Every cat owner knows cats are equally mesmerizing creatures as they are fluffy companions. However, there are so many outlandish cat traits that you might not be aware of. Whether you are an ardent cat lover or just a little interested in these feline friends, here are 25 weird cat facts.
1. Cats Can Drink Seawater
Seawater contains salt which can be found to be the most essential resource on planet earth for us. However, cats being the incredible creatures they are, are able to drink seawater. This is mainly due to their kidneys which are specialized at filtering out salt. Just imagine “a cat” having its own built-in desalination unit.
2. Cats Can’t Taste Sweetness
Cats are unable to taste sweet dishes. Such as pastries and desserts, which is something most of us surrender to. Unfortunately, due to absence of desserts in their diet, it seems cats are seizing the advantage to leave pastries untouched. Less competition for us indeed.
3. They Use Whiskers as Measuring Tools
Cats whiskers are finely tuned sensors that help a cat determine if it can fit through a given space. The morphological traits like whiskers size help identify the species of a cat, with bigger cats having longer whiskers. Think of them as the cats’s version of a customized ruler.
4. Polydactyl Cats Have Extra Toes
Polydactyl or “mitten cats” are one of the few feline species to have 6 or more toes on their front paws. Sailors regarded these cats as good luck; they thought these cats were adept at ridding ships of rats.
5. They Can Move Each Ear Independently
As formidable hunters, Cats can turn their ears a full 180 degrees, which enables them to isolate the exact direction of the sound.
6. Their Jaws Don’t Move Sideways
A cat’s jaw has evolved only to open and close. This means it is fundamentally impossible for them to perform a circular chew like us.
7. Domestic Cats Meow Only in Front of Humans
A cat would hardly ever meow solely for another cat’s company. Meowing is something that Cats have developed to interact with their humans. How lucky are we to have such super garrulous companions?
8. Cats Understand Your Voice but May Choose to Ignore You
Are you looking for a frisky feline? Your Cat Understands when you’re calling them; however, they simply decide do not respond. Nothing personal; they’re just cats.
9. A Cat’s Nose Print is Unique
Every cat’s nose print is different, similar to how human fingerprints differ. Every cat has their own purr-sonal ID.
10. Some Cats Can Hear Spies
Russian spies planted microphones in the Dutch Embassy in Moscow. In the 1960s, two Siamese Cats alerted their owners when they heard the microphones turn on.
11. They Can Solve Problems – When They Feel Like It
Unlike dogs, cats are often presumed to be less socially intelligent. Yet, they possess an outstanding ability to solve intricate cognitive tasks—if only solving them fits their agenda.
12. Cats Use Purring as Self-Healing
It is theorized by scientists that a cat’s purr has the ability to heal their body. The vibrations from purring are believed to promote the growth and repair of bones, as well as reduce pain.Studies also highlight the power of pets in supporting human and animal well-being, showing just how impactful these furry companions can be.
13. Cats Have 473 Taste Buds
Cats possess fewer taste buds than dogs, having only 473 compared to the latter’s 1,700. With that being the case, it makes sense they are so hard to please when it comes to food.
14. Cats Spend a Third of Their Lives Grooming
An astonishing amount of their time goes into grooming for cats. Self-cleaning not only ensures a cat’s fur is shiny and healthy, but helps regulate body temperature as well.
15. Black Cats Are Lucky… Depending on Where You Live
In North America, black cats are often considered to bring misfortune. On the contrary, in the U.K and Australia, these animals are viewed as a good omen.
16. Cats Have Nearly Double the Vertebrae Humans Do
In comparison to a human’s 34, a cat’s spine contains 53 vertebrae. This makes them awe inspiringly flexible, granting them the ability to twist mid-air.
17. They Walk Like Stealth Ninjas
A cat’s back paws step in near perfect alignment with the front paws. This results in minimal noise while maximizing stealth.
18. Cats Are Lactose Intolerant
While people tend to love giving cats milk, a generous 70% of cats experience trouble digesting milk due to lack of lactose.
19. They Can Drink Without Spilling
Cats drink water so carefully that the make very little mess. This is accomplished cats creating a perfect combination of gravity and inertia to pull the liquid in.
20. Catnip Sensitivity is Hereditary
Not all felines react the same to catnip. Whether or not an individual cat responds is determined by their genes, thus making it a genetic trait. If a cat’s parents react to catnip, there’s a 75% probability that they too will respond.
21. Cats are Capable of Hearing Extremely High Frequencies
Felines can hear sound, with frequencies beyond the ranges of human hearing, which is useful in enabling them to find tiny prey such as mice that produce sounds at such high frequencies.
22. Like People, Cats Can Dream
Cats can dream during REM sleep, just like humans do. Have you heard or seen your cat do any jumpy movements in its sleep? It is most likely imagining itself running after a mouse.
23. Selective Memory is a Trait that They Possess
Felines possess both short-term and long-term memories, but tend to only recall information that is advantageous to them. In the event you wrong them, they will undoubtedly never overlook the incident.
24. Cats Use the “Halloween Pose” as a Defensive Mechanism
When a cat arches its back and puffs out its fur, and side-stands, it is not merely for aesthetic appeal. This Halloween pose, which is used by some to describe this stance, is a defense mechanism aimed at enhancing their chances of looking bigger and more threatening.
25. The Killing of Cats was Prohibited in Ancient Egypt
In the ancient times of Egypt, killing a cat was considered a paramount offense, meriting by death. This is due to the fact that cats were adored for controlling pests, alongside their significance to goddess Bastet.
Cats are undoubtedly peculiar, astonishing, and filled with colorful mysteries. The next time you see your furry friend staring at you, do not forget that they could be contemplating any of these strange self-related facts. Send this list to other cat fans so that it can be shared further!
EXTRA:
> Think you know cats? You might be surprised. Discover the truth behind 15 common cat myths in our latest blog post!
