What Makes A Cat A Cat?

Objectives:

• Students will be able to compare and contrast wild cats to domestic cats.

• Students will be able to describe characteristics that make cats good hunters.

• Students will be able to recall facts about the behavior of domestic cats.

• Students will understand the potential consequences of declawing a domestic cat.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

If someone were to ask you to describe a cat, what would you say? Do you know what makes a cat a cat? The name "cat" is used to describe all of the members of the feline family. This includes lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, cheetahs, pumas, lynxes, ocelots, and of course, domestic (pet) cats.

All cats are carnivores. In fact, they eat little besides meat. Pet food for house cats usually contains fillers that are made from grains in addition to meat, but wild cats are pure meat eaters.

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