Cats: Fun Things Even Cat Owners Don’t Know (Or Forgot)
Cats, there are so many fascinating things about these mysterious animals, from why cats hate water and cold foods to the not so tasty milk and how they find their way home, here are the most fascinating things about cats, most cat owners don’t even know.
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Who do you think will win a race between, a regular domestic cat or Usain Bolt? You will be surprised to know that the fastest runner is… a regular house cat! Your cat could spring at a bout 30miles/hr
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Another reason to neuter your cat besides reducing the feral and homeless cat population is that by spaying or neutering you can extend your cat’s life. According to research, a spayed or neuter cat could live a healthier and longer life by 2 to 3 years more than the non-fixed cat. This also has to do with the high risk a non-fixed cat has due to their need to reproduce which expose them to health risks, dangerous encounters with other animals and running away.
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When thinking of cats, most don’t like water, but unlike most cats, tigers love water and can easily swim three or four miles.
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When feeding your cat, make sure the bite size is small enough for them to eat. A cat’s jaw can’t move sideways, so a cat can’t chew large chunks of food.
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What is the best medication for stress? According to science, having a cat around can help you have a longer and happier life. Cats have been shown to help reduce blood pressure therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.
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No need to have glow sticks! Cat urine actually glows in the dark… the down side to this is that in order to really see it, the room has to be pitch dark… a weird experiment you can do if you have cats…
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Cat kidneys are so efficient, they can survive on a diet consisting only of meat, with no additional water, and can even rehydrate by drinking seawater.
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Most cats give birth to a litter of between one and nine kittens. The largest known litter ever produced was 19 kittens, of which 15 survived.
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If an indoor cat gets outside and lost, put their litter box outside. They can smell it from up to a mile away and find their way home.
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Babies that are exposed to cats and dogs in their first year of life have a lower chance of developing allergies when they grow older.
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Though milk is not toxic, it can cause an upset stomach and gas. Tylenol and aspirin are extremely toxic to cats, as are many common houseplants. Feeding cats dog food or canned tuna that's for human consumption can cause malnutrition.
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When house shopping…Carry a small UV flashlight with you. Shine the UV flashlight on the carpet. Anything that shows up bright is likely dog or cat urine. The carpet may look good but under UV you’ll be able to tell if they had a pet, who had a lot of accidents. Use it as a bargaining chip to get the price down and get new carpet.
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Toxoplasmosis Gondii is a brain parasite spread through cat feces, which slows rats and causes attraction to cats. This parasite is transmissible to humans and can cause humans to excessively care for cats. Also, infected female humans(&rats) are more likely to find infected males attractive. Women with high levels of toxoplasmosis antibodies are significantly more likely to have baby boys than baby girls. In most populations, the birth rate is around 51% boys, but women infected by this cat parasite had up to a 72% chance of a boy.
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And it is possible for one female cat to be responsible for the birth of 20,736 kittens in four years. An average cat has 1-8 kittens per litter and can have 2-3 litters per year. During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. A single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.
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Cats have a distinct temperature preference for their food, they prefer the food to be at temperatures around 38°C or 100 F which is similar to that of a freshy caught dinner and will often reject fo od that seem to them as cold (which would signal to the cat that the “prey” is long dead and therefore possibly toxic or decomposing).
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In cats, the calico and tortoiseshell coats are sex-linked traits. All cats displaying these coats are female... or occasionally sterile males.
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Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet (20 meters), due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability. A cat is more likely to die if it falls from the top of a seven story building than if it falls from the top of a twenty-story building. The extra falling time gives the cat a chance to realize what is happening and land properly.
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The ability of a cat to find its way home is called “psi-traveling.” Experts think cats either use the angle of the sunlight to find their way or that cats have magnetized cells in their brains that act as compasses.
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Cats hate the water because their fur does not insulate well when it’s wet. The Turkish Van, however, is one cat that likes swimming. Bred in central Asia, its coat has a unique texture that makes it water resistant.
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Domestic cats instinctively don’t want to drink from the water bowl next to their food, and therefore seek it out first elsewhere in the house, because in the wild any water next to their kill might be contaminated.
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A cat uses its whiskers to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through. The whiskers act as feelers or antenna, helping the animal to judge the precise width of any passage
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Female cats tend to be right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed. Interestingly, while 90% of humans are right handed, the remaining 10% of lefties also tend to be male.
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Adult cats do not produce lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, so you should not feed adult cats milk.
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Cats have scent glands on their face that release a pheromone when they rub onto us to say that they are ours, and we are theirs. A cat rubs against people not only to be affectionate but also to mark out its territory with scent glands around its face. The tail area and paws also carry the cat's scent.
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Savannah Cats can be domesticated. They grow to be as large as a medium sized-dog, and have the loyalty and playfulness of canines.
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Taurine, a popular energy drink ingredient, is required in cat food products. Without it, cats will lose their fur, teeth, and eyesight.
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Cats have no naturally occurring antibodies against dog’s blood, so they can receive dog’s blood in life threatening situations, but only once. The second time proves fatal.
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Cats have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species. The Mammal Society says cats kill around 275 million prey items a year, that’s why in many countries its prohibited to have cats roaming freely outside homes.
