Forty Fascinating Cat Facts

Cats are incredible creatures!  Here are some fascinating cat facts that may surprise you.

1.   Cats have more than 100 different vocal sounds.
2.   Female cats have the ability to get pregnant when they’re only 4 months old!
3.   Kittens in the same litter can have different fathers.  How is this possible?  Female cats can  release more than one egg when ovulating, and any egg can be joined by any sperm.
4.   Cats can jump about seven times their height.
5.   They cannot taste sweet flavors.  (No wonder they prefer chicken over apple pie!)
6.  Cats have a 90% survival rate when they  fall five stories.
7.   They only sweat through their paws.
8.   Calico cats are almost always female.
9.   Cats can run up to 30 mph.
10.   While humans shake hands, cats greet each other by touching their noses together.
11.   Cats’ keen night vision lets them see at light levels six times lower than what humans need to see.
12.  Cats are talented hunters.  When hunting, their back paws step almost exactly in the same place as their front paws had stepped.  This helps them to hunt quietly and limits visible tracks.
13.  A group of cats is called a clowder.
14.  A group of kittens is called a kindle.
15.  A male cat is called a tom.
16.  A female cat is called a molly or queen.
17.  Cats have four toes on their back paws, but have five toes on their front paws.
18.  Sandpaper-like tongues allow cats to groom and clean themselves.
19.  Cats have three eyelids.
20.  Most cats should not drink cow’s milk because most are lactose intolerant.
21.  The heaviest domestic cat has a recorded weight of 46 lbs, 15.2 oz.
22.  Kneading is a sign of happiness and contentment.  When nursing, kittens knead their mothers to stimulate the let-down of milk.
23.  Male cats who have been fixed may be prone to weight gain since they need fewer calories to maintain their weight.
24.  While humans have unique fingerprints, cats have unique noseprints.
25.  Cats use their whiskers to feel the world around them.
26.  They have whiskers on the backs of their front legs.
27.  Cats do not like the scent of citrus.
28.  Like humans, cats dream.
29.  Cats may be smaller than humans, but they have 230 bones, while humans only have 206.
30.  Cats’ collarbones are buried in their shoulder muscles, so their collarbones don’t connect to other bones.
31.  There’s a reason cats have long tails.  They use them to balance themselves.
32.  Contrary to what it may appear, when a cat sticks his butt in your face, it is a gesture of friendship.
33.  Cats can drink sea water if they must to survive.
34.  Cats have an extra organ that lets them taste scents that are present in the air.
35.  Cats do not need to blink to keep their eyes lubricated.
36.  Cats respond best to names that end in an “ee” sound.
37.  Owning a cat can keep us healthier!  Research shows that owning a cat can lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than one-third.
38.  Cats’ fur does not insulate well when it is wet. This is why cats hate water and baths!
39.  Most cats do not have eyelashes.
40.  Cats can sense tremors 10 to 15 minutes before humans can.