ged ▁during ▁the ▁O lig oc ene ▁about ▁ 2 5 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁with ▁the ▁appearance ▁of ▁Pro ail urus ▁and ▁Pseud ael urus . ▁The ▁latter ▁species ▁complex ▁was ▁ancest ral ▁to ▁two ▁main ▁lines ▁of ▁fel ids : ▁the ▁c ats ▁in ▁the ▁ext ant ▁sub famil ies ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁ext inct ▁c ats ▁of ▁the ▁sub family ▁Mach ai rod ont inae , ▁which ▁include ▁the ▁sab er - to oth ed ▁c ats ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Sm il odon . ▁The ▁" false ▁sab re - to oth ed ▁c ats ", ▁the ▁Barb ou ro fel idae ▁and ▁N im rav idae , ▁are ▁not ▁true ▁c ats , ▁but ▁are ▁closely ▁related . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁the ▁Fel idae , ▁V iver r idae , ▁h ya enas ▁and ▁mongo oses , ▁they ▁const itute ▁the ▁Fel iform ia . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁ ▁All ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁cat ▁family ▁have ▁the ▁following ▁characteristics ▁in ▁common : ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁digit ig rade , ▁have ▁five ▁to es ▁on ▁their ▁for efe et ▁and ▁four ▁on ▁their ▁h ind ▁feet . ▁Their ▁cur ved ▁cla ws ▁are ▁prot ract ile ▁and ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁terminal ▁b ones ▁of ▁the ▁toe ▁with ▁lig aments ▁and ▁tend ons . ▁The ▁cla ws ▁are ▁guard ed ▁by ▁cut aneous ▁she ath s , ▁except ▁in ▁the ▁Ac in ony x . ▁ ▁They ▁act ively ▁prot ract ▁the ▁cla ws ▁by ▁contract ing ▁mus cles ▁in