Trivia About Cats

Cats are incredibly fascinating animals! Here are some tidbits about our feline friends that you may not know. And as many of us know first hand... cats rule (or at least they think they do)!

• It is true that cats resemble their wild cousins, although lion behavior is different in many important ways (i.e.our domestic cats tend to be solitary, whereas lions live in prides).
• Cats have 18 claws.
• Cats have 30 teeth (12 less than dogs).
• Kittens are weaned at 8 weeks.
• Both male and female cats can breed by their first year.
• The average litter size is 3 -10 kittens.
• The average cat can understand about 25-50 words.
• A healthy tomcat can have a range of over 40 acres!
• The cat has been domesticated for a shorter period of time than any other domesticated animal.
• Cats usually come into heat in January and again in June.
• Keep an eye on those Christmas poinsetta plants. They are poisonous to your cat.
• During seafaring days when the world was being explored and charted, cats took up residence on ships (some of the crew took a fancy to them). They would occasionally be left at various ports of call, and this is one way cats spread around the world. They were also intentionally introduced (usually to control mice and rats).
• Dogs can suffer from seasickeness (but cats are usually unaffected).
• Domestic cats are very similar to their wild cousins (tigers much more than lions).

For more trivia and a fascinating look at our pets, read "The Tiger On Your Couch" by Bill Fleming and Judy Peterson-Fleming.

Ever wonder what the origin of sayings like "it's raining cats and dogs" came from? Or how about why a male cat is called a "tom" and a female cat a "queen"? Where did we get the expression "letting the cat out of the bag"? For an answer to these and many more fascinating cat questions, check out "Cat Watching" by Desmond Morris. You'll want to curl up on the couch with your cat and this book!

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