If you’re in the market for a pet cat, just make sure it meows, and doesn’t roar like the lion, tiger, or jaguar, all of which are in the same family as the housecat. Domesticated as long ago as ancient Egyptian times, the cat is a fixture not only in many homes, but also in a host of English expressions — like, “when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” “it’s raining cats and dogs,” and “the cat’s pajamas.”