folklore about cat gods and cat goddesses? Please share them in the comments! I’d love to write another post about big cats and spiritual traditions if you’re interested, because the subject of jaguars, tigers, leopards and other large felids in folk traditions, religious beliefs and creation stories is definitely worth a read. This has unfortunately excluded many stories about cat gods from Native American and other First Nations tribes, among others, and for that I apologize. I couldn’t go into all the stories of gods and goddesses who shape-shifted into large cats, or this post would have been about a mile long. A Celtic goddess’ aidesĬeridwen, the Welsh goddess of wisdom and mother of the famous bard Taliesin, was attended by white cats who carried out her orders on Earth. Afterwards, she extended special treatment to all cats. Greek mythology tells of how the goddess Hecate assumed the form of a cat in order to escape the monster Typhon. (Like most creatures of Slavonic mythology, they were great until you didn’t appreciate them or give them what they needed - then they did things like make mischief that could have tragic results.) 5. In ancient Poland, Ovinnik, who appeared in the form of a black cat, was worshipped by many farming families because he watched over domestic animals and chased away evil-natured ghosts and mischievous fairies. He was worshipped by farmers because he protected the crops from being eaten by rats and mice. A guardian of Chinese familiesĪ cat god called Li Shou appears in the Chinese Book of Rites. He was said to have evolved from one of the ancient cat gods and to be able to assume the form of a tomcat. A shape-shifting Peruvian godĪi-Apaec, a god of the pre-Inca civilization known as the Mochica, was often depicted as an old man with a wrinkled face, long fangs and cat-like whiskers. Farmers left offerings for the cats in order to ensure a good harvest. The Norse goddess Freyja, deity of love, fertility, war, wealth, divination and magic, rode in a chariot pulled by two giant gray cats given to her by the god Thor.
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