We all love our feline friends (even when they give us the cold shoulder for no reason at all), but how much do you really know about them?
Take a look at these 15 cat facts so you can try to better understand your furry companion.
1. Abraham Lincoln was a cat lover. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was once asked if Abe had any hobbies and she responded, “Cats!”
2. Cats purr for many reasons: when they’re happy, stressed, sick, hurt, or giving birth.
3. More than half of cats don’t respond to catnip, but researchers have discovered that catnip sensitivity is hereditary.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
4. Many historical figures loved and owned cats, including Mark Twain, Florence Nightengale, and Pope John Paul II.
5. Cats spend 30-50% of their day grooming themselves. They do this for several reasons: it tones down their scent so they can avoid predators, they cool themselves down this way, and it gets their blood flowing. Cats show affection by grooming each other, and it’s believed that their saliva serves as a natural antibiotic for wounds.
6. A group of cats born to one mother is called a kindle. A group of fully-grown cats is called a clowder.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
7. The oldest living current as of this writing is a 30-year-old kitty named Rubble.
8. The average running cat can clock in at a whopping 30 mph.
9. The first cat was launched into space by France in 1963. Félicette made it safely back to Earth.
10. A lot of people are allergic to cats, but it turns out 1 in 200 cats has asthma.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
11. In 2015, the most popular breed of cat in the U.S. was the Exotic Shorthair, followed by the Persian and the Maine Coon.
12. Ancient Egyptians revered cats and worshipped a half-feline goddess named Bastet.
13. Researchers in England found that people with college degrees are 1.36 times more likely to have a cat as opposed to another pet.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
14. Most cats hate water, but certain breeds enjoy it, including the Turkish Van, Maine Coons, and Bengals.
15. A cat has 244 bones in its body. A human only has 206.
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