sifted out    A skilled predator, the cat is known to hunt over
1,000 species for food. It can be trained to obey simple
commands. Individual cats have also been known to learn on their
own to manipulate simple mechanisms, such as doorknobs. Cats use
a variety of vocalizations and types of body language for
communication, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling,
squeaking, chirping, clicking, and grunting. With 69 million of
them present in American homes, cats are the most or the second
most popular pets in that country. Cats also may be the most
popular pet in the world, with over 600 million in homes all
over the world. They are also bred and shown as registered
pedigree pets. This hobby is known as the "Cat Fancy".  Until
recently the cat was commonly believed to have been domesticated
in ancient Egypt, where it was a cult animal. However a 2007
study found that all house cats are probably descended from a
group of as few as five self-domesticating African Wildcats
Felis silvestris lybica circa 8000