-The normal body temperature of a cat is 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Blue eyed white colored cats are quite often born deaf. This is because the
gene that gives them their white coat is connected to deafness. Interestingly,
white cats with only one blue eye are deaf only in the ear closest to the blue
eye. White cats with orange eyes do not have this disability.
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Cats with white feet are often mistakenly called "Boots." This differently-colored
paw condition is referred to as "gloves" by those in the know.
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The highest percentage of a cat's bones are in its tail.
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A cat has 245 bones in its body, but as they grow older some of the bones
fuse and the number becomes smaller.
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Cats have 30 teeth. Kittens have baby teeth which, around seven months, are
replaced with permanent fangs.
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A cat spends about 30% of its life grooming itself.
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An old barber shop tonic called Bay Rum makes an excellent skin toner for
cats, adding sheen to their coats, and they like the smell.
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A cat's hearing is among the sharpest in the animal kingdom.
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A cat can recognize its owner's foot steps from hundreds of feet away.
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A cat's eyes shine at night due to a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidium,
which contains tiny crystal like reflective properties. So, when light hits a
cat's eyes it bounces back and makes it look as though the cat's eyes are glowing.
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The life expectancy for a cat was 8 years in 1930. Today, that number has
doubled to 16 years.
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Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four toes on each back paw.
Cats are sometimes born with extra toes. This is called polydactyl. These toes
will not harm the cat, but you should keep his claws trimmed just like any toe.
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Cats have true fur, in that they have both an undercoat and an outer coat.
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Newborn kittens have closed ear canals that don't begin to open for nine days.
When the eyes open, they are always blue at first. They change color over a period
of months to the final eye color. Most cats have no eyelashes.
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Cats have a full inner-eyelid, or nictitating membrane. This inner-eyelid
serves to help protect the eyes from dryness and damage. When the cat is ill,
the inner-eyelid will frequently close partially, making it visible to the observer.
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A cat cannot see directly under its nose. This is why the cat cannot seem
to find tidbits on the floor.
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You can tell a cat's mood by looking into its eyes. A frightened or excited
cat will have large, round pupils. An angry cat will have narrow pupils. The pupil
size is related as much to the cat's emotions as to the degree of light.
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It is a common belief that cats are color blind. However, recent studies have
shown that cats can see blue, green and red.
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Yes, cats can get sunburned. Cats with white fur and skin on their ears are
very prone to sunburn. Frequent sunburns can lead to skin cancer. Many white cats
need surgery to remove all or part of a cancerous ear. Preventive measures include
sunscreen, or better, keeping the cat indoors.
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Cats must have fat in their diet because they can't produce it on their own.
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The gene in cats that causes the orange coat color is sexed linked, and is
on the X sex chromosome. This gene may display orange or black. Thus, as female
cat with two X chromosomes may have orange and black colors in its coat. A male,
with only one X chromosome, can have only orange or black, not both. If a male
cat is both orange and black it is (besides being extremely rare) sterile. To
have both the orange and the black coat colors, the male cat must have all or
part of both female X chromosomes. This unusual sex chromosome combination will
render the male cat sterile.
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Cats do not think that they are little people. They think that we are big
cats. This influences their behavior in many ways.
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Purring does not always mean happiness. Purring could mean a cat is in terrible
pain such as during childbirth. Kittens will purr to their mother to let her know
they are getting enough milk while nursing. Purring is a process of inhaling and
exhaling, usually performed while the mouth is closed. But don't worry, if your
cat is purring while you're gently petting her and holding her close to you, that
is a happy cat!
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