A Texas wildlife rescue and sanctuary Cats species including Asian Leopards, Fishing cats, Caracals, Ocelots and african servals
The biological family Felidae is a lineage of carnivorans that includes the cats. A member of this family is also called a felid.[3][4][5][6] The characteristic features of cats have evolved to support a carnivorous lifestyle, with adaptations for ambush or stalking and short pursuit hunting. They have gracileand muscular bodies, strong flexible forelimbs and retractable claws for holding prey, dental and cranial adaptations for a strong bite, and often have characteristic striped or spotted coat patterns for camouflage. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they are dependent on nutrients in animal flesh for survival, and because of the large proportion of meat in their diet are sometimes referred to as hypercarnivores. Of the 13 terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, they are the strictest carnivores.[7]