Cat Facts
- Cat Years - The first year of a cat's life roughly equals (in terms of development) the first 15 years of a human life. A two year old is like a person of 21 and then each year subsequently for the cat is about 4 human years.
- Cats spend about 70 percent of the day sleeping and 15 percent of the day grooming. While cats are sleeping they remain alert to the slightest stimuli.
- Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four on the back ones. However, it is not uncommon for a cat to have extra toes.
- Cats have 30 teeth (12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 canines and 4 molars), while dogs have 42.
- Most cats have no eyelashes.
- Cats have more bones than a human; humans have 206, while a cat has 230. About 10% of a cat's bones are in its tail.
- A healthy cat has a temperature between 38- 39°C. (102 degrees Fahrenheit)
- A cat's normal pulse is 140-240 beats per minute, with an average of 195.
- The hearing of the average cat is at least five times better than that of a human. A cat's hearing has a top range of 65 khz (kilohertz); humans' hearing stops at 20 khz. Cats can also rotate their ears 180 degrees.
- Cats have about 100 different vocalisation sounds. In comparison, dogs have about 10.
- A cat is pregnant for about 58-65 days (around two months).
- Cats eat grass to aid their digestion and to help them get rid of any fur in their stomachs.
- Kittens are born with both eyes and ears closed. When the eyes open, they are always blue at first, changing colour over time. In relation to their body size, cats have the largest eyes of any mammal.
- There are approximately 100 distinct breeds of the domestic cat.
- Ailurophobia is the fear of cats. Famous sufferers of ailurophobia are Julius Caesar and Napoleon.