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9 Facts About Cats That Make Them So Special

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Jonathon Engels, a long-time vegetarian turned vegan, is currently on a trip from Guatemala to... Read More

Cats aren’t exactly cuddly, but on occasion, they can be. They aren’t exactly loving, until they purr their way over and nuzzle into your ankles. Cats are pets with splendid self-assurance, calculated aggression, and unhealthy jumpiness. Then, they climb up in your lamp, spin around a bit, work the paws, and melt your heart.

Cats have been domesticated for at least ten thousand years, if not a couple thousand more, now. In that time, they have been likened to goddesses. They have been mummified. They’ve been depicted frequently in statue form. They were wholly welcomed for their pest control prowess for grain stores.

Now, house cats are mostly creatures with very few expectations to live up to. They are companions, and often begrudgingly ones at that. Nevertheless, for those of us who are cat people, they are a bottomless source of laughter and entertainment. But, there is little doubt that cats are cool customers.

1. A Cat’s Purr Has Medicinal Qualities

The purr of a cat has healing powers for both the cat and humans. The purr is at such a frequency that it acts like a medicine for people. It reduces stress levels, lowers blood pressure, eases pain, and even battles infections.

Despite popular opinion, purring isn’t only a signal of happiness with cats. It can be a response to stress, illness, or pain as well.

2. Female Cats Are Usually Right-Pawed, And Males Left-Pawed

Just as humans have dominant hands (and feet for that matter), cats have dominant paws. However, their pawed-ness is largely dictated by biological gender. Female cats tend to be right-pawed, and male cats are more likely to be left-pawed. What does it all mean?

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3. The “Zoomies” Use Up Energy That Hasn’t Been Spent

Source: Jackson Galaxy/Youtube

Every cat roommate is familiar with those sudden bursts of energy that have cats careening around furniture and climbing the walls. Some call it the “zoomies”. Well, this is how cats handle the fact that they no longer need their energy to hunt and feed themselves. They have to release it somehow. The zoomies.

4. Cats Can Run 30 Mph And Jump Five Times Their Own Height

Housecats are tremendous athletes, with speed, agility, balance, and bounce. Over a short distance, they can run 30 miles per hour, faster than the fastest of humans. And, they have a vertical jump as high as five times their height. The best high jumpers in the world can’t clear twice their height, and that’s without worrying about landing on their feet.

5. Cats Have Amazing Ears And Eyes

Cats have nearly three dozen muscles in their ears so that they can swivel them and locate exact sources of sounds. They can even rotate their ears 180 degrees.

Their eyes are nearsighted; however, they have stupendous peripheral vision, and they can see well at night, much better than humans can.

6. Cat Whiskers Are Wondrous Features

A cat’s whiskers are as wide as its body, and they are extraordinarily functional. They are tied to feline muscular and nervous systems and help them navigate, especially at night. They are also important for detecting changes in nearby spaces, not to mention whether or not they can squeeze through somewhere. Cats actually have whiskers on the backs of their front legs as well as prominent ones on their faces.

7. Cats Have Special Ways Of Communicating With Humans

Source: Jaw-Dropping Facts/Youtube

While it seems that cats rub their heads on humans in affection, it’s also a means of marking territory. They have scent glands around their face, as well as at the base of their tails and paws.

More amazingly, the cat’s meow is a noise made exclusively for humans. Cats do not meow at each other. And, on the other side of that coin, they recognize and differentiate our voices as well.

Lastly, when cats don’t cover their poop, it is meant as a sign of aggression.

8. Cats Are Well-Rested And Clean

Cats sleep about fifteen hours a day, or about two-thirds of their life away. Of the remaining time, about one-third of it, two to three hours a day, is spent on grooming.

9. Domestic Cats Aren’t So Far Removed From Tigers

Housecats and tigers share over 95 percent of their genetic make-ups. Despite lions being considered “kings of the jungle”, tigers are the largest cats on the planet. On average, they are about ten feet long and weigh over 650 pounds. Domestic cats weigh about 10 pounds. But, watch them do their stalking and preying and the genetic link is pretty apparent.

Well, that’s nine special things about the creatures known for having nine lives. As if we needed more reasons to admire them.