All About Cats: Who’s Really in Charge?

In chapter 6 of The Adventures of Mo, Mo and Finchy meet a group of cats at a museum during movie night. Mo didn’t know much about cats but Finchy knew he didn’t want to be their dinner.

Think you know everything there is to know about cats? Prrr. . .obably not.

Just like any other animal, cats have their own way of acting, thinking and behaving. Here are 11 facts you may not have known about your favorite feline:

1.) Cat Vision

Cats’ eyes tell us a lot about how they hunt for food. Unlike humans whose pupils are round, cats’ pupils are vertically shaped, which suggests they ambush their prey, according to researchers. Since cats are active both in the day and at night, their vertical pupils help them see better at night and not get blinded by the sun in the middle of the day.

2.) Scent Rubbing

Wonder why cats rub their cheek against things or people? They’re leaving a scent or marking their territory. The scent of a cat leaves information about themselves for other cats in the neighborhood. However, a cheek rub on your leg or hand is the cat saying, “I like you so I want you to smell like me.”

3.) Ignoring You Is Science

Here’s why cats typically ignore you when you call their name or give a command: Unlike dogs, researchers suggest that cats were not domesticated to listen to humans, obey their orders, or even try to please them. What’s not to love?

4.) No Sweet Tooth

Cats lack the ability to taste anything sweet. The reason might be because they come from a long line of meat-eaters so chocolate and other sugary foods aren’t on their menu. But that’s probably a good thing since cats generally have bad teeth and more than likely, wouldn’t be fond of dentists.

5.) Jumping Power

Cats can jump up to six times their height. They have very strong muscles in their legs which catapults them into the air.

6.) Toe Count

Cats have 18 toes–five toes on each of their front paws and four toes on their back paws.

7.) Nap Time

Cats sleep about 13 to 16 hours a day. That’s 70% of their life! Cats that live in the wild must sleep this much to save their energy to hunt for food. But what’s the excuse for house cats that live in a comfy environment and are fed every day? Sleeping probably just feels good.

8.) Feline Speed

Cats can be speedy. They can run up to 30 miles per hour. That’s faster than the fastest man on the planet—Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

9.) Whiskers Are Tools

Cat whiskers aren’t just cute. They serve a very important function and act as “kitty radar.” Whiskers are connected to the cat’s sensitive muscular and nervous systems, allowing them to detect and respond to changes in their surroundings.

10.) Abraham Lincoln’s Love for Cats

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, absolutely loved cats and would play with them for hours. He owned several cats during his time in the White House.

11.) Cats in Ancient Egypt

In Ancient Egypt, members of a family would shave their eyebrows in mourning if their cat died. Cats were also sometimes mummified and placed in tombs with their owners.

12.) The Oldest Cat Ever

The oldest cat ever was Crème Puff, who lived 38 years and 3 days with her owner in Austin, Texas. She was born August 3, 1967, and died August 6, 2005. Every morning, she started her day with a giant breakfast: bacon and eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and coffee with heavy cream.

It really happened

In 2010, 100 rescue cats were let loose in the IKEA furniture store in Wembley, England after the store closed. The company’s advertising team wanted to try an experiment. Since cats know better than anyone what makes them feel happy and comfortable, the team wanted to see what furniture made them happy and video-taped the nighttime adventure.

The cats had a great time frolicking all over the store. There was so much to explore, so many textures, so much to scent mark, and all kinds of things to play with! And then there were all the shelves to climb on and countless places to perch. A furniture store turned out to be a feline paradise. There wasn’t much trouble either: only a few fights broke out and one cat was temporarily trapped behind a partition.

But since then, no one has ever said what the cats were paid to spend a night inside the store. Cats are smart. They probably negotiated something far better than cash: perhaps a year’s supply of IKEA’s famous meatballs from the store restaurant.