the essay on cat

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Essay on Cat: Samples for Students in 100, 200, and 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Jan 29, 2024

Cats are adorable pets. They are furry, cute and cuddly and are loved by most people. Their silly acts make them a favourite among people. Cats have been around for thousands of years now it is now sometimes unclear if we have domesticated them or if is it the opposite that is true. There are so many aspects to cats. We have included several things related to cats in the samples of our essay on Cat. let’s have a look at the same!

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Cat in 100 words
• 2 Essay on Cat in 200 words
• 3 Essay on Cat in 300 words

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Essay on Cat in 100 words

I have a pet cat and her name is Hermoine. She is white in color. We brought her home when she was only 8 weeks old kitten. Now, she is 1 year old. I love to play with her. We have a ball for her that she likes to chase around the house. Most of the time she is playing, she likes to eat and sleep otherwise. When I wake up in the morning, I look for Hermoine. And every night before going to bed, I pet her. I love my cat and now, she an important part of our lives. 

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Essay on Cat in 200 words

I have a pet cat. His name is Snowbell and he is white in colour. We brought Snowbell home when he was around 8 weeks old and now, he is 1.5 years old. Most of the time he stays inside the house being lazy and sleeping. But he is also very energetic. He likes to chase a ball around the house that we brought for him. 

Pets are very lovable but having them brings a lot of responsibilities. We take very good care of Snowbell and feed him twice a day. We make sure that he gets enough nutrients in his meals. My sister bathes him twice a week. And then we brush his white fur. Cats also need a good bed to sleep in so, we brought a bed specifically for him. It’s so soft and he loves sleeping in it. Also, we made sure that he got all his vaccinations done on time. 

By nature, cats like to eat fish and other meats. And so, our Snowbell also loves fish and chicken. Whenever I am studying, Snowbell comes near me, curls up around my feet and lays there. Our whole family loves Snowbell, especially my mother. Snowbell is an important part of our family.

Also Read:- Essay on Athletics in 100, 200, 300 Words for Students

Essay on Cat in 300 words

My cat’s name is Stuart. He is a Maine Coon cat that is famous for its furry looks. Stuart is very dear to me. His walk is majestic, and he loves to hop around the house while carrying all his grace in his golden fur. Although very majestic, when he sleeps, his postures are funny to look at. 

Most of the time he stays at home playing with the ball we got him. But at times he also goes in the backyard for a stroll. He loves watching the birds from the window in my room. I have always wanted a pet cat and when my dad brought home Stuart, I was the happiest. He came home curdled like a white snowball. The cats of his breed live in cold climates, hence we have to ensure that our house is airconditioned properly, especially at night. Now, because they are habitual to such cold climates, the fur of Stuart is amazingly fluffy. We also have to take extra precautions so that Stuart doesn’t feel too much heat. 

Cats require a lot of attention and care. We take care of Stuart’s meals like we would of a baby. We feed him twice a day and make sure that he gets all the necessary nutrients through his meals. We also bathe him twice a week. Another important thing that we made sure of is that he got all his vaccinations done on time. And periodically we visit the vet to make sure that he is healthy. Although domesticated, he still likes to chase around birds. When some pigeons sit on the window, he chases them away. 

Everyone in our family love loves Stuart. We all take care of him and love him with all our hearts. He is an important member of our family.

Ans: I have a pet cat and her name is Hermoine. She is white in colour. We brought her home when she was only 8 weeks old kitten. Now, she is 1 year old. I love to play with her. We have a ball for her that she likes to chase around the house. Most of the time she is playing, other times she likes to eat and sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I look for Hermoine. And every night before going to bed, I pet her. I love my cat and now, she an important part of our lives. 

Ans: I have a pet cat. His name is Snowbell and he is white in colour. We brought Snowbell home when he was around 8 weeks old and now, he is 1.5 years old. Most of the time he stays inside the house being lazy and sleeping. But he is also very energetic. He likes to chase a ball around the house that we brought for him.  Pets are very lovable but having them brings a lot of responsibilities. We take very good care of Snowbell and feed him twice a day. We make sure that he gets enough nutrients in his meals. My sister bathes him twice a week. And then we brush his white fur. Cats also need a good bed to sleep in so, we brought a bed specifically for him. It’s so soft and he loves sleeping in it. Also, we made sure that he got all his vaccinations done on time.  By nature, cats like to eat fish and other meats. And so, our Snowbell also loves fish and chicken. Whenever I am studying, Snowbell comes near me, curls up around my feet and lays there. Our whole family loves Snowbell, especially my mother. Snowbell is an important part of our family.

Ans: A pet is an animal that is brought home and is taken care of as one of the family members.

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This brings us to the end of our blog on Essay on Cat. Hope you find this information useful. For more information on such informative topics for your school, visit our essay writing and follow Leverage Edu.

Deepansh Gautam

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Essay on Cat

The cat is a domestic animal. Its scientific name is Felis catus. It is a small animal that belongs to the “Felidae” family. The cat is the only domesticated species of the family. Other members include tigers, panthers, etc. Cats are adorable animals and are petted by lots of people in the world. They are playful and spending time with them reduces stress and anxiety. In this essay about cats in English , their nature, behaviour and diet have been discussed.

Cat Paragraph in English

Cats are of three types- house cats, farm cats and feral cats. House cats are the cats we pet in our houses. Cats become good friends of humans. Unlike dogs, cats are not very active around their owners. However, they are good emotional companions to their owners. An essay on cats must emphasize the fact that cat-sitting has been proven to be therapeutic by many researchers. 

Any ‘my pet cat essay for Class 6’ must include a few details about the appearance of cats. Cats have very sweet features. It has two beautiful eyes, adorably tiny paws, sharp claws, and two perky ears which are very sensitive to sounds. It has a tiny body covered with smooth fur and it has a furry tail as well. Cats have an adorable face with a tiny nose, a big mouth and a few whiskers under its nose. Cats are generally white in colour but can also be brown, black, grey, cream or buff. 

Cats are omnivores. They eat vegetative items such as rice, milk, pulses, etc. as well as fish, meat, birds, mice, etc. Therefore, cats can feed on both types of food.

It is worth mentioning in this my pet cat essay for Class 6 that cats are considered sacred in several cultures such as the Japanese culture. Cats are often depicted as symbols of wit and honour. Several folklores include stories about the intelligence of cats. 

Apart from being clever and sweet, cats are also skilful hunters. They use their sharp, pointed nails and canines (teeth) to kill animals like snakes, mice and also small birds. Cats are also helpful to their owners as they protect the household from rats. Thus, from this cat essay, it can be said that cats are helpful pets as well.

However, any essay on cats would be incomplete without writing about their babies. A cat offspring is called a “kitten”. Cats are very protective and caring towards their kittens. They feed the kittens and raise them. Kittens are extremely tiny and adorable as well. Their eyes open sometime after they are born. Kittens are very energetic and they spend their time playing with each other and loving their parents. 

Now this cat essay will discuss the nature of cats. Cats are very lazy creatures. They usually spend their time napping and sleeping in warm places. Cats have a slow approach to their lives. They are not very energetic animals and they yawn very adorably whenever they are tired. Cats are very good friends to humans if they trust them. Cats like to sleep close to humans for their body warmth.

A Short My Pet Cat Essay for Class 6

In the following, my favourite pet cat essay, the cat’s behaviour, diet and appearance are discussed. Cat is a domestic animal. Cats are very beautiful and friendly animals. They are very good at hunting rats and snakes.

Cats have two eyes, a tiny nose, two perky ears, four legs and a tail. Their bodies are covered with smooth fur. They have whiskers under their nose. They have sharp claws and tiny paws. Cats are very lazy animals. They sleep a lot during the day. Cats are very good friends to humans. Cats eat both animals and vegetables. 

With that, this cat essay in English comes to its conclusion. This cat essay includes various information about cats in short. In a nutshell, this cat essay for kids discusses why cats are loved by many people.

My Pet Cat Essay for Class 1

Cats are domestic animals. They are small in size. Their bodies are covered with smooth fur. They have two mesmerizing eyes, two highly sensitive ears, four legs, whiskers under their nose and a long tail.

Cats are of three kinds, namely- farm cats, house cats and feral cats. House cats are petted by many people all across the globe. Cats are considered sacred in some traditions and cultures like the Japanese culture. Cats are very witty animals. They are very skilful hunters of rats, snakes, etc. Cats are very lazy pets, they sleep for long hours in a day and they are friendly to people they trust. Cats are not very social animals. Its offspring is called a “kitten”. Cats belong to the same family of tigers and panthers. Cats feed on both vegetables and animals and are, therefore, omnivores. Cats are very beautiful animals and they’re a favourite of many people.

With that, my pet animal cat essay comes to an end. In this essay on cats for class 1, their types, appearance, behaviour, diet and nature are discussed. These are some reasons why cats are adored by many.

FAQs on Cat Essay

1. What is a Cat’s Average Lifespan?

A cat’s average lifespan ranges from two to sixteen years. This is usually in the case of indoor cats as compared to street cats whose lifespan extends only up to 5 years.  The lifespan of a cat depends on the lifestyle they adapt to as well as the environmental hazards they are protected from. A person must contact a veterinarian and use the tips given to ensure that the cat is able to survive longer and lead a healthier lifestyle.

2. How Many Breeds of Cats are There on the Planet?

There are sixty recognized cat breeds in the world at present. Some of them are- Persian cats, Birman, Siberian cats, Siamese cats, British Shorthair, American Shorthair, etc. Some of the most common cat breeds known are Domestic shorthair, American shorthair, Domestic Longhair, Russian Blue, Bengal, Scottish Fold, etc. Different breeds have different characteristics in terms of their behaviour, personalities and needs. Some of them are reserved and short-tempered while some are extremely affectionate and loving. There are some breeds that are extremely independent while others are devoted to their owners.

3. How do Cats Clean Themselves?

The tongues of cats are scaly and they are excellent for cleaning the fur of cats. Cats keep their fur clean by licking their bodies. They are epitomes of cleanliness in terms of hygiene and hence use their tongue, paws and teeth to clean themselves clean. They use their rough/barbed tongues to lick, the paws for absorbing moisture and using it to clean off the dirt as well as their teeth to pick out the stubborn specks from their body.

4. How do we know that a cat is suffering from a health issue?

Cat owners must be very vigilant about the health of their cats by observing changes in their movements time and again. Once a cat reaches a certain age, it is obvious that their diet routine and their behaviour. For those cats suffering from major infections or diseases, regular checkups at the vet are mandatory. Once every two months is the recommended period of time to get a cat checked for health issues. Some symptoms like hiding, aggression towards people, loss of interest towards surroundings, neglect to groom or unusual vocalisation should be monitored.

5. What should domestic cats eat?

There is a difference in the diets of domesticated cats and street cats. Most of the time street cats are found to dig through garbage for leftover food for survival or catch smaller live animals as a part of their hunting tactics. In the case of domesticated cats, veterinarians usually suggest a compact diet that is healthy and to the liking of the cats. Regulating the food every day can prevent the cats from being either malnourished or overweight. Cats mostly prefer meat so boiled or cooked fish, chicken or red meat can be included plus cat food containing the same can also help in building their immune system and protect their heart, eyes and bowel movements. Raw meat and dairy products like cheese should be avoided as they are very harmful.

English Compositions

Short Essay on Cat [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

Essay writing is an indispensable part of any English writing comprehension syllabus. From lower grades to upper, all kinds of students have a common need to learn essay writing. In today’s session, you are going to learn to write essays on one of the most common animals: cats. Essays on cats have become quite popular in exams during the last few years. So, without further introduction, let’s get started. 

Short Essay on Cat in100 Words

Cats are domestic animals. They are small and cute and are kept as pets. They have bright eyes, tiny paws, sharp claws and a furry body and tail. Most commonly, cats are found in colours like black, white, brown, ginger and orange. They are true carnivores and prey on rats, mice, lizards, snakes, small fishes and other small animals in the wild.

Pet cats can live for 12 to 18 years. Cats have been valued by humans for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals and were worshipped. They were viewed as magical beings by the Persians. Cats are also seen as a symbol of good luck in China and Japan. 

Short Essay on Cat in 200 Words 

Cats are small domestic animals. They belong to the family Felidae and are the only domestic species in their family. Cats can be either house cats who live with people, farm cats who live on farms or feral cats who live on streets or in the wild. Cats are small and cute. They have bright eyes, tiny paws, sharp claws and a furry body and tail. Most commonly, cats are found in colours like black, white, brown, ginger and orange. There are about 60 different varieties of cats. 

Cats are true carnivores and need to eat meat to survive. They prey on rats, mice, lizards, snakes, rabbits, small fishes, small birds and other small animals in the wild. They usually eat many small meals throughout the day. Pet cats are known to love tuna and meats like chicken, turkey and beef. Most cat breeds can live for 12 to 18 years. A few cats have even lived for 25 to 30 years. 

Cats have been living with humans for thousands of years. People valued them not just for their ability to kill rodents and snakes, but also as companions. Ancient cultures like Egypt saw them as sacred and worshipped them. In Persia, they were seen as the messengers of omens and magical beings. In Japan and China, cats symbolise blessings, good luck and fortune and their figurines are often displayed in storefronts. 

Short Essay on Cat in 400 Words 

Cats are small animals that can be easily domesticated. They belong to the family Felidae and subfamily Felinae. Cats are the only domestic species in their family. The wild members of the family include lions, tigers, cougars, panthers, and leopards.

Cats can be either house cats who live with people in houses, farm cats who live on farms, or feral cats who live on streets or in the wild and generally avoid people. Cats are small and cute. They have bright eyes, tiny paws, sharp teeth, retractable claws and a furry body and tail. Most commonly, cats are found in colours like black, white, brown, ginger and orange. There are about 60 different varieties of cats. 

Cats are true carnivores and need to eat meat in order to survive. Their night vision and sense of smell are well-developed. They mostly hunt during dawn or at dusk. Cats prey on rats, mice, lizards, snakes, rabbits, small fishes, small birds and other small animals in the wild.

Pet cats are known to love fishes like tuna, salmon, and sardines and meats like chicken, turkey, and beef. Cats are believed to be the only mammals who do not taste sweetness. There are many predators that prey on cats. Some larger predators include cougars, coyotes, raccoons, and wolves, while smaller animals like hawks, eagles, snakes, and owls also hunt cats. 

Most cat breeds can live for 12 to 18 years. A few cats have even lived for 25 to 30 years. Cats usually have kittens from spring to late autumn and their average litter size is four to six. Burmese, Siamese, and Persian cats are known to have the largest average litter. Cats are social animals. In feral conditions, while many cats live alone, others form colonies and live together around food sources. Cats are very territorial and mark their areas by urine spraying, rubbing facial secretions, and defecation. 

Cats have been living with humans for thousands of years. They were first domesticated in the Near East around 7500 BC. People valued them not just for their ability to kill rodents and snakes, but also as companions. Ancient cultures like Egypt saw them as sacred and worshipped them. In Persia, they were seen as the messengers of omens and magical beings. In Japan and China, cats symbolise blessings, good luck and fortune, and their figurines are often displayed in storefronts. According to estimates, there are around 220 million owned and 480 million stray cats today. 

That’s all about today’s session on writing essays on cats. In this essay, I have tried to discuss many different aspects of cats. Hopefully, after going through this session, you have holistic clarity about the topic we have just discussed. If you still have any queries, let me know through some quick comments. And keep browsing the website to read more such essays and other writing comprehensions. 

Join us on Telegram to get the latest updates about our upcoming session. Thanks for being with us. See you again, soon. 

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Essay On Cat

Cats are domesticated animals. ‘Felis catus’ is its scientific term. It is a little animal from the "Felidae" family. The cat is the only member of this family that has undergone domestication. This family of animals also comprises tigers, panthers, and other animals. Domesticated cats are popularly loved because of their cuteness and playful nature. Playing with them makes you feel less stressed and anxious.

100 Words Essay On Cat

200 words essay on cat, 500 words essay on cat.

There are three different types of cats: domestic cats, farm cats, and feral cats. People all across the world love to pet house cats. In various customs and cultures, such as the Japanese culture, cats are revered. Cats are smart animals. They are expert hunters of snakes, rats, etc. Cats are extremely slothful pets; they sleep for lengthy periods of time each day and are kind to those they know and trust. Cats are not particularly sociable. Its child is known as a "kitten." The same family as tigers and panthers includes cats. Cats are omnivores because they eat both plants and animals for food.

The face of a cat is lovely, with a little nose, a large mouth, and some whiskers under the nose. Although they can also be brown, black, grey, cream, or buff, cats are often white in colour.

Food Habits | Cats are omnivorous. They consume fish, meat, fowl, mice, rice, milk, and other vegetative foods in addition to these animal foods. Cats can therefore eat both sorts of food.

Hunting Skills | Cats are not only smart and affectionate but also skilled hunters. They kill creatures, including snakes, mice, and small birds, using their sharp, pointed nails and canines (teeth).

Offsprings | Cats’ offsprings are referred to as ‘kittens’. Cats are incredibly nurturing and guarding of their young. The kittens are raised and fed by them. Kittens are incredibly cute and tiny. Sometime after birth, their eyes open. They have a lot of energy, and they enjoy playing with one another and cuddling with their parents.

Good Pets | Cats are beneficial to their owners because they keep rats out of the house. This is one of the reasons why cats make good pets. Cats are extremely slothful animals. They typically spend their days sleeping and taking naps in warm locations. The pace of life for cats is leisurely. They are not particularly spirited animals, and whenever they are exhausted, they yawn quite cutely. If cats trust people, they can make excellent buddies with them. Cats want to sleep near people because they are warm.

There were 480 million stray cats and 220 million owned cats in the globe as of 2021, according to estimates. With 95.6 million domestic cats owned and 42 million households having at least one cat, domestic cats were the second most common pet in the United States as of 2017. In the UK, 10.9 million cats are thought to be kept as pets, with 26% of adults in the country having one. I keep a fluffy white pet cat as a pet.

Features Of Cats | Although all cats appear to be the same, there are more than 55 different cat breeds. They have excellent night vision, and their flexible bodies make it simple for them to leap from one place to another. They can easily locate the milk because of their keen sense of smell.

Domestication Of Cats | Cats were revered in ancient Egypt starting around 3100 BC. Therefore it was long believed that the domestication of cats started there. However, more recent discoveries in archaeology and genetics have revealed that the domestication of cats actually started in Western Asia around 7500 BC. Later on, Egyptian wildcats contributed to the domestic cat's maternal gene pool.

Breed Development | Cat breed development began in the middle of the 19th century. According to genomic research of domestic cats, the DNA of their wild ancestors underwent significant change during domestication as particular mutations were chosen to create different cat breeds. Most breeds originated from household cats that were randomly bred. These breeds' genetic diversity varies by area and is lowest in purebred populations, which have over 20 harmful genetic illnesses.

My parents made the decision to bring me a pet because I am a single child. I immediately decided on a cat when they asked if I wanted a dog or a cat. My heart raced as my father drove me to a pet store because of this adorable white kitten with grey ears. Since we brought it home, it has been my closest companion. Its name is Rosie.

Rosie has been living with us for the past two years and has integrated herself into our family. I enjoy using it for play. Every evening I play with it in the house and also take it to the park. With my mother's assistance, I bathe it twice a month. Rosie and I both have a lot of fun when we take baths. Every day, my mother makes a point of combing Rosie's hairy coat. Rosie has her own set of combs, brushes, shampoo, and soaps. Her diet is likewise well-cared for by us. For her, we bring a special cat meal home. I cherish my beloved cat.

Although we cannot completely replace humans, my cats still adore me, and I adore them. We play together and engage in a variety of activities that bring joy to both of us. If you've ever kept a cat as a pet, as I did, you'll understand. I adore and appreciate being around my cat. Rosie is lovely, playful, and happy.

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Essays About Cats: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

Cats are some of the most beloved animals to humankind; this article contains writing prompts and essay examples to help you write essays about cats. 

When you think of animals, two things come to mind: cats and dogs. Cats are some of the most popular pets, as they are, for the most part, relatively independent, low-maintenance, and easy to care for. The word “cat” most often describes domesticated house cats but also refers to some of the most vicious predators on the planet, such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Nevertheless, they make great companions for people who enjoy staying home and spending time sitting down and petting them, which reduces stress and anxiety. 

If you want to start writing essays about cats, start by reading some essay examples.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

1. Short Essay on “Cat” by Kirti Daga

2. life of stray cats by nathaniel bridges, 3. do cats understand mirrors by christine o’brien, 4.  why cats are bad pets by shannon cain.

• 5. ​​Why Are Cats So Incredibly Rude? by Julie Davidson

5 Writing Prompts For Essays About Cats

1. should you own a cat, 2. why are cats so loved, 3. my experience with cats, 4. cats vs. dogs, 5. my favorite breed of cat.

“If your cat has given birth to kittens, make sure that your house is quiet because a lot of noise and activity can scare a small kitten and a cat lover would never wish to scare a kitten for sure. Cats can be shy in nature and can even take time while adjusting with the environment. One needs to be patient and deal with the animal with a lot of love and care.”

Daga gives a basic description of cats’ physical features, personalities, and misconceptions about them. They are gentle and playful yet, to an extent, selfish. Many believe that cats are related to black magic and bad luck; however, this is entirely false. Daga ends the essay by briefly discussing how to tame a cat and care for one that has given birth to kittens.

“Although it’s impossible for us to adopt every stray cat on the street, but imagine if every family manage to keep a pet cat in their home. That can actually save a lot of their lives. Some might have allergies towards animals but you can still help by providing clean water and some food outside of your house for the cats. This can avoid them from eating poisonous or unhygienic foods and also let them have a healthier life.”

In his essay, Bridges implores readers to be more sympathetic to the plight of stray cats. They have difficulty finding food and are involved in many accidents, particularly with cars. Bridges suggest leaving out food and water for stray cats, so they eat healthier food than whatever they scavenge for. In addition, he encourages people to adopt stray cats, although this is not for everyone, as some may have allergic reactions. 

Looking for more? Check out these essays about dogs .

“the extent of cat self-awareness is still a mystery. Despite all of the wisdom contained in her all-knowing eyes, when your cat’s pacing back and forth in front of mirror, she’s probably not admiring the sleekness of her coat or the smoothness of her freshly-trimmed nails.

More than likely, she’s investigating the stranger that is too close for comfort.”

O’Brien writes about the phenomenon in which cats look at themselves intently in the mirror. Based on research, cats do not recognize themselves and continue to look into the mirror to assess possible threats. As animal brains are less developed, they do not understand that they see themselves and instead see their reflections as other animals. They are not looking at themselves as people claim but trying to perceive the presence of another cat. 

“How many people do you see taking their cat with them on car rides? Or having a nice walk in the park? Absolutely no one. If you’ve ever brought your cat in the car, you know how loud, annoying and horrible it is, not only for them but you as well. The whole time, all you hear is their pitiful meow from the carrier, which is in the very back, covered in blankets to drown out the ear-splitting screeches.”

Cain’s essay explores the more negative aspects of cats, particularly compared to owning a dog. She starts by recalling ancient Egyptian traditions by which cats were associated with divinity and protectors from evil spirits, demons, and hell. She also discusses several bad qualities of cats; they are “a bit messy,” “filthy,” “annoying,” and “horrible.” While Cain does not hate cats, she believes dogs are preferable. 

5. ​​ Why Are Cats So Incredibly Rude? by Julie Davidson

“Cats hold a grudge. When a cat is mad, she wants you to acknowledge it. Some will act out doing such things as clearing the books off the coffee table, sumo wrestling a feline roommate, or emptying her water dish out onto the floor—all to get your attention. But, just when she has pushed us to our absolute limit, a cat flashes those big kitten eyes (picture Puss in Boots from Shrek), and we melt like a snowman in the Sahara.”

Davidson writes about some of the cats’ bad habits, particularly their “rudeness.” They demand attention, put up a bad attitude when it is not given, and do things considered “adorable” to win back the favor of their owners. Cats are lovable yet manipulative; however, this is part of their nature, and cat owners must deal with it. For more, you can also see these articles about cats .

In this essay, research and list the advantages and disadvantages of owning a cat- what positive and negative traits do they have? Then, conclude whether you would recommend getting a cat as a pet to others. Of course, this would be easier if you own or have a cat, but ample research will suffice. This is an excellent topic for an argumentative essay, as you can find many arguments for and against owning a cat online. 

It is a fact that cats are loved by many. What makes cats so lovable? In your essay, look into some qualities of cats that make them so beloved and ideal as pets. If you do not have a cat,  you can base your essay on interviews with cat owners or information from the internet. 

Think of a memorable occasion when you interacted with a cat, whether with your pet, a family member or friend’s cat, or even a stray cat outside. How did it make you feel- were you stressed, relaxed, or disgusted? Your essay should be a retelling of a personal story; do not include others’ opinions or ideas from online sources. 

For an engaging argumentative essay, decide which animal you prefer: cats or dogs. Research and write about the advantages and disadvantages of having either of them as a pet, then decide which one you would prefer. Be sure to justify your choice; you can use some of the essay examples above as evidence, 

Do you have a favorite breed of cat? How about the species of cat overall? For your essay, write about your favorite type of cat, whether a lion, tiger, or adorable Persian cat. Explain why it is your favorite and, if applicable, any other special meaning the cat has to you. 

If you’d like to learn more, check out our guide on how to write an argumentative essay .

For more help, check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .

Essay on Cat

Introduction

In homes around the world, there exists a creature that effortlessly captures the hearts of millions: the cat. Often found lounging in sunbeams or gracefully navigating tight spaces, cats possess a captivating charm that transcends cultural boundaries. From ancient Egypt, where people revered them as divine beings, to modern households, where they reign as beloved companions, cats have woven themselves into the fabric of human history. Their enigmatic nature and independent spirit continue to intrigue and inspire, making them subjects of fascination and adoration. Join me on a journey into the captivating world of our feline friends.

History and Domestication of Cats

Through the millennia, cats have remained enigmatic creatures, weaving themselves into the tapestry of human civilization through their complex relationship with humans.

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• Early Presence in Human Civilization: Cats have a long history intertwined with human civilization, dating back thousands of years. Evidence suggests that people first domesticated cats around 9,000 years ago in the Near East region, where agricultural societies provided an abundance of prey for wild cats.
• Role in Ancient Cultures: Ancient civilizations, like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China, revered cats for their hunting prowess and mystical qualities. In ancient Egypt, people associated cats with deities like Bastet, the goddess of home, fertility, and childbirth, and often depicted them in artwork and religious ceremonies.
• Utilitarian Function: Cats played a crucial role in controlling rodent populations in early agricultural societies. Their adept hunting skills played a crucial role in safeguarding grain stores and curbing the spread of diseases transmitted by pests.
• Spread Across Continents: As human civilizations expanded and traded with one another, cats spread across continents. They accompanied sailors on ships, aiding in pest control and earning a reputation as good luck charms.
• Domestication and Selective Breeding: Over time, cats gradually transitioned from wild hunters to domestic companions. Selective breeding by humans led to the development of distinct breeds with varying physical and behavioral traits.
• Modern Status as Household Pets: Today, cats rank among the most beloved pets globally, valued for their companionship, independence, and relatively easy upkeep. The domestic cat, Felis catus, retains many traits of its wild ancestors while adapting to life alongside humans.

Physical Characteristics

Here’s a table outlining some common physical characteristics of cats:

Popular Breeds

These popular cat breeds showcase the diverse range of appearances, temperaments, and characteristics that make cats such beloved companions in households worldwide. Here’s an explanation of some popular cat breeds:

• Persian : One of the most well-known cat breeds, distinguished by their luxurious, long coats and unusually flat features. Originating from Persia (modern-day Iran), they have a gentle and affectionate demeanor, making them popular companions. Nonetheless, their thick coat necessitates regular grooming to prevent matting.
• Siamese : Siamese cats are celebrated for their vivid blue almond-shaped eyes, short coat featuring color points on the ears, face, paws, and tail, as well as their vocal tendencies. Originating from Thailand (formerly Siam), they are highly social and intelligent, often forming strong bonds with their human families.
• Maine Coon : Considered one of the largest domesticated cat breeds, Maine Coons are known for their rugged appearance, tufted ears, bushy tails, and friendly personalities. Originating from the northeastern United States, they are skilled hunters and excellent companions, known for their affectionate and playful nature.
• British Shorthair : With their round faces, stocky build, and dense, plush coats, British Shorthairs exude an air of dignified charm. Originating from Great Britain, they are known for their calm and easygoing temperament, making them ideal pets for families and apartment living.
• Bengal : Bred from the Asian leopard cat and domestic shorthairs, Bengals have a distinctive spotted or marbled coat reminiscent of their wild ancestry. They are highly energetic, intelligent, and curious cats, often enjoying interactive play and exploration. Bengals develop strong bonds with their owners and flourish in environments that offer both physical and mental stimulation.
• Ragdoll : True to their name, Ragdolls are known for their relaxed and floppy demeanor when picked up, earning them the nickname “puppy cats.” With their semi-long fur, captivating blue eyes, and affectionate disposition, they serve as wonderful companions for both families and individuals. Ragdolls are known for their gentle temperament and adaptability to various living environments.
• Scottish Fold : Recognized by their distinctive folded ears, Scottish Folds have a sweet and affectionate disposition. Originating from Scotland, they are known for their playful nature and sociable personalities. Scottish Folds are generally gentle with children and other pets, making them popular options for families.

Behavior and Communication

Behavior and communication are integral aspects of cats’ fascinating world. Understanding their social dynamics, communication methods, and unique personalities offers valuable insights into these enigmatic creatures.

1. Social Behavior

• Solitary Hunters : While people often portray cats as solitary animals, they form social structures, particularly in feral colonies or multi-cat households. However, they still maintain their independence and may sometimes prefer solitary activities.
• Territoriality : Cats are territorial animals. They use scent glands on their faces and bodies to mark their territories. When establishing their territory, cats may rub up against objects or spray urine.
• Hierarchy : Cats establish hierarchies based on dominance and resource access in multi-cat households or feral colonies. Dominant cats may assert their authority through body language , vocalizations, or even physical confrontation.

2. Communication Methods

• Vocalizations : Cats employ a diverse range of vocalizations to communicate both with each other and with their human companions. These include meowing, purring, hissing, growling, and chirping. Each vocalization conveys different messages, such as seeking attention, expressing affection, or warning of potential threats.
• Scent Marking : Cats have scent glands situated on their face, paws, and tails, which they employ for marking territory and communicating with other felines. Rubbing against objects, scratching, and urine spraying are common methods of scent marking. Each cat has a unique scent profile, allowing them to identify familiar individuals and establish social bonds.
• Visual Signals : Cats also use visual signals to communicate, such as pupil dilation, blinking, and facial expressions. Gentle, slow blinking, often called “cat kisses,” signifies trust and affection, while dilated pupils may suggest excitement or arousal.

3. Body Language

• Tail Position : A raised tail indicates confidence and friendliness, while a lowered or tucked tail may signal fear or submission.
• Ear Position : Forward-facing ears suggest alertness and curiosity, while flattened ears indicate aggression or fear.
• Purring : Purring is commonly linked with contentment and relaxation, though cats may also purr when stressed or experiencing discomfort.
• Kneading : Cats often display kneading with their front paws when they are happy or seeking comfort.

4. Personality Traits

• Independence : Cats are famously independent animals, capable of confidently entertaining themselves and navigating their environments.
• Curiosity : Cats are inherently curious animals, frequently exploring their surroundings and examining new objects or scents.
• Affection : Contrary to popular belief, cats can form deep bonds with their human caregivers and show affection through behaviors such as purring, kneading, and seeking physical contact.

Cats as Pets

Here’s a breakdown of why cats make excellent pets:

• Companionship : Cats make wonderful companions, providing unconditional love , affection, and companionship to their owners. Their presence can significantly enrich the lives of their human companions, offering comfort and emotional support.
• Low Maintenance : Cats require relatively little maintenance compared to other pets. They are independent animals that can entertain themselves for long periods and are capable of grooming themselves. Additionally, they don’t require daily walks like dogs , making them suitable for people with busy lifestyles or limited mobility.
• Indoor Living : Cats are well-suited to indoor living, thriving in environments where they feel safe and secure. Indoor cats are protected from various dangers, such as traffic, predators, and diseases, leading to longer and healthier lives.
• Bonding and Interaction : Although they are naturally independent creatures, cats develop strong bonds with their owners through consistent interaction, play, and affection. Spending quality time with your cat strengthens your bond and enhances your relationship.
• Health Benefits : Studies indicate that owning a cat can offer numerous health advantages for their owners. Petting a cat has been shown to lower stress levels and decrease blood pressure, thus enhancing overall well-being.
• Rodent Control : Cats are natural hunters and can help control rodent populations in homes and gardens. Their hunting instincts make them effective pest controllers, providing practical benefits beyond companionship.
• Entertainment : Cats are endlessly entertaining creatures known for their playful antics, agility, and curiosity. Watching your cat explore, play with toys, and interact with their environment can provide hours of entertainment and amusement.
• Adoption and Rescue : Think about adopting a cat from a shelter or rescue organization. Numerous cats in shelters are seeking loving homes, and adopting a rescue cat can be an enriching and fulfilling experience. By adopting, you’re providing a home for a cat in need and saving a life.

Care and Welfare of Cats

Ensuring the welfare of cats entails addressing their physical, emotional, and social requirements to guarantee they lead happy, healthy lives. Here’s an overview of key aspects of cat care:

• Proper Nutrition : A cat’s overall health and well-being depend on eating a balanced diet. Select high-quality cat food suitable for the cat’s age, size, and activity level, and make sure fresh water is always available.
• Regular Veterinary Care : Arrange regular check-ups with a veterinarian to oversee your cat’s health, administer vaccinations, and attend to any medical issues. Regular dental care, parasite prevention, and spaying/neutering are also important aspects of preventive healthcare.
• Grooming : Cats require regular grooming to maintain their coat and skin health. Brushing helps remove loose fur, prevents matting, and reduces hairballs. Additionally, trim your cat’s nails regularly and clean their ears as needed.
• Environmental Enrichment : Offering opportunities for exploration, climbing, and scratching helps satisfy a cat’s natural instincts. Cat trees, puzzle feeders, and window perches are examples of environmental enrichment.
• Litter Box Maintenance : Make sure the litter box is always accessible and kept clean. To avoid odor accumulation and keep your cat’s litter box clean, scoop trash daily and change litter as needed.
• Indoor Safety : Ensure your home is safe for your cat by removing hazardous objects, securing toxic substances, and preventing access to dangerous areas such as balconies or open windows. Consider using window screens or protective barriers to prevent falls.
• Identification and Microchipping : Ensure that the ID tag bearing your contact details is attached to your cat’s collar. In addition, think about microchipping your cat as a long-term means of identification if they go lost or stray.
• Social Interaction : Play, brush, and cuddle with your cat to spend valuable time together. Cats thrive on social interaction and bonding with their human companions, so make time for regular affection and attention.
• Monitoring Behavior and Health : Watch for any changes in your cat’s eating, litter box habits, or behavior, as these could indicate underlying health problems. If you observe any worrying symptoms or behavioral changes in your cat, contact your veterinarian.
• Responsible Ownership : Be a responsible pet owner by providing love, care, and attention to your cat throughout their life . Consider adopting from shelters or rescue organizations and spaying/neutering to help reduce pet overpopulation.

The Future of Cats in Society

As society continues to evolve, so too does the role of cats. Here’s a glimpse into what the future may hold for our feline companions:

1. Technological Advances

• Health Monitoring : Advancements in wearable technology and smart devices may enable pet owners to monitor their cat’s health and behavior more closely. Wearable trackers and sensors could provide insights into activity levels, vital signs, and potential health issues.
• Automated Care Systems : Automated feeding systems, litter box cleaners, and interactive toys may become more advanced, allowing pet owners to provide for their cat’s needs even when they’re away from home.

2. Conservation Efforts

• Protection of Wild Species : Conservation efforts to protect endangered wild cat species may become increasingly important as habitats continue to shrink and human-wildlife conflicts escalate. Collaborative initiatives between governments, conservation organizations, and local communities will be essential for safeguarding these iconic species.
• Promotion of Biodiversity : Encouraging responsible pet ownership and supporting conservation efforts can help preserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems. Education about the importance of native wildlife and the impact of invasive species, such as feral cats, is crucial for promoting coexistence and ecological balance.

3. Evolving Relationships

• Human-Animal Bond : The bond between humans and cats will likely continue to deepen as people increasingly recognize pet ownership’s emotional and psychological benefits. Cats will remain valued companions, providing comfort, companionship, and unconditional love to their human counterparts.
• Changing Demographics : As urbanization and demographic shifts occur, the way we interact with cats may change. Urban dwellers may seek out smaller, low-maintenance breeds that are well-suited to apartment living, while rural communities may continue to rely on cats for pest control and farmstead companionship.

4. Ethical Considerations

• Animal Welfare : Continued advancements in animal welfare science and ethics may lead to greater awareness and advocacy for the well-being of cats and other animals. This includes promoting responsible breeding practices, reducing overpopulation through spaying and neutering, and advocating for the humane treatment of all animals.
• Legal Protections : Legal protections for animals, including cats, may evolve to better safeguard their welfare and rights. This could include measures to combat animal cruelty, improve standards of care in breeding facilities and shelters, and strengthen regulations governing pet ownership and commerce.

Cats occupy a special place in human hearts, serving as beloved companions, caregivers, and even therapeutic aids. Their timeless charm and adaptability have woven them into the fabric of human society, from ancient civilizations to the digital age. As we look to the future, advancements in technology and conservation efforts offer opportunities to enhance the lives of cats and promote their well-being. By fostering strong bonds, embracing responsible ownership, and advocating for their protection, we can ensure that cats continue to enrich our lives with their grace, companionship, and enduring presence for generations to come.

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‘Hold back the talons of your paws/Let me gaze into your beautiful eyes.’ Charles Baudelaire, ‘Le Chat’. Photo by Gallery Stock

If a cat could talk

Felines walk the line between familiar and strange. we stroke them and they purr, then in a trice they pounce.

by David Wood   + BIO

Saturday was a small snake. Each morning for six days, Berzerker — half-Siamese, half-streetcat, with charcoal fur and a pure white undercoat — had deposited a new creature on the doormat. On this last day, the snake was as stiff as a twig; rigor mortis had already set in. I wondered if there was a mortuary under the porch, a cold slab on which the week’s offerings had been laid out. What were these ritualistic offerings all about? Gift, placation, or proof of lethal skill? Who knows. On the seventh day he rested.

When I look at any one of my three cats — when I stroke him, or talk to him, or push him off my yellow pad so I can write — I am dealing with a distinct individual: either Steely Dan Thoreau, or (Kat) Mandu, or Kali. Each cat is unique. All are ‘boys’, as it happens. All rescued from the streets, neutered and advertised as mousers, barn cats: ‘They will never let you touch them,’ I was told. Each cat is a singular being ­— a pulsing centre of the universe — with this colour eyes, this length and density of fur, this palate of preferences, habits and dispositions. Each with his own idiosyncrasies.

At first, they were truly untouchable, hissing and spitting. A few weeks later, after mutual outreaching, they were coiling around my neck, with heavy purring and nuzzling. They do indeed hang out in my barn — I live on a farm — and are always pleased to see me at their daily feed. Steely Dan, unlike the other two, will walk with me for miles. Just for the company, I suspect. Occasionally he will turn up at the house and demand to be let in. He is a favourite among my friends for his free dispensing of affection. But the rift between our worlds opens wide again when he shreds the faux leather sofa with his claws. When scolded, he is insouciant.

‘When I play with my cat,’ Montaigne mused, ‘how do I know that she is not playing with me rather than I with her?’

Since the Egyptians first let the wild Mau into their homes, cats and humans have co-evolved. We have, without doubt, been brutal — eliminating kittens of the wrong stripe, as well as couch-potato cats that gave the rats a pass, cats that could not be trained, and cats that refused our advances. My Steely Dan, steely eyed professional killer of birds and mice (and snakes, lizards, young rabbits, voles, and chipmunks), lap-lover, walking companion extraordinaire, is the product of trial by compatibility. This sounds like a recipe for compliance: domestication should have rooted out the otherness of the feline. But it did not.

The Egyptians domesticated Felis silvestris catus 10,000 years ago and valued its services in patrolling houses against snakes and rodents. But later they deified it, even mummifying cats for the journey into the afterlife. These days we don’t typically go that far — though cats and cat shelters are frequently the subjects of bequests. We remain fascinated both by our individual cats and cats as a species. They are a beloved topic for publishers, calendars and cartoons. Cats populate the internet: there are said to be 110,000 cat videos on YouTube. Lolcats tickle us at every turn. But isn’t there something profoundly unsettling about the whiskered cat lying on a laptop (or somesuch), speaking its bad English? Lolcats make us laugh, but the need to laugh intimates disquiet somewhere.

P erhaps because we selected cats for their internal contradictions — friendly to us, deadly to the snakes and rodents that threatened our homes — we shaped a creature that escapes our gaze, that doesn’t merely reflect some simple design goal. One way or another, we have licensed a being that displays its ‘otherness’ and flaunts its resistance to human interests. This is part of the common view of cats: we value their independence. From time to time they might want us, but they don’t need us. Dogs, by contrast, are said to be fawning and needy, always eager to please. Dogs confirm us; cats confound us. And in ways that delight us.

In welcoming one animal to police our domestic borders against other creatures that threatened our food or health, did we violate some boundary in our thinking? Such categories are ones we make and maintain without thinking about them as such. Even at this practical level, cats occupy a liminal space: we live with ‘pets’ that are really half-tamed predators.

It is something of an accident that a cat’s lethal instincts align with our interests

From the human perspective, cats might literally patrol the home, but more profoundly they walk the line between the familiar and the strange. When we look at a cat, in some sense we do not know what we are looking at. The same can be said of many non-human creatures, but cats are exemplary. Unlike insects, fish, reptiles and birds, cats both keep their distance and actively engage with us. Books tell us that we domesticated the cat. But who is to say that cats did not colonise our rodent-infested dwellings on their own terms? One thinks of Ruduyard Kipling’s story ‘The Cat That Walked by Himself’ (1902), which explains how Man domesticated all the wild animals except for one: ‘the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.’

Michel de Montaigne, in An Apology for Raymond Sebond (1580) , captured this uncertainty eloquently. ‘When I play with my cat,’ he mused, ‘how do I know that she is not playing with me rather than I with her?’ So often cats disturb us even as they enchant us. We stroke them, and they purr. We feel intimately connected to these creatures that seem to have abandoned themselves totally to the pleasures of the moment. Cats seem to have learnt enough of our ways to blend in. And yet, they never assimilate entirely. In a trice, in response to some invisible (to the human mind, at least) cue, they will leap off our lap and re-enter their own space, chasing a shadow. Lewis Carroll’s image of the smile on the face of the Cheshire cat, which remains even after the cat has vanished, nicely evokes such floating strangeness. Cats are beacons of the uncanny, shadows of something ‘other’ on the domestic scene.

O ur relationship with cats is an eruption of the wild into the domestic: a reminder of the ‘far side’, by whose exclusion we define our own humanity. This is how Michel Foucault understood the construction of ‘madness’ in society — it’s no surprise then that he named his own cat Insanity. Cats, in this sense, are vehicles for our projections, misrecognition, and primitive recollection. They have always been the objects of superstition: through their associations with magic and witchcraft, feline encounters have been thought to forecast the future, including death. But cats are also talismans. They have been recognised as astral travellers, messengers from the gods. In Egypt, Burma and Thailand they have been worshipped. Druids have held some cats to be humans in a second life. They are trickster figures, like the fox, coyote and raven. The common meanings and associations that they carry in our culture permeate, albeit unconsciously, our everyday experience of them.

But if the glimpse of a cat can portend the uncanny, what should we make of the cat’s own glance at us? As Jacques Derrida wondered: ‘Say the animal responded?’ If his cat found him naked in the bathroom, staring at his private parts — as discussed in Derrida’s 1997 lecture The Animal That Therefore I Am — who would be more naked: the unclothed human or the never clothed animal? To experience the animal looking back at us challenges the confidence of our own gaze — we lose our unquestioned privilege in the universe. Whatever we might think of our ability to subordinate the animal to our categories, all bets are off when we try to include the animal’s own perspective. That is not just another item to be included in our own world view. It is a distinctive point of view — a way of seeing that we have no reason to suppose we can seamlessly incorporate by some imaginative extension of our own perspective.

Jacques Derrida and his cat, Logos. Photo by Sophie Bassouls/Sygma/Corbis

This goes further than Montaigne’s musings on who is playing with whom. Imaginative reversal — that is, if the cat is playing with us — would be an exercise in humility. But the dispossession of a cat ‘looking back’ is more disconcerting. It verges on the unthinkable. Perhaps when Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote (of a larger cat) in Philosophical Investigations (1953) that: ‘If a lion could talk we would not understand him,’ he meant something similar. If a lion really could possess language, he or she would have a relation to the world that would challenge our own, without there being any guarantee of translatability. Or if, as T S Eliot suggested in Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939) , cats named themselves as well as being given names by their owners (gazed on by words, if you like), then the order of things — the human order — would be truly shaken.

Yet the existence of the domestic cat rests on our trust in them to eliminate other creatures who threaten our food and safety. We have a great deal invested in them, if now only symbolically. Snakebites can kill, rats can carry plague: the threat of either brings terror. Cats were bred to be security guards, even as their larger cousins still set their eyes on us and salivate. We like to think we can trust cats. But if we scrutinise their behaviour, our grounds for doing so evaporate.

Look into the eyes of a cat for a moment. Your gaze will flicker between recognising another being, and staring into a void

It is something of an accident that a cat’s lethal instincts align with our interests. They seem recklessly unwilling to manage their own boundaries. Driven as they are by an unbridled spirit of adventure (and killing), they do not themselves seem to have much appreciation of danger. Even if fortune smiles upon them — they are said to have nine lives, after all — in the end, ‘curiosity kills the cat’. Such protection as cats give us seems to be a precarious arrangement.

N o story of a cat’s strangeness would be complete without touching on the tactile dimension. We stroke cats, and they lick us, coil around our legs, nuzzle up to us and pump our flesh. When aroused, they bite and plunge their claws innocently and ecstatically through our clothes into our skin. Charles Baudelaire expresses this contradictory impulse, somewhere between desire and fear, in his poem ‘Le Chat’ (1857): ‘Hold back the talons of your paws/Let me gaze into your beautiful eyes.’ A human lover would be hard put to improve on a normal cat’s response to being stroked. Unselfconscious self-abandonment, unmistakable sounds of appreciation, eyes closing in rapture, exposure of soft underbelly. Did the human hand ever find a higher calling? Baudelaire continues: ‘My hand tingles with the pleasure/Of feeling your electric body’. It feels like communion, a meeting of minds (or bodies), the ultimate in togetherness, perhaps on a par with human conjugal bliss (and simpler).

But the claws through the jeans give the game away. The cat is not exploring the limits of intimacy with a dash of pain, a touch of S&M. He is involuntarily extending his claws into my skin. This is not about ‘us’, it’s about him, and perhaps it always was — the purring, the licking, the pumping. Cats undermine any dream of perfect togetherness. Look into the eyes of a cat for a moment. Your gaze will flicker between recognising another being (without quite being able to situate it), and staring into a void. At this point, we would like to think — well, that’s because she or he is a cat. But cannot the same thing happen with our friend, or child, or lover? When we look in the mirror, are we sure we know who we are?

Witch’s cats were called familiars, an oddly suitable term for cats more generally — the strange at the heart of the familiar, disturbing our security even as they police it and bring us joy. They are part of our symbolic universe as well as being real physical creatures. And these aspects overlap. Most cats are unmistakably cut from the same cloth. But this only raises more intensely the question of this cat, its singular irreplaceability. I might well be able to replace Steely as a mouser, to find another sharp set of teeth. Steely II might equally like his tummy rubbed and press his claws into my flesh. And to my chagrin, Steely I and Steely II could each offer themselves in this way to my friends, as if I were replaceable. I was once offered a replacement kitten shortly after my ginger cat Tigger died. I was so sad that I toyed with the idea of giving the kitten the same name, and pretending that Tigger had simply been renewed. In the end, I could not. But the temptation was real.

To quote Eliot again:

You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular, A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified, But above and beyond there’s still one name left over, And that is the name that you never will guess; The name that no human research can discover — But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.

Cats, one at a time, as our intimates, our familiars, as strangers in our midst, as mirrors of our co-evolution, as objects of exemplary fascination, pose for us the question: what is it to be a cat? And what is it to be this cat? These questions are contagious. As I stroke Steely Dan, he purrs at my touch. And I begin to ask myself more questions: to whom does this appendage I call my hand belong? What is it to be human? And who, dear feline, do you think I am?

Food and drink

The joy of foraging

Offering an escape from industrial foods, foraging nourishes the soul and body, but it needs democratic access to the land

Design and fashion

When luxury is good

The waste and exploitation of fast fashion shouldn’t blind us to the joys of making beautiful clothing with care

Roger Tredre

Rituals and celebrations

Tender, yet creepy

Dolls help children create wonderfully vivid and imaginative worlds, while also serving as unsettling reminders of the abyss

Tishani Doshi

Film and visual culture

The risk of beauty

W Eugene Smith’s photos of the Minamata disaster are both exquisite and horrifying. How might we now look at them?

Joanna Pocock

Sleep and dreams

Spinning the night self

After years of insomnia, I threw off the effort to sleep and embraced the peculiar openness I found in the darkest hours

Annabel Abbs

Nature and landscape

Laughing shores

Sailors, exiles, merchants and philosophers: how the ancient Greeks played with language to express a seaborne imagination

Giordano Lipari

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Overview of The Norwegian Forest Cat

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The cat (Felis catus) is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is often referred to as the domestic cat to distinguish it from the wild members of the family.

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October 1, 2018

12 min read

The Inner Life of Cats

If you have ever wondered why your cat behaves the way it does, wonder no more

Mark Allen Miller

Ask me another

Interview by Kate Wong

As anyone who has spent time with cats knows, our feline companions are mysterious—much more so than those other furry family members. Here John Bradshaw, author of Cat Sense (Basic Books, 2013), fields a selection of questions submitted by Scientific American editors and Twitter followers about the cat’s many quirks. Bradshaw is a visiting fellow at the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Sciences in England, where he studies the behavior and welfare of cats and dogs, as well as their interactions with people.

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Are cats less domesticated than dogs? Are they becoming more domesticated over time?

Cats are far more similar to their wild ancestors than dogs are to wolves, so dogs are in that sense the more domesticated of the two species. As they adapted to living alongside humans, cats became more sociable with one another and much more accepting of people, but there is no evidence that they have changed much more than that over the past few thousand years.

Will cats, which require meat, eventually evolve to eat a broader array of foods as dogs do?

Cats and dogs belong to a group of mammals known as Carnivora, and the wild ancestors of both species dined primarily on meat. Recent DNA analyses indicate that over the course of their evolution, dogs have acquired more copies of the so-called amylase gene, which makes an enzyme that helps to break down starch. Having more copies of this gene has allowed dogs to eat a more omnivorous diet. In contrast, the cat family, known as Felidae, lost the genes that encode several key enzymes—including those that manufacture vitamin A, prostaglandins and the amino acid taurine—early in its evolution. Whereas dogs (and humans) can synthesize these substances from plant-based precursors, cats have to obtain them from meat. To expand their diet, cats would have to evolve physiological traits that allow them to synthesize these and other key nutrients from plant foods. This capacity has not emerged during the 10 million years of felid evolution, so it seems unlikely to arise spontaneously in our domestic cats.

Why do cats purr?

Cats purr because they have something to say, which roughly translated is “please keep still and pay attention to me.” Kittens purr to persuade their mothers to keep on nursing them, and pet cats purr when they want to be stroked. The vibrations emanating from the purr certainly have a calming effect on people. Yet sick cats will also purr as a cry for help. So purring doesn’t always mean “I’m happy.” Some researchers have claimed that the vibrations from purring might help heal bone damage in an injured cat.

Credit: Mark Allen Miller

How do they purr?

The purr is an unusual vocalization, made by rattling the vocal cords together rather than vibrating them by pushing air past them, which is how cats—and humans—generate all their other vocal sounds. That’s why cats can purr when they’re breathing in and breathing out. Most species of wildcats can purr, including the cheetah. The exceptions are the big cats—lion, tiger, jaguar and leopard—whose voice boxes are modified so that they can roar.

Why do house cats have so many vocalizations compared with wildcats?

House cats are much noisier than feral cats, although they have fewer vocalizations than some other species. The jungle cat from Asia, for example, has a couple more that are not in the house cat’s repertoire, namely the “ow” and the “gurgle.” The house cat’s characteristic sound, the meow, is hardly ever heard in feral cat colonies, except occasionally when mother cats are communicating with their kittens. Feral cats diligently monitor one another’s comings and goings, so they don’t need to announce their presence vocally. Cats that live with humans, however, learn that meowing is a good way of getting our attention: our pet felines often find that we have our noses buried in a book or a screen, so they meow to get us to acknowledge them. Some pets develop a “private language” of meows that only their owners understand, each signifying something different that the cat needs. Also, certain breeds are notoriously chatty, the Siamese in particular.

Do cats think of their owners as parents? Siblings? Friends?

By rubbing around our legs when they greet us, cats show that they regard us as friendly but at the same time slightly superior to them. When living in a family group, kittens rub on their mothers, females rub on males and smaller cats rub on bigger cats. The reverse rarely occurs—an indicator of the small imbalance of power in each of these relationships.

How can you get a cat to love you?

Cats naturally feel affection for those who feed, look after and play with them, although they don’t always make that obvious. Trust can be harder to win because some cats are just nervous. One trick is to always allow the cat to approach you rather than forcing yourself on the cat when you feel like it. When the cat does approach, reward it with a few treats and let it leave as soon as it wants to. You should find that it comes to you a little sooner, and stays for a little longer, each time.

Why do cats sometimes suddenly bite or scratch the person who is petting them?

You have probably missed the warning signs that the cat has had enough. Some cats, even if they enjoy being petted, also tire of it very quickly. Flattened ears and a slight twitching of the tail can signal that they have had their fill. If you have such a cat, try breaking off from stroking it every few seconds and allow it to move away if it wants to.

Can cats get jealous?

Research has demonstrated that dogs can get jealous, so cats probably can, too. For both species jealousy is an in-the-moment emotion they experience when they see that another individual is getting the attention they are craving: they don’t remember being jealous once the moment has passed. As with dogs, cats have a limited concept of time: they can learn to distinguish between different time intervals but only when these intervals are limited to a few seconds. Thinking back into the more distant past is probably beyond their abilities.

Do cats remember different people or just the people they see on a daily basis?

Scientists have not studied this specific trait directly, but cats do seem to forget other cats once they have been separated for a long time, so the same probably applies to people as well. Dogs, for whom humans are much more important, can remember people by their scent for months, probably years.

Do coat colors and patterns correspond to certain personality traits in cats?

Cat owners commonly believe that coat color can predict the personality of their pet, but there’s no evidence that this is universally true. Locally, a very successful male can produce a lot of kittens that both look like him and behave like him because of their shared genes, which might explain how people have come to associate coat color with personality. Among pedigree cats, the major breed types do have characteristic personalities: the so-called oriental breeds tend to be particularly active, the exotics more laid-back. Cats that are hybrids of domesticated cats and wildcats exhibit even stronger breed-specific personality traits. For example, Bengals, which are a cross between domestic cats and the Asian leopard cat, tend to be extremely adventurous and sleep for only about half the time that a typical domestic cat does.

Why do cats bring their kills to their humans?

It is tempting to see these kills as presents from our feline companions, but they are not intended that way. Cats take their kills somewhere safe before they eat them. If this location happens to be in or near the kitchen, they are automatically reminded that commercial cat food is much tastier than mouse, and hence they abandon their catch then and there.

Why do they knock objects off tables and shelves?

Some cats are just clumsier than others, and material possessions mean nothing to them. Others will bat items over the edge simply to get their owner’s attention. Sometimes they seem to do it for their own entertainment or because they have learned that this is a game that their owner seems to enjoy.

Do indoor cats suffer from not being able to go outside?

If a cat has lived indoors all its life, it probably doesn’t “miss” what it has never experienced. Outdoor cats that are suddenly confined do get stressed, however. All indoor cats should be given plenty of stimulation—hunting games using preylike toys are ideal.

Why do cats sometimes suddenly decide to run around like crazy for no apparent reason?

Cats can get quite frustrated if they are bored or if they are stressed, perhaps because they have just seen a rival cat through the window. Under such circumstances, the slightest movement, perhaps just a speck of dust caught in a shaft of light, can set them off. Regular play sessions can help dissipate all that energy and relieve any stress.

Why do cats love to climb into boxes, including ones that seem too small?

Cats like to feel well protected, especially when they intend to sleep, and cardboard cartons can be ideal for a secure nap. Why some seem to prefer too small boxes over just right ones is a mystery, though.

Why do cats climb to heights that they are subsequently afraid to jump down from?

Because cats’ claws face backward, they’re much more useful for running up trees than for climbing down. (The margay, a tree-dwelling South American cat, has double-jointed ankles and wrists that allow it to descend as easily as it ascends.) Inexperienced or frightened cats may go higher than they should. But they usually succeed in descending eventually because they have a reflex that enables them to fall safely, even from quite considerable heights. They stretch all four legs out sideways, so that the loose skin on their belly forms a kind of parachute. Then, a split second before reaching the ground, they push their feet downward and arch their back to minimize the shock of landing.

Why do some cats go crazy for catnip and others show no response at all?

The catnip response is a bit of an enigma because it consists of seemingly random segments of play (pouncing, clutching with the claws), socializing (cheek rubbing) and female sexual behavior (rolling onto the back, for example). Many cat species have this reaction to the herb, including lion, tiger, leopard and lynx. Yet not all individuals in these species show the response because it is controlled by a single gene that only about two thirds of cats carry [see “Catnip’s Magic,” below]. There is no evidence to suggest that cats that ignore catnip are deficient where play, socializing and sex are concerned, however. The catnip response may simply be an evolutionary accident.

Why do cats lick and chew plastic bags, power cords and other nonfood items?

Veterinarians have noted an unhealthy taste for plastics in some cats but have never convincingly explained it. Cats may be trying to alleviate stress. Among oriental cat breeds, adults commonly suck, chew and eat fabrics, especially wool, in response to stress. Also, kittens of all kinds that are weaned too early may develop the habit of suckling on a blanket, usually purring and kneading with their front paws at the same time, as if the blanket were their mother.

Why do they chew their fur?

There are two possible reasons for this behavior. One is itchy skin, possibly caused by fleas or other parasites, or an allergy. But persistent overgrooming on one spot or pulling out clumps of fur can also be signs of chronic stress, perhaps because of conflict with another cat in the house or in the neighborhood.

Why do cat feet sometimes smell like tortilla chips?

A common minor fungal skin infection, similar to athlete’s foot in humans, often produces this smell. Dogs may carry this fungus, too.

Why can’t domestic cats go without food for long, like their big cat cousins can? They get fatty liver disease in a couple of days.

All cats, big and small, can suffer from fatty liver disease, in which fat released from other parts of the body accumulates in the liver, blocking its ability to carry out key functions such as recycling red blood cells. This condition can occur as a result of cancer, diabetes or kidney disease, but it can also be triggered by the cat not eating for some reason (stress is a common cause in pet cats). It comes on much more quickly in obese cats, so it’s probably less common in big cat species simply because living in the wild they’re unlikely to be overweight.

Why are cats so finicky about food and their litter boxes? Why are they so sensitive to any change in routine?

Cats have much more exacting nutritional requirements than dogs do, so they have to be careful about what they eat. Also, as solitary hunters, their ancestors could afford to eat in their own good time. Dogs, in contrast, are descended from pack-hunting wolves, which evolved to eat quickly so they could grab their share of the kill. Cats also prefer to hide their feces, which would otherwise betray their whereabouts to prey and predators alike, hence their reluctance to use a dirty litter box. Cats are much more sensitive than dogs are to any change in their environment because they are territorial animals that get their sense of security from the place where they live. That’s why cats often try to get back to their owner’s previous home in the first few weeks following a house move.

Will cats really consume their deceased owners in some situations?

If they are literally dying of hunger, cats (and dogs) will eat anything available. I’m sure that they don’t mean to cause offense!

CATNIP’S MAGIC

Have you wondered why some cats exhibit strange behavior when exposed to catnip? They act much like a female cat in heat: They may rub their head and body on the herb or jump, roll around, vocalize and salivate. This response lasts for about 10 minutes, after which the cat becomes refractory to catnip’s effects for roughly 30 minutes. Response to catnip is hereditary; about 70 percent of cats exhibit this behavior in the plant’s presence, although it does not affect kittens until they are about six months old and begin to reach sexual maturity.

The genetically susceptible cats are responding to a volatile oil in the stems and leaves of the plant Nepeta cataria and other Nepeta species, which are members of the mint family. When the oil, named nepetalactone, enters the cat’s nasal tissue, it apparently binds to proteins that stimulate sensory neurons. These nerve cells, in turn, provoke a response in neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb, which project to several regions of the brain, including the amygdala (two neuronal clusters deep in the temporal lobes that mediate emotional responses to stimuli) and the hypothalamus (the brain’s “master gland”), which is known to play a role in regulating everything from hunger to emotions.

The hypothalamus, acting through the pituitary gland, alters hormonal levels to spur the sexual-like response. In other words, the cat essentially responds to the oil as if it were a pheromone emitted by another cat. Catnip is considered to be nonaddictive and completely harmless to cats. — Ramona Turner

Ramona Turner is a veterinarian practicing in Fresno, Calif.

BE A CAT RESEARCHER

Cat lovers around the globe can help researchers better understand the feline mind while helping cats lead happier and healthier lives. Check out the following citizen science projects. In some cases, you do not need to live with a cat to participate.

Track Your Cat

NC State University, Movebank.org and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

http://cattracker.org

Live with a cat that goes outside? Investigators know very little about where cats go when they leave the home and even less about why some travel the open road and others stay nearby. In this project, set up a GPS cat-tracking device and find out where your cat goes.

Cat Tracking Down Under

Cat Tracker Australia, a Discovery Circle project

www.discoverycircle.org.au/projects/cat-tracker

Do cats around the world show similar movement patterns? Does the local environment affect how cats roam? This cat-tracking project in several states in Australia—open to anyone in the region, not just cat owners—will provide a cross-continental comparison of cat behavior. It includes GPS cat tracking, a cat personality test and a general survey.

The Feline Biobank: Genetic and Genomic Resources for the Cat

Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

https://www2.vet.cornell.edu

What role do genes play in common feline diseases? By comparing DNA from healthy cats with DNA from cats with one or more common diseases, scientists can better understand the role that genes may play in these conditions. This project could assist veterinarians in their ability to diagnose and treat common diseases. The project is looking for DNA samples from healthy cats older than 10 years old.

Investigating a New Class of Anticancer Drugs for Mammary Cancer in Cats

www2.vet.cornell.edu

Is there a way to stop mammary cancer in its tracks? Help reveal how feline mammary cancer develops and lay the groundwork for new ways to treat it. Investigators are accepting both normal and cancerous feline mammary gland tissue samples from female cats.

Understanding Cat Pain

University of Lincoln School of Life Sciences, England

http://ucpproject.co.uk

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that involves a physical response as well as behavioral change. This project explores the facial, postural and vocal expressions of pain in cats—information that gives owners and veterinarians a leg up on recognizing this emotion earlier so cats can be treated before their welfare is compromised. If you own a cat that you think is in pain, contribute a video or picture. You can also take a quick quiz and check your ability to detect pain in these animals. — Julie Hecht

Julie Hecht is a Ph.D. student studying dog behavior and author of the Dog Spies blog at ScientificAmerican.com

Essay on Cat | 500+ Words

Cats, those mysterious and beloved creatures, have captured our hearts and homes for centuries. In this essay, I will argue that cats make exceptional companions and offer a multitude of benefits to their human counterparts. These independent, agile, and affectionate creatures have a unique place in our lives.

Companionship and Comfort

Cats provide companionship and comfort like no other. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, 67% of households in the United States have a pet, and a significant portion of them are cats. Why? Because cats offer unwavering companionship, especially for people living alone or those seeking solace. Their presence alone can bring a sense of calm and ease.

Stress Reduction

Research published in the journal “Psychosomatic Medicine” suggests that interacting with cats can reduce stress and anxiety levels. The simple act of petting a cat can release feel-good chemicals in our brains, such as oxytocin and serotonin. When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, spending time with my cat, Whiskers, always helps me relax and feel better.

Low Maintenance

Cats are known for their independence and low maintenance. Unlike some pets that require constant attention and care, cats are self-sufficient animals. They groom themselves, use a litter box, and can be left alone for longer periods without worry. This makes them an ideal choice for busy families and individuals.

Health Benefits

Studies have shown that owning a cat can have a positive impact on our health. The American Heart Association suggests that having a cat may reduce the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure. The gentle purring of a cat can be soothing and therapeutic. My family and I have noticed that having a cat has a calming effect on all of us, and we cherish our time with our feline friend.

Pest Control

Historically, cats have been employed as pest controllers. In ancient Egypt, they were revered for their ability to keep homes and granaries free from rats and mice. Even today, many farmers and homeowners rely on cats to help control unwanted pests. This natural pest control ability is a valuable benefit of having cats around.

Playful Companions

Cats are not only affectionate but also playful. They provide entertainment with their curious nature and acrobatic antics. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends interactive play with cats to stimulate their minds and bodies. Playing with my cat using toys and laser pointers is not only fun but also helps keep him happy and healthy.

Quiet Company

Cats are known for their calm and quiet presence. Unlike some pets that can be noisy or demanding, cats tend to be more serene. This calmness can be soothing, especially after a long and tiring day. I often find solace in the peaceful moments spent with my cat, reading a book or simply enjoying each other’s company.

Conclusion of Essay on Cat

In conclusion, cats are extraordinary companions that bring comfort, joy, and numerous benefits to our lives. Their ability to reduce stress, their low-maintenance nature, and their health benefits make them cherished members of many households. As I reflect on the presence of my cat, Whiskers, in my life, I am grateful for the calm and contentment he brings.

Cats have a unique way of making us feel loved and valued, even without words. Their independent spirits and playful natures add a touch of wonder to our daily lives. So, whether it’s curling up with a cat on a cozy afternoon or watching them chase a feather toy, cats are indeed our feline friends, enriching our lives in countless ways. As we celebrate the joys of cat companionship, let us cherish the magic of these enigmatic creatures and the special place they hold in our hearts.

Also Check: List of 500+ Topics for Writing Essay

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Essay On Cat – 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay for Students and Children

Key Points To Remember When Writing An Essay On Cats

10 lines on my pet cat.

• Paragraph On Cats

Short Essay On Cats

• Long Essay On My Favourite Pet Cat
• Fun Facts About Cats That Kids Should Know

What Your Will Child Learn From The Essay?

Cats are beloved pets known for their cute, furry appearances, serious expressions, carefree attitudes, and silly antics that captivate people worldwide. Their long history of coexistence with humans has led to an enduring fascination, with some even questioning whether we have domesticated them or they have domesticated us.    

Cats have a unique charm that sets them apart from other pets. From playful kittens to graceful adults, cats possess an irresistible appeal that has made them a staple in popular culture, with countless books, movies, and TV shows featuring feline characters. In this article, we will go over what makes cats a favourite and show you how to write cat essays in English for classes 1, 2 and 3 in short and long forms.   

Here are some essential tips on how to write an essay on cats:   

• If you plan to write about your pet cat in the essay exclusively, start from their adoption and continue the essay writing about their behaviour.   
• When writing a generic essay about cats, discuss their habits, food preferences, instincts, and general nature.   
• Long-form essays should have introductory and concluding sentences/paragraphs.   
• A good essay can balance information about your cat’s behaviour and nature.   

If your little one could use some help describing cats, this section about the appearance of cats will come in handy.   

Cats & Their Appearance

The common cat is a four-legged mammal with furry skin, soft paws, attentive ears, and a heightened sense of alertness. They are born with different colours such as black, white, grey, orange and sometimes a mix of all the three. The fur on cats is to protect them from cold. They have soft, padded paws that dampen noise when they are hunting or moving about. They also have long whiskers around their nose to sense the movement of prey and a rough tongue to scrape the flesh off of bones. Cats are carnivores that hunt little animals in the wild. An adult cat can weigh between 3.5 to 4.5 kilos.

This 10-line my pet cat essay is easy to follow for children in classes 1 and 2. Here is how you can frame 10 lines on cats:   

• I have a pet cat, and his name is fluffy.
• Fluffy is a male cat with a long furry tail.
• He is white with orange stripes on different parts of his body.
• Fluffy is a good boy and behaves well all the time.
• He poops in his litter box and eats up all his food without making a mess.
• Sometimes he becomes very playful and runs all around the house.
• Fluffy follows me wherever I go and sleeps below my desk all the time.
• He also loves to relax and laze around everywhere in the house.
• Fluffy loves spending time cuddling with us and makes soft purring sounds.
• I love my pet cat, Fluffy, and I know he loves me a lot, too.

Paragraph On Cats   

Here is an example of my pet cat essay in around 100 words:   

My pet cat is an orange tabby named Lizzy. We raised Lizzy since she was a 12-week-old kitten. She is nine months old now and loves to play all the time. She likes to chase her toy ball around the house. She also chews on all my stuff and pulls the curtains and sheets. When she is not playing, she wants to eat and sleep. I always look for Lizzy the first thing in the morning when I wake up, and I pet her goodnight before going to sleep.   

A short essay is an excellent exercise to establish flow and narrative. Here is an example of a ‘My Pet Cat’ essay in 150 to 200 words:   

We have a pet cat in the house called Momo. He is a stray we adopted from our street when he was three months old. Momo has been in our family for two years now. He stays inside the house and lazes around all day but is very energetic at night. That’s when he loves to run around and often topples things in the house.   

Having a pet cat is a huge responsibility. Since letting them outside exposes them to diseases and other dangers, you must provide them with everything inside the house. Cats need fresh and healthy food, a litterbox to poop in, and a good bed to sleep on. They also have to be vaccinated against several diseases to ensure their safety.   

Cats are carnivores by nature. Momo loves to eat chicken, fish, dry cat food, and wet cat food. Sometimes, he also brings the small animals he hunts from the garden inside the house. Everybody in the family loves Momo, and he loves us back even more. Although they appear calm, cats have a different way of showing affection to their owners. Momo loves me when he slowly blinks his eyes when I call out for him or curls up beside my feet when I study.   

Long Essay On My Favourite Pet Cat   

A long, descriptive essay on my pet cat requires children to plan for what they wish to include in the essay and build a good narrative. Here is an example of an essay for Class 3:   

My pet cat, Rocket, is a Maine Coon cat. As a popular breed for its size and furry looks, Rocket is as impressive as any pet can get! He is white, black, and grey and quite a graceful-looking feline by his appearance. He sits majestically and walks majestically but sleeps in silly postures. He loves spending his time with me or outside looking at birds sitting in the backyard.   

I’ve always wanted to have a pet cat that is furry and cute. Maine Coon is my favourite cat breed as I think they are the most majestic-looking cats in the world. These cats live in cold climates and higher latitudes where it snows and the temperature regularly falls below freezing levels. Because their natural habitat is cold, they naturally have thick fur. Therefore, we must take extra precautions to ensure Rocket doesn’t get too hot in the lower latitudes we live in. He gets his air-conditioned room where the temperature is always maintained cool. It has his bed, play area, and a window leading him to the backyard.   

Rocket spends most of his time indoors during hot summer days, sleeping in my room. We also give him a haircut to make him feel more comfortable. When it’s colder outside, he likes to venture into the garden and hunt little animals. Even though we give him all the best foods, his hunting instincts remain the same as all other cats. He often hunts little birds, pigeons, chipmunks, and other unfortunate critters wandering into the garden.   

Rocket also loves to be pet and cuddled. He likes it when I scratch his back with a comb. When he is not the apex predator in the garden, he is a silly cat playing with random things in the house. I cannot wish for a better pet than Rocket!   

Fun Facts About Cats That Kids Should Know   

Some cool facts about cats for children:   

• Cats are excellent jumpers – they can jump six times their height.   
• Cats always land on their feet when they fall.   
• Cats spend 13 to 16 hours sleeping during the day.   
• One year of a cat’s life is approximately equal to 15 years of human life.   
• Cats show affection to their owners by slowly opening and closing their eyes.   

By studying the examples given above and writing an essay on ‘My Pet Animal’ or ‘My Pet Cat’, your child can learn how to express their observation and knowledge about cats in short and long essays. These examples will equip your little one with ideas on how to present information about their pet cat sequentially for their own composition.

1. Why Should You Get a Pet Cat?

Cats are incredibly adorable pets that are smart enough to take care of themselves. They are also loving and affectionate pets that are very clean and need little grooming or maintenance.

2. What Are Cats’ Eating Habits?

Cats are carnivores; hence they naturally eat meat. Domesticated cats will also eat packaged cat food, dairy products, meat, fish, and other non-vegetarian products.

3. What Are Some Regular Life Habits Of Cats

Domesticated cats spend most of their time sleeping or playing at home. They would also want to go outside the house to explore and even mate if they are not neutered.

4. What Are Different Breeds of Cats? 

There are many different breeds of cats, each with unique characteristics. Some popular breeds include Siamese, Persian, Maine Coon, and Bengal cats.   

5. Do Cats Have Special Abilities? 

Cats have excellent night vision, sharp claws for hunting, and a strong sense of smell. They are also known for their agility and ability to land on their feet.

Cats are amazing creatures that are adored all over the world. If you are writing an essay about your cat, include plenty of information about their behaviours that others can relate to. Keep the essay as cute and fun as your pet!   

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My Pet Cat Essay | Essay on My Pet Cat for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

My Pet Cat Essay: Cats are very cute, and they are also really great pets as they know how to take care of themselves and don’t need much help from their humans. Cats know how to clean up after themselves and also to survive without much help from their humans. This is why they make the perfect pet because they can care for themselves. However, they still make themselves cozy and comfortable with their owners.

Long and Short Essays on My Pet Cat for Students and Kids in English

Read below to find two essays about my pet cat. The first essay is a long essay of 500 words, and the second is a short essay of 200 words. The former is suitable for class 7-10 students as well as for those aspiring for competitive exams. The latter essay is ideal for kids of class 6 and below.

Long Essay on My Pet Cat 500 Words in English

Below we have given a long essay about my pet cat of 500 words and is suitable for students of class 7 to 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants.  Long Essay on My Pet Cat in English for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants

My pet cat is Peter, and he is a Siamese cat. My younger brother named our cat Peter because he thought it would be funny to give our cat a human name. Most of my relatives also think that that is funny because their pet cats have names like ‘Fluffy.’ I wanted to name my cat Garfield, as the comic because I love reading Garfield comics, but now his name is Peter.

Peter is a white cat with patches of fading black fur here are there. Around his face, there is a shadow-like patch of black fur, in the middle of which you can see Peter’s big, bright, and round blue eyes. Through the patch, you can also see his white whiskers in a sticking out fashion. Even Peter’s ears, paws, and tail are black, while the rest of his body is covered in soft white fur. This color patching of black and white is the common characteristic of all Siamese cats.

Peter is a very clean cat who knows how to clean up after himself when he has to go to the bathroom. His kitty litter box is kept in the bathroom in my house so that he can be just as independent as his humans, i.e., my family and me. After he finishes his bathroom business, he even covers it up with the litter.

Most cats are known to prefer to be on their own, being independent, etc. However, Peter is the opposite of that. He loves to get affection and attention and playing with everyone who wants to. His favorite person to play with is my father because he gives Peter lots of treats. Yes, Peter gets a lot of treats along with his two meals a day, which is why he is one of the fattest cats I have ever seen. His fatness makes him very cute, chubby, and fun to play with, and he is the best cuddle buddy.

Another way that my pet cat Peter is very different from other cats is that he likes to play Fetch. My aunt bought him a small squeaky toy, which, when we throw it for him, fetches it and brings it back. He also likes to go for walks with my mom and me in the evenings and does not hate it when we put a collar and leash to take him out. My friends told me that their cats really hate when they do that, but Peter likes to go out like that.

I really love my pet cat Peter because he is always there to keep me company when I don’t want to be alone. When I’m doing my homework or working on a project, watching TV, playing video games, or anything else, Peter comes and sits down with me to keep me company. It is a very nice feeling to have a pet cat.

Short Essay on My Pet Cat 200 Words in English

Below we have given a short essay about my pet cat of 200 words. This short essay on the topic of My Pet Cat is suitable for students of class 6 and below. Short My Pet Cat Essay in English for Classes 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.

My pet cat is a Persian Cat, and her name is Fluffles. My family and I named her Fluffles because of how fluffy and soft her white fur is. Sometimes, Fluffles camouflages with the carpet in my bedroom, which is also white. Fluffles really loves to sleep on that carpet, which is why we must be cautious at home so that we don’t step on her.

Fluffles is always there at home for me when I come back from school. Sometimes, when I feel bad, I sit next to Fluffles and pet her soft fur, which makes me feel happy. Once, I got fewer marks than everyone in a maths test, so I felt terrible, but I went to Fluffles and played with her for a while, which made my mood better.

It is not only my family that loves my pet cat Fluffles and me but also all my friends who come over, my cousins, etc all love to play with my pet cat. Maybe it is because she is very cute, or very fluffy, or maybe because she is a really nice pet for me and everyone else to play with. I really love Fluffles, and I hope she lives forever.

10 Lines About My Pet Cat Essay

• Cats are great pets because they know how to clean up after each other.
• Pet cats give you their attention whenever it pleases them, and it’s better not to force them to do that.
• Cats are very cute to look at, which is why having a pet cat is so nice.
• Cats have very soft coats of fur, which makes them look like soft rugs, and once you pet them, you don’t want to stop because they are so soft.
• My pet cat loves to play with my family and me.
• My pet cat is the most attached to the person who gives him or her treats.
• All my friends and relatives also love my pet cat.
• Hanging out with my pet cat always makes my mood better.
• My pet cat keeps me company all the time so that I never have to be alone.
• I hope my pet cat lives forever.

FAQ’s On My Pet Cat Essay

Question 1. Why should I get a pet cat?

Answer: You should get a pet cat because they will always keep you company, especially when you feel down.

Question 2. What is the kitty litter box?

Answer: A kitty litter box is a box in which cats go and relieve themselves. This box is filled with litter, which you can buy in the market. You must change this litter every few days so that it remains fresh.

Question 3. What does it mean that cats are independent in their ways?

Answer: Cats are independent in the sense that they do not necessarily need much to be entertained. If you leave a cat, be to sleep or play around on its own, most probably it will be fine. Thus, cats are very independent and love being alone with themselves.

Question 4. What do you feed cats?

Answer: Cats are carnivores, which means they love eating meat and fish. However, despite this, cats love drinking milk, and their favorite meal is fish.

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The Science-Backed Benefits of Being a Cat Lover

Today is International Cat Day. Cora will probably start the morning like she does any other: by climbing on my chest and pawing at my shoulder, demanding attention. I will sleepily lift up the comforter and she’ll snuggle underneath it, sprawled at my side. For Cora—and thus for me—every day is International Cat Day.

Cats may wake us up at 4 a.m. and barf at an alarming frequency, yet anywhere between 10 to 30 percent of us call ourselves “cat people”—not dog people, not even equal-opportunity cat and dog lovers. So why do we choose to bring these fluffballs into our homes—and spend over $1,000 per year on one who isn’t genetically related to us and frankly seems ungrateful most of the time?

The answer is obvious to me—and probably to all cat lovers out there, who need no scientific research to justify their fierce love. But scientists have studied it anyway and found that, while our feline friends may not be good for our furniture, they might make some contribution to our physical and mental health.

1. Well-being

According to one Australian study , cat owners do have better psychological health than people without pets. On questionnaires, they claim to feel more happy, more confident, and less nervous, and to sleep, focus, and face problems in their lives better.

Adopting a cat could be good for your kids, too: In a survey of more than 2,200 young Scots ages 11-15, kids who had a strong bond with their kitties had a higher quality of life. The more attached they were, the more they felt fit, energetic, and attentive and less sad and lonely; and the more they enjoyed their time alone, at leisure, and at school.

With their gravity-defying antics and yoga-like sleeping postures, cats may also cajole us out of our bad moods. In one study, people with cats reported experiencing fewer negative emotions and feelings of seclusion than people without cats. In fact, singles with cats were in a bad mood less often than people with a cat and a partner. (Your cat is never late for dinner, after all.)

Even Internet cats can make us smile. People who watch cat videos online say that they feel less negative emotion afterward (less anxiety, annoyance, and sadness) and more positive feelings (more hope, happiness, and contentment). Admittedly, as the researchers found, this pleasure becomes a guilty one if we’re doing it for the purpose of procrastination. But watching cats annoy their humans or get gift-wrapped for Christmas does seem to help us feel less depleted and regain our energy for the day ahead.

I can attest that a warm cat on your lap, giving your thighs a good kneading, is one of the best forms of stress relief. One afternoon, feeling overwhelmed, I said aloud, “I wish Cora would sit on my lap.” Lo and behold, she trotted over and plopped down on me seconds later (though attempts to replicate this phenomenon have been unsuccessful).

In one study , researchers visited 120 married couples in their homes to observe how they would respond to stress—and whether cats were any help. Hooked up to heart rate and blood pressure monitors, people were put through a gauntlet of daunting tasks: subtracting three repeatedly from a four-digit number, and then holding their hand in ice water (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) for two minutes. People either sat in a room alone, with their pet roaming around, with their spouse (who could offer moral support), or both.

Before the stressful tasks began, the cat owners had a lower resting heart rate and blood pressure than people who didn’t own any pets. And during the tasks, the cat owners also fared better: They were more likely to feel challenged than threatened, their heart rate and blood pressure were lower, and they even made fewer math errors. Out of all the various scenarios, cat owners looked the most calm and made the fewest errors when their cat was present. In general, cat owners also recovered faster physiologically.

Why are cats so calming? Cats won’t judge us for our poor math skills, or become overly distressed when we’re distressed—which explains why cats were actually a more calming influence than significant others in some cases.

As Karin Stammbach and Dennis Turner of the University of Zurich explain , cats aren’t simply small beings who are dependent on us. We also receive comfort from them—there’s an entire scientific scale that measures how much emotional support you get from your cat, based on how likely you are to seek them out in different stressful situations.

Cats offer a constant presence, unburdened by the cares of the world, that can make all our little worries and anxieties seem superfluous. As journalist Jane Pauley said, “You cannot look at a sleeping cat and feel tense.”

3. Relationships

Cats are beings we care for and who care for us (or at least we believe they do). And people who invest in this cross-species bonding may see benefits in their human-to-human relationships, as well.

For example, research has found that cat owners are more socially sensitive , trust other people more , and like other people more than people who don’t own pets. If you call yourself a cat person, you’ll tend to think other people like you more compared to someone who is neither a cat or dog person. Meanwhile, even people who watch cat videos feel more supported by others than people who aren’t such big fans of feline digital media.

While these correlations may seem perplexing, it makes sense if you consider cats just one node in your social network.

“Positive feelings about dogs/cats may engender positive feelings about people, or vice-versa,” write Rose Perrine and Hannah Osbourne of Eastern Kentucky University.

When someone—human or animal—makes us feel good and connected, it builds up our capacity for kindness and generosity toward others. As that study of Scottish adolescents found, kids who communicate well with a best friend are more attached to their cats, probably because they spend time playing as a trio.

“Pets appear to act as ‘social catalysts,’ inducing social contact between people,” write U.K. researcher Ferran Marsa-Sambola and his colleagues. “A pet can be accepting, openly affectionate, consistent, loyal, and honest, characteristics that can fulfill a person’s basic need to feel a sense of self-worth and loved.”

Finally, despite what you might have heard about kitty-to-human brain parasites , there’s a smattering of evidence that cats could be good for our health.

In one study, researchers followed 4,435 people for 13 years. People who had owned cats in the past were less likely to die from a heart attack during that time than people who had never owned cats—even when accounting for other risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and body mass index. This was true of people even if they didn’t have cats currently, the researchers explain, which suggests that cats are more like preventative medicine than treatment for an ongoing disease.

In another study , James Serpell of the University of Pennsylvania followed two dozen people who had just gotten a cat. They completed surveys within a day or two of bringing their cat home and then several times over the next 10 months. At the one-month mark, people had reduced health complaints like headaches, back pain, and colds—although (on average) those benefits seemed to fade as time went on. As Serpell speculates, it’s possible that people who form a good relationship with their cat continue to see benefits, and people who don’t, well, don’t.

Much of this research on cats is correlational, which means we don’t know if cats are actually beneficial or if cat people are just already a happy and well-adjusted group. But unfortunately for us cat lovers, the latter doesn’t seem to be the case. Compared to dog lovers, at least, we do tend to be more open to new experiences (even if our skittish cats aren’t). But we’re also less extraverted , less warm and friendly , and more neurotic . We experience more negative emotions and suppress them more, a technique that makes us less happy and less satisfied with our lives.

On the bright side, that means it’s more likely that cats actually do bring us as much delight and joy as we claim they do, although the research is far from conclusive . In fact, the vast majority of pet research focuses on dogs, partly because they’re easier to train as therapy assistants. “Cats have been left behind a bit by the research,” says Serpell. Yet another bone to pick with our canine counterparts.

While we’re waiting for more data, I will continue to gush to everyone I meet about how happy I am to have a cat in my life—and in my bed, on my dining table, and watching me go to the bathroom. What I lose in sleep I make up for in soft, furry love.

About the Author

Kira M. Newman

Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good . Her work has been published in outlets including the Washington Post , Mindful magazine, Social Media Monthly , and Tech.co, and she is the co-editor of The Gratitude Project . Follow her on Twitter!

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Essay On Cat for Students and Children In English

Domestic pets have always been a great source of fun and pleasure. Kids and young children especially love to keep pets, whether in the form of dogs and cats. Pets usually help a person attain a healthy state of mind as playing with them makes most people happy and satiated.

Table of Contents

My Pet Cat – Short Essay On My Pet

Although it is true that dogs or puppies are probably the most preferred pets due to their honestly, loyalty and faithfulness, yet it can’t be denied that there are several cat lovers in the world too.

The cat is a small and beautiful animal that usually resembles a tiger. In fact, it is said that the tiger belongs to the cat family. It usually lives on roads and can also be kept in houses as pet animals.

The body of a cat is covered with silky and soft hair. It has four short legs with sharp claws that are hidden within fleshy pads.

So, if you’ve been asked to write an essay on cats, you needn’t fret as we are here to help you with the points that you may cover in the essay. Read on to know on the points.

How do cats look?

While walking and running, cats seldom make noise. They usually have bright eyes and they can also see things in the dark. Cats are found all over the world and their favorite food is milk.

Most households keep cats as pet as they’re well-known for scaring the mice away. However, unlike a dog, a cat is usually dishonest and selfish in nature. Cats also steal fishes or milk from kitchen and can also become ferocious at times.

In general, cats are playful and gentle and they also love playing with children. They love it when children caress them and this is their favorite pastime. However, parents are over-conscious with pets like cats as they feel that cats can spread diseases like diphtheria among kids. This is why they try to keep cats away from their kids.

Cats and superstitions

There are even some who link black magic with cats. The most noteworthy and common superstition that is linked with a cat is that if a cat crosses your way, a passerby won’t walk past.

Unless someone else crosses the road before the passerby, he’ll keep waiting. This however is nothing more than a superstition as when a cat crosses a road, it means he is going somewhere. Things are as simple as that.

Cats have grey colored eyes which are often considered as scary, especially by children. It is seen that children are mostly scared of the cat’s eyes.

A cat can give birth to 3-5 kittens at a time and they all need care and love whenever they’re born. If you’re determined about taming a cat, you can do so as it is not much difficult. You can give them dry foods, canned cat food or kitten food when they’re delicate and tender.

While you tame a cat, you have to be extra cautious if you have plants at home. Plants tend to be toxic for cats and hence if you have a cat at home, make sure your plants are away from them. When a cat gives birth to kittens, ensure that the house is kept calm as the kittens usually get scared by noise.

Cats are usually shy in nature and takes time to adjust in any kind of environment. A cat lover has to be patient while dealing with such a shy animal.

Understanding cat behavior – Fun facts on them

Cats have an enigmatic aura about them and they’ve captured the hearts of several people. They have adorable looks with mysterious personalities. If you too are a cat lover, here are few interesting and unknown facts that you should know about them.

#1: The oldest pet cat lived 10,000 years back

This information is definitely going to wow you. Did you know that the Egyptians were the first to pet a cat? In the year 2004, the archaeologists in French found a cat grave that was 10,000 year old in Cyprus. Hence, this can be considered as the oldest cat.

#2: 70% of the life of a cat is spent sleeping

Did you think that your pet cat sleeps a lot? If answered yes, you are absolutely right! As per the Veterinary Hub, cats spend 70% of their lives sleeping. This means that they sleep for 13-16 hours in a day. Wouldn’t you love to spend a cat’s life?

#3: The longest cat ever was 48.5 inches

Cats are usually considered to be dainty and small furry creatures. However, among them, there was a Maine Coon called Stewie who measured 48.5 inches. There is also a record for the tallest cat that was owned by Arcturus. It was 19.05 inches tall.

#4: Cats walk in a manner that is similar to camels

Did you ever notice that cats walk in a manner that is similar to giraffes or camels? They keep their both right feet first followed by both left feet and hence they move half their body at a time. Giraffes and camels are the other animals that walk in this manner.

#5: Pet cats share 96% of their genetic makeup with tigers

This fact on cat is going to blow your mind. It was discovered through a recent study on cats that the smaller house cats have 96% similarity in their genetic makeup with tigers. They even have similar behaviors like marking of urine, their body scent, pouncing and stalking of prey.

Therefore, as we can see, cats usually love to stay non-confrontational. They won’t ever fight to demonstrate their dominance but they will do that to stake their personal authority.

Cats will go to extremes to avoid each other so that they can prevent any confrontation. Unlike human beings, cats are lefties. Studies reveal that their left paw is the most dominant paw.

If you’re someone who owns a cat, you should keep in mind the above mentioned points so that you can take best care of them and nourish them with the right food and warmth.

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Essay On Cat

500 + words essay on cat in english.

Cats are domestic animals. The scientific name of the cat is Felia catus . It is a very cute and adorable animal. Apart from tigers, cats belong to the family Felidae. The offspring of cats are called kittens. From kids to adults, everyone is fond of cats. Cats are very good friends of humans. They like to play with them. Cats usually feed on milk, meat, fish, mice, etc. Though cats are kept as domestic pets, they are clever hunters. They are very friendly animals and like to hunt mice and snakes. 

Cats are basically tiny creatures covered with silky fur. They have whiskers and ears which are highly sensitive. They have sharp eyes which helps them to see at night. Cats are social animals which like to spend time with people. Most of the time they like to sleep. But, they entertain and create happiness at home. If cats get irritated, they can strike with their claws. They only need love and affection from people. Cats are extremely lazy as they like to lie down in some corner of the house. 

What Are The Features Of Cats?

Cats usually make a meow sound for their communication. Did you know that the catwalk is the most graceful? Yes, they walk very gracefully and slowly. They like to play with their owners. Some of the interesting facts about cats are mentioned below: 

• Cats are the most intelligent animal.
• Cats have bright eyes, sensitive ears and whiskers. 
• Cats are fond of eating mice, fish and drinking milk. 
• Cats have sharp eyes that can see even at night. 
• Cats are very friendly animals. 
• The body of a cat is covered with silky hair. 
• Cats hate sweets. 
• Cats have a tendency to make less sound while walking. 
• Cats can groom other cats. 
• The sound meow is a way of their communication. 
• Cats live longer when they stay indoors. 

How To Protect Cats?

Though cats are very intelligent and independent animals, it is important to take care of them. Some of the ways to groom and protect cats are mentioned below:

• Devote some time to the cats. 
• Provide timely food and water for the cats. 
• Groom cats on a regular basis. 
• Create a safe environment for the cats to play. 

Also explore: Learn more about animals like cats in essay on tiger , essay on animals and essay on zoo .

Benefits Of Owning A Cat

The cats bring extreme joy and unconditional love for their owners. They help in reducing their stress and relieving tensions in life.  Some of the benefits of cats are mentioned below:

• Cats are fun and playful animals. 
• They are extremely low maintenance pets. 
• Most cats like to maintain silence and avoid any kind of fuss at home. 
• They do not look for attention and always play independently without disturbing others. 
• They hunt mice and other insects in the house. 
• They help in relieving tensions in life. 
• They reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness among people.

Conclusion 

Cats are domestic animals and belong to the family Felidae. They are very clever and intelligent animals. Most of the cats are kept as domestic pets at home. They only need love and care from their owners. Therefore, cats have to be protected and taken care of. 

We hope this essay on cat was useful to you. Check essays for kids to explore more topics. 

Frequently Asked Questions On Essay On Cat

What is an essay on cats.

It is a short write up on cats which are the domestic pets belonging to the Felidae family. 

What are the features of cats?

The  features of cats are that they have sharp claws, whiskers and bushy tails. The body of the cat is covered with fur.

What are the benefits of owning a cat?

The benefits of owning a cat are that they shower love and reduce the feeling of loneliness in life.

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A Summary and Analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Cat in the Rain’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Cat in the Rain’ is a very short story by Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), published in his early 1925 collection In Our Time . Hemingway wrote ‘Cat in the Rain’ for his wife Hadley while they were living in Paris. She wanted to get a cat, but he said they were too poor.

‘Cat in the Rain’ was supposedly inspired by a specific event in 1923 when, while staying at the home of Ezra Pound (a famous cat-lover) in Rapallo, Italy, Hadley befriended a stray kitten. You can read the story here before proceeding to our summary and analysis below.

‘Cat in the Rain’: plot summary

An American couple are staying at a hotel in Italy. It is raining heavily one day, and the wife, looking out of their hotel room window, spies a cat under one of the tables outside, trying to shelter from the rain.

She wants to go and get the cat and bring her (the cat is specifically gendered as female) indoors. Her husband, George, sits on the bed, reading, and offers to go and fetch it, but the wife says she will go.

She goes downstairs and talks to the Italian hotel owner, whom she likes. Stepping outside, she is about to go looking for the cat when the maid who looks after their hotel room appears with an umbrella, telling her she mustn’t get wet.

The wife fails to find the cat, and returns up to her hotel room, disappointed. She tells her husband that she wants a cat, as well as other things: she wants spring to arrive, and she wants some new clothes. But George is engrossed in his book and isn’t listening.

Then, at the end of the story, the maid knocks on the door and when she enters, she is holding a large tortoiseshell cat in her arms. She tells them that the hotel-owner told her to bring the cat up for the wife.

‘Cat in the Rain’: analysis

In keeping with Ernest Hemingway’s signature style, ‘Cat in the Rain’ is written in spare, clear prose, using short sentences and plain dialogue. This is a trademark feature of Hemingway’s style in his short stories and novels.

Hemingway’s stories often seem direct and matter-of-fact, as though they simply mean whatever they say, but there is, in fact, symbolic resonance to many of the ordinary and everyday details he builds his stories around.

The cat in the rain is not just a cat: she clearly symbolises something more to the wife, who wishes to rescue her from the rain and, in doing so, rescue a part of herself. She, too, wants to escape the rain, as her reference to spring (which hasn’t yet arrived) towards the end of the story demonstrates.

In other words, we might analyse or interpret the cat as a site of desire for the wife: the cat represents desire itself, all her wants, becoming a tangible, physical manifestation of her desire. We want what we can’t have, of course: Jacques Lacan’s work on desire argues as much, and in English the word ‘want’ denotes both a desire and a lack (i.e., you want an ice cream but if you fall short of some standard you are said to have been found wanting ).

Of course, the wife’s initial failure to find the cat when she goes outside is also, we might say, significant: having seen what she wants, the object of desire, she then fails to attain it.

The maid’s role in the story is also significant in this connection. There is an intriguing relationship between the three female characters of the maid, the wife, and the cat. The wife’s actions are motivated by a desire to shelter the poor cat from the harsh rain, but also because, as she acknowledges, she wants a cat (among other things).

The maid, meanwhile, brings the wife an umbrella so she won’t get wet. So there is an intriguing echo of the wife’s actions (trying to stop the cat from getting wet) in the maid’s (trying to stop the wife from getting wet).

‘Cat in the Rain’, in short, is not just about a cat. The cat can be taken at face value and surface level as ‘just’ a cat, and the events of the story as being a minor snapshot into one hour’s events in the lives of an American couple living in 1920s Italy. But since when in our own lives do events simply happen without having wider implications? Many things we do are motivated by other desires, drives, wants, fears, anxieties.

This is especially true of American culture, we might say, which – in Hemingway’s time as much as in ours – has often been driven by desire for material objects: a new car, a bigger house, the latest fashionable clothes, and so on. The cat cannot be separated from this mentality: it embodies it. Although the wife begins by wanting the ‘cat in the rain’, she later expresses the wish to have a cat: any cat will do. She wants a pet.

This reveals that although helping an animal in distress (the cat trying to avoid the rain under the table) may have formed part of her initial desire to rescue the animal, her actions were also driven by more selfish and materialistic desires.

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7 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Cat in the Rain’”

Why is it important to know the cat “is specifically gendered as female?”

I think Hemingway is linking the (female) cat to the female protagonist, and, to a lesser extent, to the maid. The dynamic between these three female characters contains some patterning and overlap, e.g., the maid helping the woman, the woman helping the cat.

I read this story before and the beauty of the story really puzzled me. I mean it has puzzled me until today. I really like it but I don’t know why I like it since it sounds so plain and unadorned. LOL.

It’s one of the things I love about Hemingway. You can take the story at face value and enjoy it, or probe for subtle hidden meanings in the very plain, direct style. And never be sure which is the way he intended to be read!

I think that the women wanted the cat because she felt left out by her husband so she tought that the cat will maybe give her some company unlike her husband who was not caring at all even that they were on vacation

hush now, you’re simply incorrect.

how? isn’t it like that?

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Paragraph on Cat

Students are often asked to write a paragraph on Cat in their schools. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 200-word, and 250-word paragraphs on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

Paragraph on Cat in 100 Words

Cats are lovely pets that many people keep at home. They are small and have soft fur that feels nice when you touch it. Cats have sharp claws and teeth, which they use to catch mice. They like to play with balls, strings, or even a light spot. Cats make a sound called ‘meow’ to talk to us. They like to drink milk and eat fish. Cats are very clean animals; they lick their fur to keep it neat. They also sleep a lot during the day and stay awake at night. We should treat cats gently and kindly.

Paragraph on Cat in 200 Words

Cats are small, furry animals that many people love to keep as pets. A cat’s soft fur can be many colors like black, white, brown, or even mixed. They have sharp claws and teeth that help them catch mice and birds. Cats are very clean animals and spend a lot of time licking their fur to keep it clean. They are very good at seeing in the dark, which is why they can play at night. Cats love to sleep and can do so for up to 14 hours a day! They also like to play with toys and chase things like balls of yarn. Some cats can even learn tricks like dogs. Cats make a sound called purring when they are happy or relaxed. People like to hear a cat purr because it can make them feel calm too. Cats have a special way of showing love to their owners by rubbing against their legs or curling up in their laps. These furry friends are also good at catching pests in the house. Having a cat as a pet can be fun and rewarding, and they can become a beloved part of the family.

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Paragraph on Cat in 250 Words

Cats are small furry animals that are often kept as pets around the world. They are known for their playful nature and their love for exploring their surroundings. Cats have sharp claws that they use to catch small animals like mice and birds, and they can also climb trees swiftly. They are known for their ability to land on their feet if they fall, which is a trait that sets them apart from many other animals. Cats often communicate by purring, which is a soft, vibrating sound they make when they are happy or relaxed. They also communicate through a variety of other sounds, like meowing, hissing, and growling. Cats are independent creatures and can take care of themselves. They groom themselves by licking their fur and they don’t need to be bathed as often as dogs. Cats like to sleep a lot, and they can sleep up to 16 hours a day! This is because in the wild, they need to save their energy to hunt. Cats have a sharp sense of hearing and can detect sounds that are too high-pitched for humans to hear. They also have excellent night vision, which makes them good hunters even in low light. Many people love cats for their unique personalities and their ability to form strong bonds with their human family members. Owning a cat can be a wonderful experience, as they bring joy and companionship to their owners’ lives.

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