35 Surprising Facts Every Cat Owner Must Know

Cats are fascinating creatures full of surprises that a lot of people have as pets. They are adored by their owners to the point of leaving them all of their earthly belongings after passing so that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. However, there are certain people that disdain them because of unfounded opinions and have made outcasts out of them. But we can agree those people are a small group. There’s a lot that we still don’t know about them. Scientists who do research in veterinary science have discovered a lot of interesting facts about cats that we will share with you today. Cats have had a great relationship with humans for thousands of years. A lot of recordings have been found in ancient civilizations that express their love and devotion to these small felines. Each cat has their own individual personality that matches humans in complexity, which makes them such great life companions to have around.

Cats Can Make up to 100 Sounds

Cats have highly developed vocal abilities that you might already be very familiar with. These small mammals have incredibly strong and complex vocal chords that can produce up to one hundred different sounds.

In addition to the classic meow, felines can also hiss, yowl, purr and wail. Each sound has a completely different meaning and they use them to communicate their state of mind. For instance, they will hiss when angry and purr when happy.

Cats May Have Domesticated Themselves

Throughout history, humans have domesticated many types of animals, but there is a popular belief that says that cats domesticated themselves. Cats are incredibly independent creatures and it’s not necessary for them to have humans do things for them.

It dates back to thousands years ago to when feral cats started to live within human farming communities because rodent pests were a source of food. They started a symbiotic relationship that culminated in their domestication.

The Real Reason Why Cats Rub Against Humans

We consider it an affectionate sign when cats rub up against our legs or bodies, and although this is in part true, it’s not the only reason why they do it. It’s one of their complex ways to show their dominance.

They are marking you with their scent each time they rub against you. This is for when you later encounter other animals, they’ll know you belong to that particular cat. Your cat owns you!

Cats Were Sacred in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt venerated cats to the point that a human would be punished to death if they were to harm a cat. These animals were highly regarded as gods.

Among other reasons, ancient Egyptians highly esteemed cats because they would regulate pests. Cats would eat the bugs, snakes and rodents that caused harm to the crops, people were very thankful to them. As we can see, the relationship between cats and humans was mutually beneficial.