Cats are not only adorable fluffy yet quite bossy pets that rule your life and treat you as a servant, they’re also incredible creatures that are strong, smart and can be quite mysterious. They’re independent, capable, animals that have the ability to think for themselves and have little desire to please or entertain you, but they do love us, in their own selfish way. Let’s talk about cat facts you had no idea about.
1. Sounds
Cats can make about 100 different sounds with their mouths, which is very impressive when you compare it to dogs who can only make 10. They use this ability to their advantage and mimic chirping when they hunt birds. They also can make their meows very similar to the sounds of crying babies when they want humans to feed them too.
2. Ears
Cats have a lot of different muscles in their ears that control movements. With over 20 muscles they can be very precise with their ears which helps them detect sounds and the direction they’re coming from. On a surface level though it also makes them very expressive.
3. Lifespan
Cats live a long time. The average for a domestic cat is about 15 years, but some breeds average 20, and the record for the oldest cat was set by Cream Puff who lived to be 38. So remember that when you decide to get a cat, they’re long term companions.
4. Sleep
On average cats sleep between 14 and 16 hours a day. Which means they’re only awake around 8 hours. That’s the complete opposite of humans and basically means they spend 70% of their life sleeping.
5. Purring
Purring isn’t always the sound of joy, cat’s also purr to calm themselves down when they feel scared or nervous and they sometimes purr when they’re sick. Did you know that the frequency of purring is actually the same as that of bones and muscles healing?
6. Clavicles
Cats have free floating clavicles, which makes it possible for them to fit through tiny spaces. Basically their clavicle bones are not connected to their shoulders with bones. They’re just encased in muscles.
7. Water
The reason most cats hate water is because their fur doesn’t insulate them well enough for swimming. However, there is a cat breed called Turkish Van that loves swimming. Their fur is much denser and feels a bit like cashmere.
8. Paws
Do you ever wonder if your cat sweats? Well the answer is yes, but only through their paws and in most cases it’s stress related. But all that licking and grooming that they do also helps them with thermoregulation and helps them cool down.
9. Brains
Cat brains are more similar to our brains than they are to dog’s. They basically have the same structure of the
10. Jumping
Cats can jump up to 6 times their length, which is pretty impressive and also means there isn’t a stop in your house that a cat can’t reach. That top drawer or the top of the wardrobe are no problem for your cat if it decides that’s what it wants.
11. Space
The first cat launched into space was a French kitty named Felicette and she survived the flight. She was launched into space in a rocket and flew 157 kilometers above the Earth and got to briefly experience weightlessness. How cool is that?
12. Politics
And to end it on a fun note – there was a cat in Alaska who’s been the honorary mayor of a town for 20 years. His name is Stubbs and he has his own Wikipedia page. What a legend.
