In honor of your kitty and cats everywhere, we take a scientific look at the household cat, Felis Domesticus, and cats in general.
August 8th is International Cat Day, October 16th- is Global Cat Day, and October 29th- is National Cat Day. I’m unsure why there are three separate days, but, the general emphasis appears to be aimed at raising awareness of cats for their protection.
So, I present to you a few cat science facts divided into two categories: Anatomical & Other
Anatomical Cat Science Facts
Cats:
- have scent glands on their head, rear, and paws to mark their territories
- have 12 whiskers on either side of their face that are used to detect objects & air movements, navigate small spaces, and help with communication
- eyes are well adapted to low light conditions
- can see in light levels 6x lower than humans
- have 3 eyelids (weird huh?)
- have tufts of hair at the auditory canal that not only keep out dirt but help funnel sound into the ear
- have no eyelashes (for most species)
- can rotate their ears 180 degrees
- normal body temperature ranges from ~100-102 degrees F
- A normal heart rate runs around 110-140 beats per minute
- can only retract their front claws
- front paws have 5 toes, back paws 4
- spines have 53 vertebrae compared to humans with 34
- kidneys can filter salt out of seawater
- purr at frequencies between 25-150 Hz
- noses have a unique pattern for each animal…like a fingerprint for humans
- sweat through their paws
- have no collarbones
- females tend to be right-pawed, males left-pawed
- jaws don’t move sideways
Other Cat Science Facts:
- don’t have a taste for sweets
- can detect earthquake tremors 10 or more minutes before humans
- make 10x more sounds than dogs
- can jump up to 5x their height in 1 bound
- purring is an indication they are happy, threatened, or frightened
- like dogs, rely on smell to identify people & objects
- can hear sounds octaves higher than humans
- average life span ~12-18 yrs
- foods not to feed your cat: onions, garlic, green tomatoes, raw potatoes, chocolate, grapes, raisins
Conclusion
Whether you are a fan of cats or not, you have to admit that cats are quite amazing. And, to have 3 separate times of the year to be honored, is astounding.
Here’s to all you cat lovers!
