For those who love kitties, their pets are more than just a pet. It is not without reason that ancient peoples endowed cats with almost magical powers and attributed supernatural qualities to them. By the way, cats are one of the most popular and favorite pets in the world, there are about 700 million of them in the world.
The popularity of kitties is easy to explain. They are easy to care for, intelligent and affectionate, and love to play with their owners. Admigram.com never ceases to admire cats and offers to read some interesting facts about cats that will turn the idea upside down and make you look at your fluffy friend in a different way.
20 of the most incredible facts about cats
© Erica Marsland Huynh / Unsplash
- On average, cats spend 2/3 of a day sleeping. This means that a nine-year-old cat has only been active for three years of its life.
- Unlike dogs, cats do not have a craving for sweets. Scientists believe this is due to a mutation in one of the key taste receptors.
- A cat cannot climb a tree upside down because of the claw device. In order to get down from the tree, she has to back up by heeling backwards.
- Female cats usually ‘dig’ with their right paw, while male cats use their left.
- The cat brain is biologically closer to the human brain than the dog brain. The same parts of the brain responsible for emotions in cats as in humans.
- There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, and there are about 40 different breeds.
- Although it is commonly believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to domesticate cats, the oldest known domestic cat was recently found in a 9,500-year-old tomb on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This predates references to the cat in Egyptian art by more than 4,000 years.
- Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only 10.
- During the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII recognized cats as helpers of the devil, and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the mass killing of cats led to a dramatic increase in the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death (plague epidemic).
- The first cat to visit space was a French cat named Felicette (i.e. Astrocote). In 1963, France launched him into space. Electrodes implanted in the cat’s brain sent neurological signals back to Earth. Astrocot survived the flight safely.
© Val Tievsky / Unsplash
- A group of cat-related words (catt, cath, chat, katze) come from the Latin “catus”, meaning “domestic cat”, as opposed to “feles”, meaning “wild cat”.
- According to Jewish legend, Noah prayed to God, asking him to protect the food on the ark from rats. In response, God caused the lion to sneeze and a cat jumped out.
- A cat can travel at a top speed of about 31mph (50 km/h) for short distances.
- A cat can jump 5 times its own height.
- Cats rub against people not only out of affection, but also to mark the territory with the smell of glands located around the muzzle. Also the areas near the cat’s tail and paws emit odor.
- Scientists do not know exactly how a cat purrs. Most veterinarians believe that a cat purrs by vibration of the vocal cords located deep in the throat. To do this, the muscles of the larynx open and close the passage of air about 25 times per second.
- Cats, like humans, have different fingerprints. Only humans can be identified by fingerprints, while cats can be identified by nose prints.
- Many people won’t believe it, but there is a breed of cat that loves water. It’s the Turkish Van.
- The world’s most popular cat breed is the Persian, followed by Maine Coons and Siamese.
- Cats are very sensitive to vibration. They can feel earthquake tremors 10-15 minutes earlier than humans.
image on top: note Chen / Unsplash
