Amazing Cat Facts You Probably Did Not Know

Long before the advent of the internet, people have been keeping cats as pets. There are many ancient cultures that have recorded the domestication of the cat. Originally, it was believed that Egyptians first domesticated the cat. It was common for Egyptians to keep pet cats near their homes and farms because they were seen as great predators of vermin and pests.

But in 2004, an archaeological exploration uncovered a 9,500-year-old cat grave in Cyprus. This is the earliest evidence found for domestication of cats, which predates Egyptian art about cats by over 4,000 years!

Cats can rotate their ears 180 degrees and this is a very helpful trait because it provides them with a 360 degree hearing. They use this to their advantage, seeming to be able to track everything around them without moving their head. This is because of the head and neck muscles that attach to the ears, which can contract and relax depending on whether the cat needs them to or not.

Cats are believed to be the only mammals who don’t taste sweetness. Cats don't have a taste receptor for sweet things and can’t tell the difference between sweet and salty. They are also the only mammals who can’t taste fats.

The reason for this is because, they lack a specific protein called T1R3, which humans and other animals have, to detect fat. Cats also have a scent-gland organ on their forehead just above the nose, which releases a potent oil from glands near their mouths. This scent is used to mark their territory and identify individual cats.

A cat has 230 bones in its body whereas humans have 206. The extra ones are in the tail and front paws, which act as a counterbalance.

A cat's whiskers are almost as sensitive as their nose, so they can use them to feel around in the dark for things and to determine which small spaces they can fit into.

Whiskers are also found on cats' rear legs. They have a second respiratory organ that allows them to taste scents on the air. Which is why, your kitty stares at you with open mouth, from time-to-time.

Have you ever noticed that cats walk like camels and giraffes? Their walking sequence begins with a forward push from the right two feet followed by a similar movement from the left. They move half of their bodies at once when traveling in this way.

Camels and giraffes are the only other animals to walk this way.

The famous scientist, Isaac Newton is known for calculating gravity. But did you know, he was the one to invent the cat door? While working on his experiments at the University of Cambridge, he was constantly interrupted by his cats scratching at the door.

So he called the Cambridge carpenter to saw two holes in the door, one for the mother cat and one for her kittens!

If you’ve watched your four-legged furry friends charging around the living room when they’re feeling lively, you already know that cats are pretty quick. But you won’t believe this cat fact. A house cat can hit a speed of around 30mph, which is so fast that they could beat Usain Bolt in a 200-meter dash!

A house cat's genome is 95.6 percent tiger, and they share many behavior patterns with their jungle ancestors. These behavior patterns include scent marking by scratching, prey play, prey stalking, pouncing, chinning, and urine marking. So, how is your mini tiger?!?

70% of cats' lifetimes are actually spent sleeping, so around 13-16 hours each day is devoted to it. They also spend up to a third of their waking hours, grooming. Cats like to curl up on top of things, which lends them the scent of their owners. This includes, pillow, blanket or even dirty clothes of the owner.

When your dog wags her tail, it could be an indication of happiness. But this isn't the case for cats. When your cat wags her tail, it may be her way of warning you that you are getting on her last nerve.

Cats purr when they are happy – but, they also purrs when they are frightened or threatened. It's like a nervous habit when the cat is agitated. A cat’s purrs vibrate at a frequency of 25 to 150 hertz, which is the same frequency at which muscles and bones repair themselves. That’s why purrs are believed to have healing powers.

Cats are natural hunters. One of the reasons they are so successful is because their eyes are much more sensitive to movement than our own.

They can detect objects moving at speeds of up to four millimeters per second, helping them to quickly zero in on their prey. Cats also have a wider field of vision than we do, allowing them to see more of their surroundings at once.

This combination of heightened senses and expansive view makes cats some of the best hunters around. Cats can see in the dark and have better vision than humans. This is because they have a layer of cells in their eyes called "tapetum lucidum" that allows them to see better in low light conditions.

Have you ever wondered why your cat does not sweat heavily when it is very warm outside, in spite of the fact that it has very thick fur? Cats only have sensitive sweat glands in certain parts of their paws. In fact, when you notice wet patches on their paws, you can assume that your cat is sweating during the more humid months of the year.

However, most of the time, when it's hot, cats simply seek out a cool place to lie down.