Text: Cats

When you watch a cat stalking a bird, it is quite easy to see that cats are related to lions and tigers. All cats are excellent hunters. They have acute senses, sharp teeth and claws, and they are strong. Usually they go hunting at night. Cats are very proud of their excellent eyesight. Experts say that even a domestic cat could survive in the wild by catching mice, small birds and insects. With their long legs and strong muscles, cats can jump very well. But before a cat jumps it moves its head from side to side so that it can judge the distance.

Cats are famous for their cleanliness. Every day they spend at least one hour licking their fur with their tongue. This makes the fur smooth and glossy. Did you know that a cat sleeps for 16 hours a day? 

Female cats are pregnant for about nine weeks. They give birth to between one and five kittens. Newborn kittens are rather helpless. Their eyes are closed for the first week, and they feed on their mother's milk at first. After about eight weeks they slowly stop taking milk and begin to eat solid food. Young cats can spend hours playing and jumping on each other.

3,000 years ago domestic cats were rather common in Egypt where everyone respected them. Today there are more than 500 million domestic cats around the world.

For thousands of years, black cats have been associated with magic and witchcraft. Some people still believe that they can bring both good and bad luck to them. What do you think?