Cats are our most popular and beloved pets. It is quite easy to look after them, they are smart and tender, and that is why they deserve the love of millions of people.
Here are some interesting and fun facts about cats that you probably didn’t know about.
1. Every cat owner knows that cats love to sleep, but many do not realize how much time cats spend sleeping. Specialista have estimated that cats sleep 70% of time of their lives.
2. People cannot drink seawater, and cats can. Their kidneys filter the salt.
3. It is believed that cats hear ultrasonic noises. Theoretically, they can hear the ultrasonic language of rodents and dolphins.
4. The most expensive domestic cat is considered to be a Bengal cat, a short-haired hybrid named Zeus. Thus, the price of Zeus, 90% Bengal and 10% domestic shorthair, was $ 154,000.
Cats have a third eyelid, which is called a blinking membrane
6. Domestic cats run at a speed of 30 mph (48 km per hour), and this is 3 miles (5 km) faster than the fastest man in the world, we mean Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The champion runs 27 mph (43 km per hour).
7. We are accustomed to the fact that a black cat brings bad luck, however in Great Britain and Australia black cats on the contrary bring good luck.
8. There were cases when cats survived a fall from the 31st floor to concrete. The record for the longest non-fatal fall in the world belongs to a cat that fell from the 45th floor of the building and survived.
9. Cats have magnetized brain cells that act like compasses, allowing them to easily find their way home.
10. The cats’ voice intonation has changed so that they can communicate with people. Moreover, specialists believe that the more you talk to the cat, more the feline will respond to you (meow in response).
11. Cats produce about 100 sounds, and dogs only 10.
12. Cat named Stubbs was mayor of Takitna in Alaska for 15 years.
13. Cats do not feel the sweet taste.
The longest domestic cat reaches 48 inches (123 cm)
15. Most cats have lactose intolerance, so milk is not the most suitable product for them.
16. Domestic cats are good hunters. Stray domestic cats contributed to the extinction of 33 different animal species. Because of this, scientists consider them one of the 100 most invasive species.
17. According to the researchers, the cat’s brain is similar to the human brain. According to some sources, the cat’s brain is 90 percent identical to the human brain. Cats and humans have almost identical areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex with similar lobes.
18. Cats have 300 million neurons, for comparison, dogs have only about 160 million.
19. The first feline in space was the Frenchwoman Felisette and it was able to survive.
20. Firstly, specialists thought that the ancient Egyptians had domesticated cats, but a recent discovery showed that this supposing was wrong. Archeologists found on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus a burial of cats, which dated 9,500 years old.
Currently, there are about 600 million domestic cats in the world
22. Most cats can give birth to one to nine kittens in one litter. The largest known litter consisted of 19 kittens, 15 of which survived.
23. The most long-lived cat ever registered is the Cream Puff, who lived for 38 years and 3 days (1967-2005).
24. Cats see excellently in low light conditions, however, despite common misconceptions, they cannot see in absolute darkness.
25. Vibrissae (in use – whiskers) are specialized sense organs that perform a tactile function. In no case of removing the vibrissa, the cat will lose its “system of orientation and navigation” in space.
26. The cats’ sense of smell in is about 14 times stronger than human, which allows them to smell something, which people sometimes do not even suspect.
27. Mathematician Richard Montgomery once developed a special theory called the “falling cat theorem”. According to it, a cat falling back down always turns back up to land on its paws.
28. Burmese cats have a very calm, obedient and gentle nature. They are very smart, curious and sociable. Hence, unlike some other more active breeds, cats of this breed often like to sit on guests’ lap and in their hands.
29. Cats need meat food, since it is impossible to synthesize all the amino acids they need from plant food. Consequently, don’t deprive them from it.
30. Cats eat grass, leaves and young shoots of plants to improve the digestive system, as well as to induce vomiting to cleanse the stomach from wool.
31. Cleanliness is the instinct of all cats: cleanliness of the body is necessary when hunting, so that the victim could not sense the hidden predator. Therefore, they wash, licking their wool, at least ten times a day.
Cats breed Maine Coon have high intelligence. This is one of the few breeds that can be trained
33. In Germany and Switzerland, amputation of claws in cats is prohibited by law. Meanwhile, in many other European countries govenments also prohibit it under the European Convention for the Protection of the Rights of Companion Animals.
34. The extract of valerian root contains actinidin, which is the culprit of the unusual behavior of domestic cats and other cats (tigers, lions, pumas, etc.). Its smell is similar to the smell of one of the components contained in the urine of the feline.
35. Abyssinian cat is one of the most ancient breeds of cats. They got their name after the African country Abyssinia, now Ethiopia.
36. In the UK, two cats – Humphrey (1988-2006) and Larry (2007-) got the official titles as honorable awards. Cats, living in the residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, received the title “Chief mouser of the government residence.”
