Amazing Cat Facts
Here you'll find a range of surprising, interesting and amazing cat facts. If there's some fact or small story you've come across, why not send it in (via email) and I'll add the best to the page.
White Can Mean Deaf
A white cat's hearing has a lot to do with its eye colour. While white cats with orange eyes are generally fine, a large majority of white cats with blue eyes are deaf. Cats with only one blue eye are deaf in the ear closest to it.
Thumping Heart
A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.
I'm Not Angry
A cat that bites you after you have rubbed its stomach is most likely biting out of pleasure, not anger.
Veggie Cat
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!
Cat Speak
A cat will almost never "meow" at another cat. This
sound is reserved for humans.
I'm Watching You
Sociable cats will follow you from room to room to monitor your activities throughout the day.
King Cat
Cats love high places. They share this love with leopards and jaguars that sleep in trees. If a cat begins to fall, its inner ear canal (which controls balance) will help it right itself and land on its feet.
Born To Kill...Or Not
Hunting is not instinctive to cats. In fact,
kittens born to non-hunting mothers may never develop the skill.
Gravity of the Situation
Not only did Sir Isaac Newton discoverer the principles of gravity, he also invented the cat door!
Panoramic View
Cats have a peripheral vision of approximately 285 degrees.
A What? of Cats?
The correct way to refer to a group of
kittens is a 'kindle'. However, a group of grown cats is called a 'clowder'.
Water Irritation
Tap water should be allowed to sit for 24 hours before it is given to a cat - the chlorine in fresh tap water can irritate its nose.
Weird Locomotion
The cat is one of only three animals that walk by moving both left feet together, then both right feet together. The other two animals are the giraffe and the camel.
No Males Allowed
Tortoiseshell cats are invariably female. The odds of getting a male 'tortie' are about 1000 to 1.
Striding Forward
Domestic cats are the only cat species that hold their tails vertically while walking - all other cat species hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
Catastrophe Warning
Cat's can predict earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and electrical storms. However, telling us about them is another matter!
Spinal Tap
Cats have 290 bones and 517 muscles in their bodies. They also have a very complex spinal system with five more vertebrae than the human spine.
Right or Left Pawed?
Only 40 per cent of cats are ambidextrous while the remaining 60 per cent favour either their left or right paws.
Never Leave Home With One
Cats have extraordinary navigation skills, enabling them to often find their way home over incredible distances. One persistent puss travelled 2414 km over a period of 14 months to track down her owners.
Enhanced Sense
The Jacobson's organ, located in the upper surface of a cat's mouth, is used for
smelling. In fact, a cat's
sense of smell is so strong it can detect another cat up to 100 metres away.
Tortoiseshell on tour
A tortoiseshell cat named Felix, reportedly survived 29 days without food or water after escaping from his travelling cage and getting stuck in the hold of an international aircraft!
First Cat Restaurant
The world's first restaurant, for pampered cats and their owners, opened in Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, New York on Tuesday 17th August 2004. The exclusive restaurant only opened for five days but it could re-open permanently at a later date. The restaurant, named Meow Mix Cafe, offered felines a choice of six different flavours of cat food. The restaurant had two main rules: no dogs and no catnip.
Famous Cat Lovers
Cardinal Richelieu of France - (1585 - 1642): This Prince of the Church reserved one of his rooms for cats. His cats even had their own servants!
Did You Know?
The Rex breed of cats, have extremely fine fur which does not shed much, causing less reaction in people with allergies!
World's Smallest Cat
A two-year-old cat, named Mr Peebles, is the world's smallest fully-grown cat, weighing in at just 3 lbs. The cat has a genetic defect and is expected to hold his title for some time. His record has been verified by the Guinness World Records.
Longest Cat Whiskers
Ellie, a brown/black Maine Coon, has the longest single whisker on a cat measuring 16.5 cm (6.5 in) on Febraury 15, 2004. The feline lives at the home of Sheri and Mitchell Rutherford, in Woodland Hills, California, USA. The Rutherfords took Ellie from a cat rescue shelter in 1997. She was only a few months old and was very weak; she had no whiskers. After a few months of love and care, good health returned and her whiskers started to grow and grow and grow! (Source: Gunniess Book of Records)
Oldest Cat Ever
There are two cats that are commonly listed as the longest living: The first is a tabby called Puss, who lived with Mrs. T. Holway of Devon, England until she was 36 years old! She died on November 29, 1939 just one day after her 36th birthday. The second is a female british tabby "Ma" that lived to be 34 years old.
Best Climber
In 1950, a four year month kitten climbed 4, 478 (14, 691 ft) to the top of the Matterhorn in the Alps. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
The World's Longest Cat
The world's longest cat, named Verismo's Leonetti Reserve Red, measured 121.9 cm (48 in) from nose to tip of tail on the 10th March 2002. (Guinness Book of Records)
Oldest Cat to Give Birth
In 1987 a domestic cat, named Kitty, give birth to two kittens at the age of 30 years. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
Best Mouser
A farm kitten in a whisky distillery in Scotland has caught 28, 899 mice over a period of 20 years (Dorling Kindersley, 1995)
Fastest Cat
The fastest Land mammal is the cheetah. A male once clocked up 92 miles per hour. (Discovery and world records).
Shortest Cat
The shortest cat was Tinker Toy form the USA who was 7 cm high and 19 cm long. (Guiness Book of Records).
Largest Cat
The largest cat was an Australian cat Himmy who weighted 21.3 kg and was 96cm long. (Guiness Book of Records).
The Largest Litter
A tabby cat from Texas once give birth to 420 kittens during her life. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
People Killed by Cats
The record number of people killed by a single cat is:
- 84 by a lion
- 400 by a Leopard
- 436 by a tiger (Dorling Kindersley, 1995)
Largest Collection of Cat Memorabilia
Since 1979, Florence Groff of France has collected a record-breaking collection of 11, 717 cat-related items. (Guinness Book of Records).
Owner of the Most Cats
A farmer from Texas kept 1, 400 cats on his farm. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
The Largest Burial Site of Cats
300, 000 mummified cats were found in an ancient Egyptian tomb. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
Cats with Most Toes
A five-year-old-cat, Jake, holds the Guninness World Record for the cat with most toes. Jake, an orange tabby from Bonfield, Ontario, Canada has a wooping 28 toes!
Expensive Cat Wedding
The ost expensive cat wedding was between two cats named Phat & Ploy. The marriage took place in a discotheque in Thailand. The cost paid by owner Jaratarcha was 410979 thai bhat ($16, 241) (Guinness Book of Records).
Expensive Cat
A Persian once ate a diamond and ruby ring costing £3200. (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
Lost Cat
A USA Persian walked 2400 km over a period of 13 months to find her owners (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
Unusual Cat
A domestic cat was born in the USA in 1975 with five legs, six paws and 30 toes (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
The Oldest Wild Cat
The oldest wild cat was a lion in Cologne Zoo who lived until the age of 29 (Dorling Kindersley, 1995).
