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)