100 Fun Cat Facts.

Cats sleep 12 to 16 hours a day - that's up to 70% of their lives.

A group of cats is called a clowder.

Cats can't taste sweetness - they lack the taste receptors for it.

A cat's nose print is unique, like a human fingerprint.

Cats have 32 muscles in each ear, allowing them to rotate their ears 180 degrees.

The oldest known pet cat was found in a 9,500-year-old grave in Cyprus.

Cats can jump up to six times their own body length in a single leap.

A cat's purr vibrates at a frequency of 25 to 150 Hz, which can promote healing in bones and muscles.

Cats have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that helps protect their eyes.

Cats can make over 100 different vocal sounds. Dogs can only make about 10.

A cat's heart beats nearly twice as fast as a human heart - 140 to 220 beats per minute.

Cats walk like camels and giraffes - moving both right feet first, then both left feet.

The technical term for a cat's hairball is a bezoar.

Cats have scent glands on their cheeks, paws, and forehead - when they rub on you, they're marking you as theirs.

A female cat is called a queen. A male cat is called a tom.

Cats can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour over short distances.

The first cat in space was a French cat named Felicette in 1963. She survived.

Cats have a specialized collarbone that allows them to always land on their feet.

A cat's whiskers are roughly as wide as its body - they use them to judge if they can fit through a gap.

Cats spend about 30 to 50% of their waking hours grooming themselves.

Cats have 230 bones in their body. Humans have 206.

A cat's field of vision is about 200 degrees, compared to 180 degrees for humans.

Cats can see in near-total darkness - they need only one-sixth the light humans do.

Cats don't meow at other cats - they developed meowing specifically to communicate with humans.

The average cat has 244 feet of small intestine.

Cats have a specialized structure in their inner ear that helps them always right themselves mid-fall.

A cat's tongue is covered in tiny backward-facing hooks called papillae, which act like a comb.

Cats can drink seawater - their kidneys can filter out the salt.

The richest cat in history inherited 7 million British pounds from its owner in 1988.

Cats have been domesticated for at least 4,000 years.

A cat's brain is 90% similar to a human brain in structure.

Cats have a longer-term memory than dogs.

Cats can recognize their owner's voice but often choose to ignore it.

A cat's back is extremely flexible because it has up to 53 loosely fitting vertebrae.

Cats have retractable claws - they keep them sheathed to stay sharp.

The average cat lives 12 to 15 years, but some have lived past 30.

The oldest cat ever recorded was Creme Puff of Austin, Texas, who lived to 38 years and 3 days.

Cats have a dominant paw - most female cats are right-pawed, most males are left-pawed.

A cat's purr is not just for happiness - cats also purr when stressed, injured, or giving birth.

Cats have 26 baby teeth and 30 permanent teeth.

Cats can hear frequencies up to 64,000 Hz. Humans max out at about 20,000 Hz.

A cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than a human's.

Cats have a special organ called the Jacobson's organ that lets them taste smells.

When a cat blinks slowly at you, it's a sign of trust and affection.

Cats have five toes on their front paws but only four on their back paws.

Polydactyl cats - cats with extra toes - were considered good luck by sailors.

Ernest Hemingway was famous for his polydactyl cats. His home in Key West still houses their descendants.

Cats can't climb down trees headfirst because their claws curve the wrong way.

A cat's kneading behavior comes from kittenhood, when they kneaded their mother to stimulate milk flow.

Cats have a higher body temperature than humans - 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit is normal.

The pattern on a tabby cat's forehead often resembles the letter M.

All calico cats are almost always female due to genetics.

Orange tabby cats are more often male than female.

White cats with blue eyes are often deaf.

Cats with odd-colored eyes (one blue, one green) are called odd-eyed cats.

A cat's eyes glow in the dark because of a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum.

Cats are obligate carnivores - they must eat meat to survive.

Cats cannot produce taurine on their own and must get it from their diet.

Grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, and chocolate are all toxic to cats.

Cats are lactose intolerant as adults - milk can actually make them sick.

Cats have a specialized collarbone that allows them to always land on their feet - called the righting reflex.

The righting reflex takes about 0.3 seconds to activate.

Cats that fall from higher floors sometimes have fewer injuries than those falling from lower floors, because they have time to relax.

Cats sweat through their paws - you might see tiny wet paw prints on a hot day.

A cat's normal resting heart rate is 140 to 220 beats per minute.

Cats have a specialized hunting posture called the stalk, crouch, pounce sequence.

Cats bring dead animals home as gifts - they may be trying to teach you to hunt.

Cats are crepuscular - most active at dawn and dusk.

Cats have a natural instinct to hide illness and pain, a survival mechanism from the wild.

A cat's tail communicates mood - straight up means happy, puffed up means scared or angry.

Cats can rotate their ears independently to pinpoint sounds.

Cats have a specialized hunting cry called chattering, made when they see birds or prey they can't reach.

Cats have been shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure in their owners.

Owning a cat reduces the risk of heart attack by about 30%, according to some studies.

Cats have been used as therapy animals in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a cat goddess named Bastet.

In ancient Egypt, killing a cat - even accidentally - was punishable by death.

When an Egyptian family's cat died, family members would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning.

In Japan, cats are considered good luck. The Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) is a popular good luck charm.

In Scotland and England, a black cat crossing your path is considered good luck.

Cats were brought onto ships to control rodents - they were considered essential crew members.

The world's most popular cat breed is the Ragdoll, known for going limp when picked up.

The Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat breed, with some males weighing over 20 pounds.

The Sphynx cat is not actually hairless - it has a fine layer of downy fuzz.

The Scottish Fold's folded ears are caused by a genetic mutation affecting cartilage.

Siamese cats are born white and develop their color markings as they age.

Cats have been to the moon - well, cat hair has. Apollo 13 carried cat hair as part of a science experiment.

There are approximately 600 million domestic cats in the world.

Cats are the most popular pet in the world by number - more than dogs.

The internet is basically built on cats - cat videos are among the most watched content online.

Grumpy Cat, whose real name was Tardar Sauce, became one of the most famous internet cats in history.

Cats have inspired more internet memes than any other animal.

A cat named Stubbs was the honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska for nearly 20 years.

Cats have been known to predict earthquakes and storms before they happen.

Cats can recognize their own name but choose whether or not to respond.

Cats have a special meow they use only with humans - a mix of a purr and a cry that mimics a baby.

Cats dream during REM sleep - you can often see their paws and whiskers twitch.

Cats have been shown to prefer the smell of their owner over strangers.

Cats form strong emotional bonds with their owners, even if they don't always show it.

Every stray cat out there has the same capacity for love, loyalty, and companionship as any house cat. They just need a chance.