What in the World is a Cat? Mrs. HillMrs. Hill S2L1 2 nd Grade

A Cat is an Animal that: Is a mammal Has a skeleton Uses powerful muscles Has distinct behaviors Self Cleaning Self Preservation Comes in many breeds and sizes Grows and changes Can be domestic or live in the wild Was a powerful symbol to humans centuries ago

I’d love for you to remember that cats (and all living things) have a life cycle. A life cycle is the series of changes each living thing goes through from birth to death.

Cute, Cuddly, Cats… MammalSkeletonMusclesBehaviors Warm blooded Backbone Produce milk Feed young with milk Babies are born live (they do not hatch from eggs). Long canine teeth Flexible spine Retractable claws Tail assists with balance View Skeleton The back muscles and belly muscles provide the tension that allows the body to stretch and contract like a spring. Chases Leaps Meows Purrs Pounces Cleans itself with its tongue Prefers to be around humans for company and other cats to play

Look at this family! The Cat Family Big Cats Big Kill large prey Small Cats Small Kill small prey Exception is puma Cheetahs Lanky High speed

How Many of Us in the Classroom Have a Cat as a Pet? Number of People in Class Types of Pets

Comparing Dog and Cats

A Cat’s Life Timeline In the womb 63 Days Opens eyes 7 to 10 Days Old Walking 3 rd Week Kitten Stage 5 to 12 Weeks Lifespan Indoor Cats – 18 Years Outdoor Cats- 15 Years Adult Cat Stage 4 to 6 months Senior Cat Stage 8 Years Old

The Newborn Stage Blind Deaf Helpless Mothers lick them to get breathing going Sleep and eat only Gain 15 grams daily Senses functional around 10 th day

The Kitten Stage Explore surroundings Using the potty Play with each other Fully developed senses Clean themselves May move to a new home when 12 weeks old Around 12 weeks a new diet is started

The Adult Stage Stalking Hunting Permanent teeth come in Ready to have babies

The Senior Stage Stiffness in joints Sleeping Resting Poor sight and hearing Needs more warmth Change in diet

A Human’s Life Timeline In the Womb 40 Weeks Talking Begins at 2 months Rolling Over 4-5 months Sitting Up 6 ½ months Crawl months Walk 12 months Toddler 2 years Child 3 and up Teenager 13 to 19 Years Adult 20 to 64 Years Senior 65 to Death Lifespan years

What can we infer from looking at the timeline slides? CatHuman

Human Life Stages Video Click Here Click Here to view video

Speaking of Cats and Humans…Did You Know? Pharaohs in Egypt regarded cats as GodsGods Cats have been cloned by scientistsscientists There are famous cat cartoon characters illustrated by peoplecartoon characters

In what profession would someone need to know a great deal about cats?

A Veterinarian! A veterinarian is a doctor who is trained to diagnose and treat sick or injured animals.

Here are some other topics we could explore: Large feline breeds (puma, lions, tiger) Habitats Zoo life Animal Rescue Comparing cats to other animals