Animals are such precious gifts given by nature. They are essential to the environment as they contribute to its well-being and beautify it. The cat is a famous animal in the animal world. They are attractive and donate a considerable amount to maintaining the balance of the atmosphere by catching rats as their food. We can find them in different categories.

People classify animals to facilitate the identification and to further identify similarities and differences. Here’s all about cat classifications. The Cat Fanciers’ Association researches cats on an annual basis. From there, the most popular cat breeds are identified.

–pixabay / jonasjovaisis

Ragdoll

There’s no doubt that ragdoll cats are famous because of their bright blue eyes. They have long, silky coats to cover their bodies. Their body size ranges from medium to large, giving them an appealing appearance with a bushy tail. They grow slowly, reaching the entire coat and the colour at about three years of age. These cats are intelligent and affectionate and give the impression of graceful movements. We can give them cuddles because they are such adorable creatures. The giant domesticated breed of cats is the ragdoll. They are kind cats and can do well with children. With their calm demeanour, Ragdolls make excellent companions. Ragdoll cats are more prevalent in the United Kingdom and the United States. These cats are also known as “dog-like” or “puppy-like” because they tend to follow people around, lack of aggressive nature towards other pets, and receptiveness to handling. Their colour is commonly seen as tricolour or bicolour.

–pixabay / Kadisha

Maine Coon Cat

one of the oldest natural breeds in North America and a sizeable domesticated cat breed. Three to five years old, these cats reach their full size. They originated in the United States, in the state of Maine. They need more special care and attention than the other breeds. Also, they need a solid brush to comb the hairs they have more than others. These cats are heavily boned and muscular. They started as outdoor cats and later began to keep rodents away from the house. They are known as popular mousers, farm cats, and ship cats as far back as the early 19th century. “The gentle giants” are the other names these cats are called. They have large heads with tall ears. These cats’ broad chests and thick legs give them a unique look, while their heavy silky coat contributes considerably to their appearance. Female cats and male cats have different behaviours. Female cats are more dignified, while males are prone to silly behaviour. They prefer to enjoy a kittenish love of play well into adulthood.

–pixabay / miezekieze

Exotic

Exotic cats are a variety of cats that can be kept as pets. They are sweet, docile, and quiet. They love to play when not sitting in a lap or being petted. A medium size cat usually has a weight range of seven to twelve pounds. They have been nicknamed “the lazy man’sman’s Persian.” We should care for them by removing dirty hair and making their coat shiny and healthy. It’sIt’s better if we provide them with a monthly bath. Excessive tearing is a problem for these cat breeds. So, clean the corners of your eyes daily to prevent under-eye stains from forming. Brushing teeth is necessary for these cats, and weekly brushing is much better. They have short noses, round and large eyes, full cheeks, large and round heads, and small ears with rounded tips. Their tail is comparatively short but proportional to the length of the cat’scat’s body. Exotic cat’scat’s eye colour is related to the coat colour.

–pixabay / Sinason

Persian

Flat faces and long, flowing fur make a unique appearance for Persian cats. They need a lot to be happy, but just cuddling on laps is enough for them. Their long hair of them should be maintained daily to avoid uncomfortable mats. Persian cats have powerful features. They are original Persian cats without powerful features, known as “traditional Persian” or “doll-face Persian.” People love this cat and have even created art for them. They have about 15-20 years of life expectancy. The origination of Persian cats has happened in Persia and Iran. They are sweet, gentle, and affectionate. They have high intelligence and a high friendliness which people easily get attracted to.

–Get this image on: Wikimedia Commons 

Devon Rex

You may think, is this a cat or an alien when you see them simultaneously? The large eyes, short muzzle, huge and lowest ears, and prominent cheekbones make the look more identifiable. They are grown medium in size and have covered the body with soft, wavy fur. Their appearance of them may bring a smile to the face. Devon Rex cats crave attention, and you do not feel bored when you have time with them. Generally, these are healthy, but sometimes people may get diseases like congenital hypotrichosis, otherwise known as hereditary baldness, which is probably the result of an inherited recessive gene—also known as Pixie Cat. They are active, playful, and social animals with a lifespan of about 9–15 years. Their eyes can be any colour, and their coats can be solid, tabby, shaded, calico, or something else. England is where these cats began their lives. If you want a cat with a playful Devon, Rex is the best choice, though they are rare.

–pixabay / miezekieze

British Shorthair

This short and medium-sized cat lives about 7–12 years. Both females and males are similar in size. They have beautiful eyes with blue, copper, gold, or odd-eyed in colour. British shorthair cats are powerful cats with well-developed components. A broad chest, a muscular neck, strong jaws, a well-developed muzzle, and thick, strong legs characterize their robust appearance. They contribute to keeping rodents out of the houses. Their thick and dense coats protect them even in winter by getting more comprehensive and longer. They are suitable for maintaining companion animals. They have easy-going and calm personalities, although they are playful. Cats only sometimes need attention, as they play with themselves too.

-Get this image on: Flickr

Abyssinian

This is another famous cat that likes to be as high as possible. also known as simply “Abyss.” It is a medium-sized cat with alert ears that are relatively large and pointed. Eyes are almond-shaped, and colours are gold, green, hazel, or copper, matching the coat. The legs are usually longer than the rest of the body, and the tail is long and tapered. The Abyssinian jacket is dark; gradually, it has become lighter with their maturity. An active type of cat, which depicts curious attitudes. Their dog-like characters also involve a certain affection and desire for interaction. Highly social animals demand attention. Raw and dry food is an excellent food item for these cats, as it helps to keep their teeth strong.

–pixabay / tsapenkodg

 American Shorthair

 Despite their history as hunters, these cats are famous among people and are known to be affectionate, endearing pets. They can protect against rats and other pests. They originated in the United States, and their lifespan is about 12-17 years. These show active, curious, playful, and personable personalities. Medium to large-sized American Shorthair can be found. They have a muscular, compact body with a rounded shape that’s as cuddly as attractive. They exude power, confidence, and grace. They have eye-catching eyes, which seem large and round, with half-almond-shaped upper lids and distinctly rounded lower lids. The eye colour is gold and green. Ears are medium-sized with rounded tips, while the coat is soft, healthy, and lustrous. Their appearance makes them more beautiful and dignified.

–Get this image on: Wikimedia Commons

Scottish Fold

This is a rare cat that looks like an owl. This is a medium-sized cat with medium-sized boning. They have very bright, round eyes that can see clearly. The head appears round, and the tail is short compared to its length. Scottish Fold is a sweet, charming breed that can be easily loved and cared for. So affectionate and comfortable with all members of the family. The tails of them should be handled gently. They play with the bottom, up and down, and side to side.

–Get this image on: Flickr

Sphynx

A low-allergen cat breed is recognized for its bald bodies. This is an active cat that needs more toys for mental stimulation. They have a distinct identity due to their lack of hair. The skin should have the texture of chamois leather. As they do not have fur, they lose body heat more readily than coated cats, making them both warm to the touch and prone to seeking out friendly places. They are also known as Canadian Sphynx, a furless cat breed. They are suited for large families looking for a dog-like cat. They live between 8 and 14 years. This beautiful cat has a personality that is loving, outgoing, friendly, playful, talkative, needy, and naughty. Although they do not have hair, their beauty is adorable. These cats need a great deal of attention. There are few known facts about this cat. They don’t have any hair, come in different colours and patterns, and, to my surprise, are not hypoallergenic.

–pixabay / Pexels

 It’s interesting to know about cats, as they show lovely behaviours and adorable appearances. Cats get common diseases over time. So it’s our responsibility to look after them by providing the necessary treatments with love and affection. If you are a cat lover, knowing about them for better care is essential.

Myths are beliefs people hold about tradition. All are not believing these stories at present. But tales are exciting and mysterious when considering the stories woven around them and behind them. So there are many myths related to the cat. There’s a myth that cats have nine lives. Is that real? What are the reasons for this? Why do people have such legends? As thousands of questions spin around the mind, it’s time to focus on what this is.

Many people don’t believe this cat story because legends are less likely to be true in the modern world of the 21st century. But it’s a myth that still prevails among the people, irrespective of the regions where cats can be found.

–image credit : pixabay / Kirgiz03

Ancient origins  

It is still being determined how the myth came to be. But historians have some ideas about its origin. Cat’s legend has yet to be created, and some stories related to its birth come from the past. It’s impossible to have nine lives for a cat. But its demeanor makes it seem like they could have extra lives.

English literature and other cultures have ideas and beliefs based on the cat’s nine lives. 

“A cat has nine lives.” “For three, he plays; for three, he strays, and for the last three, he stays.” This is a famous English document about which no one knows who or where it originated. As with many oral stories, this, too, requires evidence to back it up. But from this proverb, it’s believed that these are the stages for a cat’s nine lives or the lifecycle of a kitten to an adult one.

-Get this image on: Flickr 

But the famous writer William Shakespeare knew about the saying because he mentioned it in his Romeo and Juliet novel, which was written in the late 16th century. “Good king of cats, nothing but one your nine lives.” This has been a reason to predate the myth for about 1500 years and possibly has ancient origins.

–image credit : pixabay / KoalaParkLaundromat

Its fascinating cat dates back to about 12,000 years ago in ancient Egyptians for homes and places to worship. The Egyptians could see their feline friends, who had excellent talents for swimming, as divine creatures. The cat has multiple lives because it appears and disappears occasionally. It is considered due to the goddess Bastet’s ability to change from a human to a cat. The nature of mystery has followed domestic cats during their migration from the Middle East through Greece, China, and Europe, including all over the world.

–Get this image on: Flickr 

Why nine lives?

The number nine is significant in numerology because of the composition of three. Nine is not just a number in many cultures, such as Greek, Islamic, and Roman Catholic, but has different beliefs related to it. If a cat “comes back into life” several times, nine makes a mysterious point of view. In Chinese culture, nine is believed to be lucky as it sounds like the word “long-lasting.” Nine is a symbol associated with a dragon in China, representing power as a symbol.

–Get this image on: Flickr 

The Anglo-Saxon settlers of England used the number nine in both legal and literary contexts. But in Spain, Pet Plan UK says that the cats have seven lives without their own nine. Arabic and Turkish legends reveal the lives of cats as six. So number nine is not universal to the myth. However, it believes that a cat has more than one life.

Cat’s action

A cat has a talent for leaping, twisting, and landing on its feet. Their abilities may help explain why the myth endures as a legend. They can jump into a high position from a familiar place in a few seconds. This is due to the magical powers they have. They have impressive skills in jumping due to the muscle mass and length of their hind legs. The back legs of a cat are strong. So they can leap six times their height. These depict the survival ability of a cat.

-Get this image on : Flickr

Is there any truth behind the myth?

Despite the ideas of the cat as godlike and invincible, as well as nine being a significant number in most cultures, the reality of the myth doesn’t exist, as cats do not have nine lives.

Dispelling the myth

Any culture doesn’t describe that a cat has nine lives, although some belief so. As “nine” is not universal with the myth, how does a tale exist? So, scientifically, it’s the same as other living beings; cats also have one life. They end up their life after spending their life span on the planet.

–image credit : pixabay / susannp4

Why the myth persists with a partial truth?

Although we can’t prove a cat has nine lives, one reason people believe they do is that they can survive a lethal fall, which would be more dangerous for humans. This is explained further in science. Cats can stand up naturally by twisting their bodies when they fall, even from very high places. It’s called the “righting reflex,” in which they can escape dangerous drops. Cats have more vertebrae than humans do.

–Get this image on : Flickr 

So they are flexible and can balance the body significantly. Also, they can react quickly, which helps them deal with dangerous situations and stay alive in challenging conditions. Cats are also intelligent, and their intelligence is critical to them. Some veterinarians have expressed their ideas related to the cat’s intelligence. Cats are not trained to save lives from other animals, such as snake bites, but dogs cannot hold their breath as long as cats do. So it is considered that the cat is the luckiest due to its ability to save people from danger. So they have evolved to be escape artists.

Cherish the cat’s life

Cats are durable creatures that can stand up in challenging situations. Despite their toughness, they are graceful and gentle. Cats leave their homes if they are mistreated. Also, they don’t forget or forgive others. They can live in challenging situations. Even if we are also a challenge for them, they never fail to escape. So we should have the ability to be careful with a cat.

–image credit : pixabay / Uschi_Du

Animals, which are a massive part of nature, perform incredible tasks. They are such a blessing to the entire world. Among various types of animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles, and all others, we are serving time to see about a unique Bengal tiger. The Bengal tiger is the giant wild cat alive at present. The tiger is an icon of power, beauty, and the importance of conservation. It is a subspecies of the tiger with massive force. This is a mammal. In the wild, people live an average of eight to 10 years.

Characteristics

This is an attractive animal. The coat is yellow to light orange, with the stripes ranging from dark brown to black. The limbs’ interior part and the belly are white, while the tail is orange with black rings. The most significant skull length is 351cm in males and 293cm in females of the tiger. This animal has exceptionally stout teeth and has the most extended canines among all the cats; its length is 7.5- 10cm.

–image credit – pixabay / sasint / Bengal Tiger

Behavior

They are aggressive, prefer to live alone, and are called unsocial animals. Mighty nocturnal hunters travel many miles for searching prey. They camouflage their distinctive coat when needed. It already matches the environment. White Bengal tigers are a phenomenon that rarely happens. They avoid humans, but few do dangerous man-eaters. Their night vision is six times that of humans, and their hearing is five times more. They can roar about two miles away. These tigers are fast runners, and they can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. They can climb up trees as well as swim in the water. So their prey can’t serve their lives even in water bodies.

–image credit – pixabay / abhishekmittal / Bengal Tiger

Size and the body weight

Bengal tigers aren’t giant tigers. This varies according to the gender of the tiger and the region they live in. Bengal tigers in the Panna national reserve have a head-to-body length of 183 cm-211 cm and a tail length of 164 cm-193 cm, with a tail length of 85-110 cm. The total size ranges from 283–311 cm to 255–285 cm for male and female tigers. 90-110 cm is the range that typically varies in height at the shoulders. Female tigers are smaller than males. The weight of a sub-adult is about 130–170 kg, while the adults reach 200–260 kg as male tigers. Also, the sub-adult females weigh 80-100kg and call 110- 180kg when they grow—the most negligible recorded weight for this from Sundarbans of Bangladesh.

–image credit – pixabay / -SV-MEDIA-

Distribution and the habitat

Tigers inhabit tropical moist evergreen forests, tropical dry forests, mangroves, tropical and subtropical moist deciduous forests, subtropical and temperate upland forests, and alluvial grasslands in the Indian subcontinent. They have been spread in Southern India as well as in Sri Lanka. As the Bengal tiger lives in India, sometimes they are known as “Indian tigers.” They are the most common tigers, and half of the wild tigers are Bengal tigers. Their habitats are now restricted to several blocks at the foot of the outer Himalayas, including the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU). Tiger densities are high at the TCUs. Also they can be found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. There are about 2000–2500 remaining in the wild. So, several thousand more are thought to reside in zoos as private reserves worldwide. 

–image credit – pixabay / RussPhotographer

Hunting and diet

These carnivores eat other animals such as gaur, sambar, water buffalo, and takin because they prefer hunting. They hunt both small and large prey. Bengal tigers sometimes kill mugger crocodiles, Indian leopards, Asian black bears, and sloth bear when hunting. They do not attack Indian elephants or Indian rhinos. Once, a king cobra and an Indian cobra were found in the stomachs of tigers. The physical advantages allow these tigers to hunt better than lions. According to the reaches, a tiger can hunt an elephant alone, while a lion can’t. As a result, the tiger is appropriately referred to as the King of the Jungle.

–Get this image on: Wikimedia Commons / Tiger_chasing_a_wild_Pig

Reproduction and the lifecycle

The tigers in India don’t have actual mating and birth seasons. But most young are born in December and April. Also, the young have been found in the seasons of March, May, October, and November. The maturity of male tigers happens when they reach their age of 4-5 years, while female tigers’ maturity happens at 3-4 years of them. Females, called tigress, give birth to two to six cubs which they raise with no or little help from males. At the age of 2-3 years, they slowly start to separate from the family and become transient, looking for an area for their home range. Young male tigers move far away from their native homes than females.

-image credit – pixabay /Gregorius_o

Culture

Tiger has been used in different cultures. It’s an animal displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley civilization. Also, this animal is a symbol on coins. The tiger is the national animal of India and Bangladesh.

Political parties use this animal as their symbol of elections. Some people were nicknamed “related to the tiger or Bengal tigers.” The Bengal tiger is used as a logo sometimes. The Bangladesh national cricket team is nicknamed “The Tigers.” There are famous artworks based on this unique animal.

–Get this image on: Picryl / image credit – Bridgemanart Library

Threats

Tiger is threatened due to reasons like poaching, loss, and fragmentation of habitats. They are killed by many for different reasons. Tiger’s bones have been used as an ingredient in traditional medicines.

–Get this image on: LOC’s Public Domain Archive – GetArchive / image credit – Library of Congress

Also, human-tiger conflict is another reason for tiger threats. Tigers were so numerous at the beginning of the 19th century. So killing them was officially rewarded in many localities. People have built their homes in areas that are suitable for tigers. Then, tigers lose their habitats automatically, and fewer wild prey are gained. Man-eating tiger incidents have also been recorded in some areas. However, at present, tigers are not available in large numbers. So it’s a great responsibility to protect them without letting them be endangered.