More fun facts....
Ailurophilia is the "love of cats."
The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just
like the fingerprint of a human.
A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140
beats per minute.
If your cat is near you, and her tail is quivering, this is the
greatest expression of love your cat can give you. If her tail
starts thrashing, her mood has changed --- Time to distance
yourself from her.
Cats wag their tails when it is in a stage of conflict. The cat
wants to do two things at once, but each impulse blocks the other.
For example: If your cat is in the doorway wanting to go outside,
and you open the door to find it raining, the cat's tail will wag
because of internal conflict. The cat wants to go outside, but
doesn't want to go into the rain. Once the cat makes a decision and
either returns to the house or leaves into the rain, the tail will
immediately stop wagging.
Don't pick a kitten or a cat up by the scruff of its neck; only
mother cats can do this safely, and only with their kittens.
Cats knead with their paws when they're happy.
Your cat loves you and can "read" your moods. If you're sad or
under stress, you may also notice a difference in your cat's
behavior.
The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail
vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails
horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
Cats have 290 bones in their bodies, and 517 muscles.
A cat has five more vertebrae in her spinal column than her human
does.
Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also
invented the cat door.
A cat will amost never "meow" at another cat. This sound is
reserved for humans.
Know how old your cat really is. If your cat is 3, your cat is 21
in human years. If your cat is 8, your cat is 40 in human years. If
your cat is 14, your cat is 70 in human years.
The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average
age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years. (KM - so keep the cats you love at home to give
them a long life!!!)
People who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer
heart attacks.
A cat will kill it's prey based on movement, but may not
necessarily recognize that prey as food. Realizing that prey is
food is a learned behavior.
"Sociable" cats will follow you from room to room to monitor your
activities throughout the day.
The more cats are spoken to, the more they will speak to you.
Cats can see in color! Cats are partially color blind. They have
the equivalency of human red/green color blindness. (Reds appear
green and greens appear red; or shades thereof.)
Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their
night vision is amazing!
Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each
day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been
awake for two years of its life!
