Cats

A cat’s stomach is only about the size of a ping-pong ball!

Cats have 30 teeth, specially designed for tearing and cutting meat!

Cats drink water by curling their tongues backward to create a tiny ladle!

A hunting cat catches its prey successfully about 50% of the time!

Cats spend about 2 hours each day actively hunting or playing with toys that simulate hunting!

A cat needs to eat about 5–10 mice worth of calories each day to stay healthy!

Conservation & Population

There are over 600 million cats living on Earth today!

About 95 million cats live as pets in the United States alone!

There are more than 40 recognized breeds of domestic cats!

Some wild cat species, like the Scottish Wildcat, have fewer than 100 individuals left in the wild!

The first cats were domesticated in ancient Egypt about 4,000 years ago!

Indoor cats typically live 3–4 times longer than outdoor cats!

Feral cats (wild house cats) can be found in almost every city in the world!

The most endangered wild cat is the Amur Leopard, with only about 100 left in the wild!

Cats have helped humans by controlling rodent populations for thousands of years!

Special Abilities

Cats can see ultraviolet light that’s invisible to humans!

A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than a human’s!

Cats can make their pupils 135 times larger in dim light!

A cat’s whiskers are about as wide as their body — they use them like measuring tools!

Cats can jump up to five times their own height in a single bound!

Cats only meow to communicate with humans — they rarely meow at other cats!

A cat’s tail position can tell you about their mood — straight up means they’re happy!

Cats can hear sounds up to 64 kHz — that’s 1.6 octaves higher than humans can hear!

The most common cat breed in the world is the Domestic Shorthair!

Fun and Unique Facts

Ancient Egyptians would shave their eyebrows to mourn when their cats died!

The first cat in space was French and named Félicette — she went to space in 1963!

Cats were once used to deliver mail in Belgium in the 1870s!

The richest cat in history was named Tommaso, who inherited $13 million in 2011!

Cats were considered sacred in ancient Egypt and killing one was punishable by death!

The Maine Coon is the largest breed of domestic cat, with some weighing up to 25 pounds (11.3 kg)!

The Sphynx cat isn’t actually hairless — it’s covered in very fine, almost invisible fur!

The Scottish Fold cat has unique folded ears caused by a special gene!

The Ragdoll cat got its name because it tends to go limp when picked up!

The smallest adult cat breed is the Singapura, weighing only 4–6 pounds (1.8-2.7 kg)!

The Turkish Van cat breed loves water and is known as the “swimming cat”!

Siamese cats are born completely white and develop their dark points as they grow!

The Savannah cat is part wild African Serval and can jump up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) high!

The Munchkin cat has specially shortened legs due to a natural genetic mutation!

The Russian Blue cat has fur that’s actually blue-grey in color!

The oldest cat ever recorded lived to be 38 years and 3 days old — that’s like 168 in human years!

As of 2010, the longest domestic cat ever measured 48.5 inches (123 cm) from nose to tail tip!

The loudest purr ever recorded was 67.8 decibels — as loud as a shower!

The most expensive cat breed is the Ashera, which can cost up to $125,000!

The longest cat jump ever recorded was 7 feet (2.13 meters) — that’s taller than most adults!

The heaviest domestic cat on record weighed 46.8 pounds (21.3 kg) — that’s like four average cats!

The fastest recorded cat run speed was 30 mph (48.3 km/h)!

When a cat slowly blinks at you, it’s like they’re giving you a kitty kiss!

The cat with the most toes had 28 toes — most cats only have 18!

The smallest wild cat is the Rusty-Spotted Cat, weighing only 2-3.5 pounds (0.9-1.6 kg)!

Therapy cats can help reduce stress and lower blood pressure in humans!