Did you know that cats have to eat meat to stay healthy? Or that milk is actually unhealthy for cats?
We’ve rounded up some of the most extraordinary facts about cats and their fascinating world.....
15 amazing cat facts
1.Cats are ‘obligate carnivores’ which means they need to eat meat in order to remain healthy
2. Cats usually live for between 12 and 14 years, but it’s not uncommon for some cats to live into their late teens.
3. Female cats are pregnant for 63 days (2 months) before giving birth to a litter, which could contain as many as nine kittens.
4. You shouldn't give cats milk. Your cat may seem to like the taste of milk, but most cats are actually lactose intolerant as they don’t have the enzyme (lactase) in their intestines to digest the sugar in milk (lactose), meaning milk containing lactose can make them poorly. They can get vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain from drinking it, just like lactose intolerance in humans.
5. Kittens will keep their eyes tightly closed until they’re around ten days old. When kittens first open their eyes, their vision will be blurred until the muscles in the pupil develop, normally by around three weeks.
6. Kneading is an instinctual, natural behaviour and begins when kittens are dependent on their mother for food – they will knead on their mother's stomach while feeding from their teat, as it helps to stimulate milk flow. Why they continue to knead when they get older is a bit of a mystery, but it is commonly associated with positive emotions. Perhaps they knead because it feels good and is a relaxing motion for cats
7. Cats can purr for a variety of reasons, and by watching their accompanying body language, you can work out why. In general, if a cat appears calm, with small pupils in their eyes, ears forward and relaxed, and their tail is pointing up or curled around them, their purring is most likely a sign they’re happy.
8. Eating grass is perfectly safe for your cat, like grass-eating is for dogs, and surprisingly, many cats may enjoy snacking on grass from time to time.
9. Cats see blue, green and grey well, but that they struggle to distinguish between red and green.
- Why do some animals have slit-shaped pupils, rather than round ones like humans?
- Which animal has the best vision?
10. Cats have slit-like pupils which can more rapidly open and close, meaning they can adapt from different light conditions more quickly. The majority of cats and dogs also have a reflective layer behind the retina, called the tapetum, that allows for enhanced night vision.
11. Just like their wild ancestors, domestic cats will spend much of their time asleep – anywhere between 12 and 18 hours a day is normal, with kittens and older cats likely to need more.
12. Cats do dream. When cats are asleep, their brains show similar patterns to the brains of humans when they dream. If their eyes are tightly closed and their whiskers or paws are twitching, there’s a good chance your cat is having a dream
13. . Cat’s were first domesticated 4000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. Cats were initially valued for their ability to kill rodents and venomous snakes, but tomb paintings show that many of these felines were also household pets and a part of family life.
14. Winston Churchill had a cat called Nelson when he was prime minister during WW2 and kept it in Downing Street
15. Luna is the most popular cat name
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