Anyone who has or has had a pet cat knows how amazing these creatures with personalities are.
But even the most devoted cat lover may not know everything about them. Here are some fun facts about these adorable felines:
1. Cats have three eyelids
“Cats have an additional eyelid, located behind the lower eyelid,” explained veterinarian Dr. Preston Turano to the website Kinship.
“It’s commonly called the third eyelid and clinically known as the ‘nictitating membrane.’ It helps protect the eye from debris and infections.”
2. Why do cats’ eyes glow?
If you’ve ever been startled waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and seeing your cat with glowing eyes at the end of the hallway, don’t worry, there’s a good reason for their glowing eyes.
“This comes from the tapetum lucidum, which helps reflect light at night so your cat can see better in the dark,” said Dr. Turano.
“Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, times when there is little light. This gives them an advantage when hunting.”
3. Cats have a floating collarbone
“Cats have a small, floating collarbone buried in the muscles of the neck/shoulder,” said Dr. Julie Hunt, veterinary consultant at Embrace Pet Insurance, to Kinship.
It may seem like a strange detail about their body structure, but it gives them the ability to slip into tiny holes and take big steps.
“In humans, this bone connects to the top of the ribcage, preventing us from doing the same,” Dr. Hunt added.
4. Cats’ tongues are covered in hooks
Anyone who has ever received a good lick from a cat knows that their tongues are quite rough and feel like small sandpaper. According to Dr. Turano, this is because their tongues have hundreds of taste buds with various functions.
“These small, white ‘hooks’ help remove dirt, debris, and dead hair when they groom themselves,” he explained.
“For wild cats, like tigers, these hooks help remove meat from bones, whereas our domestic cats probably don’t need that feature.”
5. Cats have extremely short intestines
The human digestive tract is about 9 meters long. Cats, however, have a much shorter digestive tract.
According to Dr. Hunt, this is because they are designed to eat only prey, which is easier to digest than plant-based carbohydrates.
“The total length of a cat’s digestive tract is only about three times the length of the cat,” she added.
6. Cats can’t purr and roar at the same time
Hearing a cat purr is very relaxing. But have you ever wondered why cats don’t roar like their distant cousins, lions?
“Feline species (including big cats and domestic cats) can either purr or roar, but not both,” explained Dr. Hunt.
“Do you think our domestic cats, if they could choose, would trade their ability to purr for the ability to roar?” she then analyzed.
7. Cats have stayed the same for thousands of years
If you’ve ever visited a natural history museum, you’ve probably seen a diorama illustrating how dogs, horses, and cows have changed throughout history.
Thousands of years ago, all of these animals looked very different. The drastic change in appearance between a wolf and a pug is… impressive, to say the least.
But cats have basically remained the same since they were domesticated in ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
“After years of domestication, many species have changed drastically in appearance, abilities, and temperament. The cat, however, was domesticated without any drastic changes in these factors,” said Dr. Hunt.
8. Cats can become wild in one generation
“Cats can become wild – defined as living successfully in the wild – in just one generation,” explained Dr. Hunt.
“In other words, if a mother cat is used to humans but moves into the wild, her kittens will be raised as wild cats and will not seek or allow human contact.”
9. Cats don’t need anyone
“Unlike many social pets (such as dogs, horses, cows), which only live in groups, a cat is just as happy living alone or in a social group,” Dr. Hunt added.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
