Interesting and amusing facts that will help you understand your cat

Cats are especially competent creatures, and the following trivia adds to their mystique:

The life expectancy of cats has nearly doubled since 1930, going from 8 to 16 years. Some cats have been documented to have lived as long as 34 years.
Domestic cats purr both when inhaling and when exhaling. Their purr can be compared at the same frequency (about 26 cycles per second) to an idling diesel engine. Cats take between 20-40 breaths per minute.
Sometimes a cat will purr loudly when afraid or in pain.
When frightened, the hair on a cat stands up evenly all over the body. When ready to attack, the only the hair in a narrow band along the spine and tail stands up.
Normal pulse for a cat is 140-240 beats per minute, average of 195.
Normal body temperature for a cat is 102 degrees F. They have difficulty maintaining their body temperature when they are in water.
A cat's liver is less effective at detoxifying than virtually any other animal's. That is part of the reason why cats tend to be so finicky about food.
Cats love sardines.
Since cats cannot produce fat on their own, they must get it from their diet.
You've probably heard that you can read your cat's state of mind by observing the posture of its tail, but did you know that the domestic cat is the only species that can hold its tail vertically while walking? They also are one of the very few species that typically walks with both the front and back legs on each side of their body at the same time.
Almost 10% of a cat's bones are in its tail, and the tail is used to maintain balance.
Usually a cat's front paw has 5 toes, and the back paws have 4. However, in Boston, 6-toed kittens have become so common that experts consider it an established mutation. (See this site.)
Cats walk on their toes. They can be right-pawed or left-pawed.
Humans have 206 bones; cats have 230.
The cat's collarbone is buried in the muscles of the shoulder region. The lack of connection with other bones is why they can fit through any opening the size of their head.
Cat’s eyes are the largest eyes on any mammal in relation to their body size.
Cats are curious to be sure. When they want something, they can use their intelligence to figure out how to get it. They actually think and form conclusions to solve problems.
A cat’s recollection time is about 16 hours compared to a dog’s 5 minutes.
A cat's brain is more like a man's brain than it is like a dog's. Certain areas of the brain responsible for emotion in humans and in cats are identical.
Cats can hear much more acutely than a human or a dog. Their hearing stops at 65 khz; humans' hearing stops at 20 khz.
Cats have 32 muscles that control the outer ear so that it can rotate its ears independently 180 degrees. Humans have 6 muscles per each ear. Kittens don't develop good hearing until about 2 weeks old. Blue-eyed, pure white cats are frequently deaf.
At night, a cat can see about 6 times better than a human can, needing only about 1/6 the amount of light. It has a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light.
Contrary to myth that cats are color blind, research shows that cats can see some colors like blue and green. They might also be able to distinguish red from other colors. Its field of vision is about 185 degrees.
Cats respond most readily to names that end with an "ee," such as Misty, Blondie, Hickory, Andy, Maggie.
Cats like their "owners" to speak to them.
Cats rarely "meow" at each other. That sound is reserved for when talking to humans.
A cat's jaw does not have any lateral, side-to-side motion as do dogs and humans. It only has an up-and-down motion.
A cat's tongue has tiny barbs on it. They lap liquid with their tongue from the underside, not the top.
Jacobson's organ is a special scent organ located in the roof of a cat's mouth which analyzes smells. While a human has between 5 and 20 million olfactory cells, a cat has approximately 60 to 80 million.
The common housecat has a sprinting speed of around 31 miles per hour while most dogs (save the high-speed breeds such as the greyhound) run around 15-25 miles an hour.
When it comes to discomfort, cats tend to be stoic. A cat will shiver when it is in extreme pain.
Many cats enjoy having their forehead gently rubbed. If a cat is frightened, help keep it calm by putting your hand over its eyes and forehead.
Whiskers on a cat are for measuring distances. They also help a cat notice small changes in air pressure.
Like fingerprints, no two cat’s noses are the same. Each has its own unique pattern.
The silks created by weavers in Baghdad were copied from varied colors of striped cat coats. They were called "tabby" by European traders.
At one time in Egypt when cats were revered as royalty, family members shaved their eyebrows in mourning when their cat died.

"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." - Anonymous

Adopt a cat from the Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N Havana St, Spokane, WA 99217
(509) 467-5235

Kittens under 6 months, $85
Kittens 7 months to 1 year, $60
Cats, $25
Special needs cats, No fee

All fees includes spay/neuter, current DHPP/Bordetella or FVRCP vaccinations, de-worming, microchip, 30-days ShelterCare health insurance policy and wellness exam at owner’s veterinarian.