Cat Facts for Kids

Felis catus · FEE-lis KAT-us

A soft, quiet pet that purrs, naps and pounces on toys.

🏃 speed: not yet checked
⚖️ 7.9 to 11 lb3.6 to 5 kg1
📏 30 in76 cm1 long
🎂 13 to 17 years13 to 17 years1
🍽️ meat
Not on the Red List (Not assessed)

A cat is a soft pet with whiskers. It purrs when it is happy. Cats nap a lot and love to play with toys.

Cats are small cousins of lions and tigers, and they walk very quietly on their tiptoes. Their whiskers help them feel their way in the dark, and their eyes see well in dim light. A cat licks its fur with a rough tongue to keep clean.

Pet cats came from wild cats that lived near farms long ago, where mice gathered around stored grain. A cat's claws slide out when it needs them and tuck back in when it walks, so they stay sharp. Cats talk to each other mostly with smells and body language, and they meow mostly to talk to people. Cats kept indoors stay safer, and so do the birds in the garden.

How big is a cat?

🧒 our measuring child, 4 ft1.2 m🐱 Cat, 29.9 in76 cm long

Cat in numbers

Length	30 in76 cm1nose to tail tip, on average: head and body 46 cm plus a tail of 30 cm
Height at the shoulder	no checked number yet
Weight	7.9 to 11 lb3.6 to 5 kg1pet cats, on average: 8 to 11 pounds
Top speed	no checked number yet
How long it lives	13 to 17 years13 to 17 years1pet cats, on average
What it eats	cat food, which is mostly meat
Where it lives	homes and farms all over the world
What kind	Mammals
Is it in danger?	Not on the Red List (Not assessed)

A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.

Wow!

Its claws slide out when it needs them and tuck back in.
Cats meow mostly to talk to people, not to other cats.
Whiskers help a cat feel its way in the dark.

Compare the cat

Friends and neighbours

Three questions

What does the cat eat?

FishMeatPlants and animals

The answer: Meat. It eats cat food, which is mostly meat.

Where does the cat live?

SnowDesertFarm

The answer: Farm. It lives in homes and farms all over the world.

Which is longer, the cat or the cheetah?

The catThey're the sameThe cheetah

The answer: The cheetah. Look at them side by side on the compare stage.

Books about the cat, free at the library

Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the cat for free.

Where these numbers come from

USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, free-ranging and feral cats (PDF), checked 31 October 2026.
Wikidata, Cat (Q146), checked 30 October 2026.