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Cat Facts: Editor's Letter A Civet Is Not a Cat By Beth Adelman for Cat Facts |
 By now you've probably heard on the news that scientists think the SARS virus may have originally come from the civet, a weasel-like animal that the media insist on referring to as a "civet cat." This is a very unfortunate choice of words, because it has sparked many people in Asia to get rid of their pet cats and round up the local strays, and has left people worldwide wondering if they ought to do the same. It's also an incorrect choice of words, because a civet is not a cat.
A civet is a type of mongoose, which is closely related to a weasel. If you have seen pictures of civets, they look like a sort of raccoon-skunk-ferret. If you remember your high school biology, you know all animals and plants are classified by Latin names that indicate what broad family of creatures they belong to. Civets are in the Viverridae family. Cats are in the Felidae family. The families are related, but only very, very distantly. How distantly? Civets and cats are not as close as people and chimpanzees. You can't get SARS from a cat. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed this. Please, spread the word. |
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