Reading Comprehension · Science
What Makes a Cat a Cat? Reading Comprehension Lesson
A reading comprehension lesson about what makes a cat a cat — the characteristics shared by all members of the feline family, from house cats to tigers.
Subject
Reading
Grade Level
Grades 3–6
Resource Type
Worksheet
Skill Focus
Science Reading Comprehension — Animal Classification
What Makes a Cat a Cat?
The word “cat” describes all members of the feline family, known scientifically as Felidae. This family includes domestic cats, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, and many other species. Despite their enormous differences in size — from a 9-pound house cat to a 660-pound tiger — all cats share a set of defining characteristics.
All cats are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They have sharp, retractable claws (except the cheetah), powerful jaw muscles, and specialized teeth for tearing flesh. Cats have forward-facing eyes that give them excellent depth perception for judging distances when they pounce on prey. They also have highly sensitive whiskers that help them detect movement and navigate in the dark.
Cats are built for hunting. They have flexible spines and powerful hind legs that allow them to leap great distances. Most cats are stealthy, solitary hunters that stalk their prey before making a quick, explosive charge. Lions are an exception — they live and hunt in social groups called prides.
Cats Large and Small
The domestic cat (Felis catus) is by far the most familiar member of the cat family. Domesticated from wild cats thousands of years ago, domestic cats today live on every continent except Antarctica. They retain the hunting instincts of their wild ancestors even when kept as pets.
The big cats — lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars — are set apart by their ability to roar. The roar comes from a specially adapted larynx and flexible hyoid bone in the throat. Smaller cats like cheetahs, cougars, and domestic cats cannot roar but can purr continuously, while big cats can only purr during exhalation.
The cheetah is unique among big cats for several reasons: it cannot retract its claws fully, giving it better grip when running at speeds up to 70 miles per hour — making it the fastest land animal. Despite its speed, the cheetah is built more like a greyhound than a typical cat, and it is less powerful than other big cats.
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