These 3 inch black cat Christmas kittens are hovering in midair with
one paw raised.
The Christmas kitten has back paws that stick straight forward and the
cute tail dangles down. The yellow eyes of an angel kitten make
the white feathered angel wings with iridescent glitter stand out. A
gold halo is hovering around the Christmas kitten’s left ear. This
divine feline will hang by a gold lame cord.
Cat History and Fun Facts:
Animals have been kept as pets by people in all parts of the world for
thousands of years. The most common pets are dogs, cats,
parakeets, canaries, and fish. But many people keep unusual pets, such
as raccoons, skunks, alligators, and monkeys. Many Japanese
children tame mice and teach them to dance to music. Explorers in
Antarctica have treated penguins as pets.
Scientists believe that members of the cat family gradually developed
from a small weasel like animal called Miacis, which lived more
than 50 million years ago. Miacis also was probably the ancestor
of such mammals as bears, dogs, and raccoons. Members of the
cat family first appeared about 40 million years ago.
Many authorities believe the domestic cat is a direct descendent of an
African wildcat that the Egyptians tamed -- possibly as early as
3500 B.C. Domesticated wildcats killed mice, rats, and snakes and
so prevented these pests from overrunning Egyptian farms and
grain storehouses. The cats became pampered pets and were
honored in paintings and sculptures.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, the cat was considered a symbol of
evil. Superstitious people associated the cat with witchcraft and
the Devil. For this reason, people killed thousands of cats.
Experts believe that the destruction of so many cats led to a huge
increase in the rat population of Europe and contributed to the spread of
the Black Death, an epidemic of plague. The disease, which is
transmitted to people by rat fleas, killed about a fourth of the
people who lived in Europe in the mid-1300s.
Now, cats are a favorite pet of people around the world. Cats are
intelligent and have an independent nature. These small animals can
also be playful and entertaining. Many cats make affectionate,
loyal pets, providing companionship for people of all ages. About
55 million cats are kept as pets in the United States. About 4
million pet cats live in Canada.
