Why is it that cats are usually loyal to their homes and dogs are faithful to their owners?

Cats and dogs are predators and over the years they have evolved behaviour patterns that help them to improve their chances of survival. Dogs belong to the same class as wolves and other wild dogs that hunt in packs, co-operating in the chase and sharing the prey. This sharing gives a better chance of survival to all the members of the pack. This characteristic attachment of the dog to its fellow members of the group in the wild has been retained even in domestication and therefore they remain faithful to humans. The domestic cat on the other hand has evolved from wild cats, which are solitary hunters. They survive by getting very familiar with their home range, which helps them in knon4ng where it would be best to hunt in different circumstances. Retaining these qualities the domestic cat remains faithful to its home.

What is an animal ?

An animal is a living organism which is usually distinguishable from members of the plant kingdom by its power of locomotion (at least during some stage of its existence).

Animals have a well-defined body shape, limited growth and they feed exclusively on organic matter. Higher forms of animals, such as the vertebrates, are easily distinguishable from plants, but the distinction becomes blurred with the lower forms.

Scientists have classified about a million different kinds of animals in more than twenty phyla. The least evolved or simplest animals include the Protozoa, Sponges, Jellyfish and Worms. Other invertebrate phyla include Arthropods (such as arachnids, crustaceans and insects), Molluscs (shellfish, octopus and squid) and Echinoderms (sea urchins and starfish). Vertebrates belong to the Chordata phylum, which includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.