We know a lot of things about our cats. We know that their fluff gets on everything, we know that they are affectionate, and we definitely know that they will tell us when they want attention from us!
Apart from the obvious stuff though, there are many things that you probably don’t know about your cat, so below we have compiled a list of interesting facts.
Cat Biology
- Similar to a human fingerprint, the nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique.
- A cat’s heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.
- The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
- Cats have 290 bones in their bodies and 517 muscles.
- There are three body types for a cat. Cobby type is a compact body, deep chest, short legs and broad head. The eyes are large and round. Muscular type is a sturdy body and round, full-cheeked head. Foreign type is a slender body, with long legs and a long tail. The head is wedge-shaped, with tall ears and slanting eyes.
- A cat’s normal body temperature is slightly warmer than the human body temperature at 38.6 degrees C.
- A cat has 30 muscles in each ear. This allows them to pivot 180 degrees which is part of the reason for their great hearing and why they always hear you coming.
- An adult cat has 32 teeth.
- Cats are partially color blind. They have the equivalency of human red/green color blindness. (Reds appear green and greens appear red; or shades thereof.)
- Cats don’t see “detail” very well. To them, their person may appear hazy when standing in front of them.
- Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. This gives them fantastic night vision.
Cat Behaviour
- Cats knead with their paws when they’re happy.
- During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.
- Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!
- A kitten will meow at its mother, but an adult cat will almost never meow at another cat. The sound is reserved solely for humans.
- Cats are more active during the evening hours.
- Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
- A cat’s tongue may feel rougher than sandpaper, but it’s actually an amazing piece of kit. When the cat drinks, it turns its tongue into a spoon by curling the tip backwards to create a hollow shape. Not only that, that cat can change its tongue into a washcloth, comb or towel to tackle whatever grooming job it needs to do.
Cat Life Cycle
- One human year is the equivalent of 7 human years. That means if your cat is 3, it is 21 in human years. If your cat is 8, it is 40 in human years. If your cat is 14, then your cat is 70 in human years.
- The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years. That means that having a SecureaKat Cat Enclosure can extend the life of your cat by keeping them safe and away from the dangers of the outside world.
- The color of a kitten’s eyes will change as it grows older.
- At birth, kittens can’t see or hear. Cats open their eyes after five to fifteen days and begin to develop their eyesight and hearing at approximately 2 weeks. They begin to walk at 20 days.
- Kittens begin dreaming at just over one week old.
Random Cat Facts
- There are two species of wild cats in African and Europe that still hunt. These two species both resemble the domestic tabbies.
- Ginger cats are most likely to be male, but the chances of finding a male tortoiseshell is 200 to one.
- In ancient Egypt cats were worshipped as gods. Historians think this was because of their grace, poise and ability to control vermin which protected vital corn supplies. Killing one even by accident incurred the death penalty. As befitting their status, cats were mummified after death and their Egyptian owners would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning for their feline chums.
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