- Ancient Egyptians domesticated cats 4,000 years ago. In line with their view of animals as sacred and having close contact with deities, Egyptians elevated cats to top god status. They mummified them and placed milk and rodents in their tombs. Humans received death sentences for even accidentally killing a cat, and Egyptian armies hunted down cats illegally smuggled into neighboring Mediterranean countries. Egyptian soldiers once surrendered in battle, not wishing to harm the cats the Persian army had dispersed on the battlefield.
- Africa's wild black-footed cat is possibly the smallest cat on earth, weighing between 2.2 and 5 pounds. It has a gold, dark-spotted coat. According to the International Society For Endangered Cats, this nocturnal cat's meow is comparable to the roar of a tiger. Siberian (Amur) tigers are the world's largest cat, weighing an average of 660 pounds. Native to eastern Russia, China and North Korea, these cats are highly endangered. According to National Geographic magazine's website, there are only 400 to 500 Siberians left in the wild.
- "Cats are born with a hunting and chasing instinct. But they are not necessarily born hunters that kill for food," according to the website Perfect Paws. Killing and eating prey are generally learned behaviors, and hunger will not automatically teach a cat to kill. Mother cats teach their kittens to kill and eat by first consuming dead prey in front of them. After they join in, wounded prey is brought to them and the kittens learn by example to kill on their own. Finally, kittens hone their skills by accompanying the mother on the hunt.
- Most felid (cat) species produce purr-like vocalizations. Purring is most noticeable in domestic cats when they are interacting with humans, being fed or nursing kittens. Leslie A. Lyons, an assistant professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, says, "Cats often purr while under duress, such as during a visit to the veterinarian or when recovering from injury." "Thus," she explains, "not all purring cats appear to be content or pleased with their current circumstances." Researchers are investigating how cats purr, and why, but it's still under debate.
- Cats have an amazing ability to judge distances when jumping and to land on their feet, even when falling from great heights. The key is that the cat has to be high enough to have enough space to twist its body into landing position. This skill is presumably a derivative of their keen hunter instincts. Cats aren't invincible, though. They do acquire serious injuries, and even die, when falling from vast heights. They have even been known to be seriously injured when falling a few feet from the ground.
previous post