The cat

Of all the animals in the world my favourite is the cat. Cats are the source of many superstitions and legends. In ancient Egypt, cats are sacred. Thousands of cat mummies have been found in Egyptian tombs, some in tombs with their masters and others in special cemeteries containing only cats. The Egyptians also had a cat goddess.

In the middle ages cats were though to be witches' helpers and were sometimes killed for engaging in witchcraft. In some European countries, however, the cat was so valued as a mouser that anyone guilty of killing one was fined.

Cats' irises appear slit in bright sunshine but open wide, to let in more light, at night. The eyes of most cats are green or yellow but with some cats, such as the Siamese cat, they eyes are sky blue or ruby red.

Cats are meat eaters and they have sharp, tearing teeth. They use their rough tongues primarily to clean themselves, although it has other uses. When a cat is angry or scared, its fur stands erect.

There are two main groups if cats - longhaired and shorthaired. Longhaired cats are also known as Persians or Angoras. A curious cat is the Manx cat, which originated in the Isle of Man and lacks a tail!