Cat got the “sass.”
For us cat owners, they are always the Queen Bee, the little King of the Jungle. We kneel to them as the excellent cat owners that we are.
Although we, as cat owners, may know our little feline friends from head-to-toe as we live with them under one roof, there will always come a time when we want to see another detail and another thing about them, don’t we?
There is more to cats than most cat owners think they know. Here are some fun facts about our feline friends and what makes them even more unique than they already are.
The oldest known pet cat existed 9,500 years ago
- This interesting fact about cats will wow you at your next dinner party. Did you know that it was thought that Egyptians had initially domesticated the cat? But in 2004, French archaeologists discovered a 9,500-year-old cat grave in Cyprus. This makes this the oldest known pet cat, predating Egyptian art about cats by over 4,000 years! Do you know this, little miss cat owners?
Cats spend 70% of their lives sleeping
- You’d be right if you thought cats spent much of their lives sleeping. According to Veterinary Hub, Cats spend 70% of their lives sleeping, around 13-16 hours a day. It’s a cat’s life! And something that we, cat owners, wanted to achieve, didn’t we?
A cat was the Mayor of an Alaskan town for 20 years
- An orange tabby cat called Stubbs was the mayor of Talkeetna, a small town in Alaska, for 20 years! He had several uncontested elections, and although he didn’t hold any legislative power, he was loved by locals and tourists alike. Feeling little now, cat owners?
The record for the longest cat ever is 48.5 inches
- Domestic cats are usually considered to be relatively small and dainty creatures. But did you know the world’s longest cat was a Maine Coon called Stewie and was measured at 48.5 inches? The record for the tallest cat belonged to Arcturus at a whopping 19.05 inches tall! Those are some big cats.
The wealthiest cat in the world had 7 million
- The richest cat in the world, according to Guinness World Records, is Blackie. When his millionaire owner passed away, he refused to recognize his family in his will and instead gave his 7-million-pound fortune to Blackie! We can’t believe that exciting cat fact! Would you do this also as the best cat owners, huh?
Cats walk like camels and giraffes
- Have you ever noticed that cats walk like camels and giraffes? Their walking sequence is both right feet first, followed by both left feet, so they move half of their body forward at once.
Isaac Newton invented the cat door
- The scientist is most famous for calculating gravity, but it’s also believed that Isaac Newton invented the cat door how. Stuff Works writes that when Newton was working on his experiments at the University of Cambridge, he was constantly interrupted by his cats scratching the door. So he called the Cambridge carpenter to saw two holes in the door, one for the mother cat and one for her kittens! These holes can still be seen at the university today.
In 1963, a cat went to space
- You’ve heard of monkeys and dogs in space, but did you know that a cat braved the great unknown too? On October 18th, 1963, Felicette, also known as ‘Astrocat,’ was the first and only cat to go to space.
Ancient Egyptians would shave off their eyebrows when their cats died
- According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Herodotus wrote in 440BC that when a pet cat died in Ancient Egyptian times, the family members would shave off their eyebrows in mourning. Now that’s an exciting cat fact!
House cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers
- This cat fact will blow your mind. A study discovered that our little house cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers! They also share many of the same behaviors, such as scent and urine marking, prey stalking, and pouncing.
A house cat can reach speeds of up to 30mph
- If you’ve watched your little kitty charging around the living room when they’re feeling lively, you know that cats are pretty quick, but you won’t believe this cat fact. They can hit speeds of around 30mph which is so fast that they could beat Usain Bolt in a 200-meter dash!
The oldest cat in the world was 38 years old!
- The oldest cat to have ever lived was 38 years and three days old when he passed away. Creme Puff, born on 3rd August 1967, lived until 6th August 2005, and his owner Jake Perry also owned the previous most senior cat record holder, Grandpa Rex Allen, who passed away at the grand age of 34! Whatever Jake Perry’s doing, he’s doing it right!
The record for the loudest purr is 67.8db(A)
- Merlin, a black and white cat from Torquay, UK, currently holds the record for the loudest purr by a domestic cat. His purr is 67.8db(A); for context, this is nearly the same volume as a shower! Most cats purr at around 25 dB.
Didga the cat can perform 24 tricks in one minute
- If you think cats can’t do tricks, then you’ll be shocked to learn this cat fact. The most tricks performed by a cat in one minute is 24! Didga completed a series of tricks, from rolling over to jumping a bar on a skateboard!
By: Kathleen Beatriz Lapig
