Cat Facts!
This page is devoted to fun, funny, and interesting facts about our furry friends! Check out some of the facts we've found, and use the provided links to other sites to find out more.
Amur Tiger, about 8 months old.
It's in the DNA
Did you ever think your cat was acting just a bit too much like he or she was a big, ferious tiger? Well, it turns out they are. Or at least, 95.6% of them is! Scientists recently discovered that domestic cats share just over 95% of their DNA with their larger, striped cousins. They were also able to identify genes that make big cats, well, big, and the gene that makes them predominently meat eaters. Why do we care? With only a little over 3,000 tigers left in the wild, scientists need to keep a close eye on their gene pool to ensure wide distribution to preserve this majestic, great cat for another generation.
Check out more about their discoveries and the ancient history of cats with these articles:
Cat Stuck Up the Tree?
Actually, yes, they can get stuck! Cats are excellent climbers, but their claws all curve inward. That gives great traction for going up; coming down is another story. Your furry friend will find his or herself with only three options: try backing down the tree, leaving themselves open to predators, try leaping down, or sit there yowling until their human companion comes to the rescue!
Blackfooted kitten
Pallas, the original grumpy cat!
The Eyes Have It!
Notice anything odd about the eyes of these two breeds of wild cat? Besides the incredibly angry look, I mean? If you noted that both of these cats have round pupils, not the little kitty slits we are used to seeing on our domestic friends, you're right! Most large wild cats don't have pupils that contract into slits. While the two pictured are not large, they do have the same noctural hunting habits of their larger cousins, though they are not nearly as successful at hunting as your average house cat!
In fact, domestic cats hunting on open ground are some of the most successful in the entire animal kingdom, catching their prey an average of 70% of the time! By comparison, the little black-footed cat pictured here is one of the fiercest of wild hunters, but only succeeds 60% of the time. Part of the reason is those round pupils. Slitted pupils can expand or contract to a much greater extent then round ones, allowing the domestic cat to see in varying light levels with a high degree of detail. This is why feral domestic cats have been known to decimate local wildlife populations if not kept under control.
Want to learn more? Check out these additional sources:
Amur Leopard kitten leaping
King of the Mountain
Every look everywhere in your home for your furry friend only to find him or her staring majestically down at you from the highest place possible? Not sure how they even got up there? You're not alone! It might help, though, to know that our feline companions can leap up to six times their own body length.
This means, of course, that the glass vase you thought safely stored on top of the cupboard in the kitchen probably isn't as protected as you thought. Your furry friend is probably just waiting for the right moment for some mischief! For wild cats, however, this leaping ability is a matter of survival. Jumping allows them to scramble up rocky mountains, ambush prey from above, or even get themselves down out of a tree with no need to wait for a firefighter!