Things Worth Knowing About Cats
For some, cats are fascinating animals that never cease to amaze us. To make you even more amazed, here are some things worth knowing about cats.
They can drink sea water
Unlike humans, cats have kidneys that can filter salt from seawater and use the water content to hydrate their bodies. Normally, cats, like all animals, prefer fresh water and take part of the liquid from their food.
However, when this is not enough, they will not hesitate to take it from a salty source. Fortunately, your kidneys are proof of everything!
They cannot taste sweet things
Scientists believe that a mutation in a key taste receptor has prevented cats from tasting sugar. Others consider it to be an evolutionary trait that allows them to be exclusively interested in meat.
Some cats have thumbs
While these are not “real” thumbs (similar in function to ours), they are additional toes that stick out on their feet.
The paws of cats have various curiosities, for example, they sweat through the pads.
Hairs in the ears
Cats have, in addition to normal villi, wool-like hairs that help them isolate and filter direct sounds.
They can hear the dolphins
It is not proven, but it is believed that cats can hear dolphins. This is because they can hear ultrasound (this is the main rodent hunting system), being a system similar to that used by dolphins to communicate.
Patterns on the face
The striated pattern on the cat’s nose is as unique as a human fingerprint, therefore a good way to identify them is by looking at this pattern.
Blind point
But cats cannot see directly under their noses. That is why sometimes they do not get to see the food that is right in front of them.
Inspire science
Isaac Newton invented the cat flap after his own cat, Spithead, kept the door open and spoiled his light experiments.
Similarly, Nikola Tesla was inspired to investigate electricity after his cat, Macak, shocked him through his fur.
Feline dreams
Cats have the ability to dream, in fact they begin to do so at approximately one week of age.
In addition, small kittens sleep much more than adults because their bodies release growth hormone only when they are asleep, so it is important to let them rest, while adult cats do not release any particular key hormones during sleep.
They sleep a lot
Cats, like most felines, use a lot of energy while active, therefore they need a lot of sleep. In fact, cats sleep so much that, on average, a 9-year-old cat will only have been awake for three years of its life.
Benefits of castration
The average neutered or spayed felines live 2 to 3 years longer than those that did not undergo this procedure.
Gender preferences
As curious as it may sound, cats seem to have a fixation on licking their right paws, while cats prefer the left.
Most common names
There also seems to be a preference when it comes to cat names, because while the most common name for males is Tom, that for females varies between Molly and Reina (or their counterparts in other languages).
The Secret in Their Eyes
Cats have a third eyelid called “Haw. ” It is a kind of retractable membrane and is usually only visible when they are sick.
About the Siamese
Russian scientists discovered in the 1930s that Siamese kittens kept in very warm rooms did not develop the dark spots that characterize the breed.
The wonders of evolution
Cats seem to have evolved their “tone of voice” to communicate with humans.
The natural vocal range of cats would be inaudible to humans, but they are capable of communicating feelings such as affection, hunger and fear within the range of human hearing. Some researchers believe that this is a behavior that was learned to help cats interact with humans.
