What Traits Do All Cats Share?

As strange as it seems, a lion shares the same instincts and basic anatomy as the domesticated cat. Sure Fluffy uses the litter box, while a lion roams across the African plains, but both eat meat, climb trees, have formidable claws and boast keen eyes.

  1. Carnivors

    • By nature, cats are carnivorous, which means they eat meat, not vegetation. The larger the cat, the larger the prey. Carnivores generally eat the flesh of herbivores -- vegetation-eaters -- and sometimes omnivores, animals that eat both meat and vegetation. Larger cats, such as lions, have been known to chase down buffalo, antelope and zebras, while domestic cats regularly hunt smaller prey, such as wild birds, mice and other rodents. Because any chase requires great amounts of energy, cats have a high metabolism and require large amounts of calories.

    Climbing Ability

    • You know that old joke: An old lady's cat is stuck up a tree, so half the fire department or a willing neighbor turns out to get Fluffy down. The joke though is based in real fact and real cat behavior. Cats are adept climbers. They have strong hind legs, stronger than a dog's, which allows them to jump high. They also have a flexible spine made up of loosely connected vertebrae, which gives it added movability. Cats' claws allow them to retain a firm grip. The leopard is perhaps the feline family's most prodigious climber. After hunting down prey, a leopard can drag its catch, which sometimes weighs more than itself, up into a tree to enjoy at its leisure.

    Claws

    • Unlike dogs, cats have "retractable" claws. They're used for climbing, but they're also a cat's defense and attack system. While larger cats, such as lions, tigers and leopards, have powerful jaws and canine-like teeth, smaller cats rely completely on their claws to slash and rip opponents. The claws seem to be retractable but are in fact hidden, exposed only when the cat extends its paw fully. Cats frequently scratch their claws against rough surfaces. This accomplishes a number of things. First, it scraps away any dead material from the claw's tip and sharpens the claw. Scratching exercises leg muscles, a practice most beneficial for domesticated cats. Plus, the scratching allows a cat to mark its territory.

    Eyes

    • A cat's eyes have become their universal symbol. The pupil is shaped like a black diamond and set in a brightly colored iris. Their eyes operate like binoculars. A cat can focus very sharply in its field of vision. Because of evolutionary adaptions, cats can see very well at dusk, but they have limited peripheral vision. A frightened cat's pupil expands to its greatest extent to provide the largest possible field of vision.