20 FUN CAT FACTS

  Of all its senses, a cat's strongest is its hearing. They hear about four times as well as a human. Cats possess extraordinary hearing, detecting sounds at frequencies up to 60,000 vibrations per second, while humans can only hear up to 20,000. They also have a superior sense of smell — cats have an astounding 200 million odor sensors, compared to our measly 5 million.

  Purring actually improves bone density and promotes healing within a cat. The purring frequency — 26 Hertz — apparently aids in tissue regeneration and can help stimulate the repair of weak and brittle bones.

  Cats are better at problem-solving than dogs. And they have a better capacity for visual learning than dogs as well.

  Cats have a distinct pattern their nose, like a human fingerprint.

  Cats have a third eyelid called a haw. It’s generally only visible when they’re unwell.

  Cats can drink seawater. Unlike humans, cats have kidneys that can filter out salt and use the water content to hydrate their bodies.
 
  Cats can’t see directly below their noses . That’s why they miss food that’s right in front of them.

  By neutering  a cat, you add about two to three years to its life.

  Cats may have evolved  their “tone of voice” to communicate with humans. Cats' natural vocal range would be inaudible to humans, but they communicate feelings such as affection, hunger, and fear within the range of human hearing. Some researchers believe that this is learned behaviour to help cats to relate to humans.

  In fact, cats can make over 100 vocal sounds.Dogs can only make 10.

   If you're a cat owner you're apparently 40 percent less likely to have a heart attack. A ten-year study from the University of Minnesota Stroke Center found that people who owned cats were also 30 percent less likely to have strokes.

   The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, employs 70 stray cats that are tasked with controlling the mice population and preventing them from chewing on the artwork.

   House cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers and they share many behaviours with their jungle ancestors such as scent marking, stalking prey, and pouncing.

   A housecat can run to the speed of about 30 mph over short distances. This means that a cat can outrun superstar runner Usain Bolt in a 200-meter dash!

   Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, absolutely loved cats and would play with them for hours. He owned several cats during this time in the White House.

   Unlike humans and many other animals, cats do not have taste buds that can detect sweet flavours. This is thought to be because their diet, which is high in protein, does not require them to have a sweet tooth.

   Cats cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads.

   Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require a diet of primarily meat to meet their nutritional needs.

   Kittens are born toothless, and their first set of teeth break through the gums at around 3 weeks. By the time they’re around 4 to 6 weeks, they’ll already have most of their 26 deciduous teeth. Like humans, kittens lose their baby teeth to make way for adult teeth. By 6–7 months, their 30 adult teeth will come in to replace the baby teeth. 

   Cats have nearly twice the amount of neurons in their cerebral cortex as dogs.