5 Interesting Facts About Cats You May Not Have Known
Your cat may very well be your best friend, but how much do you actually know about your feline companion? Here are our top 5 interesting facts about cats that you may not have known before.
Cat Naps Have a Purpose
Ever wonder why your cat sleeps so much? Felines instinctively attempt to conserve energy for hunting (someone’s gotta protect the house, right?). Also, they are most active during the night. As such, they’ll sleep up to 14 hours per day. That’s almost 70% of their lives! When they sleep, cats will bounce between dozing lightly for about 30 minutes and deep sleeping for around 5 minutes. This sleep pattern helps them to maintain a vigilant eye in case they need to spring into action.
An Interesting Palette
Did you know cats can’t taste sweetness? This stems from their obligate carnivore physiology. Herbivores and omnivores have a strong sense of taste for sweetness to allow them to identify plants and fruits that have the nutrients they need. However, cats have no nutritional need for these, and so do not have a sensory receptor for sweetness. In fact, cats have only 470 taste buds overall, compared to the 9000 a human possesses. What taste can they sense the most? A cat’s strongest sense of taste is that of bitterness. Finally, a cat will actually refuse to eat food they don’t like to the point of starvation. That’s a picky eater!
Fun Facts About Cats And Their Bodies
One little known fact about cats is that the majority of them are actually left-handed (er, perhaps left-pawed?). And speaking of legs, did you know that they have whiskers on the backs of their front legs as well? In reference to their sense of sight, your feline friend is near-sighted too (though their night vision is far superior to ours). One additional fact is that your cat’s nose has a unique print on it, much like our fingerprints.
Cat Communication
Did you know cats only meow at people? One exception is kittens mewing for their mothers. However, outside of this, cats only communicate with each other through body language or hissing. Interestingly, they have up to 100 different vocalizations they can use when ‘talking’ with us. Your feline friend absolutely loves to lie on things that smell like you, which is why you’ll frequently find them on your clothing or bed. Additionally, cats will rub themselves on you so they can put their sense on you as well. And if you ever see your cat kneading, it’s a sign of contentment and happiness.
Cats In History
When it comes to interesting facts about cats, experts estimate that people first started domesticating felines around 12,000 years ago, near Egypt. And while it is common knowledge that the Egyptians worshipped cats, did you know that when a pet cat died, the owner would shave his eyebrows off to mourn them? In early Roman civilizations, cats were considered a symbol of liberty. However, in the Middle Ages, cats became associate with the devil and many were killed as a result. Nowadays, cats are just as popular as dogs for family pets!
Whether your furry family member is a feline or a canine, our professional pet sitters will care for them like their one of our own. Reach out today to learn all about our services!