Cat Facts
The closest ancestor to domestic cats is thought to be the African Wild Cat
Cats have been living close to humans for between 4000 and 8000 years
The worlds heaviest cat was 'Himmy' who weighed 21.3Kg. Most healthy adult cats weigh between 3 and 7 Kg but some breeds can reach up to 11Kg
A good lifespan for a typical cat is 14 - 20 years. The oldest known cat 'Creme Puff' was 38 years old
The worlds smallest adult cat was 'Tinker Toy' who measured 7cm tall and 19cm long
The worlds largest cat was 'Stewie' who measured 123cm long (with a 41cm tail)
Dusty the tabby cat produced 420 kittens during her 17 year breeding life
The largest known (surviving) litter was produced by 'Bluebell' who gave birth to 14 kittens
Cats sleep more than most animals; normally between 12-15 hours a day and sometimes up to 20
Cats are nocturnal and usually become more active in the evening, often resulting in a 'crazy hour' of activity
Cats use their whiskers to decide if a space is big enough to squeeze through
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A cats whiskers are used for sensing nearby objects. Without them cats have trouble with orientation, distance judging and equilibrium.
Cats cannot see directly under their noses
Cats have four toes on their back paws, but five on their front paws
Egyptians would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning if a popular cat died
A group of of adult cats is called a 'clowder'. A group of kittens is called a 'kindle'
Although they appear to enjoy company (sometimes) cats are not as strongly affected by loneliness as dogs or humans
In the 1960's the CIA spent over $20 million on a project named 'Acoustic Kitty', implanting spy cats with microphones to record conversations.
Cats are extremely good at conserving water, an evolved trait from being a desert animal, and they do not sweat
Cats hear a wider range of frequencies than both humans and dogs, and hear things we cant, like rodents
The cat flap was invented by Sir Isaac Newton
Usain Bolt's top speed is 27.8mph. Domestic cats can run at 30mph. Cheetahs are the worlds fastest land animal and can reach 75mph
A cats claws are curved, making them ideal for climbing up, but useless for climbing down
Cats, Camels and Giraffes are the only animals which walk by moving both legs on one side, and then the other side (rather than one leg from each side)
Humans have 206 bones. Cats have 246
Kittens will 'meow' at their mother, but adult cats will only 'meow' at humans, not other cats or animals
A cats brain is biologically more similar to a humans than to a dogs
In 1963 France put a cat in space, 'Felicette' (Astrocat) survived the journey
