1. While your cat may appear to not care or recognize you when you call out to them, this isn’t totally the case. They’re very good at recognizing their owner’s voice, so if you call and they ignore you, they’re choosing to do so.
Although cats are extremely popular, not everyone realizes just how common they are. In the United States alone, there are more than 36 million of them living as pets. Despite this popularity, however, not many can tell you very much about the average house cat. Sure, we all know they like to run around and cause a ruckus at 3 a.m.
and that they’re descended from a common ancestor of bigger jungle cats, but that’s about it. With that in mind, it’s time to learn a thing or two about ol’ Whiskers! Here are some of the most interesting facts about your cat that you would never have guessed…
This pretty much corroborates some of the stereotypes about cats. For example, they’re said to be a tad aloof and to be very independent. Then again, you don’t really get a cat if you’re looking for a pet who obeys your every command! In fact, a lot of cat owners like that their cats are independent creatures.
2. If you love it when your cat rubs up against you, that’s great! But you should know that your cat does this to mark you with her scent, so everyone knows who it is you belong to!
It might be annoying every now and again when they don’t listen to your pleas to stop knocking things off the table, but it can also be useful. Every cat owner knows that it’s a lot less work to care for a cat, too. So, like most things, it’s a give and take.
Cats, much like dogs, love to mark their territory. While dogs will make their mark all around the yard to tell other dogs to stay away, a cat will just straight up claim their owner as theirs. It’s sort of sweet… in a really possessive kind of way! Cats are nothing if not consistently strong-willed pets.
3. In Ancient Egypt, killing a cat was considered illegal. Not only were felines thought to be holy and imbued with all sorts of important spirits, but they were helpful with catching rats!
It’s really bizarre to think that they will mark you with their scent, but it also makes sense. Wild cats rub up on all sorts of objects to tell other animals that the object in question is their territory. Not only that, but it tells other cats where they can find their relatives!
It’s pretty well-known that cats were a big deal back in ancient Egypt. Heck, it’s even a plot point in some of the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies! Still, the extent to which the Egyptians loved their cats is sometimes not as known. One of the more important gods in ancient Egypt, for instance, was the deity Bastet.
4. A cat might have a smaller brains than that of a dog, but that doesn’t mean they’re less intelligent. In fact, their brains are more similar to ours, which is why they often have such complex personalities.
As the goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, and family, she enjoyed a prominent role in the lives of everyday Egyptians. In later years, she was depicted as having a woman’s body with a cat’s head. Pretty wild, huh?
Though it might seem counterintuitive, the size of a brain is not the best indicator as to how intelligent a creature is. Still, there is definitely a correlation. One of the bigger indicators, however, is the size of a brain relative to the size of the creature to which it belongs.
5. Though dogs may be the most popular pet in the United States, there are more cats in total. There are about 83 million cats across the country, compared to about 75 million dogs.
Cats make good use of all of the sections of their brains, and have been known to show all sorts of emotions and thoughts. Who hasn’t noticed their cat doing something so willful that it just had to be intentional? We’re willing to guess that just about everyone has had that experience.
Basically, more families and households have dogs than they have cats, but the number of cats is higher. This probably means that, sadly, there are more cats living on the streets than dogs, too, but it’s an interesting statistic. It could also mean that more households have dogs in total, but of the people who own felines, they might have a ton of cats. This would make sense as well, since anyone who knows a cat owner can tell you that they’re just a little bit nuts about their kitties.
6. In order to save energy for their hunting, cats spend about 70% of their lives sleeping. This is why they seem to have so much energy in the middle of the night when they go on the “hunt!”
How many of them also have multiple cats? All of them? We thought so.
Cats are naturally nocturnal creatures, so they are perfectly happy at home napping the day away. They have to conserve all of that energy for when they go hunting at night for mice and rats. The element of surprise is their friend, and their eyes are perfect for seeing in low light.
7. You might think that cats only meow to communicate with other cats, but that’s not totally true! Their meows are indeed attempts to talk to you, but you just don’t seem to want to listen!
That’s why they’re so active when you’re trying to sleep, and why they always seem to move around so stealthily in the night, while you just stumble. As you might have figured out, humans were not designed in this way. We’re basically the anti-cat!
Cats are very vocal pets, and they make a wide range of noises. Meows are, however, their favorite form of greeting by far, and they’re probably really mad when you don’t get it. They’re trying to tell you exactly where to pet them, and you’re just not willing to listen! What an indignity!
8. Reportedly, one of the best things a single gentleman could do is own a cat. Not just for the company, either! Turns out, men who own cats are more lucky in love than those who do not.
Cats are also capable of understanding more of our commands than you might think. That is, of course, as long as they’re willing to listen to them, which as we mentioned before is not very often! Oh well, such is the life of a cat owner.
Maybe this is just the cat-owner-to-cat-owner love connection, but it makes sense. Generally, people who own pets come across as more loving and compassionate. Plus, who doesn’t love to go over to someone’s house who has an adorable kitty to hang around with? No one!
9. Just like humans, cats are capable of being lactose intolerant. So while you might think the perfect snack for them is a saucer of milk, they might not actually be the biggest fans of it!
We wonder if this same statistic goes for single women as well. We’d imagine that it does, seeing as the people who like animals don’t fall into any one category or gender role, really. Everyone loves pets!
It’s interesting to imagine that cats can have many of the same maladies that we humans have, but it’s true. Just like how many people out there can’t process the lactose in milk, and often get all kinds of stomach pains from even trying, cats can have the very same issue. So, you might want to think twice before you decide to leave a saucer of milk out for you cat.
10. The average house cat is capable of reaching top speeds of up to 31 miles per hour in short bursts. That is fast enough to outrun sprinter Usain Bolt! Not too shabby for a tabby, huh?
She might actually be in some pain if she were to lap any of it up! Sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Holy smokes, that is incredibly fast! Sure, it’s definitely a short burst, and not a 100-meter sprint, but it’s still impressive. There’s a reason that catching your cat is almost impossible.
11. There was a cat in Italy named Tommaso who was owned by a very wealthy 94-year-old woman. When she died, she left her entire $13 million fortune to him. Not a bad deal!
Anyone who has tried to grab the cat in order to take it to the veterinarian will be able to corroborate this. When they can shoot off in little 31 mile-per-hour blurs, you never really stood a chance at getting ahold of them in the first place. Better to just put the cat carrier away and give up!
Sure, this was a windfall for the cat, and he probably was psyched to buy the biggest scratch post the world has ever seen, but her relatives must have been just a little miffed. Did she have to give all $13 million to the cat? Like, couldn’t she have at least split it up?
12. For the past 19 years, the town of Talkeetna, Alaska has had one of the most adorable mayors overseeing things. His name is Stubbs… and he’s a cute little cat. The town loves him!
There is no way that a cat needs more than… $8 million. And that’s at the absolute most.
You’ve got to wonder what it is that Stubbs ran on for his election platform. Does he want to build up the town’s reserves of feathers on strings that he can chase around? Does he plan to legalize cat nip?
13. Cats are excellent hunters. They’re also not able to taste anything sweet due to a lack of tastebuds for that sort of flavor. This is why they’re such big fans of savory meats!
One thing is for sure: he must be a good mayor to have held public office for so long. That’s no simple feat in this political climate!
No sweet-detecting tastebuds, you say? They must be a fan of all things savory then! This must also be true for wild cats, too. Almost every one of them is a carnivore entirely.
14. You might already know your cat is quite loud, but you probably aren’t aware of just how vocal she can be! Cats have strong vocal chords that let them make up to 100 distinct sounds.
In addition to being great hunters, they’re simply big fans of flavorful meat. You’re never going to see a cat enjoying a salad, that’s for sure. They’d rather sink their teeth into some juicy mice!
Wow, 100 different sounds is pretty intense. Sure, it’s not on the same level as a human language, but it’s still an impressive number. Cats really do have a lot to say, don’t they?
15. Cats are known for being independent creatures. It’s believed that domesticating them was more their doing than ours, as they realized we humans attracted all sorts of pests for them to have for dinner.
Remember how they try and talk to you, and you don’t listen? They must be so frustrated since they have so many ways to ask you to scratch their heads! Why aren’t you listening?
It really is a sort of cosmic truth that cats probably domesticated us more than we did them. They just walked up one day and realized they could get us to literally clean up their poop for them.
16. Cats are only truly able to sweat out of one body part: their paws. Not only that, but when they groom themselves, their saliva evaporates off of their fur, which cools them, not unlike how sweating cools humans.
We’ve been tricked into thinking our cats are the pets, when in reality, we’re sort of their pets. Sounds like the beginning of a dystopian novel!
It’s interesting that cats control so much of their body heat through their paws. Also, how cool is it that all of that grooming actually serves two purposes? They get clean—and get to cool themselves off.
17. Though it may just be a legend, many believe that it was Sir Isaac Newton, the famous physicist himself, who first designed and created the cat door. We like to think that it’s true!
It makes you wonder if that’s a more or less effective way to cool off your body compared to sweating. They’re both pretty gross, to be honest.
What sort of fruit had to fall on Sir Isaac Newton’s head for him to come up with this idea? Surely, another apple wouldn’t have done the trick, right? That works for gravity, but not for cat doors!
18. Cats actually made it into space not long after we humans did. In 1963, a pair of them were sent into orbit, making “catstronauts” a potentially real-life profession for cats.
Or perhaps it was a cat that fell on his head and that gave him the idea. We’re going to go with that as the most likely scenario.
For comparison, humans first got to space in 1961, when the Russians sent a cosmonaut there and back. The United States followed shortly after that, and then, evidently, cats were sent up.
19. Supposedly, people who prefer cats are more introverted and independent than those who prefer dogs. This seems to mirror the personalities of the animals themselves, doesn’t it?
Did these cosmic cats have any cool catchphrases, á la Neil Armstrong? “One small leap for catkind”—that sort of thing?
Dogs and cats are both companion animals, but dogs essentially act more like your shadow, while cats sort of do their own thing a lot of the time. Because of these traits, you can see why those who might be a little more independent themselves would prefer cats.
20. If you ever spot your cat munching on some grass, the reason is that grass is a natural laxative for them. It actually helps them pass those hairballs a little more quickly.
That being said, someone who owns cats and dogs might just be a good mix of both!
While cats might be carnivores who won’t be caught dead eating a salad for dinner, they will chomp down on some grass every now and then. Just like dogs, it helps them with digestion.
21. When your cat starts kneading you with her paws, it means that she is content. Basically, kittens learn to knead their mothers to show they’re comfortable and to help milk flow. How cute is that?
Sometimes, all of those hairballs just need a little assistance moving through your furry friend, and grass is his natural version of roughage (or ExLax).
It’s already pretty darn cute when cats knead their owners, but knowing the reason why—that they feel comfortable—just makes everything that much better. Cats might be a little more aloof than dogs, but they’re no less loving!
22. When your cat brings you a kill, they are essentially telling you that you suck at hunting. This is what a mother cat will do for her babies when she is providing for them and teaching them how to hunt for themselves.
At least, so long as they’re comfortable around you, anyway. If you’re a good owner, you have nothing to worry about!
So, have you been taking notes? Because your cat is probably sick and tired of having to bring you food. She most likely thinks you’re completely helpless at this point, and is waiting for you to starve.
23. Certain cats are born with extra pairs of toes on their paws. They’re referred to as Hemingway cats because they were beloved by author Ernest Hemingway. The real name for their condition is polydactyl.
It’s sort of sweet that your cat is trying to feed you and teach you how to hunt, though. She really cares!
Wonder if those extra toes help them move any faster? That is most definitely not how it works, but we like to think that it is. It’s pretty cool that these cats are named after such a great author as well.
24. In the 15th century, Pope Innocent VIII despised cats to much that he declared they all were possessed by demons and wanted them to all be killed. Harsh, bro.
Way to go, Hemingway cats! You have extra toes—and an extra-cool name!
Good thing he isn’t around today to use the internet! It’s basically all about cats on there, right?
25. President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, were huge cat lovers. During his time in the White House, they owned four cats. Add that to the list of reasons to love Lincoln!
Pope Innocent would have been so miserable. Not only that, but all of the cat lovers out there would be pretty angry if the Pope came out and tried to say their beloved pets were possessed!
One of the best presidents in history, and he’s a cat lover? What is there not to like about Abe Lincoln? He was honest as all get out, too!
26. Cats possess an extra sensory organ on the roof of their mouths that allow them to “taste” smells. In this way, they can almost literally taste the air. Pretty nifty, right?
What a gem. Four cats is a good total, but we think he could’ve maybe had a few more roaming around the halls of the White House. At least six would have been better.
Humans’ senses of taste and smell are closely related as well, but cats are much more attuned to those senses. They can really pick out all sorts of flavors from the air that humans never could.
27. Owning a cat is pretty great on its own, but studies say it could be good for your health. In fact, owning a cat could reduce the chances of having a stroke or heart attack by one-third!
This helps them to hunt, especially in the nighttime when visibility is low. That’s when you need all of your senses working!
Your cat might be frustrating every now and then, but they usually bring a lot of joy to your life. Happy things tend to make you happy and make your life a lot better in the process.
28. There’s actually a more clinical term for hairball. The correct word is trichobezoar, which means “an indigestible ball made of hair in the gastrointestinal tract.” Weird!
Thus, it’s not too hard to figure out how owning a cat could benefit your health. There’s something to be said about having a loving creature to come home to every day.
So the scientific term is—no surprise here—a lot less fun than the simple “hairball.” It is pretty fun to say, though. Trichobezoar. Go ahead, say it out loud.
29. Much like a human’s fingerprints, the ridges and bumps on a cat’s nose are totally unique to that cat. Looks like we know how we’ll be able to track any cat-based crimes in the future!
You’ll have fun! Odds are this won’t be catching on quite as much as the standard term, but it’s a fun fact to know, isn’t it?
Imagine having an entire database that could figure out which of your cats was the one to tear apart the toilet paper roll. Or, how about if you knew which one knocked the plant off the counter top? The possibilities for this technology are nearly endless.
It could solve so much! Get on it, scientists!