In Focus
I have writers block...I have no idea what to write about this week so here are some fun facts about cats.
Cats are one of and probably the most popular pet in the world. They also have some of the most watched videos online.
There are over 500 million domestic cats worldwide.
Cats and humans have been associated for nearly 10,000 years. (The Egyptians worshiped cats. The cats never forgot this.)
They conserve energy by sleeping for an average of 14 hours a day.
Cats have flexible bodies and teeth adapted for hunting small animals such as mice and rats. (Which is why sometimes cats look like they can be liquid and fit in anywhere.)
A group of cats is called a clowder or a glaring. A male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen while young cats are called kittens. (Mocha totally prefers to be a queen. They are great at glaring. It’s quite fitting.)
Domestic cats usually weigh around 8 to 11 pounds. (Half of my cats weigh more than 11 pounds.)
The heaviest domestic cat on record is 46 pounds 15.2 ounces.
Cats can be lethal hunters and quite sneaky. When they walk their back paws step almost exactly in the same place as the front paws did beforehand. This keeps noise to a minimum and limits visible tracks.
Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see light levels six times lower than what a human needs in order to see.
Cats also have excellent hearing and a powerful sense of smell. They hear higher frequencies than humans do (humans can hear up to 20 kilohertz, dogs up to 40 kilohertz, and cats hear up to 60 kilohertz.
(Basically, cats are ninjas.)
Domestic cats love to play. Play fighting among kittens may be a way for them to practice and learn skills for hunting and survival.
On average cats live for around 12 to 15 years. (Oreo is pushing 19 years old.)
Cats spend a large amount of time licking their coats to keep them clean. (Pumpkin is the worst and will do this for hours.)
Cats supposedly only meow for their humans. (Yeti meows at Pepper the dog. They all meow at me in the morning when they want their breakfast.)
Purring is for more than showing their happiness. Purring helps cats to cope with illness and stress, and the vibrations may help an injured cat’s bones heal.
If a cat considers you part of their family they will offer you their kill. (I thought the dead mouse presents were them telling me I am a terrible hunter, haha.)
They like boxes and enclosed spaces that offer cover because of their predatory hunting instincts, and to hide to avoid becoming prey.
House cats are crepuscular, or most active around dusk and dawn. (Or 3 a.m. when they get a case of the zoomies.)
Why do cats knock things off the counter? Their instincts tell them that knick-knack could turn out to be a mouse and poking it would send the mouse running. (Or watching that glass shatter on the floor. Cat fail.)
They are the perfect killing machines and all we want to do is force affection on them.