These White Cats Kittys First Christmas Ornaments
Are approximately 3 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and are attached to a 3 inch gold lame cord. In the white kittens mouth is a gold and white pacifier. The white kitten also happens to be wearing a traditional red and white Santa hat with a gold jingle bell on the end instead of the more common white cotton ball.
Cat Christmas Story:
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.