Cats are not strictly “desert animals” today, but domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling wildcats and still show many desert adaptations. So they are desert-origin animals that have since spread to almost all habitats alongside humans.
Desert origins
Genetic studies link domestic cats to Near Eastern wildcats that lived in the deserts of the Middle East and North Africa. These early cats began associating with human settlements in this region several thousand years ago, leading to domestication.
Desert-type adaptations
Domestic cats retain traits useful in deserts, such as producing very concentrated urine and relatively dry feces so they can manage with low water intake. They also tolerate high temperatures and lose little water by sweating, relying more on behavior (seeking shade, resting) and breathing to regulate heat.
Modern habitat use
Even though their ancestors were desert cats, modern domestic and feral cats now live in almost every terrestrial environment, from cities and farms to forests and tundra. Some wild relatives, like the sand cat, are still true desert specialists, but pet cats themselves are habitat generalists rather than pure desert animals.
