5 Facts About Cats That Will Blow Your Mind
When most people think of a cat, they think of a mischievous, playful and independent creature. But what you might not know is that the feline is far more complex than you could ever imagine. Here are a few facts about cats that will blow your mind:
1. Cats can jump five times their height.
The slender bodies of cats are built for agility, with specialized paw pads that are sticky and oily to help them grip surfaces, climb and sneak up on prey. They also have claws that can retract and extend, allowing them to grasp tightly onto objects. Their sense of smell is keen, with a special organ that allows them to taste scents in the air. Cats can also see in the dark and are more active at dawn and dusk.
2. Cats have more neurons in their cerebral cortex than dogs and humans.
Cats are very intelligent and can learn quickly. They have a unique way of communicating with each other, using meowing, purring, trilling and hissing along with body language. They can also secrete and perceive pheromones, which are chemical signals that can send messages to other animals or even humans.
Their ancestors roamed across the world but have now settled into their current ranges, excluding Antarctica and parts of Asia and Africa. Fluctuating sea levels may have helped them spread across continents, but their innate wanderlust and need to follow prey species probably also played a role. They have become an integral part of many ecosystems, but their success can also be a threat to other animals. As predators that can breed throughout the year and produce many young at once, they can easily overrun other species and contribute to their extinction.
3. The average domestic cat shares 95% of its DNA with a tiger.
Although cats can be cuddle buddies and companions, they remain close to their wild state. The millions of feral cats around the world testify to that. In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped and mummified as symbols of divinity and protection, and harming one was a punishable crime. Today, the domestic cat is an expert hunter and scavenger.
4. Cats spend up to a third of their waking hours grooming.
While this is a form of self-soothing, it’s also a way for them to mark their territory and communicate with other cats. They can also use their rough tongues to lick bones clean of meat.
5. Cats can hear sounds that are too low or high in frequency to be heard by humans, such as the heartbeats of small mammals.
Cats’ ear flaps can be moved independently of each other, enabling them to pinpoint the location of sounds. Their ears are also able to detect frequencies above and below the range that human hearing can pick up, as well as the sounds of other animals’ squeaks and cries. This is why they are so skilled at locating prey. Their superior hearing helps them to stalk their prey and to avoid detection by other predators.