Check out these really cool cat facts, tidbits and trivia - you may not have known this about us. - Katy Kat -
So, in totally random order:
Speed
We have five more bones in our spine than do humans, and we have over 500 muscles on our small body, compared to about 650 muscles in the human body. We have muscles between our vertebra that allows us to twist and leap (we can leap three times the length of our bodies). These muscles also allow us to run faster than humans. We can reach speeds up to 30 miles an hour, while the fastest human can only run 23 miles an hour.
Teeth
Our molar teeth are pointy for cutting food up and we can't move our jaws from side to side like humans. So we can't chew and grind like humans; we mostly swallow our food whole.
Claws
Cats claws grow in layers. When our nails get worn down, we need to scratch something to get rid of the worn outer layer. This allows a nice, sharp nail to appear.
Sweating
Except for the Sphynx breed of cat, we only sweat through our noses and the pads on our feet. So, when we get overheated, we pant rapidly to help cool our bodies down.
Nose
1) We have a terrific sense of smell - fourteen times better than a human. We can smell food or enemies long before we can see them.
2) Each cat's nose pad is totally different - like a human's fingerprints are different and unique.
3) Our nose is connected to a special scent organ in our mouth, called the Jacobson's organ. We use this organ to sniff strange cats, possible mates and nasty odors like fire or gasoline.
Meow
We don't usually meow to each other - this is a language we reserve for humans. Don't you feel special now?
Eyes
1) We're hunters, so like all hunters our eyes face forward. (Most small animals whose eyes are on the sides of their head are considered prey.) We can't see in total darkness, but can see six times better than humans.
2) All kittens are born with blue eyes, which changes to their permanent eye color in the first few weeks after birth. They also are closed at birth, and only open them after the first week of life.
3) Cats have three eyelids - an upper eyelid, a lower eyelid and a third one (called the "haws") that reaches from the lower eyelid to the inside corner of the eye (this one helps keep our eyes moist and clear of dust.)
Ears
1) Kittens are born deaf, but can usually hear well by 4 weeks of age.
2) Cats have over thirty ear muscles (humans have a mere six) allowing us to rotate our ears forwards, sideways and backwards to better hear our prey. We can hear a mouse in the grass from 20 yards away!
3) Cats can hear even higher sounds than dogs, so if you blow a special cat whistle, we can hear it but the dog can't. (Doesn't mean we'll come when you blow it. We are far more indpendent and really don't follow orders well.)
Sleep
A cat may indulge in 16 hours of sleep in a day, with older cats sleeping more. That means if a cat is 10 years old, he or she has probably slept for over six years in his lifetime.
It’s called a what?
A group, or colony, of cats is known as a “clowder”, while a litter of kittens is called a “kindle.”
Did you know?
The cat is the most recently domesticated mammal in history.
What’s in a breed?
A purebred cat is a cat whose parents are known to belong to one breed.
A crossbred cat is produced when the parents are from different breeds.
A pedigreed cat is one who has documentation or certification showing ancestors with unmixed breeding.
Polydactyl cats
Polydactyl means “many digits” – so a polydactyl cat has more than the normal 18 toes and claws on most cats. Some cats have as many as seven toes and claws on each foot and can even use the extra toes on their front paws almost like an opposable thumb.
The famous American writer, Ernest Hemingway, left his estate to his polydactyl friends. Their descendents still live at his former home in Key West Florida, where they are protected by law.
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