Cats

Every cat, big or small, has whiskers. Whiskers are thick, long hairs on each side of a cat's face. Cats use their whiskers to feel around in the dark, fit through small spaces and get around objects. Cat whiskers are so sensitive that they can feel slight changes in the air.

All cats walk around on four feet called paws. Cat paws are padded so cats can walk quietly and sneak up on their prey, whether it is a toy mouse or their dinner! Walking quietly is important to big cats who must hunt for food. Cats use their paws to clean their faces, too.

On their feet, cats have sharp claws that they use to scratch, grip and tear things. Big cats like lions use their long, sharp claws for hunting and marking territory. All members of the cat family, except the cheetah, have retractable claws that they can stick out and pull back into their paws.

All cats have sensitive ears that can hear many sounds. Cats hear better than people do. Have you ever seen a cat's ears twitch at the slightest sound? Cats move their ears to pick up more sounds and determine where the sounds are coming from. Being able to hear danger or food coming is important to cats.

Not only can cats hear better than people, they can see better at night, too. Cats' eyes are designed for hunting and can adjust to light changes quickly. Even though some people think they can, cats cannot see in total darkness.

Some of the members of the cat family can do what no other animals can do - purr. People aren't exactly sure how or why smaller cats, such as the cougar and house cat, make a purring sound. Most people think that cats purr because they are content, but cats purr when they are in pain, too.

Big cats such as lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards don't purr like the smaller cats. Big cats have mighty roars. Cats that roar instead of purr are classified as big cats. Cats that purr are classified as small cats, even though they can be pretty large!

Like other animals, cats have babies. Pet cats have babies called kittens. Other cats like tigers have babies called cubs. Mother cats take good care of their babies. The mother cat does everything she can to keep her babies safe and fed.

Even though cats have many things in common, people treat them differently. While there are millions of pet cats in the world, the other members of the cat family aren't doing so well. Many kinds of tigers, lions, cheetahs and other wild cats are endangered, which means that they are in danger of disappearing forever. People have hunted these cats so much and taken over so much of their territory that there aren't that many left.