CAT TRIVIA
Calculating Age in Cat Years
A popular misconception is that cats age seven years for each calendar year. In fact, feline aging is much more rapid during the first two years of life. A cat reaches the approximate human age of 15 during its first year, then 24 at age 2. Each year thereafter, it ages approximately four "cat years" for every calendar year. Thus, a 5-year-old feline would be approximately 36 in cat years. It should be remembered that a cat who lives outdoors ages far more quickly, perhaps even twice as fast, than an indoor cat.
15 Years = 76 Years ~ 18 Years = 88 Years ~ 21 Years = 100 Years (for indoor cats)
The cat family apparently evolved from the same ancestors as contemporary mongooses and civets. Fossils of the cat family date back about 40 million years.
The ancient Egyptians, first domesticated cats 4,000 years ago. Not only did they welcome the cat for protecting their grain, they actually revered the cat. They developed cat cults and temple worship of the cat.
Under orders from Pope Innocent VIII, the Spanish Inquisition burned thousands of cats at the stake due to cats' condemnation as evil.
Seventeenth century Europeans gained a renewed appreciation for the cat's skill at destroying disease-infested rats.
Around 1750, cats were introduced to control the rodent population in the American colonies.
A cat's whiskers, called vibrissae, grow on the cat's face as well as the backs of its forelegs. The whiskers are thought to be a kind of radar, which helps a cat gauge the space it intends to walk through. By the way, if a cat's whiskers are cut off for any reason, they will grow back. Cats usually have 12 whiskers on each side of it's nose.
Clay cat litter came about by accident. In 1948 a neighbour by the name of Kay Draper went into her local sawmill to pick up some sawdust for her cat's litter tray. She had been using ash, but was fed up with it being tracked all over her house. Ed Lowe, the son of the owner offered her some clay, known as Fullers Earth which was used to absorb grease. Ed realised he was onto something, and started marketing the product in pet shops & at cat shows. It took a while to take off, but eventually it became a multi million dollar business.
Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat flap.
An ailurophile is a person who loves cats. The word ailuro is from the ancient Greek word for "cat".
About 90% of all calico / tortoiseshell cats are females. The rare male calico is sterile.
Most (not all) white cats with blue eyes (or one blue eye/one gold eye) are deaf.
More cats are left handed than right handed. Out of every 100 cats approximately 40 are left-pawed, 20 are right-pawed, and 40 are ambidextrous.
The ridged pattern on a cat's nosepad is as individual as a human fingerprint.
Not every cat gets "high" from catnip. If the cat doesn't have a specific gene, it won't react (about 20% do not have the gene). Catnip is non-addictive.
At their fastest, cats can run at 30mph.
A group of kittens is called a kindle. A group of cats is called a clowder.
The cat is the only domesticated animal NOT mentioned in the bible.
Male cats used to be called "rams" or "boars", however in 1760, an anonymous author wrote a book entitled "The Life & Adventures of a Cat" in which the central character was a male called Tom the Cat. This book was hugely popular & the name tom cat quickly replaced "ram" or "boar".
A cat's pulse is between 130 - 240 beats per minute.
A cat's gestation is between 61 - 70 days.
Cats have 30 vertebrae. Humans have 25.
The normal body temperature is 102 degrees F.
Like humans, kittens have "baby" teeth, which are replaced with their adult teeth from around 6 months of age.
Cats perspire through their paws.
Cats breathe at a rate of 20 - 30 breaths per minute.
The cat's front paws have 5 toes & their back paws have 4. However, some cats have more than this number of toes. When a cat has more than 18 toes, it's called a "polydactyl". Poly comes from the Greek word "polys" which means many or more than one. Dactyl also comes from a Greek word "daktylos" or finger.
Cat urine glows under "black light".
Cats don't kill their prey with their claws, the claws are used to hold onto the prey, the teeth are used to kill the prey.
The claws on the cat's back feet aren't as sharp as the claws on the front feet because they can't retract into the toe, therefore they're continually being worn down by walking.
Cats have existed longer than humans.
Cats walk on their toes.
Cats can jump 5 times their height.
The domestic cat is the only species of cat that can hold it's tail vertically while walking.
Cats have the largest eyes in proportion to their body size of all mammals.
Black Cats
Ask anyone what comes to mind when black cat is mentioned and cat lovers will inevitably say: mysterious, alluring, beautiful, playful, elegant and gorgeous. But non-cat owners would come up with: bad luck, witches familiar, evil, demonic, mean, spooky and Halloween... So you can see the superstition lives on even today.
Black Cat Superstitions:
 |
Black Cats and Halloween Some believe that black cats have special powers and abilities. Others believe that black cats are witches in disguise. It is also believed that witches had black cats as helpers for performing their witchcraft. Others believe that black cats are the demon in disguise. Black cats have become a Halloween symbol because it was believed that spirits could come back in the body of an animal. It was also believed that witches owned black cats because they were their spirit friends. |
| What is the Truth?
The truth is that black cats are just cats with black fur--just like you may have blonde hair and a friend of yours may have brown or red hair. It's just the way it happens. Like any animal, they must be treated with your love and care. It is unfortunate that there are some people in the world who still believe in these superstitions and can bring harm to a black cat. If you do own a black cat, please keep it in the house at Halloween. Superstitions may be fun to read but some of them can be harmful. |
 |
Cat’s body language is composed of many elements-posture, tail position, angle of head, facial expression, etc. There are a range of facial expressions that register a cat’s mood and reactions from outrage to ecstasy. Making faces is a fundamental mode of feline communication.
(1) A happy cat has perky ears, pupils normal for the prevailing light level and relaxed whiskers.
(2) An angry cat keeps its ears erect and furled back; its pupils constrict to slits and its whiskers "bristle" forwards.
(3) A frightened cat is "wide-eyed" and lays its ears and whiskers flat.
(4) A cat playing or hunting wears a face between those of anger and fear; the pupils are open but the ears are pricked, and like the whiskers, thrust forward.
(5) The pleasure of being petted shows in the half closed eyes of the face of ecstasy.
For more info about cat communication & body language - Click Here.
Humans love eye contact - it is friendly. For a cat, prolonged eye contact is an assertive, or even threatening, signal. The classic case is when several people are in a room for a social occasion and the host's cat walks in. It unerringly goes towards the person who doesn't like cats. Is it simply being perverse? The answer is in eye contact. Cat lovers will be watching the cat, hoping it goes to greet them. Those who don't particularly like cats will ignore it, hoping it will leave them alone. For the cat, the eye contact made by the cat lovers is somewhat threatening. It avoids them. The people who don't particularly like cats are not making eye contact - to the cat, they are signalling that they pose no threat. They are being polite in cat terms, so it goes to socialize with them. Some owners deliberately engage in "blink kissing" with their cats - when looking directly at a cat the owner blinks in a slow and deliberate manner. This uses the cat's own language to say "I am not threatening you, you can relax". The cat often blinks in response and then acts in a self conscious way, perhaps fluffing itself up or grooming. While some owners claim "blink kissing" helps the cat-owner bond, the cat would no doubt prefer the owner to politely gaze into the middle distance and observe the cat using peripheral vision instead of a direct gaze.Cats' Tails are Expressive as Well as Functional
Unlike domestic cats, the big cats walk with their tails held low behind them, or between their legs. This is possibly a concealing tactic, so their enemies won't spot them coming. You can see the same tail carriage when a domestic cat is stalking a mouse. The cat will crouch with its tail held very low, then lash the tail back and forth (possible to supply momentum), just before springing.
A bit of trivia: About 10% of a cat's bones are in its tail. A cat's tail is a wondrous feat of engineering and the cat depends on it for balance.
Cats' tails are marvelous instruments to behold, and they often signal the emotion of the cat. You can tell a lot about a cat's mood by watching her tail. A happy cat will walk with tail held high. An angry cat will signal her mood by lashing and twisting her tail. Pity the poor human who ignores a cat's lashing tail while petting him - she's apt to get scratched hands as a result of her ignorance. The accompanying picture is a good example of mild annoyance. Billy was trying to sleep in the top of the tower, while I was taking pictures of his tail hanging down below. You can see the slight blur at the tip of his tail, because he resented the camera's intrusion.
A kitty will greet you or another cat by raising his tail high. A very happy cat will demonstrate her joy with a quiver at the tip of her raised tail.
However, if you see a male cat backed up against a vertical surface with tail a-quiver, he's spraying, or marking his territory with urine. A whole (unspayed) female cat will hold her tail to the side of her body to accommodate mating.
That the cat values this amazing appendage is evident by the way she carefully wraps it around her body while sitting.
You don't ever want to step on a cat's tail. (That integer of time between contact by your foot and the ear-shattering screech is called a "nanosecond.") © Franny Syufy
Here are some typical cat tail positions and what they mean:
- Upright Tail Without Bristling: A full-fledged friendly greeting to another cat or to a human who appears to be no threat.
- Upright Tail But Quivering Gently: Happiness and excitement when anticipating something (perhaps food).
- Upright Tail with the Tip Tilted: A greeting but the cat may have some reservations.
- Slightly Raised Tail but Gently Curved: Something has caught the cat’s interest.
- Gentle Downward Curve but Tip Curved Up: Total relaxation and contentment.
- Tail is Still but Tip is Slightly Twitching: Slightly irritated or agitated.
- Tail is Still but Tip is Actively Twitching: Very irritated and annoyed.
- Swishing from Side to Side: Extremely angry.
- Arched Tail and Bristled: Ready to attack or defend if situation gets worse.
- Upright and Fully Bristled Tail: Aggression or defense from another cat.
- Fluffed Out and Lowered Tail: Fear or trying to avoid a confrontation with another cat.
- Tail Downward and Tucked Between the Legs: Submission or defeat.
- Tail Wrapped or Tucked Around the Body: Contentment or slightly defensive (if cat is meek).
It is interesting to note that when cats are in conflict and their tails are bristled, they will turn their body sideways. This makes their bodies appear larger in hope of scaring off the opponent during the stare down phase.
A cat’s tail is used for balancing. If a cat is walking on top of a fence or on top of a narrow wall and decides to turn its head sideways, its tail will automatically move in the opposite direction. This shifts the center of gravity and prevents the cat from falling off. If a cat is running or pouncing and decides to change direction, the tail works as a counter weight and allows the cat to make a sudden turn without losing its balance.
Although tails are the main indicators of a cat’s mood, it sometimes can be misleading. Observing other features such as eyes, ears, legs and mouth can play a role in determining the feelings and messages a cat is sending out. Reaction to anger, fear or other stimuli is not an intentional response; it is based on a cat’s reflexes. For this reason, it may show the same signs when fearful or when being aggressive. Maybe this helps support the belief that cats are mysterious creatures! © Maureen K. Fleury
Some cats, such as the Manx and Japanese Bobtail do not have a tail. However, they will move the small stump that they do have around as it was a tail and so you can still determine their mood by paying close attention.
Folklore and Superstition
There is a vast amount of legend, superstition and folklore surrounding the cat. Much of it seems to involve their tails. This is possibly because of the wide variation in tail length and shape. Here are a few of the stories I've come across:
Hairs
The hairs on the tip of the cat's tail are often associated with magical powers. In some stories they have been used as an aid to divination, in others they are the mark of the devil.
Luck
Stepping on the tail of a cat is said to bring bad luck. Since the cat is unlikely to be pleased by such an event I can imagine this superstition coming true very quickly!
Straying
Some stories say that a cat can be prevented from straying by burying a portion of its tail by the door of your home. Depending on the source, this requires anything from a few hairs to the entire tail - needless to say, I do not recommend the latter approach! In some legends the reason that certain breeds of cat have evolved short or non-existent tails is to avoid this practice.
Ark
Another tale to account for the Manx cat's lack of tail is that it was caught in the door of the ark when Noah slammed it shut. I can imagine the cat being late and looking at Noah with a "Yeah, yeah - don't rush me" expression!
Vampires
Oriental vampires were said to be able to transform themselves into cats. However they could always be recognized because they would have two tails.
Kinked
The kinked tail of the Siamese cat is said to have come into being when a princess used it to store her rings whilst bathing. The cat curled its tail around the rings to protect them and Siamese cats have had a kinked tail ever since.
The Fascinating
Feline Tongue
A Cat’s Tongue – Rough, Tough and Versatile
A feeling of rough sandpaper as you are licked by your cat is a reminder that its long, muscular tongue serves many functions, including grooming.
A Grooming Tool and More
A cat’s ability to groom itself is the result of numerous knobs called papillae on the surface of a cat’s tongue. Located at the tongue’s center, the papillae form backward-facing hooks containing large amounts of keratin, the same material found in human fingernails. These hooks provide the abrasiveness a cat needs for self-grooming. The strength of these hooks also helps a cat hold food or struggle with prey.
Your Help is Needed
Although the abrasiveness of a cat’s tongue helps it to clean itself and untangle its hair, your help is needed through regular grooming. As you groom your cat, you are removing loose and dead hair. Otherwise a cat may ingest this hair and hair balls can form, which can cause vomiting and may cause impaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Longhaired cats need daily grooming; shorthaired cats should be groomed at least once a week.
A Matter of Taste
Studies show that the cat’s sense of taste is keener than that of the dog. This acute sense of taste is the result of two sets of taste buds.
Mushroom-shaped papillae at the tip and sides of the tongue hold some of the largest taste buds. A set of cup-shaped papillae are located at the back of the tongue.
Palatability studies at the Purina Pet Care Center and other studies show that in addition to flavor, a cat’s tongue reacts to the texture or mouth feel of a particular food. This is one of the reasons dry cat foods come in a variety of shapes.
The cat’s tongue also reacts to temperature and shows a preference for foods at room temperature.
When Cats Lap it Up
A cat’s tongue becomes spoon-shaped to enable it to lap liquids. Notice how its tongue laps under water in much the same manner as an elephant uses its trunk. It flicks its tongue quickly in and out of the water, swallowing after every third or fourth lap.
A cat’s water intake will vary depending on the season of the year, activity and type of diet being fed. Cats consuming canned cat food diets will not drink as much water as those fed dry food. If, for some reason, a cat does not appear to be drinking enough water, more water can be added to the food.
Always keep fresh water in a clean bowl available to your cat. Water is an essential ingredient and is involved in virtually every function of a cat’s body.
HAS THE CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?
Why don't you speak? Your silence is suspicious. The saying originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was used when addressing a child who refused to answer a parent's questions after some mischief. It's also used to address a shy child. Often shortened to 'cat got your tongue?'
The expression "cat got your Tongue" comes from the English sailing ship days, and refers to the cat of nine tails, if the captain or other officer told someone something in secrecy he would 'get the cat' if he was to tell the others, naturally if the others wanted to know what had been said they would ask, tell us, or are you afraid!!! ..I.e. has the cat got your tongue!
As is often the case with idioms, no one's positive of the origins of "cat got your tongue." However, there's no shortage of theories. Here are a few, in no particular order...
Theory #1
The saying comes from the Middle East, where as punishment, liars had their tongues ripped out and fed to the king's cats.
Theory #2
Fear of a whipping with a cat-o'-nine-tails, or "cat" for short, could paralyze a victim into silence.
Theory #3
The expression comes from the Middle Ages when witches were greatly feared and often put to death. It was believed that if you saw a witch, her cat would somehow "steal" or control your tongue so you couldn't report the sighting.
Theory #4
This one comes from our old friend Evan Morris, the Word Detective: "There's no particular logic to 'cat got your tongue,' except that cats have served as the object of human myth and metaphor for thousands of years."
| Q. | Is it true that cats always land on their feet? |
| A. |  If cats fall a short distance, they can almost always right themselves and land on their feet. If they fall more than one or two floors, however, they may sustain severe or even fatal injuries. The number of cats who become injured from falling is increasing, partially because of the large number of multi-story apartment buildings. Cats who are injured during falls are often said to have 'high rise syndrome.'
The uniqueness of the cat's skeleton is one of the reasons they can right themselves so quickly. Cats do not have a collarbone, and the bones in their backbone have more mobility than in many other animals. For these reasons, cats have free movement of their front legs and they can easily bend and rotate their bodies. This allows them to land feet first. Their feet and legs can cushion the impact. This righting reflex begins to appear at 3-4 weeks of age, and is perfected at 7 weeks. If cats fall a larger distance such as two or more floors, even though they can right themselves, their legs and feet can no longer absorb all of the shock. Their heads may hit the ground and they often bruise their chin and may fracture some teeth. Falls of four or more floors cause the cat to hit the ground at maximum velocity and thus acquire a multitude of injuries including a ruptured diaphragm, torn liver, and fractured bones. There are certainly instances of cats falling only a short distance and acquiring severe injuries. For the safety of your cat, always be sure upstairs windows are screened. Balconies and upstairs porches should be off-limits unless screened or cats are restricted from the edges and railings with the use of a harness and leash. (Be sure the leash is short enough to prevent the cat from jumping on the railing, or reaching the edge of the porch.) |
For this anti-gravity experiment we will need one cat (preferably cute) and one piece of toast buttered on one side only. Now this experiment relies on two constants, one being a cat in motion will always land on its feet. And the other being when buttered toast travels from point X to point Y, it will always land butter side down. Once the cat and toast have been properly joined together with the butter side facing away from the fur step back and enjoy, because there is no way for this paired object to reach the ground according to our newly proven scientific laws. Think about it, if the toast were about to land buttered side down that would void the kitten from landing on its feet. However, if the kitten was to land on its paws then the buttered side of the toast wouldn't be face down on the floor. There is no conceivable way for them both to land.