So, if you call yourself a cat aficionado, do you think you know everything there is to know about cats? Sure they are rumored to have 9 lives, and yes, cats use their whiskers as depth perception when squeezing through tight spaces–and they get through those tight spaces because they have free-floating clavicle bones. (Wait, you knew that last one, right?) Well, with the help of the internet we’ve compiled a list of 30 random cat facts that may surprise you. And if you retain even half of this list you’ll be a whiz when that cat category is featured on Jeopardy! Take a look at our interesting cat facts, many of these even surprised us!
1. A group of cats is called a clowder
2. When a cat chases its prey, it keeps its head level–unlike dogs
3. Female cats tend to be right-pawed
4. Cats are often lactose intolerant
5. “Bezoar” is actually the technical term for a hairball
6. Cats have over 20 muscles in their bodies that control their ears
7. A cat has the ability to jump up to six times its length
8. The largest litter of kittens ever recorded was 19
9. A cat can hit a max speed of 31mph, in short distance sprints
10. Cats sleep approximately 70% of their lives
11. The only place cats sweat is through the pads of their feet
12. One of the reasons cats lick themselves is to get the scent of humans off of them
13. In Ancient Egypt, harming of a cat was punishable by death
14. A cat has the ability to move their ears seperately
15. Cats are the most popular house pet in America
16. The reason cats do not like water is because their coats do not insulate well when wet
17. Cats can make about 100 sounds, compared to dogs that can only do around 10
18. While black cats are usually a symbol of bad luck in the US, they are associated with good luck in the UK, Australia, and Japan
19. A cat cannot move their jaw sideways, therefore they cannot chew large chunks of food
20. Cats can’t taste sweetness
21. The world’s largest cat, a Maine Coon, measured 48.5″ long
22. Cats actually have 3 eyelids
23. There have been cats that have survived a fall from 32 stories up–on concrete!
24. A cat usually has about 12 whiskers on each side of their face
25. Since adult cats do not meow at each other, they usually hiss, spit, or purr at one another when communicating
26. A cat has about 130,000 hairs on their body per square inch
27. The Egyptian Mau is the oldest cat breed on record
28. Cats are extremely sensitive to vibrations–and even have the ability to detect an earthquake 10-15 minutes before humans can
29. The richest cat in the world is worth $13 million–after his owner passed away at the age of 94, leaving her cat her entire fortune
30. Adult cats only meow as a way to communicate with humans
