Do you need any more reasons as to why cats are just A.M.A.Z.I.N.G pets? Here are some interesting facts about our furry family members...
Cats have scent glands along their tail, their forehead, lips and chin. There are also some scent glands on the underside of their front paws too. A cat will use these scent glands when they rub up against objects to mark their territory. When cats are grooming, they are cleaning their bodies and are removing your scent from their fur.
Yes your sleeping beauty manages to sleep for at least 12-16 hours a day!
in 2015 it was estimated there were 7.4 million cats and 8.5 million dogs in the UK. One in two British households own a pet. It is estimated that our animal loving population in Britain own around 20 million pets in total.
A group of cats is referred to as a "clowder" or a "glaring". A male cat is called a "tom" or "tomcat" (or a "gib", if neutered), an unaltered female is called a "queen", and a juvenile cat is referred to as a "kitten". [Wikipedia]
Some cats have been able to survive falls from over 32 stories high and land on their feet. Thats a massive 320m fall!
A cat called "Stubbs" has been the mayor of an Alaskan town called Talkeetna, for 15 years. There was even a cat that ran for mayor of Mexico City in 2013.
Cats are able to move their ears 180 degrees, and they are able to move their ears seperately. Hearing is one of a cats strongest senses. They can hear sounds as high as 64kHz. Compare this to humans who can only hear sounds as high as 20kHz.
A cats nose has a unique ridge pattern (Nose print), just like their humans have unique ridges on their fingers (Finger Print)
The tongue of a cat has tiny, backward-facing barbs (papillae) on it and they're the things that create that rough sensation. ... They make it easier for a cat to rasp the meat from the bones of his prey. The barbs also aid in grooming as they collect dirt, debris and loose hair from the cat's coat [Your cats Tongue]
Cats can taste smells. Your cat has a vomeronasal (or Jacobson's) organ in the roof of her mouth, which she uses to "taste" scents and analyze pheromones. [catster] So when your cat is pulling a funny "Grimace" face they are usually taste-scenting the air!
Compared to humans, the cat's sense of taste is weak. Humans have 9,000 taste buds, while cat have only around 473. They make up for this deficiency with a superior sense of smell. Did you know the preferred temperature for feline food is 86 degrees Fahrenheit–the same temperature as the cat's tongue. [catsinternational]
While milk is not necessary to a cat's diet, it can be a treat if given from time to time. However, some cats cannot tolerate milk because they do not produce an enzyme called lactase. Lactase helps with the digestion of lactose, which is found in milk. After weaning, the level of lactase activity falls to about 10 per cent of its peak activity. In some cats, diarrhea will occur if more lactose (i.e. milk) is consumed than the pet can digest. This is called "lactose intolerance". [petwave]
A cats clavicle (the bone that attaches their shoulders to their forelimbs) is free floating. this allows them to squeeze through small spaces.
The worlds largest cat measured 48.5 inches long - thats an amazing one and a quarter metres long!!
There is evidence to suggest that dometicated cats have been around since 3600 BC this is 2000 years before Egypt's Pharaohs.
Owning a cat reduces the risk of serious health problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
Cats communicate in various ways: Cats are able to produce more that 100 different sounds compared to dogs who are only documented to make around 10 different sounds.
Cats’ purrs are more than simply a way to communicate though. Scientists like Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, a bioacoustics researcher, believe that cats also purr to heal themselves. She says that frequencies between 24-140 vibrations per minute are therapeutic for bone growth, pain relief and wound healing. In addition to repairing bones, there's also evidence that the series of vibrations caused by purring can repair muscles and tendons, ease breathing, and reduce pain and swelling.
Adult cats only Meow to communicate with humans.
Your cat does recognise your voice but they just act too cool to care :-)
Female cats are typically right-pawed while male cats are typically left-pawed. Cats have five toes on their front paws, and four toes on their back paws. Some cats however may have a few extra toes on their feet. These are called Polydactyl cats or are often referred to as "Hemingway cats" because the author was so fond of them. There are 45 Hemingway cats living at the authors former home in Key West, Florida.
Staying on the topic of feet, the only place cats sweat is through their foot pads.
Finally, only 11.5 percent of people consider themselves "Cat People". Cat people are 11% more likely to be introverts, yet still cat owners are more open to new experiences compared to "dog" people. "Cat people" are 17% more likely to graduate form university.