1. Tylenol and chocolate are both poisonous to cats.
2. The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat which still exists today.
3. In ancient Egypt, killing a cat was a crime punishable by death.
4. In ancient Egypt, mummies were made of
cats, and embalmed mice were placed with them in their tombs. In one
ancient city, over 300,000 cat mummies were found.
5. In the Middle Ages, during the Festival of Saint John, cats were burned alive in town squares.
6. The first cat show was in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London.
7. Today there are about 100 distinct breeds of the domestic cat.
8. Genetic mutation created the domestic cat which is tame from birth.
9. Like birds, cats have a homing ability
that uses its biological clock, the angle of the sun, and the Earth’s
magnetic field. A cat taken far from its home can return to it. But if a
cat’s owners move far from its home, the cat can’t find them.
10. Hunting is not instinctive for cats. Kittens born to non-hunting mothers may never learn to hunt.
11. Cats bury their feces to cover their trails from predators.
12. Mother cats teach their kittens to use the litter box.
13. Among other tasks, cats can be taught
to use a toilet, come, sit, beg, eat with their paws, heel, jump
through a hoop, play a piano, play dead, roll over, open a door, hide
food in boxes, shake, and fetch.
14. Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day.
When cats are asleep, they are still alert to incoming stimuli. If you
poke the tail of a sleeping cat, it will respond accordingly.
15. Cats can’t taste sweets.
