貓屬中被人類馴養的成員，是由70,000/100,000年前已存在的物種所衍生。貓的馴養歷史大約可追溯至西元前2,000年的埃及和西元9,500年前的塞普勒斯，在中東其他地區的馴養歷史則可能更早。在某些分類法中，家貓（Felis domesticus）和野貓（Felis sylvestris）是同一物種。基因證據顯示，家貓是由野貓亞種的祖先「非洲野貓（Felis sylvestris lybica）」演化而來。家貓似乎在中東地區便已為人所馴養，當時人們認知到家貓在保護田地和穀倉免於鼠害方面的價值。埃及人對於這種掠食性動物十分鍾愛與尊崇，因而發展出以貓為膜拜對象的宗教儀式和神廟。由於繪畫中曾出現類似虎斑貓的標記，以及古埃及貓木乃伊的存在，因此推論現今的虎斑貓可能與當時埃及聖貓非常相似。第一種已知由野生虎斑貓受馴養的變種，顏色是黑色（同時也自然於野外生長，但數目不多）。毛色較深、條紋和漩渦狀花紋較粗的虎斑貓，可能最早出現在中世紀，其皮毛花紋有助於此動物適應並隱身在黑暗的中世紀街頭陰影處。玳瑁花紋的貓可能發展於西元十九世紀，當時維多利亞時代的人視貓為鍾愛的寵物，並培育出不同顏色的品種和其他特徵。直至最近的基因研究，某些專家認為家貓是野貓與埃及森林貓的混種，後者較為溫馴且飼養在某些埃及神廟中。

家貓(種)　(P,,U,繁體中文-偏好,D,U,U)
貓(,U,繁體中文-非偏好,UF,U,U)
chia mao (P,,U,韋氏拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
jiā māo (P,,U,漢語拼音-偏好,UF,U,U)
jia mao (P,,U,漢語拼音(無聲調)-偏好,UF,U,U)
Felis domesticus(species)　(P,,U,英文-偏好,D,U,N)
Felis domesticus(species)　(P,,U,拉丁語-偏好,D,U,N)
domestic cats(,U,英文-非偏好,AD,U,N)
domestic cat(,U,英文-非偏好,AD,U,N)
house cats(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
house cat(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
cats(domestic cats)　(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
Felis domestica(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
Felis domestica(,U,拉丁語-非偏好,UF,U,N)
Felis catus(,U,英文-非偏好,UF,U,N)
Felis catus(,U,拉丁語-非偏好,UF,U,N)

藝術與建築詞典根目錄
....代理者層面
........活體有機體
............真核生物 (域)
................動物界 (界)
....................脊索動物門 (門)
........................脊椎動物亞門 (亞門)
............................哺乳綱 (綱)
................................食肉目 (目)
....................................貓科 (科)
........................................貓屬 (屬)
............................................家貓 (種)

distinguished from....

野貓(種)

英文....

Domesticated member of the genus Felis, rising from a line that developed 70,000/100,000 years ago. Domesticated in Egypt ca. 2,000 BCE, in Cyprus by 9,500 years ago, earlier elsewhere in the Middle East. In some taxonomies, Felis domesticus and Felis sylvestris are the same species. Genetic evidence suggests that the domestic cat developed from an ancestor who also produced the subspecies of wild cat, Felis sylvestris lybica. The house cat appears to have been domesticated in the Middle East at a time when humans recognized its value in protecting fields and granaries from rodents. Egyptian affection and respect for the cat as predator led to the development of religious cat cults and temple worship of cats. Since tabby-like markings appear in the drawings and mummies of ancient Egyptian cats, present-day tabbies probably look much like the sacred cats of Egypt. The first known domestic variation on the wild tabby coloring was the black cat (which also occurs naturally in the wild, but not in great numbers). The darker tabby coat with thicker stripes and swirls probably first appeared in the Middle Ages, the coat pattern being an adaptation that helped the animal to hide better in the shadows of dark medieval streets. The tortoise shell coat probably developed in the 19th century, when the Victorians made cats beloved pets and bred them for color varieties and other characteristics. Until the recent genetic studies, some experts believed the domestic cat was a hybrid of Felis Sylvestris and an Egyptian forest cat that was more docile and also kept in some Egyptian temples.

家貓(種)............	[AS-Academia Sinica]
.................	國家教育研究院－雙語詞彙、學術名詞暨辭書資訊網 January 3, 2013
.................	智慧藏百科全書網 January 3, 2013
.................	大英百科全書線上繁體中文版 January 3, 2013
貓............	[AS-Academia Sinica]
.................	基礎生命科學 477
Felis domesticus(species)............	[VP]
.................	Strang and Dawson, Controlling Vertebrate Pests in Museums (1991) 7
.................	Animal Diversity Web (1995-) accessed 2 February 2005
.................	Taxonomicon: Systema Naturae (1989-2005)
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "cat, domestic," accessed 17 May 2006
domestic cats............	[VP]
.................	Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961)
.................	Oxford English Dictionary Online (2002-)
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "cat, domestic," accessed 15 May 2006
domestic cat............	[VP]
.................	Getty Vocabulary Program rules
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "Cat, domestic," accessed 2 February 2005
house cats............	[VP]
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-)
house cat............	[VP]
.................	Getty Vocabulary Program rules
cats(domestic cats)............	[VP]
.................	Webster's Third New International Dictionary (2002)
Felis domestica............	[VP]
.................	CDMARC Subjects: LCSH (1988-)
.................	Random House Dictionary of the English Language (1987)
Felis catus............	[VP]
.................	CDMARC Subjects: LCSH (1988-)
Subject:............	[VP]
.................	Strang and Dawson, Controlling Vertebrate Pests in Museums (1991) 7; cats
.................	CDMARC Subjects: LCSH (1988-) cat; cat, domestic
.................	Encyclopedia Britannica Online (2002-) "cat, domestic," accessed 15 May 2006

Getty AAT: 300265960 Getty AAT: http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=costume&logic=AND¬e=&subjectid=300265960
聯合目錄： 家貓 、貓 、chia mao 、jiā māo 、jia mao 、Felis domesticus 、domestic cats 、domestic cat 、house cats 、house cat 、cats 、Felis domestica 、Felis catus 、Felis domesticus 、Felis domestica 、Felis catus