The cat, also called the domestic cat or the house cat, is a small feline carnivorous mammal of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. It is descended from the African wild cat, Felis silvestris lybica and first seems to have been domesticated 3,500 years ago in Ancient Egypt, where it was used to keep mice and other rodents away from stores of grain. Today the cat is one of the world's most popular household pets.

. They are skilled predators and have been known to hunt over one thousand different species for food. They are also intelligent animals and some are able to manipulate simple mechanisms such as opening lever-handled doors or use human toilets, as described below. They communicate by calling ("meow"/"miaou"), purring, hissing, and gesturing. Because the domestication of the cat is relatively recent, cats may also still live effectively in the wild, often forming small colonies. The cat's association with humans leads it to figure prominently in the mythology and legends of several cultures, including the ancient Egyptians, Vikings, and Chinese.