Cats

Cats belong to the family Felidae, and our pet cats are called Felis catus by scientists!

A group of cats is called a “clowder,” while a group of kittens is called a “kindle!”

House cats can be found living on every continent except Antarctica!

Indoor cats can live up to 20 years — that’s older than most kids in middle school!

The average house cat weighs between 8–10 pounds (3.6-4.5 kg) — about the same as a gallon of milk!

An adult male cat is called a tom, a female is called a queen, and babies are called kittens!

Cats are carnivores, which means they need to eat meat to stay healthy!

A cat’s nose print is unique, just like your fingerprints — no two cats have the same pattern!

Cats have 32 muscles in each ear, while humans only have 6!

A cat’s whiskers are usually as wide as their body, helping them measure if they can fit through tight spaces!

Cats can jump up to 6 times their length — imagine if you could jump across your whole classroom in one leap!

A cat’s heart beats nearly twice as fast as a human’s, at 110–140 beats per minute!

The average cat has 244 bones in their body, while humans only have 206!

A cat’s claws grow in layers, and they shed the old outer layer about every 3 months!

Cats have a special layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum that helps them see in the dark!

A cat’s tail contains nearly 10% of all the bones in their body!

Cats walk by moving their legs in a special way. They lift both legs on one side and then both legs on the other side. This is called a pacing gait!

Cats spend about 70% of their day sleeping — that’s about 16 hours!

Cats can make over 100 different vocal sounds, while dogs can only make about 10!

Cats remember things for up to 16 hours, which is better than most animals!

When a cat rubs against you, they’re marking you with special scent glands in their face!

Cats can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) — that’s faster than the fastest human runner!

A cat’s brain is 90% similar to a human’s brain — they’re pretty smart!

Cats dream just like humans do during their sleep!

Cats can’t taste sweet things because they don’t have the right taste buds!

Cats use their tails for balance, which helps them always land on their feet!

Cats spend about 30% of their awake time grooming themselves!

Cats can survive in almost any climate, from hot deserts to cold mountains!

Wild cats can climb trees headfirst, but they have to back down because their claws face forward!

A cat’s whiskers help them detect changes in air movement, warning them of nearby objects!

Cats can squeeze through any opening that’s as wide as their whiskers!

Cats have excellent balance because their inner ear has three semicircular canals, just like humans!

A cat’s rough tongue helps them clean their fur and scrape meat off bones!

Cats can rotate their ears 180 degrees to locate the source of sounds!

Cats have special scent glands in their paws that they use to mark their territory!

Cats can see in light six times dimmer than what humans need to see clearly!

A cat’s padded paws help them walk silently when hunting!

A newborn kitten weighs only about 3.5 ounces (100 grams) — that’s less than a baseball!

Kittens open their eyes when they’re about 7–10 days old!

A mother cat (queen) can have up to 6 litters of kittens in one year!

Kittens start walking when they’re about 3 weeks old!

A kitten’s baby teeth start coming in when they’re about 3 weeks old!

Kittens learn to use a litter box by watching their mother!

Most kittens are fully weaned from their mother’s milk by 8 weeks old!

A cat reaches adult size by about 1 year of age!

The average cat pregnancy lasts 63–65 days!

Kittens are born with blue eyes, but they might change color as they grow!

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they must eat meat to survive!

An adult cat needs about 250–300 calories per day — that’s like 2-3 small cans of cat food!

Cats can’t digest plants as well as dogs can!