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Feline fun: Seven ‘catastic’ facts about cats
Did you know that cats developed ‘meowing’ as a way to communicate exclusively with humans?
Cats are pretty awesome little beings and are among the world's most famous pets, and it's not hard to perceive any reason why. Not only are they the #1 watched subject on the internet, but can be beneficial to your health in a number of ways! Their ability to flatten themselves out so they look like they are glued to the ground, then leap out of your way in a split second when you’re about to step on them is truly astonishing.
They're steady about keeping themselves clean, don't have to go outside for strolls, and their fortunate snooze plan implies you don't need to feel regretful about disregarding them for the day when you head to work. Simply, there are plenty of things to cherish our felines.
Following are some of the purr-fect facts about cats, according to science.
Cats can’t taste sweetness
Due to their physiological requirement for a meat-based diet, cats appear to be one of the few animals on the planet that cannot taste sugar.
They lack ability to detect sweetness; that's because one of the two genes necessary to make the sweetness receptor got permanently switched off millions of years ago.
So far, cats are alone among mammals in lacking the sweet gene.
Cats spend 70% of their lives sleeping
A cat sleeps an average of 12-16 hours per day, every single day which means roughly 70% of their entire lives are spent asleep!
Notably, a kitten spends so much time sleeping, because the growth hormone they need to mature is only produced while they are napping.
Cats have three eyelids
Cats have three eyelids. The third eyelid is a tiny triangle of pinkish or whitish tissue which is usually visible in the corner of the eye. This additional eyelid is found under the other eyelids in the inside corner of the eye (near nose).
Cats’ whiskers are like GPS
Have you ever wondered why cats have fancy mustaches? So, basically, whiskers are special facial hairs of cats that are twice thicker and have thrice the root depth. They are as sensitive as our fingertips.
These specialized hairs aid vision and help a cat navigate its environment, providing additional sensory input, much like antennae on insects. To put it simply, whiskers are like GPS and radar systems of felines. Cats love to spend their lives going through small holes and gaps. So, these mustaches aka whiskers inform cats whether they can go through a hole.
They also allow your tiny, cutie feline pet to sense the air pressure and the wind speed, ensuring for a perfect hunt.
Cat's kidneys can process sea water
A feline's kidneys are able to filter salt out of water, which is an ability humans do not possess. This means that cats can drink sea water!
Cats can tolerate more salt than dogs, this does not indicate that they should ingest huge amounts of salt.
The oldest cat in the world was 38 years old!
The average lifespan for a pet cat is probably around 13 to 14 years. However, although their lifespan varies, a well-cared-for cat may commonly live to 15 or beyond, some make it to 18 or 20 and a few extraordinary felines even pass 25 or 30 years of age.
Creme Puff, a domestic cat, was the oldest cat ever recorded, according to the 2010 edition of Guinness World Records. It was 38 years and 3 days old when he passed away.
In 1963 a cat went to space
On October 18, a French cat named Félicette became the first and only cat to ever travel to space. She launched atop a Véronique AG1 rocket and flew nearly 100 miles (157 kilometers) above the Earth.
Félicette was killed two months after the launch so scientists could perform a necropsy to examine her brain.
Here are some random truths about cats
- Cats are partially blind, however, their fringe vision and night vision are superior to that of people.
- Cats can bounce up to multiple times their length.
- Cats have an additional organ that permits them to taste aromas broadcasting in real-time.
- A feline with a question mark-formed tail is posing, "Need to play?"
- Cats have an extraordinary "jargon" with their proprietor.
- There are over 500 million domestic cats in the world.
- Cats and humans have been associated for nearly 10000 years.
- Cats also have excellent hearing and a powerful sense of smell.
- The heaviest cat on record is 21.297 kilograms (46 lb 15.2 oz).
- Cats spend a large amount of time licking their coats for grooming and cleaning purposes.