Amazing Facts About Cats Part I
Amazing Facts About Cats Part I
2. Thanks to their very powerful hind legs and flexible spine, cats are noted for their ability to leap long distances, often as much as six times their entire length.
3. Cats are able to "always" land on their feet because they have a very flexible spine, enabling them to orient their bodies aided by a balancing organ in their inner ears.
4. The whiskers of a cat are devices for indirectly feeling the immediate environment When something touches a whisker it is sensed by special cells surrounding its root.
5. Cats have tongues covered in sharp hair-like points called papillae. They are used to scrape blood and flesh from bones, and for raking their fur while cleaning themselves.
6. Purring is most obviously used to express pleasure, but cats are known to purr when they are ill or injured, suggesting that it comforts them during times of stress.
7. Cats' fur has two layers. There is a layer of guard hairs which keep the cat clean, as well as a dense underfur to insulate against hot or cold conditions.
8. The reason why cats rub their faces and tails against objects, including pet owners, is the fact that they are leaving traces of their own scent as territorial markers.
9. Cats have large pupils to let as much light in as possible at night. A pet cat's eyes are only slightly smaller than ours, yet it can see six times better than a human in the dark.
10. Keeping cool can be a real problem for cats. They can only sweat from their paws because of their dense fur, so they will lie in shade and pant to avoid overheating.
11. Cats have short muzzles because they rely more heavily on their senses of vision and hearing while hunting, rather than their sense of smell.
12. The pads of a cat's paws are so sensitive to temperature that they quickly locate warm spots to sit.
13. The traditional way for diagnosing illness in a cat, is to check its nose. It is cold and noticeably wet, then it may have a chill, cold, or even cat flu.
14. The belly of a cat is its most vulnerable area. By rolling over and exposing its belly, a cat is therefore displaying a great deal of trust towards a person.
15. The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.
16. A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.
17. The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking.
18. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking
19. An average cat has 1-8 kittens per litter, and 2-3 litters per year.
20. During her productive life, one female cat can have more than 100 kittens.
21. More than 35,000 kittens are born in the U.S. each year
22. Cats have 290 bones in their bodies, and 517 muscles.
23. A cat has five more vertebrae in her spinal column than her human does.
24. A cat's normal body temperature is 101.5 degrees. This is slightly warmer than a humans.
25. 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.
26. A falling cat will always right itself in a precise order. First the head will rotate, then the spine will twist and the rear legs will align, then the cat will arch its back to lessen the impact of the landing.
27. 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.)
28. Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their night vision is amazing!
29. Cats can see up to 120 feet away. Their peripheral vision is about 285 degrees.
30. 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!
31. Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
32. Cats have 220° field of view where humans only have 180°.
33. Cats' sense of smell is 14 times stronger than that of humans.
34. Cats have 30 permanent teeth, while adult humans have 32.
35. Cats have 30 vertebrae, while humans only have 25.
36. Cats have 230 bones in their bodies, this is 24 more than humans.
37. Cats have a body temperature of between 101 and 102.2 °F (38 and 39 °C).
38. The lifespan of cats are usually between 15 and 20 years.
39. Cats have a heart rate of between 120 - 240 beats per minute. (This varies highly between different breeds cats)
40. Cats take between 20 - 40 breaths per minute in an inactive state. (This varies highly between different breeds cats)
Comments
Post a Comment