Posts filed under Caturday Cat Facts
Caturday Cat Facts # 8
Cat Quotes by Famous People
“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”
- Jean Cocteau (director) [1]
“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.”
- Leonardo da Vinci (artist) [2]
“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.”
- Jeff Valdez (producer) [3]
“What greater gift than the love of a cat?”
- Charles Dickens (author) [4]
“Meow” means “woof” in cat.”
- George Carlin (comedian) [5]
References:
[1] "Jean Cocteau Quote Citation." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
[2] "Leonardo Da Vinci Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
[3] "Quote By Jeff Valdez." Quotery. N.p., 16 July 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
[4] "Charles Dickens Cat Quote." Cat Quotes, Famous Cat Quotes, Sayings Quotations about Cats & Kittens. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
[5] "George Carlin Quote Citation." A-Z Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
Caturday Cat Facts #7
BBC Earth brings us another captivating cat fact in this educational video, which reveals (in slow motion) how cats use their whiskers to detect movement and capture their prey.
Source: "How Do Cats Use Their Whiskers? Slow-Motion - Cats Uncovered - BBC." YouTube. BBC Earth, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Caturday Cat Facts #6
MICKEY VS. THE CATS: A small army of cats prowls the grounds of Disneyland at night to help control the mouse population. Feral cats at Disneyland have been around since the California Park opened in 1955. Park officials saw the value of the felines as pest control. The Disneyland cats are spayed and neutered and provided medical treatment by the Disney staff. [1]
FAST CATS: The average healthy domestic cat can run at a top speed of about 30 mph (48 kph). [2]
BIRDS FOR CATS: According to a UK journal article, felines are accountable for an estimated 64.8 million bird deaths every year. [3]
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER: Spaying or neutering a cat increases life expectancy: one study found neutered male cats live twice as long as intact males, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact females. [4]
THE MANY LIVES OF A CAT: According to a myth in many cultures, cats have multiple lives. In many countries, they are believed to have nine lives, but in Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil and some Spanish-speaking regions, they are said to have seven lives. [4]
References:
[1] "The Cats of Disneyland." The Cats of Disneyland. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
[2] Reiner, Alex. "Domestic Cat." Domestic Cat. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
[3] Woods, Michael, Robbie A. Mcdonald, and Stephen Harris. "Predation of Wildlife by Domestic Cats Felis Catus in Great Britain." Mammal Review 33.2 (2003): 174-88.
[4] "Cat." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
Caturday Cat Facts #5
SECRET AGENT CATS: In the 1960s, the CIA spent 20 million dollars on a project codenamed “Acoustic Kitty” to spy on the Soviets. The secret agent cats were implanted with listening devices to record and transmit sound from their surroundings. The project was a failure and eventually abandoned. [1]
FELINE LOVER: Ailurophile means lover of cats—from the ancient Greek ailuro (“cat”) + phile (“lover”). An irrational fear of cats is called ailurophobia. [2]
HOLD YOUR TAIL UP HIGH: The domestic cat is the only member of the feline species that can hold its tail upright. Lions, tigers, and other hunters keep their tails horizontally in line with their bodies or tucked under them. [3]
FUR BALL: A hair ball (sometimes called a fur ball) is a matted wad of hairs that a cat swallows while grooming himself. A hair ball usually forms in the stomach and is later vomited up. [3]
THE HONORABLE MR. STUBBS: A cat named Stubbs has been the honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, since 1997. [4]
References:
[1] "Acoustic Kitty." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
[2] "Ailurophile." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
[3] Janik, Carolyn. "Chapter 4." Smart Guide to Understanding Your Cat. Norman, OK: Smart Guide Publications, 2012. 50. Print.
[4] "Stubbs Cat." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
Caturday Cat Facts #4
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
CAT TALK: Kittens meow to communicate with their mothers. Once they get older, cats communicate with each other by hissing, purring, and growling. A cat meows to communicate with humans. [1}
WAITING FOR KITTY: The average gestation period (length of pregnancy) for a cat is around 9 weeks. [2]
MOODY HUMANS: Cats are adept in sensing a human’s mood and feelings. Over time, cats learn the ability to read non-verbal cues such as human facial expressions and emotional gestures. [3]
LIKE FRESH: The ideal temperature for your cat’s food is 38°C (100°F), which is the same as the temperature that his prey would be in the wild. [4]
GESUNDHEIT: People with an allergy to cats are actually allergic to a protein in a cat’s saliva. [4]
References:
[1] "Cat Excessive Meowing and Yowling: Why Cats Meow." WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
[2] Hines, Ronald. "The Stages of Feline Labor - When Your Cat Gives Birth." The Stages of Feline Labor - When Your Cat Gives Birth. Hines, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
[3] Wylie, Robin. "Your Cat Can Pick up on How You Are Feeling." BBC. BBC, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Jan. 2016.
[4] Halls, Vicky. "Section 1." The Secret Life of Your Cat: Unlock the Mysteries of Your Pet's Behavior. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly, 2010. 17. Print.
Caturday Cat Facts #3
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
BABY BLUES: Kittens are born with blue eyes. A cat’s permanent eye color develops by 10 to 12 weeks of age. [1]
USEFUL MUSTACHE: A cat’s whiskers have many nerve endings that serve as touch receptors that can initiate a blink response to protect the eyes. The sensitive whiskers also serve as a navigational aid in the dark and help detect the movement of prey. [2]
NIGHT STALKER: Cats are naturally nocturnal hunters with great night vision. Reflective membranes behind a feline's retina called the tapetum aid in maximizing available light during darkness. [3]
TRUE COLORS: Cats see the world similar to how a color-blind human does. They can see shades of blue and green, but they have a hard time distinguishing reddish tones. Different shades of red tones may appear greenish or bluish to a cat. [3]
MEMORY CHAMPS: Compared to dogs, cats have longer memory retention. Cats can recall information for about 16 hours—a dog’s recall lasts about 5 minutes. [4]
References:
[1] Hartwell, Sarah. "Eye Colours." Eye Colours. MessyBeast, 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
[2] Johnson-Bennett, Pam. "Your Cat’s Whiskers." Cat Whiskers. Pam Johnson-Bennett, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
[3] Spector, Dina. "How Cats See The World Compared To Humans [PICTURES]." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
[4] "How Cats Remember." How Cats Remember. NJ Pet Community, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
Caturday Cat Facts #2
This fascinating video by BBC Earth Unplugged reveals some interesting cat facts relating to our domesticated feline friends and their larger cousins in the wild.
Cats don't have sweat glands? Discover other remarkable facts in the video below:
Source: "Awesome! 10 Cat Facts You Need to Know - Earth Unplugged." YouTube. YouTube, 25 June 2014. Web. 14 Jan. 2016
Did you find these cat facts interesting? Please share your thoughts and comment below.
Caturday Cat Facts #1
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)
ASTROCAT: A female street cat from France named Félicette is the only cat ever to have gone into space. Her 1963 space mission lasted 15 minutes, reaching a height of 97 miles. Félicette returned to earth safely after her capsule parachuted to Earth. [1]
RHYMES WITH CHOWDER: A group of cats is called a clowder. [2]
POPULARITY CONTEST: John Bradshaw, author of Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet, writes: "The domestic cat is the most popular pet in the world today. Across the globe, domestic cats outnumber 'man’s best friend,' the dog, by as many as three to one." [3]
THE NOSE KNOWS: A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than a human’s. [4]
WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM—EXCEPT CATS: Cats cannot taste sweets because they lack a sweet taste receptor. If your cat likes ice cream or other sweet desserts, it is because they are attracted to some other appealing content like: the fat content, salts, amino acids, the smell, etc. [5]
References
[1] "Félicette." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.
[2] "Clowder." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.
[3] Bradshaw, John. Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet. New York, NY: Basic, 2013. Print.
[4] "Cats' Superior Sense of Smell." About.com Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.
[5] Biello, David. "Strange but True: Cats Cannot Taste Sweets." Scientific American. Scientific American, 16 Aug. 2007. Web. 02 Jan. 2016.