Some Interesting Facts About That Darned Cat!

Cats are some of the most interesting members of the animal kingdom. Some of them stay wild in the thick forests while some of them stay tamed (well, they let us think so), and oh-so-comfortable, in our homes. People throughout the centuries have valued cats as hunters, worshipped them as gods, and sacrificed them as demons. Wherever they are, whoever you talk to, one way or another you'll find cats are very fascinating and they possess really exquisite characteristics. These are just a few of those cool facts about cats:

• Did you know that cats can see 6 times better than human beings? Yes, according to studies, it is during night time when cats can really see more than we can.
• Cats can see up to 120 feet away and their peripheral vision is about 285 degrees. Humans have much weaker peripheral vision, though it can be trained to expand.
• According to Sarah Hartwell at www.messybeast.com/intelligence.htm#world in her article "How Intelligent Are Cats?", we can distinguish around 100 distinct hues while cats see red, orange, yellow and green as one color. Blue and violet are seen as another color. Other hues are variations on these two colors (much as monochrome photos are different shades of grey). They can tell that a red object is not black, grey or white, but cannot distinguish it from a green object. Because we evolved for daytime living, we have poor vision in dim light. Cats are more active in dim light where color vision is less important than good night vision. Also, Cats’ visual acuity is between 4 and 10 times worse than humans. In medical terms, cats have 20/80 vision meaning that what a normally sighted human can see well at 80 feet, a cat can only see in as much detail at 20 feet.
• Cats can be found in every corner of the world, from steaming Africa to icy cool Greenland.
• About 80% of all cats - wild and domestic, big and small - have the same reaction to catnip; however, tigers and kittens under 6 months of age don't react at all to it.
• Each cat's nose pad is as unique as a human's fingerprint, not one nose pad is like another.
• Cats do not like their food hot or cold, they prefer it at room temperature.
• Just like dogs, cats can swim it just so happens that they're just not into it that much.
• The average cat sleeps about 12-14 hours a day, though it's not unheard of for cats that live in hot temperatures to sleep up to eighteen hours. These areas include areas like the desert or the tropics.
• Cats have more bones than a human, 230 compared to our 206. They also have 30 teeth (12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 canines and 4 molars)
• Unlike dogs and humans, cats can't move their jaw from side to side.
• Cats were first domesticated about 4,000 years ago by the Egyptians.
• There are 36 species of wild cats and 53 domestic species, all of which are carnivores.
• Domestic cats have a top speed of about 30 mph, while the fastest wild cat, the Cheetah of course, has a top speed of about 60 mph (though some say it's closer to 70 mph). The fastest human ran 12.1 meters per second, which translates to about 27 mph.
• Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway, and Germany have passed laws banning the declawing of cats. I say 'Thank You!' and more countries should follow suit.

Different breeds of cats have different characteristics and temperaments you must consider when you're looking for one of your own. Some cats just don't fit with some people; however, when you find one that suits you the benefits to your mood, your health, and your life are amazing.

Copyright © ThunderWolf December 13, 2008