Family Cats

What could be better than the sound of a cat purring in perfect contentment, but have you ever wondered why do cats purr?

By Jesslyn Shields

One day, Larry was a humble stray cat. The next, he was 'Chief Mouser' at the British Prime Minister's residence. Unlike the revolving door of PMs lately, Larry has staying power. But is he any good at catching mice?

By Laurie L. Dove

It's after midnight. Do you know where your cat is?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

When that sandpaper tongue gets going on your face, does it mean your cat loves you, or simply likes the way you taste?

By Jesslyn Shields

Tigers love to swim in the wild. So why do most housecats act like coming in contact with water will use up a several of their nine lives?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Not much could be better than coming back in your next life as a house cat (OK, maybe a dog, but we won't go there). But if you had the chance, you'd better think hard about where you'd live first.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Cats howl for a lot of reasons: They want you to buy them things; they want more food (better food). But as they age, they howl a lot more. Are they trying to tell us something else?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

A study using citizen science tries to help explain why cats love sitting in boxes — even ones that aren't there. What did they find out?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

With a very friendly personality, the Egyptian Mau can be trained to do almost anything a dog can do, from walking on a leash to fetching a ball.

By Patty Rasmussen

The most obvious feature of Manx cats is their lack of a tail, but there is a lot more to them than that, including the fact that they have dog-like personalities and make great pets.

By Patty Rasmussen

The rare Bombay cat is all black, but color alone doesn't make a cat a Bombay.

By Laurie L. Dove

This quirky, but endearing, behavior — also known as 'making biscuits' — is common in all domestic cats. But what is your cat saying when she's mixing dough on your belly?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

The ragdoll habit of turning floppy in their owners' arms is one of the breed's most endearing trademarks. And those eyes ...

By Mark Mancini

A hybrid cross between a small Asian leopard cat and a domestic cat, the Bengal cat will keep you busy with its intelligence and active personality. It may even shower with you.

By Mark Mancini

What do you get when you mix a domestic cat with a wild African serval cat? You get a Savannah cat, which turns out to be a very beautiful but very controversial kitty.

By Mark Mancini

The Maine Coon and the Norwegian Forest are both plus-size breeds of cat, but what are the differences between these feline behemoths?

By Mark Mancini

Persians are famous for their long hair and snub noses. But this is no aloof kitty – they're so friendly, breeders refer to them as "dog cats."

By Dave Roos

Affectionate and haughty at the same time, the Siamese cat exudes an air of mystery. But it still loves to follow you around.

By Mark Mancini

According to some sources, Lewis Carroll based the smiling Cheshire Cat from his 1865 novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" on the British Shorthair.

By Mark Mancini

The most remarkable feature of a Munchkin cat is its short legs, though most litters have both normal-legged kittens and short-legged kittens.

By Laurie L. Dove

Known as the dogs of the cat world, Maine Coons are intelligent, eager to please and love water.

By Laurie L. Dove

The ordinary housecat never seems to get the credit it deserves, even though 95 percent of cats in the U.S. are not purebred. Still these cats have distinctive markings to distinguish them from each other.

By John Perritano

Kittens inherit their coats from their mothers, and no two calico cats look alike. Not even twins.

By Patty Rasmussen

Scratching is a normal feline behavior. That's why many experts advise against putting your cat through a painful and unnecessary declawing procedure.

By John Perritano

Some Sphynx cats may look like mangled bags of brains, but these so-ugly-they're-cute-cats are among the friendliest of felines.

By John Perritano