If you are reading this article, it is safe to say you are a cat-lover. Now that you know who you are, here’s who we are. Parnell Living Science is an animal health company that loves cats just as much as you do! It is our mission to improve the lives of pets so they can enjoy more time with their pet parents. So with that, we are always learning more about cats and how they make our lives better. Here are some interesting fun facts about cats:
- Cats are the favored pet in the U.S. According to the 2017-2018 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, there are 94.2 million cats and 89.7 million dogs that live in U.S. households.
- Cats have a third eyelid. The third eyelid is a tiny triangle of pinkish or whitish tissue which will close over the entire eye. You only see a portion of the third eyelid in the corner of the eye.
- The brain of a cat is 90 percent similar to that of a human. Both have identical sections of the brain that control emotion. Cats think in the same pattern as humans too, analyzing the input they receive from the five basic senses, just as humans
- You can’t catch a cat if they don’t want you to. They do have four legs to make them faster than you. In fact, they are even faster than some dog breeds. Domestic cats can run at a top speed of 30 miles per hour. If you caught up with a cat while running, it’s because they wanted you to catch up.
- All cats can jump. The majority of domestic cats can jump six times their length. Most dogs can only jump about as high as one body length.
- There are so many cat breeds to choose from! The International Cat Association recognizes 58 feline breeds. According to catbreedslist.com, there are 65 breeds and they ranked them based on popularity.
- Cats claim their humans. When a cat rubs against people, it's getting affectionate. Be proud that it loves you so much that your little fur-baby is also marking its territory with its scent glands.
- Like most meat-eating mammals, a cat’s jaw is hinged. This means they can't chew large chunks of food, which is why the best cat food is made in smaller sizes.
- It’s impossible to arch your back like a cat. Obviously, humans are built differently than cats. One main difference is in the back, where cats have around 53 loosely fitting vertebrae that make their backs really flexible. In comparison, humans have just 34.
- Humans have fingerprints; cats have noses. No two are alike!
- So much more than a purr. Cats have vast communications skills through body language, the way their hair reacts to something and the sounds they make. Cats have the ability to make over 100 different sounds, whereas dogs can make only 10.
- This explains all the hair: science has estimated that the average cat has over 40 million hairs, give or take a few million, depending on the breed.
- Cats are clean. Cats spend 50% of the time they are awake cleaning themselves. They do it for a variety of reasons but the most common are to stay cool when it’s hot and to protect themselves from potential predators.
- The best part of a cat is companionship. The tough part is they don’t live nearly long enough as the average lifespan of a cat is 10 to 20 years. We all wished they lived longer!
- Cats sleep most of the time. Cats conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 13 to 14 hours a day. On average, this equates to be almost 70% of their lives.
Because of this cat behavior oultlined in item 15, it is often difficult to spot signs of problems such as arthritis. Some feline pet parents may not know 84% of cats age 5-10 have signs of arthritis. One way to ensure their health is to keep cat moving and active as much as possible, for as long as possible. Try taking the arthritis quiz as the first step to discovering if your cat is at risk.
As a cat lover, you know how important it is for cats to be as healthy and happy as they can be while they are here with us. Be sure your cat visits the veterinarian for regular visits to ensure they have ideal health. Keep looking for more interesting facts about cats in the future here. We know you are like us when we say: our feline friends are not just pets; they are part of the family. The more we know about them, the better we know how to care for them.