The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years while the average
age for an outdoor cat is only 3-5 years
The largest breed of cat is the Ragdoll. Males weigh 12-20
pounds, with females weighing 10-15 pounds
Cats can see in colour – they are partially colour blind
Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend an average of
16 hours sleeping each day
A cat can jump 5 times as high as it is tall
The oldest cat known, lived to the grand age of 36
Cats respond more readily to names that end in an “ee” sound
The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique,
just like the fingerprint of a human
Cats lap liquid from the underside of their tongue rather than
from the top when drinking
BIG CATS
General Big Cat Information
Big cat species are found around the world, in Africa, Asia,
and North, Central, and South America.
Not all big cats can roar. Only tigers, lions, jaguars, and
leopards have distinct larynx characteristics that allow them
to roar.
Big cats have muscle fibers which are three times as powerful
as a human's.
Cougars
The cougar holds the Guinness record for the animal with the
highest number of names, with over 40 in English alone.
Cougars can live anywhere from forests, to deserts, to
mountains. There are over 30,000 cougars in the United States
today.
Cougars have the ability to jump as far as 45 feet!
Cougars live about 10 to 20 years in the wild and over 20
years in captivity.
Lions
Lions with black manes are alpha males. A dark-maned lion's
testosterone levels are higher than the levels in other males,
his cubs are more likely to survive, and he is more likely to
recover from wounds.
The African Lion is a social species. They are strong,
powerful, and ferocious and live in prides of about 10 to 15
lions.
The lionesses in the pride do most of the hunting and the
lions actually sleep up to 20 hours per day.
Lion's make their presence known with a roar that can actually
be heard up to five miles away!
Lions can take down the biggest prey of all big cats – an
elephant weighing several tons
Tigers
Although lions can, occasionally, be taller or longer than
tigers, average overall height, weight, and sheer mass rest
firmly in the tigers favor, particularly the Siberian tiger,
which can be 800 pounds and 11ft long!
Though Tigers are known for exceptional night vision – ideal
for their nocturnal hunting lifestyle – Siberian Tigers are
actually born blind.
Wild tiger numbers have plummeted by more than 95 percent in
the last hundred years, dropping from around 100,000 tigers a
century ago to fewer than 3,900 today. Although they have lost
96 percent of their historic range, countries in the tiger's
historic range are taking steps to protect their remaining
habitat.
The roar of a Bengal can be heard up to two miles away.
When tigers hunt, they catch prey large enough to last for
several meals
Bobcat
Though many felines have long, sinuous tails, an adult
bobcat's averages just 6 to 7 inches in length; the word
bobcat is a reference to this stubby appendage.
Wild bobcats do the majority of their hunting in low-light
conditions. The animals usually wake up three hours before
sunset and then go back to sleep around midnight; they wake up
again roughly an hour before dawn.
Fully-grown bobcats can weigh up to 33 pounds. For the most
part, they eat rabbits, birds, rodents, and other fairly small
creatures. However, the cats are also extremely adept at
killing adult white-tailed deer.
CAT FACTS
Similarities between big & small cats!
While lions and tigers don't purr, pumas actually do! The
hyoid bone attaches the larynx to the skull in domestic cats,
while cartilage attaches the larynx to the skull in lions,
thus allowing them to roar. Pumas on other hand purr just like
domestic cats, though they are just a little bit louder!
The next time your pet cat rubs up against you, bear in mind
that he is actually 'scent marking' just like the big cats.
The process of rubbing enables your cat to deposit the scent
from its sebaceous glands onto you, thus marking you as part
of its territory!
When you scold your cat for ruining the table with his claws,
remember that this is simply natural behavior also displayed
by bigger cats. The giant cousins of your pet like to use
visual markings, such as scratches on various items as another
means of identifying their territory.
Cats are nocturnal creatures, so this explains why your feline
keeps you awake at night with his activities. Cats like to
hunt at night and their amazing night vision and ability to
hear noises at high frequencies gives them a distinct
advantage over their prey.
Domestic cats and big cats like to stalk their prey. Stealth
is a key weapon for both. Big cats strike with lightning
speed, use their claws to hold down captured prey, and finish
things off with a bite to the vertebra. You will notice that
domestic cats kill birds and rodents in a similar manner.
All cats are meat eaters, so don't subject your pet to a
vegetarian diet! Simply put, your cat must eat food that
contains meat in order for it to remain healthy, just like the
big cats.
The only type of cat that doesn't have retractable claws is
the cheetah, which has semi-retractable claws.
All cats have four toes on their hind feet and five toes on
their front feet.
All cats have 38 chromosomes in each cell with two exceptions:
the Geoffreys Cat and the Ocelot, which have two less with 36
chromosomes in each cell.
All cats walk on their toes, with soft pads on the feet and
toes to reduce the sound they make when walking. This padding
also acts as protection, which is necessary when you consider
how often cats run and jump.
