The feline fraternity has intrigued millions over the years. The ancient Egyptians worshipped them and treated them with respect. Even today, cats enjoy special treatment from their owners. Most cat owners vouch that they make amazing pets. Playful and independent, cats can pretty much get away with anything! Here are some tit-bits about cats (because you can never have enough of them!)
Fun Facts about how Cats Eat –
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Did you know? Cats cannot taste sweet stuff. They will, on most occasions, blatantly turn their nose up when you offer them a sugary treat.
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Cats are essentially carnivores and need a high protein diet. This is the reason they are not built to taste sweet tasting food.
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They also dislike citrus smells and tastes so keep those oranges at bay.
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Want to treat your cat and wondering what to give it? Meat would be the best choice (yes, even if they’ve had it so very often).
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They also need a bit of fat in their food so go ahead and pour out that full-fat milk.
Things you need to Know about their Sleep Pattern –
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It seems like it’s always naptime in a cat’s world. Kittens are naturally programmed to release a growth hormone when they sleep. This helps them grow into a healthy adult cat.
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Cats prefer to sleep for 13 hours or more, usually in the daytime.
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Night time is reserved for building social acquaintances with other cats and for interacting with creatures of the night. This nocturnal behaviour is common among cats world over.
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Cats are essentially independent animals and they love the freedom to do as they please when the world sleeps.
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They have excellent night vision, which lets them explore the world at night.
Interesting Facts on how Cats Communicate –
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It will amaze you to know that cats have the ability to produce more than 100 different sounds! Hissing, purring and mewing are some of the common ones but cats find lot of ways to communicate their feelings.
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They also rub noses with each other as greeting or to ‘chat’.
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Different mewing patterns and pitches can give a clue to what the cat is feeling or needing at that time.
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While a soft pitched mew can be endearing, a loud one serves as a warning to others including humans.
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To show affection, they rub themselves on our legs. The same thing applies to mark their territory.
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So now you know what your cat is trying to tell you when he rubs against your spouse’s legs! Cats can also hear much better than humans and thus many cats are scared of noisy fireworks.
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While humans are not affected by ultrasonic sounds, cats can hear them very well.
Facts on How Long Cats Live –
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While the average age of cats is 12 to 15 years, a lot depends on the breed, genetic factors, diet and lifestyle.
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Did you know? Cats that live indoors have a higher life expectancy. Sheltered cats are relatively safe from getting infected with ticks and heartworms. They are also protected from rivalry, abuse or accidents.
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However, it is a part of a cat’s natural instinct to be inquisitive and not much restriction can be placed on your domestic feline.
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Some cat breeds live around 20 or more years! Siamese cats have an exceptionally high life expectancy among the pedigreed cats.
Getting Know the Anatomy of your Cat –
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You may be aware that cats are extremely flexible creatures. This is because of its bone structure.
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With 230 bones (compared to 206 bones in a human body), cats are able to be agile.
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Cats have 5 more vertebrae in her spinal column than humans, which gives them a lithe posture.
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You shouldn’t be surprised to see a cat jump 5 to 6 times its length. The absence of a collarbone allows it to fit through narrow openings. This also means that only a cat will know how to pick a kitten by the scruff of its neck. Humans should refrain from doing it.
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Just like humans have unique fingerprints, cats have unique ‘nose prints’. Flexible ear muscles allow the cat to move their ears almost 180 degrees. A cat that has a fall will usually land on its paws.
Interesting Insights on Breeding Patterns for Cats –
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Warm weather invokes cats to mate. Did you know? That with changes in the global environment due to global warming, more and more kittens are being born.
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A number of countries encourage cat owners to get their pets spayed or neutralized. A large number of kittens land up being homeless. To gauge the impact of not spaying cats, it may interest you to know that one pair of cats and their kittens can lead to over 400,000 kittens in less than 8 years!
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A single cat can deliver 12 kittens in about a year’s time. In short, about 2 or 3 litters per year, with each litter having 1 to 8 kittens.
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The furry little kittens’ survival rate depends on a number of health factors.
Love them or not, cats cannot be ignored. Research shows that cat parasites can control human brain. That is why cat owners feel that they are under a spell, sometimes mistaking it for immense love for their pet. The upside (and there’s always an upside when it comes to a cat) is that cat owners tend to face lesser risk heart attack and have lower blood pressure. Cats have the ability to sense their owner’s moods; so don’t be surprised if your cat snuggles up to you to cheer you up or to share your happiness!
