Our furry feline friends are sometimes a mystery; however, here are some fun facts about cats and kittens we know about them.
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Fun Facts about Cats and Kittens
DOMESTIC CATS SHARE 95.6 DNA WITH TIGERS
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of tigers and found that our feline furry friends share about 95.6% of their DNA.
CATS CAN WALK LIKE CAMELS AND GIRAFFES
A four-legged animal like a horse walks with one leg off the ground at the same time. However, some animals, like cats, camels, and giraffes, walk with two right and two left legs, moving two legs at the same time.
MEOWS ARE A FORM OF COMMUNICATION
Meowing is a behavior that cats developed to communicate with humans, and they can have up to 100 different vocalizations.
IT MIGHT BE THAT PURRING HELPS BONE DENSITY
A cat’s purr vibrates at a frequency of 25 to 150 Hertz; this is the same frequency that can improve bone density and promote healing.
CATS SPEND BETWEEN 30 TO 50 PERCENT OF THEIR DAY GROOMING THEMSELVES
Cats sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day and spend 1/3 of their waking hour’s grooming.
DOMESTIC CATS HAVE MORE BONES THAN YOU DO
Cats have a large number of bones that help them move different parts of their body independently. While humans have 206 bones, cats have an average of 244. It ranges from 230-250 depending on the length of a cat’s tail and the number of toes’ cat.
CATS MARK YOU AS THEIR TERRITORY
By rubbing their faces and bodies against you, cats mark you as their territory giving you their scent.
IF YOU LOVE CATS, YOU ARE AN AILUROPHILE
An ailurophile is a person who loves cats. The word ailuro is the ancient Greek word for cat.
CAT NOSE IS UNIQUE
Each cat’s nose is distinctive, just like human fingerprints.
Every cat’s nose has its pattern of bumps and ridges, and just like human fingerprints, no two cat nose prints are alike. (Morris Animal Inn).
THERE ARE MORE PET CATS IN THE U.S. THAN PET DOGS
There are about 88 million house cats in the United States, making them the most popular pet.
OTHER FUN FACTS ABOUT CATS AND KITTENS
- Adult cats have 30 teeth, while kittens have 26.
- If your cat approaches you with a straight, almost vibrating tail, it means that he is happy to see you.
- An adult cat’s brain is about 2 inches (5 cm) long and weighs 30 grams, and has almost twice as many neurons in its cerebral cortex as dogs.
- A cat’s tongue contains a series of rearward-facing hooks, the filiform papillae; these hook’s tongues can lick at bones to clean them of any chunks of meat.
- Neutered males live 62% longer than non-neutered cats, and spayed females live 39% longer than non-spayed females.
- Between 2002 and 2012, the average life expectancy of a cat increased by one year.
- Cats can jump five times their height.
- Self-care stimulates blood flow to the skin, regulates body temperature, and helps it relax.
- When your cat shows its belly, it is a sign of confidence and a relaxed cat; this is generally not an invitation to have her belly rubbed.
- A cat’s butt on your face is a gesture of friendship while kneading means happiness. Placing its tail on another cat or dog also means friendliness.
- Cats can dream.
- Grimalkin is the name of a cat, especially an older one.