Facts About Cats: These 9 May Surprise You

Cats have been revered, painted, and the subject of literature from the time of the ancient Egyptians to the present. We’ll take a look at 10 fascinating cat facts in this article, some of which you might not be aware of.

1. Cats have greater night vision than people do in daylight. 

The tapetum lucidum, an additional membrane found only in cats, reflects light back through the retina. Their pupils are dilated to allow for this, which gives them night vision but also means they can’t see as well in strong light as humans can.

Example of the difference between humans and cats vision at night. (Image credit: Nickolay Lamm)

2. The first year of your cat’s life is considered the equivalent of 15 human years.

Nine more human years are added to the total in the second year, making two cat years equal about 24 human years. After that, each human year will be approximately four additional “cat years”.

3. Cats sleep 16-18 hours per day on average

This makes them one of the most sleep-loving animals on earth! However, they are not lazy – they need all that sleep because it helps them keep their bodies healthy and rested.

4. Cats can’t taste sweetness.

Sweet taste buds do not exist in felines. This is because one of the two genes required to produce the sweetness receptor was permanently turned off millions of years ago.

5. A cat’s purr is a sign of contentment, but it also has healing properties.

A cat purrs at a frequency of 20-140 Hz, which is known to be medically beneficial for human illnesses. Not only can a cat’s purr reduce stress, but it can also help with labored breathing, lower blood pressure, heal infections, and even heal bones.

6. Cats can only see shades of grey or black and white.

According to research, cats don’t seem to be able to distinguish all the hues that people can. Some scientists claim that cats only see blue and gray, while others argue that, like their canine counterparts, they also perceive yellow.

7. Cats have more than 200 million odor sensors in their noses; humans have just 5 million.

Because their sense of smell is so acute, it’s essential to be aware of things like scented litter, the smells of other animals on you, or an unfamiliar scent in your cat’s environment (such as a new piece of furniture or a house guest). These things may irritate your feline companion.

8. Cats are one of the oldest domesticated animals on the planet, having been tamed for nearly 9,500 years!

A statue of the the cat godess Bastet that was found in the remains of a temple belonging to Queen Berenice, the wife of King Ptolemy III (246-222 BC) in Alexandria, Egypt. Photograph: Egyptian Department of Antiquities/EPA

9. Cats can run at a speed of almost 30 mph (50km/h)

Your average healthy housecat, however, with no training, no conditioning, no stretching, and no carb loading can bolt at an amazing speed of about 30 mph.

We hope you learned something new about the feline species. If you are a cat owner or are considering to get one, it is good to know about their unique features and how they can enrich your life.รน


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