Cats with big eyes that hypnotize you, cats that amuse you when they jump wrong, and cats that crawl on your lap and snore away when you stroke them over their bellies. Here are some interesting and surprising facts about these wonderfully soft pets with their own will, excellent cleaning frenzy and boredom that can cost you the pots on your window sill!
Cats need a huge amount of sleep a day
Cats need as much as 16 to 18 hours of sleep a day, which is 70% of their lives. Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? That’s how it works with cats: they prefer to nap all day long, but they are very active at sunrise and sunset. That’s exactly why they start sprinting through the corridor at 5 a.m. and then jump on your bed.
Source: ShutterstockMarmosets are almost all female
In addition to patch cats, they are generally called tortoiseshell or calico cats. The term ‘patch cat’ is mainly used for cats that have a white base with black and red spots. Less than 0.1% of these cats turn out to be male because they have a genetic abnormality, therefore these males also live shorter.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods
Little has changed so far. It is striking how cats want to determine the household and how they attract people’s attention. And we love it! In the Netherlands, almost a quarter of households have a cat. Dogs are clearly less popular. But not only in the Netherlands is there is a preference for a Felix in the house, in other countries, including the U.S,. there are more cats than dogs. Dogs may be called the most loyal friends, but the statistics clearly show our preference for cats!
Source: ShutterstockCats reduce the risk of a heart attack and a stroke
Researchers from the Stroke Institute at the University of Minnesota’s did a ten-year study and found that cats reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes by about a third. The study covered a group of 4,000 americans between the ages of 30 and 75, of whom just over half had a cat in their home. This is because cats reduce stress levels and anxiety, which protects against heart disease.
Most cats are lactose intolerant
The well-known picture of a cat drinking milk from a bowl is only half the story. It may well be that your cat loves milk, especially kittens, but kittens can in face handle milk better. When a cat is just born, they have enough lactase that is responsible for the digestion of milk. As the cat gets older, this level of lactase drops, which means that milk can cause diarrhoea.
Source: ShutterstockCats are real detectives!
In the 1960s, Dutch Ambassador, Henry Helb, did not need a private detective during his time in Moscow, when he noticed that his two Siamese cats were curving their backs and always with their claws on the wall. Mr. Helb had the idea that the cats could hear something that his own ear could not. And yes, behind the wall, he found 30 little microphones. Instead of grabbing the spies, Mr. Helb and his staff took advantage of the microphones by complaining a lot about, for example, packages that were stuck at customs.
