Cats Facts

Man has always felt the need to domesticate animals. One of our most cherished animal friends (apart from the dog that is depending on what side of the fence you stand on) is the "domestic cat".

Scientific name: Felis silvestris catus

Cat calls: A cat has various cat calls the most common and well known among these is the typical "meow". Apart from its favourate call a cat purrs, hisses and growls.

Facts about our feline friends:

• Adult cats have 32 teeth.
• Cats are most active during evening hours.
• Cats love to sleep and can spend astonishingly upto 12 hours sleeping on any given day.
• Cats perform a kneading motion sort of like a dance when they are happy.
• Cats can see in colour unlike dogs who see only in black & white.
• Even a well fed cat will kill insects, birds and small mammals like rabbits or mice.
• Cats hate the smell of acidic fruits like oranges, lime etc.
• Like all pets cats love to be spoken too, but may not always repond.
• Cats have superior vision at night.
• Cats have dreams.
• Cats can hear 2 octaves higher than humans and even better than dogs.
• Your cat loves to be groomed especially on its throat. Take care though to watch for the cat's mood.
• Contrary to popular belief cats purr in pleasure as well as in pain or distress.
• Cats are cleanliness freaks and will groom themselves a lot.
• Felines love to mark their territory and will scratch any visible object with their claws. Scent glands in the paws mark the object with the cat's particular scent.
• Some cats can be infected with toxoplasmosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis and it can infect people through cat litter boxes. It causes serious problems in unborn babies.
• Cat grooming helps them to cloak their body odour due to their saliva which acts as a natural deodorant. This aids in hunting prey.
• Cats present their owners with killed prey like mice or birds in a bid to gain affection/reward. It may also be a way to "share" their spoils with their fellow "human cats".