Whether you love cats or not, they’re fascinating creatures with unique personalities – there’s no denying it. They’ve been domestic pets for over 9,500 years, with the oldest known domestic cat grave discovered and located in Cyprus! And in the U.S. alone, 35.7% of households own a cat, with an average of 2 cats each. That’s 42.7 million cats that are living in our homes, here in America!
We thought we’d gather together some fun facts about cats so we can get to know the history of our popular feline friends better!
Surprising Cat Facts to Know
Cats Walk Like Giraffes & Camels
A cat’s walking sequence is both back and front foot on each side moving in unison, so both left feet move together, and then the right – half their body moves forward first at once. And, giraffes and camels are the only other two animals to walk like this!
Isaac Newton Invented The Cat Flap
Isaac Newton discovered and calculated gravity, but he’s also thought to have invented the concept of a cat flap! When attending Cambridge University in England, U.K. his pet cats would continuously scratch at the door and bother him whilst he studied, so he had two holes drilled into his door!
Cats Meow To Communicate to Humans
Cats can make over 100 different vocal sounds (Doggos can only produce around 10), but the “Meow” isn’t for interpersonal communication between fellow kitties. Instead, meowing was developed for communicating with humans. Meowing is usually just used as an attention-seeking tactic because they want something they can’t get without their pet parent (food, access to somewhere, or simply affection!)
PetLab Co. Pro Tip: If your cat’s “meow” is annoyingly frequent, this may be a cause for concern as they could be unwell or stressed. If you’re concerned about cat meowing, you should have them evaluated by your vet.
Cat’s Spend 30-50 Percent Of Their Lives Grooming
Cats love to keep clean! You’ll often catch them giving their fur a good, thorough lick and this is for several reasons:
- It diminishes their scent, making them more undetectable to predators
- It cools them down in hot weather
- It promotes healthy blood flow
- It’s believed their saliva contains antibiotic properties, so helps to heal any wounds/scratches
- It smooths the fur down to help insulate them in cold weather
- When cats groom each other, it’s a way of expressing affection
And, what do cats spend most of the rest of their time doing? Sleeping! Cat’s can sleep around 14 hours a day!
A Group of Cats Is Called a “Clowder”
That’s right! If you see a group of cats together, they are a “clowder of cats”! However, if they are uncertain of each other or not very friendly toward each other, the clowder can also be referred to as “a glaring of cats.” And, if it’s a group of kittens? Then, they are “a kindle of kittens!”
Cats Can’t Taste Sweetness
Cat’s, unlike us and dogs, don’t carry the protein that enables them to taste sweetness. Scientists believe it’s because they simply don’t need to be able to taste sweet things. Unlike dogs and other animals, cats are carnivores and they only need to eat meat. So, they they’re not missing anything by not tasting sweets.
Cats Age 15 Human Years in Their First Year of Life
Cat’s development is pretty accelerated in the first two years of their lives when compared to humans.
- 0-1 Year Of A Cat’s Life = 0-15 Years Of A Human’s Life
- 1-2 Years Of A Cat’s Life = They Age Another 10 Years (So Go From 15-25) When Compared To A Human’s Life
- 3 Years + = + 7 Years, Per Year Of A Human’s Life
The Features On A Cat’s Face Are Amazing!
- A cat’s ears can rotate up to 180 degrees
- A cat uses its whiskers to measure if they can fit through certain spaces
- A cat cannot see directly under its nose
- Most cats have no eyelashes
Cats Were Adored In Ancient Egypt
In Ancient Egypt, around 4,000 years ago, cats were kept as pets and were truly treasured members of the family. They were believed to be magical creatures and extremely lucky. If your cat passed away and you were an ancient Egyptian, you would shave your eyebrows off as a sign of respect and mourning. Your mourning period would be over once your eyebrows had grown back.
Ancient Egyptians would mummify their cats too, and embalm their bodies within a wooden mask. And, if someone harmed or killed a cat (accidentally or otherwise), that offense would be punishable by death!
Domestic Cats Can Reach Speeds Of Up To 30mph
This means in a 200m dash, your agile kitty could beat Usain Bolt in a race! Cats are pretty quick!
If You Went To College, You’re More Likely To Own A Cat
People who attend college are more likely to opt for becoming a cat parent over a dog parent. In fact, you’re 1.36 times more likely according to a study conducted by The University Of Bristol in England.
Most Cats Are Lactose Intolerant
Which makes the comment “you look like the cat that’s got the cream” sound a bit silly, right? Once a kitten has been weaned onto meat, the lactase enzyme in their stomach begins to diminish and ultimately disappears as there’s no longer a need for it. Therefore, ingesting milk or cream can actually cause an upset stomach in most of our grown feline fur babies! So, really the phrase should be: “you look like the kitten that’s got the cream!”
So, there you have it! Some interesting and fun cat facts. Let’s celebrate our wonderful feline friends!
Sources:
Author Miller, Celia “Pet Ownership Statistics” Spots.com https://spots.com/pet-ownership-statistics/
Author Fawcett, Kirstin “50 Fascinating Facts About Cats” Mental Floss, Aug 08. 2019 https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/578211/cat-facts
“30 Cat Facts You Didn’t Know” Animal Friends https://www.animalfriends.co.uk/blog/cat-facts/
