Some facts about cats

Myth: Cats always land on their feet.

Fact: While cats instinctively fall feet first and may survive falls from high places, they also may receive broken bones in the process. Some kind of screening on balconies and windows can protect pets from dangerous falls.{{more}}

Myth: Cats should drink milk every day.

Fact: Most cats like milk, but do not need it if properly nourished. Also, many will get diarrhea if they drink too much milk. If it is given at all, the amount should be small and infrequent.

Myth: Cats that are spayed or neutered automatically gain weight.

Fact: Like people, cats gain weight from eating too much, not exercising enough or both. In many cases, spaying or neutering is done at an age when the animal’s metabolism already has slowed, and its need for food has decreased. If the cat continues to eat the same amount it may gain weight. Cat owners can help their cats stay fit by providing exercise and not overfeeding.

Myth: Tapeworms come from bad food or milk.

Fact: Cats become infected with tapeworms from swallowing fleas, which carry the parasite. Also, cats can get tapeworms from eating infected mice or other exposed animals.

Myth: Pregnant women should not own cats.

Fact: Some cats can be infected with a disease called toxaplasmosis, which occasionally can be spread to humans through cat litter boxes and cause serious problems in unborn babies. However, these problems can be controlled, if the expectant mother avoids contact with the litter box and assigns daily cleaning to a friend or other family members.

Myth: A cat’s sense of balance is in its whiskers.

Fact: Cats use their whiskers as “feelers” but not to maintain their balance. Cats can use their whiskers to determine if the space they are entering is big enough for them.

A litter of kittens is called a kindle, and a group of cats is called a clowder.

A cat’s IQ is only surpassed by that of monkeys and chimps in the world of animals.

Cats are the only animals that can purr. They can purr at around 26 cycles per second, which is the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.

A cat’s nose pad is as unique as a human’s fingerprint. No two nose prints are identical.

Petting or stroking a cat has actually been proven to help lower one’s blood pressure.

One way a cat shows she /he trusts you, is by rolling on his/her back.

Cats have 32 muscles in each ear and can turn their ear very quickly to catch noise, much faster than a very alert guard dog.

Cats have 100 vocal sounds, while dogs have only 10.

Cats drink liquid from the underside of their tongue, not from the top.

Cats get an average of 16 hours of sleep per day.

A cat lover is called an ailurophile.

In order to cover their trails from predators, cats bury their faeces.

Your cat will pick on your mood and will change their mood based on yours.

Cats rub up against objects and people in an attempt to put their scent on them, i.e. to “mark them”.

Your cat prefers eating out of a clean bowl in the same quiet spot every day.

Cats bite out of pleasure as well, so when you are finished petting your cat, if she/he bites you, it may not be a negative response.

Sometimes your cat will find it difficult to find the treats you throw him/her on the floor. The reason is because cats can’t see directly under their own nose.

Killing a cat was punishable by death in ancient Egypt.

For further information, contact: Dr Collin Boyle
Unique Animal Care Co. Ltd.
Tel: 456 4981
Website: www.uniqueanimalcare.com