15 Fun Facts on Cats
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It’s always fun having facts to dish out to your friends or family on long drives or get-togethers. These fun facts on cats may even help you win your next trivia night. Whether you’re a cat fanatic or not, get ready to learn something you never knew before!
Drumroll Please! Here are Our Fun Facts on Cats
The Longest Cat in the World is 120cm (3 ft 11.2 in)
Cats come in all shapes and sizes; however, they’re usually fairly similar.
This can’t be said for Barivel, who is a Maine Coon and holds the Guinness Book Record for being the longest cat in the world.
This beautiful boy measures out to be 120 cm (3 ft 11.2 in). Although the longest domestic cat in the world, he’s shy and has a sweet personality.
Cats Are The Second Most Popular Pet in the World
Cats and dogs have fought for the top place throughout the years, and although dogs are currently ranked as the most popular pet in the world, they also happen to have the largest population.
Although cats come in second, they dominate certain countries, such as Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey. Massachusetts wins for being the state with the most pet cats in America.
Mayor Stubbs
Did you ever think a cat could be the mayor of a town? Well, Stubbs was, and he held his honorary position as mayor in Talkeetna, Alaska, for two decades. That’s longer than most other human mayors.
Stubbs was voted into his role by the people of his town as an act of protest. However, he became well-known and drew tourists that wanted to meet him to the town.
Cats Have Tiger DNA
Have you ever wondered why your cat marks their territory, is wildly independent, and can resemble a wild cat whenever its eyes are locked onto a bird in your back garden?
The answer is because they share around 95.6% of their DNA with tigers. That’s scarily too close to the real deal. If you’ve ever wished for a tiger as a pet, you may have just got your wish – on a smaller, tamer scale.
Want to find out more about the background of your tiger in the kitchen? Then read our post on cat evolution.
Cats Dream
Just like people and dogs, cats dream too. If you’ve ever seen your cat twitching or behaving oddly while sleeping, it’s because they’re deep in dreamland.
Cats Fart Too
More times than not, the dog gets blamed for the loud or smelly farts in the room. However, you may be blaming the wrong pet.
Cats can fart too. Although typically more silent and less smelly than their barking friends, they aren’t exempt from this natural process and shouldn’t be left out of the blame game either.
Cats Were Domesticated Over 10 000 Years Ago
Although it’s been widely believed that Egyptians domesticated cats around 3600 years ago, new studies have discovered that this may not have been the case.
Remains have been found in the Fertile Crescent of a cat, and its owner buried together. This wouldn’t have been the case if the cat was wild or not associated with the man. These remains date back to 9500 years ago. Cats were used to catch rats that tried to eat the grain harvested from the fields.
Litter or Clowder?
Have you ever heard of the word “clowder” before? If not, it can be your word of the day!
Although typically thought to be a litter, a group of cats is actually called a clowder. A litter is a bunch of baby animals born to the animal mother. A litter or kindle of kittens is correct; however, it’s incorrect to say a litter of cats but rather a clowder of cats.
Your Cat Has Marked You As Their Territory
Your cat has the power to make you melt simply by rubbing its head against you. It can make you feel so loved by your furbaby, and as much as they do love you, they’re not only showing you affection, they’re also marking you as their territory.
A cat has scent glands that they mark with on different parts of its body, their face being one of them. The next time your cat rubs its face on you, know that it’s not only marking you as their friend but also telling other cats that you belong to them.
You don’t own your cat; it owns you. Or at least your cat believes this.
Lactose Intolerance Is Normal
Most cats may like milk, but that doesn’t mean that milk likes them.
Although most of us have grown up believing that cats need a bowl of food, water, and milk, it doesn’t mean it’s particularly good for them.
More cats are lactose intolerant than not. Drinking a bowl of milk can result in diarrhea or vomiting because their bodies battle to digest the lactose.
If you’ve seen tummy problems after your cat has lapped up a bowl of milk, perhaps remove it and replace it with water.
A Green Cat
Cat coats come in a range of different colors but have you ever heard of a green cat?
A kitten born with a green coat and claws became the talk of the town in Denmark in 1995. It wasn’t a prank or a paint job, but it could have been caused by the high levels of copper in the water.
Cats Are Very Good At Communication
Cats are very communicative pets. Although they can’t directly tell us what they want in a language that we understand, they try to get their point across through different sounds.
Here are a few examples:
Purr = They are happy and content.
Chitter Chatter = They have spotted a bug, bird, or prey.
Meow = Your cat is asking for something. Their body language and location will give you hints.
The Richest Cat
Tommaso started out her life on the street, but it won’t end there. Maria Assunta, a very wealthy lady, rescued the cat and fell in love with her.
When she was dying, she decided to leave Tommaso her riches under the care of the nurse that cared for her. This little kitty now is the proud yet oblivious owner of $13 million, along with property in different cities.
Surprisingly, even with all that wealth left to her, Tommaso isn’t the richest pet in the world, coming in at number 3.
Cats Have Unique Noses
Just as our fingerprints are unique and aren’t shared with anyone else, a cat’s nose print is just as unique.
Thankfully cats don’t have to have their noseprint taken for their identification cards; I’d imagine dipping it into ink and onto paper could be quite an ordeal.
Cats Are Fussy
Have you ever been so hungry that you think you could eat anything? Regardless of how fussy you may be, there is a point where you’ll eat what you are served up in order to stop your grumbling stomach.
You may think you’re fussy, but you have nothing on your cat.
If a cat doesn’t like something you’ve dished up for it, it’ll refuse to eat it to the point of death, no matter how hungry they are.
If your cat stops eating, take action. A lot of people don’t understand how serious it is when their cat turns up their nose at their food.
You may know your furbaby well, but I hope one of these fun facts on cats taught you something new about your kitty.
Your cat fact fun doesn’t have to end here. If you’re looking for more fun facts on cats, head over to Charlottesville Cat Care Clinic.
Cats are complex pets with a lot of history, and we’re so lucky to have them in our lives!
