11 curiosities about cats that you probably did not know

Cats are unique beings, who surprise us daily with their strong personality and their numerous skills. Its somewhat enigmatic aspect, which still protects a connection with its wild nature, and its very special character have generated so much curiosity in human beings that many myths and popular beliefs still haunt these beautiful cats.

In this article, we invite you to know 11 curiosities about cats that you probably did not know to help you better understand your kitties and improve your bond with them.

1. Most cats are allergic to lactose

Do you wonder if cats can drink milk? Although the image of a pussy cat with a milk dish is very present in the popular imagination, most adult cats are, in fact, allergic to lactose.

All mammal puppies are born ready to digest and assimilate breast milk and this is their best food. During the period of lactation, baby cats produce a large amount of an enzyme called lactase, which is responsible for digesting lactose in breast milk. But when it reaches the period of weaning, the production of this enzyme decreases progressively, preparing the animal’s organism to stop consuming breast milk and start feeding on its own.

Although some pigs can continue to generate a low amount of enzymes in adulthood, the vast majority stops producing it and becomes unable to digest lactose. Therefore, it is a false myth that milk is a suitable food for cats. In fact, the consumption of this food and its derivatives can cause numerous gastrointestinal problems in your pussycat

2. Cats do not perceive sweet flavors

While they have vision and hearing far superior to ours, the sense of taste of the pussycat is less developed. While a person possesses more than 9000 taste bulbs, cats have less than 500, and this translates into a more limited ability to identify the variety of flavors offered by food. In addition, felines produce only one of the two proteins needed to assimilate the information of sweet flavors. Therefore, although they easily detect salty, acidic and bitter tastes, cats do not perceive sweet flavors.

Many experts say that this would be an important self-defensive skill developed by felines during their evolution process. As sugary foods are harmful to your body, may cause diarrhea, colic or flatulence, your palate may have evolved to the point of rejecting the sweet taste.

3. They make many sounds, but their language is mostly corporal

Surely, you love to hear how your cat purrs when receiving a caress or meow to invite you to play, but you may not yet know all the sounds that cats emit and what are their meanings. Currently, it is estimated that cats can emit up to 100 different vocalizations, and, contrary to what was formerly thought, today we know that cats use sounds not only to “talk” with their favorite humans, but also use them to communicate with each other, mainly when they are puppies and need to draw attention of their mothers.

Although its vocalization capacity is surprising, our kittens mostly use the body language to express their emotions, moods and perceptions of reality. The body language of cats is sophisticated and complex, comprising a wide variety of postures, gestures and facial expressions. To have an idea, only with the movements and positions its tail, your feline can tell you a lot about how he feels and how he perceives each situation in his environment.

4. They have more bones than us

Our kittens may be smaller than us, but their body has more bones than ours. A healthy adult cat has near 230 bones (24 more than the human skeleton), and the discs between their vertebrae are thicker than those of a person. This bony structure, combined with its well-developed musculature, allows felines to have a great elasticity and perform extraordinary jumps, as well as entering into seemingly impossible gaps and spaces.

5. Newton could have created the first “cathole door”

We all know the famous “cat doors” or “cat doors”, right? But few know that this could have been one of the inventions of Isaac Newton, the magnificent thinker who has marked a before and after in Physics.

As the scientist and writer Cyril Aydon tells us, in his book “Curious science stories“Newton would have thought of a way to allow his cat to go outside when she wanted to, without interrupting her precious moments of concentration and experiments. So, it occurred to him to make a hole in his door to incorporate an exclusive access for your minina and her puppies. And thus, the first “gatera door” in history would have emerged.

6. Cats also have world records

Not only humans are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Many pussycat have won their place in this compilation of outstanding figures, after performing some feats.

Creme Puff, born in Texas (United States), holds the record of being the longest cat in the world, having lived for 38 for years. On the other hand, Himmy, of Queensland, is registered as the heaviest pussycat to date, with a body weight greater than 21 kg. And a cat called Towser maintains its title as the best mouse hunter in the world, having captured almost 29.000 mice in all its life.

7. Your fingerprints are on your nose

Each person has a unique composition in their fingerprints, so their identity can be recognized by this natural impression. In the same way, Each cat has a unique and unique design in the cushion of his nose, being this other curiosity of the cats that surely you did not know. More than fingerprints, our pussycats have nasal prints. Curious, right?

8. Your whiskers also make up your senses

The whiskers of your cat are not simple hairs, but integrate their sensory capabilities. As well as the eyelashes and the small hairs under the chin, their whiskers act as motion sensors. When combined with their olfactory cells, they allow felines to quickly detect prey, possible predators, females in heat, poisonous or decomposing foods, territories of other felines, etc.

9. Cats can see in color

For many years, a belief that cats see black and white has prevailed, but over time it has been shown that this is a false myth. In fact, the eyes of our pigs do not have the cells of the red cone, so they can not perceive the shades of red and pink. But they do have blue and green cone cells, being able to distinguish shades of yellow, blue and green. Although they show some difficulty to recognize the saturation of these colors. For more information about this curiosity of cats you did not know, do not miss the article “How cats see”.

10. If you rub with yourself, you are yours

Does your pussycat rub with you? It may seem like a beautiful demonstration of love, but your cat he does it to leave his smell on you and inform you that you are their property. It is a way that cats have to mark their territory, which is why we also usually see how they rub on the furniture of the home, etc. Of course, if he does it with you, it also means that he has so much appreciation for you that he has chosen you as someone of his or, simply, he does it as show of affection. There is also the possibility that you carry out this behavior to get your attention for something; All these theories are valid and approved by the feline ethologists.

11. Knead you because he loves you

Many tutors wonder why cats knead so often. When they are babies, cats knead their mothers’ nipples to stimulate them and suck more milk. It’s about a natural movement which is part of the unique bond that kittens share with their progenitors. This contact generates a feeling of pleasure and well-being, since they feel welcomed with their mothers.

When an adult cat kills its guardians, this is a way of expressing that he feels calm and at ease in his company. Therefore, if your cat kneaded you, it is because he loves you and sharing this moment with you generates great pleasure, this being another of the curiosities of cats that you probably did not know about.

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