Cats (Felis silvestris catus)

Domestic cats are felid members of the class Mammalia, order Carnivora, and family Felidae. Cats are obligate carnivores, and their nutritional requirements are largely provided by meat. Pet cats' social systems can be variable and flexible, with a complex range of behaviours that allow some cats to live in groups of varying size or alone. Cats can show a variety of responses to human company, ranging from aversion to enjoyment. Cats can suffer from many diseases including 'flu', fleas, and worms. Many viral infections can be fatal, including feline leukaemia, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies. Cats seem to express few or subtle signs of welfare problems. This may partly be because of the lack of explicit signalling by cats and partly as a result of our inability to identify their behavioural expressions. A range of strategies can be adopted to tackle overpopulation; each one must be adapted to fit the local conditions and available resources.