Cats are curious, spontaneous creatures with attitude and sass like no other animal. To know them is to love them, and even if you label yourself a cat lover, you still may not know everything about the feline kind.
Here are 10 fun and interesting things you didn’t know about cats…
Source: Barbara Müller-Walter via Flickr
1. Some cats actually like water
The Turkish Angora is one of the ancient breeds of domesticated cat, known for its sleek body and high pointed ears. This breed is naturally drawn to water and some have even been reported as swimming or wading in pools of it. There are a few other breeds that have been known to like water, such as the: American Shorthair, Maine Coon, American Bobtail and the Turkish Van.
2. Cats are manipulative—when they need to be
Everyone knows that when a cat is hungry, they won’t beat around the bush about it. They will rub on you, paw at you and some might even meow at the top of their lungs. While this may appear something like a distress call, cats practice this behavior to manipulate their owners to get what they want—food!
3. Cats dream just like us
If a cat is relaxed enough and has entered a deep sleep, their little minds produce the same brain wave patterns that we do to send them into dream land. Maybe there kitty can catch that pesky squirrel for real this time!
Source: @Alex Goodey via Flickr
4. Cats can get sick from eating chocolate just like dogs
Not usually one to fall in the same category with a canine, cats also cannot tolerate chocolate and consuming it can cause them to become very ill. Cats are carnivorous by nature and they don’t have a taste for the sweet stuff. Still, be sure to be careful when leaving it out so kitty doesn’t find it.
Source: @Hope Abrams via Flickr
5. They have the ability to tolerate heat very well despite the fur
Domesticated cats are all descendants to their ancestor big cats-many of which could be found in desert settings centuries ago. Because of this, cats can tolerate high temperatures well and pant to cool themselves. (They even have the ability to sweat—through the pads on the bottoms of their feet!)
6. Careful, not too close!
Because their eyes are so large, cats are not able to focus on anything closer than a foot in front of them—making them farsighted. Luckily they have the ability to use their whiskers to sense things that they can’t clearly see.
7. Don’t call it a cat nap
Although it may sometimes seem like you’ve got a narcoleptic kitty on your hands, it’s actually natural for your feline to spend most of their time napping. On average, a domesticated cat spends approximately 2/3 of its life asleep. Must be nice!
8. Cats don’t have collarbones
Without a collarbone, this allows cats the flexibility to fit through openings the size of their heads. Now maybe you know how kitty wedged their body in places you didn’t think possible!
9. You are not allergic to cats
For all those people who say they’re allergic to cats, well, they aren’t allergic to the cats themselves. People are actually allergic to cat dander, not cat fur. This is because cat’s produce a hormone in their saliva that triggers allergies for humans. Due to cats “bathing” themselves, this is how the saliva spreads on the fur. Coincidentally, there are some cat breeds that are proven to be hypoallergenic.
Source: @Val D’Aquila via Flickr
10. Catnip Isn’t Just for Kittens
Surprisingly, catnip can have an affect on cats of all shapes and sizes. Reports have shown that catnip has an affect on all cats (young and adult) and not only that, but even big cats such as lions and tigers… oh my!
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