In ancient Egypt they worshiped them, considering them symbols of the sun and fertility. Today, these fluffy beauties are pets that outstripped dogs in popularity.
But do loving owners know what secrets their pets keep? An article introducing the most interesting facts about cats will help dot all i's.
Cats in legends and traditions
The inhabitants of the land of the pharaohs revered cats as sacred animals. The feline appearance was assumed by the supreme sun god Ra, and the goddess of love and joy Bastet was portrayed as a woman with the head of a lioness or cat.
The Scandinavians also ranked cats as divine creatures, who accompanied the leader of the Valkyries Freyja. But the Japanese considered these animals as malicious creatures with vampire abilities. However, residents of the Land of the Rising Sun believed that cats bring good luck to sailors. Only wealthy people could afford the content of a domestic animal.
The Slavs revered Bayun - the eternal companion of the wise god of arts Veles. The furry creature had a magical voice that could immerse travelers in eternal sleep. However, those who managed to catch the wonderful cat received iron health as a reward.
The most famous cats
Righteous Muslims know about Muizza - the favorite of the Prophet Muhammad. In memory of her, all cats are allowed to be in mosques.
The domestic cat Masha from Obninsk warmed up her abandoned 2-month-old baby with her body and attracted people's attention to the foundling by a desperate meow. The story of the furry heroine spread not only to Russia, but to the whole world.
Animals are often shot in films.But the only cat to receive two Patsy (the Oscar for four-legged) at once was the red-haired Orange. Viewers know him by his roles in the films Rubarb and Tiffany's Breakfast.
The first cloned cat on the planet was produced in 2004 in the USA. Little Nikki was born through the use of DNA from a pet of a resident of Texas, who paid $ 50,000 to recreate her deceased pet.
The largest and loudest cat in the world
The biggest cat in the world was Maine Coon Stewie, whose body length (from the nose to the tip of the tail) is 123 cm. Merlin got the palm for a loud purr. His rumbling reached 67.8 dB, which equates to the sounds of a working vacuum cleaner.
The longevity record was set by Lucy, who went to eternal rest at the age of 43. By human standards, the old woman was 180 years old!
Amazing abilities
Instant transition from a state of rest to wakefulness? For representatives of the cat family this is not a problem! Cats are able to perceive 70% of the sounds and smells surrounding them, even during deep sleep.
Cats bounce to a height six times their height. They got this opportunity thanks to powerful paws and a flexible spine, consisting of 27 freely adjacent vertebrae (not counting the caudal (20–26) and fused sacral (3).
The sixth sense of feline is not fiction. So says a professor from Germany, Friedrich Schwangard. Several times he took his pet dozens of kilometers and left one in an unfamiliar place. Each time, the cat accurately found the way home.
Cats eyesight
All feline representatives are distinguished by large eyes (in relation to the size of the head). Possessing binocular vision with a viewing angle of 200 °, predators, without turning their necks, catch the movement of objects located not only from the side, but also behind themselves. Color perception is inferior to human. Animals well perceive blue, white, gray, violet, green and yellow colors, and red, orange and brown shades are not available to them.
Cat's eyes glow in the dark (reflect light). This feature of nature has endowed predators hunting at night, which are the ancestors of our pets. Under the retina is a tapetum - a light-reflecting shell. It is a layer with pearlescent effect of pearl crystals of guanine with birefringence.
Why do cats need a mustache?
The opinion that cats see well in absolute darkness is erroneous. In the pitch darkness they orient themselves due to their sense of smell, hearing and sensitive mustache (vibrissa). The latter are not given for beauty. With their help, tetrapods catch the slightest changes in air flow. These tactile receptors are found not only at the nose and eyebrows, but also on the tail and paw pads.
Sense of smell
Like a human finger, which has a unique imprint, the shape of the cat’s nose and its pattern are never repeated. In addition, the nose is the most important organ in which 19 million nerve endings converge.
However, cats catch smells not only with the nose. A special organ is located on the upper palate - the Jacobson tube.Thanks to her, animals can concentrate on one single smell (especially pheromones). To do this, it is enough to open your mouth, as in a smile, pull your lips back and expose the front incisors.
Cats have favorite aromas and smells. Pets are magnetically attracted to themselves by valerian, mint, elderberry, but onions, garlic, vinegar and citrus tetrapods are not tolerated.
Hearing
Creating cats, nature endowed them with an extraordinary hearing. Ears controlled by 32 muscles rotate 180 ° and, like radars, record the slightest deviations in sound intensity.
Representatives of cats have a musical ear and pick up the waves of the sound range of 45-65,000 Hz. This means that tetrapods perceive sounds two octaves higher than humans. Owners notice that furry pupils, having heard classical melodies, calm down, and heavy pulsating rhythms annoy them.
Despite the unique rumor, cats only hear what they want to hear. These tricks are endowed with the ability to weed out noises that are not of interest to them, highlighting only the necessary. So do not be surprised if your pet does not go to the call. It’s just not in her plans.
Deafness is also familiar to cats. Due to genetic abnormalities, blue-eyed individuals are most susceptible to the disease. The disease is incurable, but it does not cause the animal any inconvenience.
And the most important. Contrary to popular belief, cats have not seven or nine lives, but only one. Take care of fluffy pets, and they will give you the warmth of their small bodies and generous souls.
