Not only are cats intelligent beings, but they’re also pretty amazing. Not convinced? We’ve gathered a whole host of cool cat facts to showcase just how incredible our purring pals are. Take a read and see which fact you think is most astonishing.

13 amazing cat facts

1. Cats spend more than half their lives asleep

That’s right! In actual fact, our feline friends spend 70% of their lives sleeping. A cat can spend between 13-16 hours a day snoozing. Talk about taking it easy!

2. Cats predate ancient Egyptian art

French archaeologists have uncovered evidence to suggest cats are older than we originally thought. The remains of a human and a cat (thought to be the human’s pet) were found buried in a 9,500-year-old grave in Cyprus. This indicates that cats predate Egyptian art by approximately 4,000 years.

3. Astrocat was the first and only cat to go into space

In 1963 a French cat called Felicette (later known as Astrocat) was blasted into outer space. Luckily, the curious kitty survived the trip and lived to tell the tale.

4. Cats can become Mayor

While not every township might agree to have a cat as Mayor, there was one town that was happy to call Stubbs the cat ‘Mayor’. In the Alaskan town of Talkeetna, Stubbs remained the Mayor for 20 years!

5. Cats don’t like milk

What? Doesn’t every cat love drinking milk? Apparently not! The truth is, cats are lactose intolerant.

6. Cats are smart

Sure, this might sound like a rubbish fact but let me explain. Not only are cats naturally smart, but also they’re highly trainable. Didga is proof of this fact. Who’s Didga? Well, I’m glad you asked. Didga (short for Didgeridoo) is the world’s smartest cat, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. She performed 24 tricks in one minute. Now, that IS clever!

7. The world’s oldest cat died at 38 years old

Typically, cats can live up to about 20 years, which is equivalent to about 96 human years. The oldest cat on record was Crème Puff from Austin, Texas, who lived from 1967 to August 6, 2005, three days after her 38th birthday. Me-WOW!

8. Purring doesn’t always indicate a happy cat

Yes, cats do purr when they’re comfortable and content, but that’s not the only reason they purr. Cats will often purr when they’re injured, anxious or ill.

9. Cats are vain (or just really, really clean!)

Our feline friends spend up to 50% of their day grooming themselves. However, cat grooming isn’t associated with vanity. It actually serves many different purposes. Regular licking reduces the cat’s natural scent, so they can hide from predators. Grooming increases blood flow, cools them down, and it is also a show of fondness between two cats.

10. Kindle is the term used to describe a group of cats

A kindle isn’t just a digital book-reading device. Oh no, it’s also the nifty name given to a bunch of kittens born to one mama cat. Well, who’d have known?

11. Black cats aren’t always bad luck

Contrary to popular belief, black cats aren’t always bad luck. In Japan, black cats are considered symbols of good luck. Indeed, single women, in particular, believe black cats can help attract excellent potential suitors.

12. Australia holds the record for the fattest cat

Himmy, owned by Australian Thomas Vyse, holds the record for the heaviest cat. He weighed in at a whopping 21.3kg when he died on 12th March 1986 at the age of 10. Got a fat cat? Learn how to put your cat on a diet.

13. Hercules is the largest cat alive

The largest living cat is Hercules, who lives at Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina. The adult male liger (a cross between a lion and tigress) weighs 418.2kg. He measures 3.33m in length and stands at 1.25m tall at the shoulder. He’s definitely not the sort of cat you’d want to encounter in the wild!

 

Got a cool cat fact? Share it with us using the comments section below.

 

Main image source: Unsplash.com