Humans have lived alongside cats for around 10,000 years, and they still keep surprising us.
Here are 15 genuinely true facts about our feline roommates.
Domestic cats descend from the African wildcat and were living alongside people in the Near East at least 10,000 years ago.
Cats sleep an average of 12-16 hours a day, conserving energy for short bursts of hunting activity.
Adult cats rarely meow at other cats — meowing is mostly a language they developed to communicate with humans.
Cats can't taste sweetness; they lack functional sweet-taste receptors, a trait of strict carnivores.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear and can rotate them 180 degrees to pinpoint sounds.
Cats walk on their toes (digitigrade), and most have five toes in front and four in back.
A purr vibrates at roughly 25-150 Hz, a range associated with self-soothing and possibly tissue healing.
Cats have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, that helps protect and moisten the eye.
A group of cats is called a clowder, and a group of kittens a kindle.
Cats use their whiskers to gauge whether they can fit through gaps; whiskers roughly match body width.
The record for the oldest known cat is Creme Puff, who lived to 38 years.
A cat's nose print is unique, much like a human fingerprint.
Most calico and tortoiseshell cats are female because the coat-color genes are carried on the X chromosome.
Cats can make over 100 different vocal sounds, far more than dogs.
When a cat slow-blinks at you, it's widely interpreted by behaviorists as a sign of trust and contentment.
We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.
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