You Might Not Know These 12 Domestic Cat Facts

Cats are so amazing, and if you are like me, you keep learning new and fascinating facts about them. Here are 12 domestic cat facts that might be new to you.

• First, did you know that many Egyptians worshiped the goddess Bast, who had a woman’s body and a cat’s head.

• Cats were revered in ancient Egypt. When a family cat died, family members would mourn by shaving off their eyebrows. They also held elaborate funerals; at these, they drank wine and beat their breasts. A sculpted wooden mask was made for the cat and the animal was embalmed. This tiny mummy was placed in the family tomb or in a pet cemetery were there were also tiny mummies of mice.

• Cats’ earliest ancestor lived about 30 million years ago. It was called the Proailurus, which means “first cat” in Greek. Then, much later, (12 million years ago) the ancestors of today’s pet cats emerged.

• Are you interested in the big cats? Today, the biggest wildcat is the Siberian tiger. This animal can be more than 12 feet long (about the size of a small car). It can weigh up to 700 pounds (317 kg)

• If cats entered a popularity contest, the most popular pedigreed cat is the Persian cat. Second is the Maine Coon cat, and it is followed by the Siamese cat.

• Have you ever counted your cat’s whiskers? It usually has about 12 whiskers on each side of its face.

• Have you noticed how your cat chews its food? The cat’s jaw can’t move sideways, so it can’t chew large chunks of food. Be sure to give it small bites.

• The only creature with whom the cat communicates by meows is the human. He reserves those sounds just for us. When communicating with other cats, he might do a little chirp or a purr, or he will hiss. If really angry, he can give battle cries of majestic proportions.

• Cats are so fluid and mobile. Part of the reason for that is that their back is extremely flexible. It has up to 53 loosely fitting vertebrae. We humans only have 34.

• Have you ever wondered what the record is for the most kittens born to one cat? Well, hang on to your hats… A cat called Dusty has the known record for kittens. In her short lifetime, she had more than 420 kittens. Now, that’s really an overworked mother!

• A cat named Hamlet holds the record for being the most traveled cat. He escaped from his carrier while on a flight. The scared kitty hid for seven weeks behind a panel on the airplane. By the time they finally found him, he had traveled nearly 373,000 miles (600,000 km). Now, that’s quite a journey for a cat.

• Here is some information that all cat owners need to know. There are foods that should not be given to cats. These include onions, garlic, green tomatoes, raw potatoes, chocolate, grapes, and raisins. Though milk is not toxic, be aware that it can cause an upset stomach and gas, and possibly diarrhea. Tylenol and aspirin are extremely toxic to cats. So are many common houseplants as well. Read my post on poisonous houseplants. Feeding cats dog food or canned tuna meant for human consumption does not contain all the nutrients that the cat needs, and can cause malnutrition.

This information comes from the site, www.factretriever.com, and is called 101 Interesting Cat Facts. You are welcome to go to the site and read the full article. Please feel free to comment in the space provided below this post. I’d love to hear your “take” on this article.