01/ Why do cats go to the one person in the room who doesn't like cats?
When a cat enters a room full of people who are staring at him, he becomes very uncomfortable.
Then he notices that one person is totallyignoring him - the person who dislikes cats for whatever
reason. The cat goes to that person to seek a safe haven from those who are fawning over him
or intimidating him.
02/ Do cats dream?
As do humans, cats alternate phases of deep and light sleep. Dreaming occurs during the deep sleep
phase. During a cat's deep-sleep phase the give-away is movement of his paws and claws, twitching
of his whiskers, and flicking his ears. Sometimes he vocalizes.
03/ Why do cats' tails quiver?
When a cat's tail is quivering, it can mean mild irritation. If erect and the whole length seems to be
quivering with excitement, it means exactly that - excitement.
04/ Why do cats arch their backs?
The cat's arching back is actually part of his complex body-language system. Not only does he arch
his back as a form of stretching "sleepy" muscles after a nap, the arched back is also a form of
showing that the cat is feeling threatened. In the latter case, the arched back is usually
accompanied by his hair standing out all over his body, especially on his tail. He may even turn
sideways to present an even more impressive profile to scare away a threatening animal. His arch
is able to get so high because his spine contains nearly 60 vertebrae (humans only have about 34)
which fit together loosely, giving him that incredible flexibility.
05/ Why does a cat purr?
Usually, a cat purrs because it is content. A mother cat purrs to let her kittens know she is nearby,
and kittens purr in response to their mother's grooming. Older kittens purr to entice adults to play.
Some adults will purr to show an aggressor that they are non-threatening. Take note, however,
that some cats will purr when frightened or in pain. By the way, no one has yet to discover
how a cat purrs. LOL read below
06/ What makes a cat purr?
Cats (big and small) are the only animals who purr. Contrary to popular belief, purring isn't speaking.
The purr comes from two membrane folds, called false vocal cords, that are situated in the larynx
behind the actual vocal cords. Cats purr 26 cycles per second, the same as an idling diesel engine.
Cats purr both when inhaling and exhaling, keeping the mouth completely closed. Scientists believe
purring is produced by blood in a large vein in the chest cavity that vibrates and is then magnified
by air in the windpipe. Kittens are born blind and deaf, but the vibrations of their mother's purring
is a physical signal that the kittens can feel. It acts as a homing device, signaling them to nurse.
Kittens begin purring at about one week old; then it's a signal to the mother cat that they're
getting their milk and are content. Since purring is non-vocal, it doesn't interfere with the suckling.
Contrary to another popular belief, cats don't purr purely for pleasure. Be alert: a deep purr can
indicate that a cat is in pain or distress. Female cats will purr when in labor. Cats may purr in fear or
anxiety. They will also purr in anticipation of being fed or stroked. Big African cats only purr in short
bursts, but the house cat can purr for hours. Curiously, scientists tell us that a cat never purrs
when alone.
07/ Why do cats knead?
That loud purring followed by the sharpening of claws on some soft spot of your body is called
"milk-treading." When you relax and sit quietly, you're giving your cat the same signal he got
from his mother when he was a kitten - that his mother was ready to let him suckle. A nursing
kitten instinctively uses his paws to draw out the milk, gently pushing on his mother's stomach
to increase the milk flow. When older cats behave this way, it's a good sign that they're happy,
content, and probably recalling their kittenhood.
08/ Why do cats get stuck in trees?
Their claws are constructed for climbing up. When they attempt to climb down headfirst
(and normally this is what they will try to do first), it's impossible for them because the claws are
curved the wrong way. Eventually, a cat will figure out how to go down the correct
way - shimmying down backward so that the claws will cling to the bark of the tree.
09/ Why do cats hiss and spit when attacked or threatened?
Believe it or not, they are imitating snakes. The sound of the cat's hiss is almost the same
sound as a snake's hiss - and the snake is one of the most feared creatures in the animal
world. Hissing is pretty common in all land animals. When a cat hisses, he opens his mouth
halfway, drawing back the upper lip and wrinkling the face. As he does this, he expels his
breath so hard that, if you were close enough, you could feel the jet of air. The moisture
he releases with this gusty breath is what's called spitting. It almost always succeeds in
repulsing an enemy.
10/ Are cats smart?
In the animal kingdom, the cat's IQ is surpassed only by monkeys and chimps. Cats think
and adapt to changing circumstances and learn by observation, imitation, and trial and
error. Interestingly, cats seem to learn more quickly from their own mothers than from
examples set by unrelated cats, but imitate humans. They have been shown to exhibit
greater problem solving abilities than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan
and the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum of Natural History have
concluded that while canine memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat's recall can last
as long as 16 hours, exceeding even that of monkeys and orangutans.
11/ Can cats really see in the dark?
They can't see in total darkness and their daytime vision is only fair, but they can see far
better than humans in semi-darkness. They can also distinguish brightness 7 times better
than we do. As nocturnal hunters, their eyes are able to scoop up even the smallest scrap
of available light. Their vision generally is blurred at the edges and they see best at 6 - 20
feet. When it comes to movement, though, the cat doesn't miss a twitch. An aside: a
cat's diet without taurine, a substance crucial for his eyesight, will make the cat go blind.
Dog food lacks taurine, so never feed it to a feline.
12/ Why do cats shed their claws?
Cats are the only animals who walk directly on their claws, not on their paws. It would
be like humans walking on the tips of their fingers. Getting around on tiptoe, called
digitigrade, is a particularly useful feature when it comes to moving at high speeds.
Being the great hunter that they are, they need to keep this skill very sharp. Contrary
to popular belief, manicuring their nails on your furniture is not out of malice or
sharpening the claws. Cats are tearing off the ragged edges of the sheaths of their
talons when scratching. All year long, they shed their claws to expose new sharp
ones beneath. Claws aren't just for protection. They are responsible for the cat's
exquisite balance and amazing feats such as climbing, stretching, running, and
grooming. Declawing not only physically afflicts a cat, but he is also psychologically
anguished, deprived of his only defense and one of his most versatile tools for survival.
13/ What makes cats cuddly?
The cat has a toasty body temperature of 102°. A good percentage of the nutrients
he gets from his daily food intake (approximately 30 percent) is devoted to making
his skin and coat supple and fuzzy.
14/ Why do some cats suck wool or clothing?
There are a couple of theories on this: The cat was weaned too early and the scent
of the lanolin reminds the cat of his mother,or The cat has a lack of fiber in his diet.
15/ Why do some cats go crazy over catnip, but others ignore it?
The response to catnip is the result of a gene in the cat; if the cat doesn't have
the gene, it cannot physically react to catnip. Some cats will react to catnip by
rolling around on the floor in delight, others will just quickly eat it up and wander
off, while others will ignore it completely.
16/ Why does a cat hide when it is sick or dying?
Instinct tells a cat to hide where a predator can't find them. When a cat is ill, it
may think it is being stalked - so it hides. nearly all animals do this.
17/ Why does a cat suddenly bite or hiss at a person after it's been petted for a while?
If a person persists in touching a sensitive area (such as the cat's tail, ears, or belly),
the cat might give a gentle nip to as a way of staying "stop." Too, some cats can
tolerate pleasurable stroking only for short periods of time; again, he may
communicate "stop it" with a nip or cuff of his paw.
18/ Why do some cats insist on tipping over their water dish, or take food out of the dish and drop it on the floor to eat?
Most cats do not like to eat or drink out of bowls if the sides touch their whiskers.
Also, if a bowl is too deep, the cat may take the food out for convenience. A wider,
shallower bowl will probably eliminate this behavior.
19/ Why does a cat chatter when he sees a bird?
When a cat kills prey, it bites down quickly several times. The "chatter" is simulating
the cat's behavior at the time of attack.Alternatively (according to a visitor): it's pure
and simple frustration. When a cat is stalking or killing a bird, they're almost invariably
completely silent. It's when they are shut off from the prey that they chatter.
20/ Why is a cat able to land on its feet from a fall?
When falling, the cat uses its tail to right itself and swivels its body in mid-air, so that it
is facing the ground, and lands with its back arched to absorb the shock. Cats have
very flexible bodies, so the swiveling is easy for them to do.
