If you’ve ever thought your cat was a sneaky and complicated creature that seems to hide one or two secrets …. Well … you’re partially right! the cat hides even more than you imagine!
In fact, we’ve found at least 20 amazing facts about your favorite feline friend you’ve never heard of. So, keep reading and find out more about your cat.
1 | Female cats are usually right-pawed.
After testing 42 cats – 21 males and 21 females – psychologists D. Wells and S. Millsopp of Queen’s University in Belfast determined that the cat’s dominant paw correlated with sex. For the record: Female cats = Right-pawed..
2 | Cats use their whiskers in crazy ways.
The whiskers of a cat are covered with nerve cells and blood vessels, which helps him detect any changes around him, according to veterinary centers in America. They extend over the width of their body, so cats use them to detect if they can fit into a space.
3 | Raw fish can be bad for cats.
Another delicacy of cartoons would have you believe that cats love raw fish, which could actually hurt them, according to VetStreet professionals.
Uncooked fish may contain harmful bacteria for cats and may cause food poisoning. In addition, an enzyme in raw fish destroys thiamine, an essential vitamin B, that can lead to neurological problems.
4 | Having a cat can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 30%.
Having a cat helps release stress and anxiety, according to a report in The Telegraph, which is known to lower blood pressure and protect against heart problems.
5 | Cats are probably smarter than dogs.
The cerebral cortex of cats – the part of the brain responsible for the processing of cognitive information – is much more complex in felines than in dogs. It also contains twice as many neurons as dogs. In addition, cats have proved to be better at solving complex problems than their rivals.
6 | Cats sleep up to 70% of their life.
Domestic cats mainly do one of four things: sleeping, eating, running or playing. It turns out that sleeping takes longer than the other three activities combined. With nearly 70% of their life devoted to sleep, cats are among the best sleepers in the animal world because, in the wild, they must use a lot of energy to hunt.
7 | Cats can make more than 100 different sounds.
There is the whistling, the meow, the purring and (when it’s hot) the caterpillar – and dozens of variations of each. In comparison, dogs can only make 10 distinct noises. Cats can also communicate through body language, bites, olfactory cues, and interactions.
8 | A cat can jump six times its length.
Just watch any series of YouTube chat videos: they can jump very, very far. According to some estimates, felines can travel six times the length of their body in a single link!
Cats have powerful muscles in the hind legs that help them jump far (fun: they use their tail to keep themselves in balance). That’s why they have no problem jumping on the tabletops and even in some cases up the fridge.
9 | Cats can not taste sweetness.
Cats are interested only in meat and are not tempted by sugar or spices. According to information published by Scientific American, cats do not have the ability to taste sweetness, unlike any other mammal.
10 | Routine changes make cats sick.
When cats experience an unusual event, such as a change in feeding schedule, caretaker or location, they may become ill. They can vomit or refuse to eat.
Cats love their routine and any disruption can lead to lethargy and unusual behavior.
11 | Cats and humans have similar centers of emotion in the brain.
You have more in common with your cat than you might realize. The human and cat brains are composed of gray and white matter. Moreover, according to Petful, cats tend to think in the same way as humans and, like us, have a short and long-term memory.
12 | Cats are often lactose intolerant.
Even though most cats love milk, that does not mean that milk likes them back. Cats have trouble digesting lactose, which can disrupt their stomachs and cause diarrhea.
13 | Cats have more than 20 muscles that control their ears.
Cats can hear the slightest rustling because they have more than 20 muscles that control the outer part of their ear, according to the book 100 Ways to Understand Your Cat.
In addition, a cat can determine the source of the sound more accurately when it does not move – which is why it stops and listens often, completely frozen.
14 | Cats lick themselves to remove your scent.
Cats can detect odors even if they are diluted to one part per million. Cats rub themselves against other cats and people to pass on their scent and pick up yours. When they lick, they carefully remove your perfume from their fur – nothing personal.
15 | Cats rub people to mark their territory.
When they rub against a person or an object, cats leave behind their own smell. So, according to the Humane Society, they will tell other cats that they have been there and that you are on their territory.
16 | Cats sweat through their pads.
Like dogs, sweat glands are found only on the paws of cats. You can often find wet areas of their feet when they sweat during the warmer months. But more often, when they are hot, cats look for a cool place to lie down.
17 | A purr is a sign of self-healing.
Purring is often a sign of contentment, but it can be more complex than that. All purring is not pleasure-related – in some cases, it reflects pain or nervousness. And some experts think this is a sign that their muscles and bones are recovering.
18 | The nose of a cat is unique.
The noses of cats are streaked with unique patterns, just like people’s fingerprints.
19 | When cats leave their poop uncovered, it is a sign of aggression.
Cats are territorial by nature and use urine and other signals to demonstrate their dominance or superior position in the hierarchy.
In colonies, subordinate cats cover their poop, while dominant cats leave their faeces uncovered.
20 | Cats see better than humans at night.
Cats have a large number of stems in their retina that are very sensitive to dim light. So, they can see using about one-sixth of the light that humans need to see.
But there are drawbacks: as shown by a photographic experiment by photographer Nickolay Lamm, they can not see the finer details or the rich colors.