Cats hate the water because their fur does not insulate well when it’s wet. The Turkish Van, however, is one cat that likes swimming. Bred in central Asia, its coat has a unique texture that makes it water resistant.
Cats prefer to remain non-confrontational. They will not fight to show dominance, but rather to stake their territory. Cats will actually go to extremes to avoid one another in order to prevent a possible confrontation.
The oldest cat on record was Crème Puff from Austin, Texas, who lived from 1967 to August 6, 2005, three days after her 38th birthday. A cat typically can live up to 20 years, which is equivalent to about 96 human years.
In ancient Egypt, when a family cat died, all family members would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning.
Ailurophile is the word cat lovers are officially called.
The heaviest cat on record is Himmy, a Tabby from Queensland, Australia. He weighed nearly 47 pounds (21 kg). He died at the age of 10.
Approximately 24 cat skins can make a coat.
Relative to its body size, the clouded leopard has the biggest canines of all animals’ canines. Its dagger-like teeth can be as long as 1.8 inches (4.5 cm).
There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds.
All cats have three sets of long hairs that are sensitive to pressure - whiskers, eyebrows,and the hairs between their paw pads.
A tiger's stripes are like fingerprints
During the Middle Ages, cats were associated with withcraft, and on St. John’s Day, people all over Europe would stuff them into sacks and toss the cats into bonfires. On holy days, people celebrated by tossing cats from church towers.
A cat's field of vision is about 200 degrees.
A cat’s eyesight is both better and worse than humans. It is better because cats can see in much dimmer light and they have a wider peripheral view. It’s worse because they don’t see color as well as humans do. Scientists believe grass appears red to cats.
In multi-cat households, cats of the opposite sex usually get along better.
Cats are extremely sensitive to vibrations. Cats are said to detect earthquake tremors 10 or 15 minutes before humans can.
Cats can be right-pawed or left-pawed.
Tylenol and chocolate are both poisionous to cats.
The smallest pedigreed cat is a Singapura, which can weigh just 4 lbs (1.8 kg), or about five large cans of cat food. The largest pedigreed cats are Maine Coon cats, which can weigh 25 lbs (11.3 kg), or nearly twice as much as an average cat weighs.
Cats are subject to gum disease and to dental caries. They should have their teeth cleaned by the vet or the cat dentist once a year.
The domestic cat is the only species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. You can also learn about your cat's present state of mind by observing the posture of his tail.
A cat's jaw has only up and down motion; it does not have any lateral, side to side motion, like dogs and humans.
It may take as long as 2 weeks for a kitten to be able to hear well. Their eyes usually open between 7 and 10 days, but sometimes it happens in as little as 2 days.
In Siam, the cat was so revered that one rode in a chariot at the head of a parade celebrating the new king.
The richest cat is Blackie who was left £15 million by his owner, Ben Rea.