5 Fascinating Facts About Cats to Share with Friends
Introduction
Cats are fascinating creatures to share a home with, and their unusual way of looking at the world means that there are a lot of different interesting facts about cats that you might not beware of, even if you have lived with cats for a while. So, let’s see if we can find some facts about cats that you didn’t know before today!
#1: Cats choose to love us
Cats are natural loners – they don’t need other creatures for company in the same way that dogs need to be part of a pack, or lions need to be part of a pride. This means that when our cats choose to spend time with us, it’s not because they feel lonely - it’s because they want to!
So, the next time your cat chooses to snuggle up rubs around your legs or headbutts you affectionately, be flattered that they want to spend that time with you!
Cats are natural loners – they don’t need other creatures for company in the same way that dogs need to be part of a pack, or lions need to be part of a pride.
#2: Cats miaow to humans – but not to other cats
The plaintive miaow will be familiar to most cat owners – but did you know that they only do it for our benefit?
Cats have a whole range of noises that they use to communicate with other cats, which include the wonderfully named “chirrups” and “trills”, as well as less friendly noises such as hissing, snarling and yowling.
They will use these noises to communicate with humans, too – as anyone who’s met a grumpy cat will know! But the miaow is just for us – they don’t use it for other cats. It is used to try and get our attention when our cats want something, so if you are hearing a lot of miaowing, there is probably an empty food bowl somewhere!
Cats have a whole range of noises that they use to communicate with other cats, which include the wonderfully named “chirrups” and “trills”, as well as less friendly noises such as hissing, snarling and yowling.
#3: All cats have the urge to hunt – even if they live indoors
Our pet cats’ ancestors lived to hunt and would catch many small prey creatures each day Modern cats might get their meals in a more dignified fashion, but they still have the urge to chase and catch, even if they are well-fed.
Hunt games are important to keep our cats’ brains happy and can prevent some destructive or aggressive behaviours, too. Try a feather lure on a string, or a small ball that can roll along the ground, to bring out the predator in your cat. Laser pens are OK if used safely, as long as you end a “hunt” by pointing the pen at a toy or another object that you are happy for your cat to “kill”. Otherwise, they can end up very frustrated that they’ve spent all that time chasing the light and having nothing to show for it!
Hunt games are important to keep our cats’ brains happy and can prevent some destructive or aggressive behaviours, too.
#4: Cats aren’t good at sharing
Pet cats share many common traits with their wild ancestors, and this includes a strong independent streak. They need to feel that they can provide for themselves at all times – even if it’s ultimately us who are putting out the food!
This means that our cats will only feel secure when they have private access to the things they need to fulfil their basic needs – food, water, sleeping spots, scratching posts, and so on. If you have more than one cat, make sure that you offer them a choice of different spot to eat, drink and sleep, so that if one is already being used (by another cat, or by a nearby human) then they can happily go to their backup spot without too much stress!
Pet cats share many common traits with their wild ancestors, and this includes a strong independent streak.
#5: Kittens go through a “teenage” phase
Let’s round off our list with a fact about kittens. These cute little balls of fluff grow faster than you might think is possible and are only considered “kittens” until they are around six months old. But this doesn’t mean that they can be considered as grownups right after this!
Between the ages of six months and two years, young cats are considered “juniors”. This means they’re not grown-up adult cats – they still have a lot to learn about the world. Their long gangly legs can make them clumsy and mean they trip over or fall down easily -– a lot like human teenagers! They also go through puberty early on (in some kittens this is as early as 4 months!) so their raging hormones can also cause changes in their behaviour if they haven’t been neutered. Female cats can also get pregnant from this time on, so be sure to keep them well away from any male cats – even if they are related.
Pets also go through puberty early on (in some kittens this is as early as 4 months!) so their raging hormones can also cause changes in their behaviour if they haven’t been neutered.
Conclusion
That’s just a few fun facts about cats to start you off – but there’s loads more to learn about these fascinating creatures. Why not have a look round our site to learn some more?
Author: Dr Ruth Cawston (MA VetMB CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS,British.
Ruth graduated from Cambridge in 2014 and has worked as a small animal GP vet ever since. She is particularly interested in internal medicine, as it combines her love of problem-solving and her somewhat geeky love of knowledge, and has completed her certificate in Small Animal Medicine. She loves animals of all species, but is particularly fond of cats.
