Facts About Cats

All people love their pets, be it a hamster. However, out of the lot, cats are believed to be the most popular pets in Europe and in the most American households. Cat is a mammal belonging to Carnivora order, found inhabiting almost all the countries of the world. It forms one of the most popular pets kept by people and has been associated with humans since the last 9,500 years. Cats are skilled predators and have been known to hunt more than 1000 living species, for the purpose of getting food. Almost all the senses of cats are highly developed, except for their daylight vision. They are one of the sleepiest animals on this earth, spending about 13-14 hours in a day in sleeping, on an average. Although cats are branded as ‘moody’ animals, they are very adaptive and are quite easy to train as a pet. To get some interesting facts and amazing information on cats, read on further.

Fast Facts

Binomial Name: Felis catus

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Felis

Species: F. catus

Breeds: Over 33

Weight: 2.5 to 7 kg (5.5 to 16 pounds)

Largest Breed: Ragdoll

Heartbeat: 110 to 140 beats/minute

Diet: Carnivorous

Daily Sleeping Time: 13 to 14 hours

Body Temperature: 38 to 39 degrees C (101 to 102.2 degrees F)

Natural Habitat: Throughout the world

Age of Maturity (males): 5 to 7 months

Age of Maturity (females): 4 to 10 months

Gestation Period: 63 to 65 days

Number of Offspring: 3 to 5

Status: Not Endangered

Interesting & Amazing Information On Cats

A cat almost never "meows" at another cat. It is a gesture that it reserves only for humans.
Blue-eyed cats, that also have white fur, have been seen to have greater instances of genetic deafness.
Calico cats are almost always female.
Cat is one of the very few animals that walk by moving first, both their left feet and then, both their right feet.
Without Taurine (a certain protein), cats could go blind. Taurine is always added to cat-food.
Cats can see in color and are only partially color-blind.
Most domestic cats can run at 30 mph.
Cats communicate through various vocalizations, such as meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking and grunting.
In 1963, France sent the first cat into space, whose name was later dubbed as ‘Astrocat’.
Did you know cat purrs are at the same frequency as an idle diesel engine?
Cats do not have one of two genes necessary to taste sweetness.
Cats have very advanced hearing, eyesight, taste, and touch receptors. This makes them one of the most sensitive mammals.
Cats wag their tails when they are in a stage of conflict.
Did you know Isaac Newton invented the cat-flap door?
Only domestic cat species holds its tail vertically while walking. All wild cat species holds the tails horizontally or tucked between their legs.
The ‘quivering tail’ of a cat is an expression of love.
It is believed that President Abraham Lincoln kept four cats in the White House.
Cats can jump from really high points.
The color of a kitten's eyes changes as it grows older.
A cat’s grey matter is similar to those of humans and thus, shares human-like emotions.
The largest known litter of a cat can be traced to South Africa. A Persian cat, named Bluebell, gave birth to 14 kittens, all of which survived.
The night vision of cat is superior to that of humans; however, its daylight vision is inferior.
The nose pad of a cat has rings on it, in the form of a pattern. This ridged pattern of a cat is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.
Yes, a cat bite can be very dangerous. Not only are they dangerous, but they are also toxic, which can tamper with your immune system, lymph nodes and in some rare cases, may even cause infections which can lead to death.
The oldest cat till date was Puss, from England. It died in 1939, just one day after its 36th birthday.
A cat’s body is covered with approximately 1, 30,000 hair per square inch. Now that’s a lot of hair!
When a cat is happy, it will knead with its paws.

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