There are over 500 million domestic cats in the world but despite being a part of our lives, they are still illusive and mysterious. Here are some uncommon facts about our favorite felines.
Cats conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 13-14 hours a day. On average, cats spend 2/3 of every day sleeping. That means a nine-year-old cat has been awake for only three years of its life.
Cats have flexible bodies and teeth adapted for hunting small animals such as mice and rats.
Cats and humans have been associated for nearly 10,000 years.
A group of cats is called a clowder, a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen, while young cats are called kittens.
The heaviest domestic cat on record was 46 pounds and 15.2 ounces.
Cats can be lethal hunters and very sneaky. When they walk their back paws step almost exactly in the same place as their front paws did beforehand. This keeps noise to a minimum and limits visible tracks.
Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see at light levels six times lower than what a human needs in order to see.
Unlike dogs, cats do not have a sweet tooth. Scientists believe this is due to a mutation in a key taste receptor.
On average cats live for around 12-15 years.
When a cat chases its prey, it keeps its head level. Dogs and humans bob their heads up and down.
A cat can’t climb head first down a tree because every claw on a cat’s paw points the same way. To get down from a tree, a cat must back down.
Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about 10.
A cat’s brain is biologically more similar to a human brain than it is to a dog’s. Both humans and cats have identical regions in their brains that are responsible for emotions.
There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds.
While it is commonly thought that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, the oldest known pet cat was recently found in a 9,500-year-old grave on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This grave predates early Egyptian art depicting cats by 4,000 years or more.
Cats are North America’s most popular pets: there are 73 million cats compared to 63 million dogs. Over 30% of households in North America own a cat.
A cat’s hearing is better than a dog’s. And a cat can hear high-frequency sounds up to two octaves higher than a human.
A cat can travel at a top speed of approximately 31 mph over a short distance.
A cat can jump up to five times its own height in a single bound.
Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so that the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability.
SOURCE – SCRAPS flyer, 2016
