8 Surprising Facts About Our Feline Friends

It’s no secret that we as a species are captivated by our feline companions, so much so that names such as Puss in Boots, Crookshanks, Meowth, The Cat in the Hat, and Tom Cat will bring up some great memories of our childhoods. This ‘ power ‘, shall we call it, has been able to draw in human beings since the ancient Egyptians, and that power is their cuteness.

Like a great superhero, cats have many exciting and incredible pieces of information and facts floating around the internet, and our job today is to introduce you to what we believe to be the eight most surprising facts about our feline friends. Whether you are a cat owner wishing to learn more about your furry family member or a curious soul caught up in the common house cat’s fluffy cuteness.

8 Fun Facts Every Cool Cat Should Get to Know

Discover the fantastic world of our feline friends with these unexpected insights into their physiology and behaviour.

1. Heightened Senses

Cats have exceptional senses, which help them be excellent hunters and explorers. Thanks to their acute sense of hearing, they can detect frequencies considerably above the human hearing range, up to 65 kHz. Because cats have a layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum that improves night vision, their eyesight performs exceptionally well in low light. With such extraordinary senses, many have pondered things like “I wonder if cats can see ghosts? “ and others to understand the difference between the two species.

Moreover, a cat’s vibrissae, or whiskers, act as susceptible touch receptors and navigational aids, giving them a thorough “map” of their environment. These enhanced senses help explain why cats are the most cunning and observant predators of the animal kingdom.

2. Cats have Unique Nose Prints

Every cat has a different nose print, much like every human fingerprint. Every cat has a unique set of bumps and ridges on its nose, making it an excellent identification method. Even while nose prints aren’t often used for identification, a cat’s distinctive nose print highlights the minute characteristics that make each feline unique.

3. Cats Experience Whisker Fatigue

Cats use their whiskers as vital sensing organs and for cosmetic purposes. These vibrissae give off important environmental information because of their deep embedding and connection to the nervous system. Although cats use their whiskers to navigate, excessive stimulation can cause “whisker fatigue” in them. Some cat owners should be aware of the sensory information their feline friends get because this condition can cause stress.

4. Feline Earthquake Detector

Cats have been known to behave strangely in the moments preceding earthquakes, which raises the fascinating possibility that they are seismically sensitive. Although there is still much to learn about this phenomenon, anecdotal evidence suggests that cats can sense seismic waves or other minute changes before an earthquake. Systems that use cats as possible indications for earthquake prediction have even been inspired by this capacity.

5. Cats Are Crepuscular Animals

Cats are more appropriately characterised as crepuscular, meaning they are more alert and ready at dawn and dusk despite being frequently classified as nocturnal animals. Their evolutionary history as hunters is consistent with this behaviour since these times of low light provide an advantage for both pursuing prey and dodging predators.

Another interesting observation is that cats will behave better when exposed to an outdoor environment as they are known to be curious, which is often the reason why they go astray, never to be found again.

Due to their adaptation to low light, cats’ eyes have more rod than cone cells, which improves their vision in low light. Knowing that our feline companions are crepuscular helps to explain why they could show lively and energetic outbursts in the morning and evening yet prefer to nap throughout the day and night.

6. A Tall Tail

Cats use their tails to convey a lot of information. A puffed-up tail denotes fear or anger, but a lifted tail might be used to greet someone warmly. A cat’s tail also helps balance and coordination, contributing to its elegant motions. Determining the intentions and moods of felines requires understanding their tail language.

7. All Cats React Differently to Catnip

Nepetalactone, a chemical found in catnip, a plant belonging to the mint family, causes euphoria in roughly 50–75% of cats. Felines that come into contact with catnip may roll, rub, and become more playful, among other behaviours. Interestingly enough, cats become momentarily immune to the effects of catnip following exposure, which makes it a distinctive and fascinating feature of feline behaviour.

If you have ever wondered why your cat never reacts to catnip, it could fall into the 25% of cats who don’t experience any reaction from the plant.

8. Tigers and Cats are Close Relatives

Surprisingly, domestic cats and tigers, their larger feline relatives, have a common evolutionary history. All modern cat species are members of the Felidae family, including large and domestic cats (Felis catus). Large and domestic cats shared a common ancestor between 10 and 15 million years ago.

The genetic similarities between domestic cats and their larger counterparts, such as tigers, underscore the fascinating evolutionary history that led to the varied spectrum of feline species we observe today despite the significant differences in size and behaviour.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our feline friends continue to bewilder and enchant us with their remarkable traits and behaviors. From the intricacies of their whisker sensitivity to their surprising connection with their majestic relatives like tigers, each aspect reveals the depth of their evolutionary journey.

Are you looking for more interesting animal-related articles? Head on over to https://petsmartgo.com/