7 Strange But True Facts About Cats

November 2, 2020

The mysterious, curious cat has held us in their charm for thousands of years and as soon as you think you know them better than they know themselves, you learn something new. That’s the appeal of cats. 

Cat Fact #1

Did you know, for instance, that in 1870s Belgium, the postal service put 37 cats to work in the hopes they’d make good carrier pigeons! The cats were responsible for only one message, tied around their necks with string in a protective, plastic bag. They don’t tell you if the cats were trained or how they knew where to deliver their missive, only that the cats did eventually show up at their destination but not in record time. One cat did it in five hours, while another took three whole days. Postal cats were soon retired from service, and all too happy to leave it to the pigeons, while they laze and gaze on from a sunny window.

Cat Fact #2

There are 8.3 million cats living in 38% of households in Canada, according to the Canadian Animal Health Institute survey of 2018.

Cat Fact #3

The oldest cat, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is Creme Puff (1967-2005) who lived to the ripe old age of 38. Her owner, Texas resident Jake Perry had another cat called Grandpa Rex Allen (1964-1998) who lived to a jolly age of 34 years. Perry has always loved his cats and more than a third of them have lived past the age of 30. We sure wish we knew his secret. 

Cat Fact #4

A group of cats is called a clowder, which is a word first recorded in 1801 that dates back to the Middle English word for clott, meaning a round lump or mass. For young cats, it’s a kindle of kittens. I'm sure we could come up with our own more imaginative and certainly more cuddly terms.

Cat Fact #5 

You’ll be surprised to learn that your cat has 32 muscles in each ear. Amazing! The little pouch at the side of their ears known as Henry’s pocket is thought to help filter out noise. Your cat can move their ears independently of each other to home in on sounds all around them. They also use their ears to communicate with their humans and especially with other cats and animals. Their ears are the first thing to lie flat when they are threatened or in danger. 

Cat Fact #6

The average domestic cat can reach up to speeds of 30 mph or 55 kmh, which is pretty amazing considering that cats spend most of their day sleeping. That’s faster than most dogs and certainly every human we know! 

Cat Fact #7

Scientists have determined that cats have the ability to make 100 different sounds to communicate, one of them is the imitation of a baby crying when they’re hungry! In comparison to dogs, who only make about 15 different sounds, there’s a lot more to our cats than we realize.

So many incredible things to discover about our cats. It helps to understand them better as sentient beings with emotions, impressive life skills and superior communication skills. So when you talk to your cat, you know they’re listening.