🧬 The Felid Wiki — 3,000 research summaries

The vertical slit pupil of small cats is a striking feature, and this overview reviews why such pupils evolved. Comparative work links vertical slit pupils to small ambush predators active across a wi…

Although often called solitary, domestic cats display a flexible social organisation that depends heavily on the distribution of food and shelter. This overview synthesises decades of observation show…

Many homes keep several cats, but because cats are facultatively social and territorial, cohabitation can generate chronic stress. This overview surveys research on the welfare challenges of multi-cat…

Although often considered solitary, cats form social groups under abundant resources, and this overview surveys research on the structure of feral colonies. It examines how colonies typically center o…

Shelters can apply knowledge of the sensitive period to improve the socialization and adoptability of kittens, and this overview surveys research on such programs. It examines interventions providing…

Pinpointing the direction of a sound is essential for a predator that hunts partly by ear, and cats are skilled localizers. This overview surveys studies of feline sound localization acuity, which com…

In addition to bitter and savory tastes, cats detect sour and may have specialized responses to water, rounding out their taste capabilities. This overview surveys feline sour taste, which signals aci…

Navigating and exploiting a home range requires cats to build and use spatial knowledge of their environment. This overview surveys research on how cats learn the layout of their territory, the locati…

How long and how accurately can a cat remember where an object or prey item disappeared? This overview surveys research on feline spatial memory, including delayed-search tasks measuring how memory fo…

The spectral sensitivity of a cone, the wavelength at which it absorbs light most strongly, determines its contribution to color vision. This survey reviews measurements of feline cone photopigment pe…

Freezing and storing sperm is the most established form of felid biobanking, enabling the preservation and transport of male genetics. This overview surveys methods for cryopreserving cat sperm, inclu…

Research into the molecular basis of the enteric-to-FIP transition has focused heavily on the coronavirus spike gene, which governs receptor binding and membrane fusion. Specific mutations in the spik…

Although cats are classically described as induced ovulators, accumulating evidence shows that some domestic cats ovulate spontaneously without mating, particularly under certain social and environmen…

A key question raised by findings of secure and insecure attachment in cats is whether those styles are stable traits or transient states. This overview surveys evidence on the consistency of feline a…

Confinement in catteries and shelters exposes cats to novelty, noise, restricted space and unpredictable handling, which can elevate stress. This overview surveys research using behavioural scoring an…

Shelters impose acute stress on cats, which manifests in behaviour relevant to welfare and adoptability, and this overview surveys research on the topic. It examines behavioural signs of stress in she…

String-pulling tasks, in which an animal must pull a string to obtain attached food, test understanding of means-end connections and physical relations. This overview surveys research with cats on sin…

Beyond animals killed directly, the mere presence of cats may harm wildlife through fear and disturbance. This overview surveys research on sublethal effects, including the idea that prey perceiving p…

Much of what is known about pet cat hunting comes from studies of suburban cats, often relying on prey animals brought home. This overview surveys research, including radio-tracking and prey-return re…

Surgical removal of affected thyroid tissue (thyroidectomy) can cure feline hyperthyroidism and was historically a common definitive treatment before radioiodine became widely available. Because the d…

Cats sometimes kill more prey than they consume, a phenomenon called surplus killing that appears when vulnerable prey is abundant and the killing response is repeatedly triggered. This overview surve…

Serological and molecular surveys of wild felid populations have documented widespread infection with species-specific lentiviruses related to FIV, often at high prevalence in lions and pumas, general…

Systemic hypertension commonly accompanies feline CKD and threatens target organs, most dramatically the eyes, where sudden hypertensive retinopathy and detachment can cause acute blindness, as well a…

Fur is not only insulation but also a sensory surface, and this overview reviews the tactile roles of body hair beyond the specialised whiskers. Ordinary hairs are associated with nerve endings that d…

A successful jump requires aiming as much as power, and this overview reviews how cats control takeoff angle and trajectory to land accurately. By adjusting the direction and force of push-off, a cat…

Kittens born to feral mothers can often be tamed if reached early enough, and this overview surveys the practice and its grounding in the sensitive socialization period. It examines evidence on the ag…

The color of a cat's eyeshine, often green or yellow-green, reflects the wavelengths the tapetum returns most strongly. This overview surveys measurements of feline tapetal reflectance and discussion…

Taste in cats is mediated by taste buds distributed across the tongue within specialized papillae, the same basic apparatus found in other mammals. This overview surveys feline taste bud anatomy, incl…

Whether a cat eats a given food depends heavily on palatability, which integrates taste with smell, texture, and temperature. This overview surveys how feline taste contributes to food acceptance, wor…

Cats require dietary taurine, and this overview reviews this classic example of feline nutritional specialisation. Unlike many mammals, cats cannot make enough taurine themselves and must get it from…