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Fast Facts:

Domestic cats are thought to have descended from African Wild Cats. African wild cats were present in towns in the Middle East at least 7,000 years ago. They were domesticated in Egypt about 4,000 years ago and began to be introduced outside of that area about 2,000 years ago.
They have 5 toes on their forepaws and only 4 on the back.
The ears of a cat can rotate rapidly to identify the source of a particular sound and are able to respond to frequencies up to 25,000 vibrations per second. Because of this ability, cats can hear even ultrasonic noises made by small rodents.

African Wild Cat

Scientific Name:	Felis silvestris lybica
Classification:	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae
Status:	Stable
Range:	Africa
Habitat:	All types of habitats except tropical rainforests
Diet:	Any small animal it can catch.
Size:	Height: 13 inches Length: 18-30 inches Weight: 6-17 pounds
Lifespan:	15 years
Location:
Print Fact Sheet	Wild Cat

Special Features:

An Egyptian cult centered in the ancient city of Bubastis worshipped cats. Followers of the goddess Bast, the goddess of pleasure, created sanctuaries with bronze statues of cats and mummified hundreds of thousands of cats.
Their vision is about the same as human vision, but their color range is not as vast.
Their whiskers are very sensitive touch organs that can detect small movements and check sizes of openings.

Social Structure & Behavior:

Mainly nocturnal & Solitary. Wild Cats have scent glands on their foreheads, around their mouths, and near the bases of their tails. A cat rubs these glands against objects to mark them with its scent.

Reproduction:
Sexual maturity is 9-12 months for both male and female. Gestation is 56-68 days resulting in in a litter size of 1-8 kits. Born with eyes closed and unable to walk they are weaned 6-12 weeks and remain with mother learning hunting and survival skills up to 5 months.