Essential things to know about cats

Although dogs are the ones with the title 'Man's Best Friend', cats are as loveable and good company as dogs. Cats are excellent pets, but they have their own codes that we all need to know and understand. That's why we bring you some cat curiosities so you can enjoy your relationship with your feline friends even more.

Picture: Marko Ganzaro / Unsplash

In Ancient Egypt, people as well as pharaohs considered cats sacred animals. We can find numerous statues and hieroglyphics with the shape of this animal. Even goddesses like Bastet o Sekhmet were represented with a feline head.

Cats are older than dogs but were domesticated not that long ago. According to the studies of the University of Vienna and the Scotland National Museum, the domestication of cats occurred 10,000 years ago and took place in the Near East and the North of Africa.

Picture: sambhavsaxena02 / Pixabay

Cats' worst period in history was the Middle Ages. They were killed and burned alive for being considered a symbol of the devil and witches. More so if they were black.

Picture: Carla Luca de Tena / Unsplash

According to the legend, one night in 1560, in Lincolnshire (England), a father and his son encountered a black cat and attacked it with stones. The cat took shelter in the house of a woman who was previously accused of being a witch. The next day the said woman appeared with bruises and wounds and people believed she was that same cat and that the witch was able to transform into the animal to wander the streets at night.

Fortunately, not in all countries, black cats mean bad luck. In places like Scotland, Australia, or Japan it's just the opposite.

It depends on their age and other circumstances — like their daily physical activity, whether or not they are in heat, or if they have an illness —, but it is estimated that an adult cat sleeps an average of 15 hours per day. Kittens and older cats can sleep almost 20 hours per day.

Picture: Filipe Resmini  / Unsplash

It depends on the breed and other factors like diet or illnesses, but normally a cat lives between 12 and 15 years. Siamese cats, for example, live an average of 18 years. According to the 2010 Guinness World Records book, a cat in Austin (Texas) named Crème Puff was the oldest cat in history and lived 38 years and 3 days.

Picture: Karishea / Pixabay

A cat's whiskers are one of its most important sensory tools; thanks to them they gather a lot of information about its surroundings and are able to estimate distances. That's why whiskers should never be cut.

Their ears are also very important. They have 32 muscles each and can turn 180° degrees. Each ear can move individually so cats can identify where a sound is coming from. It seems like they hear high-pitched sounds better, so they prefer feminine voices.

According to some experts, felines only use their meows to communicate with humans. And depending on how they are doing it, it means something different.

Picture: Kanashi / Pixabay

Cats not only communicate with a meow... They also purr — this can mean that they are comfortable or that they don't feel well. Their complaints can almost sound like a baby cry when they are trying to get something.

Their famous nine lives are somewhat true: cats are designed to survive major falls thanks to their physical characteristics. According to a 1987 study by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the higher the fall — of course, to a limit — the more possibilities to avoid damage. The reason? They need at least 1'5 meters to turn around and prepare their bodies and legs for the impact. They are able to simulate a parachute effect and 'cushion' their landing with their strong muscles.

According to a 2019 research by the Sofia University of Tokyo, led by researcher Atsuko Saito, domestic cats are able to identify their names when humans are calling them.

Picture: Tasos Mansour / Unsplash

It's not scientifically proven, but it seems that cats are able to notice chemical changes in our bodies and when a woman is pregnant, they modify their behavior toward her. Some may distance themselves for days, but usually, cats tend to be more affectional and protective.

Picture: Cocoparisienne / Pixabay

If your cat is laying with her face up and lets you touch their belly, it means that the cat is extremely relaxed and trusts you. The animal feels that the environment is safe and familiar.

Picture: Pexels / Pixabay

Their tongue is rough because of their spike-shaped papillae which are made of keratin, like human nails. Thanks to that shape and touch, their tongues help them eat and clean themselves, among other things.

Picture: TeamK / Pixabay

They don't need water to clean themselves. In fact, veterinaries do not recommend bathing them because it can dry their skin and erase their pheromones. Cats use their saliva to clean themselves because it helps them naturally eliminate grease.

Cats can be compatible with water, but generally, their skin and fur don't adjust well to it. Ancestrally, cats belonged to desertic places where water wasn't abundant. However, after their domestication, there are some cats that enjoy the water, and some breeds, like the Van Turco cats, that are even considered great swimmers.

Cats hide their droppings in the sand to avoid smells and keep predators away, that's why it's really important for them to have a good litter box.

Picture: Sarah Brown / Unsplash

Due to a chromosomal anomaly, three-colored cats are usually females.

They have 5 fingers on each of their front legs, but unlike humans, only four on their back ones. A total of eighteen.

Picture: Dimhou / Pixabay

They like to do it to mark their territory; scratches are not only annoying marks but also a way in which cats spread their hormones.

Picture: Daga_Roszkowska / Pixabay

Like snakes, cats use the Jacobson's organ to hunt or reproduce. It's an auxiliary organ that enhances their sense of smell and is placed in the vomeronasal bone (between the nose and the mouth). With this extra tool, they get to analyze molecules such as pheromones.

They also use their tails to communicate. For example, when its tale is straight up, it means that the cat is happy. However, if they hide it between their legs, it shows submission.

Similar to our fingerprints, we have their noses. Each and every cat's nose is unique, they have different lines and shapes, and you'll never see two that look the same.

Due to a genetic mutation in their taste buds, they cannot perceive sweet flavors and scents.

They hate some smells like orange, lemon, onion, or vinegar.

Chocolate is toxic for cats: cacao has substances like caffeine and theobromine that cannot be digested by these animals. In high doses, chocolate can cause the cat's death. The same thing goes for lactose; cats cannot digest it well and the older they get, the more intolerant they become.

Picture: Sebastian Latorre / Unsplash

When they are just born, cats always have blue eyes, but in the next three weeks, their eyes will change into their true eye color. If the cat is white and the eyes are still blue (or has one blue eye and the other is a different color), it may mean that the cat is deft because of the W gene.

Although people believe cats and dogs can't get along, the truth is they can perfectly live together if some directions are followed. It's best if they are together since they are little. What's more, there are dog breeds that are better to live with cats than others.

Cats' gestation lasts 60 days, which means they usually have 2 or 3 litters per year. In each litter, there's an average of 4 to 6 kittens born.

Not every cat's breed has fur. This is due to a genetic mutation and means that we will have to take special care measurements regarding sun exposure and hygiene.

Picture: Juan Manuel Sanchez / Unsplash