Interesting facts about cats

June 11, 2009 | In: Animal facts for kids

The cat was seen as a sacred animal in ancient Eqypt, and the history of domestic cats dates back to as early as 8000 years. The domesticated cat slowly became a symbol of grace and poise. As a revered animal and one very important to Egyptian society and religion, the cat was afforded the same mummification after death as humans.

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with 33 different breeds.

Sir Isaac Newton is not only credited with the laws of gravity but is also credited with inventing the cat flap.

Cats sleep… a lot ! The older they get, the more sleep they need, but the average is between thirteen and fourteen hours a day.

Petting or stroking a cat has actually been proven to help in lowering one’s blood pressure.

The age of the oldest cat on record was 34.

Cats’ sense of smell is fourteen times stronger than ours – this means they can smell the odour in the litter box much earlier than us!

Cats can run at a speed of thirty miles per hour.

Cat urine glows under a black light.

The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.

The color of a kitten’s eyes changes as it grows older.

A cat can jump as much as seven times its height.

The first cat exhibition was held in New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1895.