More Fun Facts about Cats

I haven't done one of these in awhile. So, for your edification, here's some more interesting facts about the most awesome animal in the world. Yes, I'm biased.

1.) Cats have 2 noses. They have a "Jacobson's Organ" in the roof of their mouths like a snake. When you see a cat curl up its upper lip and stick its tongue out a little, they are smelling with that other nose. The action is called, "flehming"and they usually do this when smelling a potential mate or something they've never smelled before.

2.)Cats have 3 eyelids: The third eyelid, which is transparent, is called the "nictitating mebrane." It's there to lubricate the eye by spreading tears across the eye while simultaneously acting as a dust shield. This helps their efficiency in hunting since they don't have to blink as often.

3.) Cat brains have been shown to be more similar to human brains than dog brains. The part of the brain for emotions is the same in both cats and humans. Their visual memory retention is comparable to monkeys, but their short-term memory is a little less than dogs.

4.) At least one cat was documented by a scientist to have adapted an object for use as a tool. The cat thought her food was too dry so she used a hair scrunchie to sop up water from her bowl and then placed it on her food.

5.) Cats shed their whiskers and claws a couple times a year. My husband believes they are lucky.

6.) The darkness of a Siamese cat's points depends on temperature. The colder it is, the darker the points. That's because the pigment is only produced in cooler temperatures. And that's why a Siamese cat's points are at the cooler parts of the body: The tail, feet. ears, and face.

7.) A female cat is called a "Queen." Much better than a female dog's title :) However, a male's title depends on whether or not he's for breeding purposes or not. If you want him to make kittens, then he is a "Stud." If he's some stray determined to impugn your Queen's honor, then he's just a plain old "Tom."

8.) The oldest documented cat lived to be 38. Her name was "Creme Puff." Awwwww.

9.) A litter of five kittens could have five different fathers. That's because the female drops the egg during mating instead of before.

10.) Cats are still a part of the international fur trade. OMG, I just learned this today. Apparently Cruella DeVille is real in a manner of speaking and 24 cats have to be killed to make a fur coat. Fortunately, this practice is being outlawed in many countries.