There is no escaping the fact that cats are mystifying and fascinating creatures. For almost more than 8,800 years, “Hoomans” have been obsessed with them, and guess what? We still are! Perhaps this explains why we’re constantly hunting for new cat facts, including interesting cat facts and mind-blowing cat facts.
A lot of that is because there are amazing stories about the things cats can do, the abilities they have, or some of the amazing escapes they have managed to pull off. If you want to celebrate Felis catus in all its furry glory, here are some fascinating cat facts:
1. Cats make great private detectives.
Can’t afford to hire a private investigator? Perhaps a cat could finish the job without charge. Ambassador Henry Helb, who then resided in the Dutch Embassy in Moscow in the 1960s, noticed that his two Siamese cats were pawing at a wall while arching their backs. Helb had a sense that the cats could hear something that he couldn’t, and sure enough, he discovered 30 microscopic microphones concealed behind the boards. Helb and his staff used the surveillance to their advantage, complaining about home repairs or goods that were held up in customs while standing in front of the microphones, rather than catching the spies. Apart from Helb and his friends, no one knew what the eavesdroppers had done to address their complaints.
2. If you love cats, you’re an ailurophile.
Would you like to improve your vocabulary? In a conversation with friends, try utilizing the word “ailurophile.” The phrase is a fancy way of saying “cat lover,” and it comes from the Greek word for cat, ailouros, and the prefix -phile, which means “lover.” On the other hand, an ailurophobe is someone who detests cats. The word ailurophobe is a mixture of ailouros and phobe.
3. Cats might be marking you as territory when they massage you.
Sound’s smart. Experts have proposed a number of theories as to why cats enjoy kneading, one of which is that your cat is attempting to mark its “territory” (that’s you!) using the smell glands in their paws. Also, as kittens rub their mother’s belly to stimulate milk production, there is a possibility that they will continue to do so as adults, a condition known as “neotenic behavior.”
4. Your cat might be allergic to you.
Even if you don’t have a cat allergy, your cat may have one to you. Usually, we assume it’s the other way around. Asthma is thought to affect one in every 200 cats, and since indoor cats are more regularly exposed to pollutants like cigarette smoke, dust, human dandruff, and pollen, this number is only going up.
5. Cats like small spaces.
Why do cats enjoy snuggling up in boxes? According to animal scientists, cats feel more protected, secure, and significant in confined settings, much like they would have felt in the womb. (Sure enough, studies has shown that cats in shelters who have boxes to cuddle up in acclimate more quickly and experience less stress.)Also, sleeping in a box might help a feline retain more body heat so it stays nice and toasty, and therefore relaxed.
6. Your cat probably hates music.
They might, however, enjoy the music composed by David Teie, who collaborated with zoologists to create the album Music for Cats. Released in 2015, the songs are “based on feline vocal communication and environmental sounds that pique the interest of cats,” Teie’s website states.
7. Most cats don’t respond to catnip.
Catnip doesn’t work on more than half of the felines in the globe. Scientists have discovered that catnip sensitivity is inherited, but they are still unsure of why some cats love the pungent herb and others don’t. One in two kittens with one catnip-sensitive parent will also develop a need for the herb as adults. Furthermore, the chances rise to at least three out of four if both parents respond to the “nip.”
8. A group of kittens is a kindle.
A kindle isn’t simply a name for an e-reader; it may also refer to a group of kittens that was born to a single mother cat. Meanwhile, a clowder is a group of adult cats.
9. Cats can’t taste sweets.
It is a genetic predisposition for cats to be unable to taste sweets. If your platter has meat on it, they might nibble at it, but if it’s loaded with cake, they won’t.
10. Your cat has more bones than you do.
A cat has 244 bones in its entire body—even more than a human, who only has 206 bones.
