12 Things You Didn’t Know About Cats
Most people will agree that cats have their quirks, to say the least! But personality aside, cats can be straight-up weird in all the best ways! Continue reading for 12 things you (probably) didn’t know about cats from The Refined Feline.
#1: Cats Are Born with Blue Eyes
You may have seen pictures of adorable kittens when they are super young, and may not have made the connection. Most cats that are born always have blue eyes! They eventually change when they’re around 3 weeks old. Their eyes will become their natural color that will remain into adulthood at around 12-14 weeks of age,
#2: A Big Ball of Fur (Literally!)
The average cat has over 130,000 hairs on every square inch of their body! That’s a lot of cat hair! No wonder cats need help with brushing or grooming on occasion. With this much hair, it is inevitable that cat hair will get everywhere in your home. Brushing your cat can remove a lot of the loose hairs though.
#3: Cats Don’t Like Sweets
Cats do not have a sweet tooth, so those donuts won’t taste as good to them. Most scientists believe this is due to a mutation in one of their key taste receptors. Most cats’ natural diets consist of meat, so being able to taste sweetness isn’t necessary. If your cat seems to want the sweets you’re eating, it is likely due to the fat or something else they are tasting.
#4: Cats Don’t Have Collarbones
You may not have noticed this, but cats don’t have any collarbones. It’s not necessary for their bone structure and makes it easier for them to fit into small spaces. Because of this, most cats have the flexibility to fit into any space that they can fit their head through.
#5: Cats Can Jump Really High!
Cats are expert jumpers with great depth perception. If you ever see them wiggling their butts before jumping or pouncing, they are adjusting so they can get the jump just right! Amazingly, cats can jump up to five times their height. It may not seem like much when cats jump on the counter but imagine if humans could jump 25-30 feet in the air!
#6: Sir Isaac Newton Deserves Credit For The Cat Door
Not only did Sir Isaac Newton discover the basics of gravity, but it’s also believed that he invented the first cat door! What would we do without cat doors?
#7: Cats + Love
Ailurophilia is what the Greeks call a cat lover, being the Greek words for cat and lover.
#8: A Cat’s Nose Knows
Humans aren’t the only ones with anatomy as unique as a fingerprint. A cat’s nose is just as distinctive! Like the swirls in a human fingerprint, the ridged print on each cat’s nose is specific to them.
#9: Cats Actually Sweat Through Their Feet
It may sound weird, but cats will sweat through their feet! To be more precise, they sweat through the little paw pads, sometimes called “toe beans”, to keep cool. Felines don’t have sweat glands like other animals and rely on their paw pads to release sweat. Cats will also sweat when they’re nervous, so don’t be surprised to see some moist paws at the vet!
#10: Left or Right?
Did you know that half of all cats are right-handed? And about 40% of the remaining felines are left-handed. The remaining 10% of cats are ambidextrous, meaning they will use both their left and right paws equally. Wondering which paw your cat prefers? Try holding a cat toy just out of reach of your cat and see which paw they use to grab it. You may want to try it a few times to be sure, but that will give you the answer.
#11: Glow in the Dark Urine
Yep, that sounds weird, right? However, cat urine does react to a black light and actually glows underneath it! So, if you’re wondering whether your kitty has been naughty in the house, you can use a blacklight to check. Shine it around your house and if an area glows, there may be cat urine present.
Related: 10 Myths About Cats
#12: Disney and Cats
When you hear the name Disney, you don’t automatically think of cats. However, Disneyland has housed community cats since 1955. Disneyland has a rodent problem (not Mickey-related!) and they rely on these community cats to help decrease the rodents. They keep the cats indoors during the day, and at night they get released to hunt their prey.
Who knew cats had so many weird, quirky traits to them? They may feel the same if they heard some facts about humans.
