Facts About Cats - Part 2

May 30, 2008 | By Erv In General Pet Care |

There are three body types for a cat. Cobby type is a compact body, deep chest, short legs and broad head. The eyes are large and round. Muscular type is a sturdy body and round, full-cheeked head. Foreign type is a slender body, with long legs and a long tail. The head is wedge-shaped, with tall ears and slanting eyes.
Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also invented the cat door.
A cat will almost never “meow” at another cat. This sound is reserved for humans.
Know how old your cat really is. If your cat is 3, your cat is 21 in human years. If your cat is 8, your cat is 40 in human years. If your cat is 14, your cat is 70 in human years.
The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years.
The oldest cat on record was Puss, from England, who died in 1939 just one day after her 36th birthday. (We wish we could have them all that long!)
The weirdest cat on record was a female called Mincho who went up a tree in Argentina and didn’t come down again until she died six years later. While treed, she managed to have three litters with equally ambitious dads.
A cat’s normal body temperature is 101.5 degrees. This is slightly warmer than a humans.
People who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.
Cats love to chew on grass, catnip, parsley or sage. Become a green thumb and plant an indoor garden for your cat! But be careful — many plants are toxic to your cat!
There are two species of wild cats in African and Europe that still hunt. These two species both resemble the domestic tabbies.
The behaviors shown by most house cats have a parallel in the wild.
A cat will kill it’s prey based on movement, but may not necessarily recognize that prey as food. Realizing that prey is food is a learned behavior.
The greatest number of mice killed by one cat? 28,899! Towser, a tortoise-shell tabby in charge of rodent control in Scotland, killed 28,899 mice in her 21 years. This is about four mice per day, every day, for 21 years. Towser died in 1987.
The first cat show was held in 1895 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
A falling cat will always right itself in a precise order. First the head will rotate, then the spine will twist and the rear legs will align, then the cat will arch its back to lessen the impact of the landing.
“Sociable” cats will follow you from room to room to monitor your activities throughout the day.
What kind of “mood” is kitty in? Her eyes, whiskers and ears will tell you. Learn to read the signs she gives you.
The most popular names for female cats in the U.S. are Missy, Misty, Muffin, Patches, Fluffy, Tabitha, Tigger, Pumpkin and Samantha.
Give your cat a quality scratching post to deter her from scratching your furniture. Still scratching? Try putting lemon scent or orange scent on the area. Cats hate these smells.
Try hanging an orange or lemon scented air freshener in the inner branches of your Christmas tree, if your cat is a seasonal “climber.”
In English, cat is “cat.” In French, cat is “Chat.” In German, your cat is “katze.” The Spanish word for cat is “gato,” and the Italian word is “gatto.” Japanese prefer “neko” and Arabic countries call a cat a “kitte.”
Cats get their sense of security from your voice. Talk to your cats! And be mindful of your tone of voice. Cats know when you’re yelling at them (though they may not care).