Cat

Question 1

ancestor of the domestic cat

Answer 1

nubian wild cat and other european and asian wild cats (felidae, felinae(small cat subfamily), carnivora order)

Question 2

domestication timeline

Answer 2

• *ancient egypt:** 3000-5000bc, sacred animals, worshipped middle ages: devil symbol, killed rats during plague - no longer devil
• *19-20th century:** breeding experiments making new breeds, organisations (colors, mutants)

Question 3

diversity

Answer 3

small biodiversity - appearance and conformation is highly similar, only hair and color differs, ear, eye and head shape

(EU, GB and US are top breeding countries)

Question 4

chromosomes

Answer 4

2n= 38
interspecies hybridisation of small cats are succsessful = fertile! (feral cats are common)

Question 5

moggy, cattery, pedigree

Answer 5

• *moggy:** non-pedigree domestic cat
• *cattery:** where cats are kept and bred
• *pedigree:** line of descent of purebred cats

Question 6

inbreeding (=closely related)

Answer 6

moderate inbreeding for slow charectar fixation but perserved genetic variation

Question 7

puberty

Answer 7

female: around 9 months
male: around 12 months

Question 8

sexual activity

Answer 8

depend on photoperiod, artificial illumination give continous polyestrus, but normally seasonally polyestrus

breeding season january - july: anovulatory (14d) and ovulatory(35d), alternate ovulatory cycle with induces ovulation!

(3-9 litter size, palpation as pregnancy diagnosis, lactating for 50 days)