Amazing and unusual cats. Dog food is bad for cats

Before you get yourself pet, it wouldn’t hurt to find out as much information as possible about it. The most interesting things about cats and cats are collected in this article. You will see for yourself that these are very kind, affectionate and unusual animals.

Owners can tell the most interesting facts from the life of cats - their beloved pets. For example, that these animals have their own special daily routine, and they can sleep most of the day. Many of them find a permanent place to sleep. The owner should be aware of it and clean it from accumulated hair and dandruff from time to time. You also need to remember that you cannot suddenly drive a cat away when it is resting or sleeping. This can lead to injury to the animal, as it may not have time to orient itself if it falls.

Emotions

Inexplicable, but true - cats experience almost the same feelings as people: happiness and depression, playfulness and excitability, anger and affection. Surely many people know that it is better not to anger a cat, otherwise its reaction may be revenge on the owner for the offense. This could be, for example, damaged furniture or broken dishes.

Smell

If we compare the level of odor perception in humans and cats, then, of course, in the latter it is much more developed. In these animals, the part of the brain responsible for smell is much larger compared to its total volume. This feature gives cats the ability to easily distinguish people, and also establish, using scent marks, whether she has ever been in a given place. In addition, the smell allows males to determine whether the female is ready to mate.

Here are some more interesting facts about cats related to their amazing ability to smell:

● The nose is not their only organ by which they can smell. In the animal's mouth there is a so-called Jacobson's tube, located behind the front teeth on the upper palate. Cats use this organ only when they need to concentrate on only one of the smells. To do this, they inhale, lifting upper lip and opening his mouth. It seems that they taste the air with an unfamiliar smell like food.

● Compared to humans, cats smell about 14 times better, since they have about 60-80 million olfactory cells for this, while humans have only 20 million.

● Each animal is unique. For example, to determine a person's identity, fingerprints are usually taken from him. In cats, the pattern on the nose is unique.

● Some owners consider their pets to be quite capricious animals due to the fact that before they start eating, they begin to sniff the food for a long time. This judgment is incorrect, because in this way cats try to find out its temperature, and their nose acts as a thermometer.

● They can also determine air temperature using their sense of smell. For example, when cats sleep curled up in a ball, it means that it is cool around them if they extend their front and hind legs- warm. Sometimes during sleep they can hide their nose or cover it with their paws - this behavior indicates that cold weather will soon come.

● It happens that animals lose their hearing or go blind. In this case, cats are quite capable of moving on and navigating their way through space, although not as well. But the loss of their sense of smell for them is tantamount to the loss of all chances of survival.

● Cats are sensitive to the smell of certain plants, which have an intoxicating effect on them. These include thyme and mint, and elderberry generally brings them unimaginable delight.

● Owners should be aware that a bowl that is washed too thoroughly, and even with the help of some chemical agent, including simple soap, can scare away animals. The fact is that its smell is quite unusual for them, although a person may not feel it.

The following facts about cats and cats indicate that smells play a very important role in their relationships. For example, they may contain quite valuable information that a strange male passed through a given place and could have encroached on the territory, or that there was a trace of a cat ready to mate. If the cat discovers the place where the partner was recently, he begins to rub against it with a joyful and satisfied look. This can symbolize either his good mood and readiness for love games, or determination to take militant action.

Hearing

It's no secret that these animals have excellent hearing, the capabilities of which are simply amazing: with its help, a cat can filter out everyday noises that mean nothing to it, and from all the various sounds, single out only the necessary ones. This could be, for example, the very quiet rustling of a mouse or the approach of the owner.

In addition, cats can “hear” even with their eyes. The point is that they contain nerve cells, transmitting sounds to the brain, but a person cannot hear them. By the word “silence” we mean the absolute absence of sounds, but at this time the cat hears various kinds of noises, indicating that life is in full swing around.

There are also quite interesting facts about cats related to their hearing organ. For example, their ears can rotate up to 180 degrees and face in different directions, and 27 muscles are involved in these actions. In addition, their hearing acuity exceeds not only humans, but also dogs several times, and its range reaches 65 kHz, while humans have only 20.

It should be borne in mind that cats’ hearing is quite sensitive to very loud sounds and this susceptibility is 3 times higher than that of humans. Therefore, owners who love their pets should not turn on the TV too loudly or the music at full volume when the animal is nearby in the same room. We need to let him leave this room.

In addition, information has become known that upper limit sound vibrations heard by adult representatives of the feline family reach 65, and the lower one - 30 kHz. But kittens at the age of 10 days are able to distinguish sounds in the range of up to 100 kHz. To make it clearer, for comparison let’s take dogs that hear noise in the range of no more than 40 kHz, and humans - 20 kHz.

Vision

It is quite specific for a cat. She can see everything that is happening within a radius of 180⁰, that is, not only in front of her, but also from both sides at the same time. But at the same time, the cat cannot see what is too close to it.

When playing with a ball, animals pay more attention to the horizontal movement of the object. This is due to the instinct associated with catching rodents.

The sizes of the eyes of different breeds of animals differ and have their own characteristics. For example, a British cat. Interesting Facts is that their eyes are too large compared to their body. In addition, they have one more feature - they do not have eyelashes. But it should be noted that these facts do not in any way affect the visual acuity itself.

The most common myth about cats is that they can see very well. complete darkness. It must be said that this is an erroneous statement, since under such conditions they cannot recognize objects. Facts about british cats indicate that there must be at least some glimpses of light in the room for them to see perfectly.

Unlike dogs, which are mostly myopic, cats are farsighted, and their vision is naturally designed in such a way that when catching mice, they can freely observe several minks at the same time.

Tongue and teeth

Interesting facts about cats also concern its unusual language, which, by the way, has some similarities with humans. It is also able to distinguish four basic tastes: sour, sweet, salty and bitter.

On top of the cat's tongue there are special microscopic horny hooks, which can be compared with a regular tongue. sandpaper. A person can feel them when an animal begins to lick his skin. A cat's tongue is so rough that its structure is similar to a rasp and after several touches the skin may turn red.

Nowadays, the main food for pets is either canned food or human food. For such food, the cat almost does not need to use its teeth, since it does not chew it. But if she herself wants to hunt and kill prey, then the large front fangs are used. She bites into the neck of her victim, and her long teeth penetrate between her vertebrae, tearing them apart. And indigenous cats use it to tear their prey into smaller pieces.

Cats and mice

As you know, ears are one of the most significant sense organs in animals, which helps to recognize various sounds and determine where they are coming from. The organ of hearing warns them of danger or helps them hunt.

Amazing facts about cats say that although they are inferior to dogs in terms of smell, their hearing is much better developed. They can hear the rustling of a mouse at a distance of up to 500 m, and their scratching - up to 25. These actions can disturb a cat's sleep, especially if it is also hungry.

Excellent hearing is not the only super ability of this animal. The amazing thing is that cats understand “mouse language”. The fact is that rodents “communicate” with each other by emitting sound signals in the range of about 40 kHz. And cats are well versed in such “negotiations.” This ability allows them to know when the mouse will come out of the hole.

The most interesting facts about cats related to their hunt for mice are that one cat can save up to 10 tons of grain per year from voracious rodents. For example, in England, animals that guard food warehouses are fed at public expense. But cats are especially revered there, as they protect exhibits stored in the British Museum from mice.

In addition, in the UK, furry four-legged animals are part of the staff of some London post offices. Cats receive an official "wage", which increases from time to time due to inflation, and this has been the case for 130 years. And they occupy a very important position - they protect parcels from damage and rodents entering them.

In Austria, there was one known cat who guarded warehouses for several years and was given a lifelong pension, not in the form of money, but in food - milk, meat and broth.

But in Russian Yekaterinburg there lived a cat Kuzya, who once protected... mice! His owner, having discovered a rodent in her closet, called him for help. The cat dealt with the mouse, but spared its babies, who hid in his fur. For some time he even took care of them, but, of course, the mistress did not like it.

Cats and dogs

The development of relationships between these animals belonging to the same owner can go in two directions. The first of them is close and selfless friendship, and the second is absolute indifference to each other.

It is worth noting that a cat and a dog living under the same roof cannot actively quarrel with each other for a long time. Over time, they get used to such a neighborhood. At first, the cat begins to perceive the dog as one of the elements of the environment and tries to stay away from it. But in the end, mutual understanding and affection inevitably arise between them, and later they can begin to play with each other and even eat from the same bowl.

Relationship with other animals

When a cat is an old-timer in the house, for a long time and with enviable tenacity it will defend, in its opinion, only the territory that belongs to it. At the same time, the gender or age of the competitor does not matter to her. If they bring it when there is already a dog or another cat in the house, then it begins to prove its right to live and actively conquer part of the territory for itself.

It happens that owners also get rabbits, birds, fish or hamsters. Cats will always perceive such small animals as objects for hunting and one should not hope that this state of affairs will change over time. The only exception is when a cat loses its offspring. In this case, she can “adopt” the baby of another animal.

Scientific facts

It is believed that cats descended from miacids - ancient animals that lived on earth more than 40 million years ago. They were small in size and climbed trees. And about 12 million years ago, modern cats appeared.

Scientific facts, confirmed by specific studies conducted in the USA, indicate that about 50% of doctors in this country advise their patients to have pets. Most often they recommend cats. In their opinion, these little animals are the best “recipe” for healing. It has been proven that cats help get rid of certain diseases, and also relieve symptoms of overwork and constant stress.

American scientists from Buffalo conducted a number of studies. As a result, it turned out that the happiness of cat owners directly depends on whether their pet is healthy. In addition, families where these animals are kept cope much easier with various crisis situations and stress, and also communicate with each other more often.

Many doctors tell amazing facts about cats, from which it follows that furry creatures simply irreplaceable for people. For example, they can prevent heart attacks. To a person with high blood pressure As soon as you stroke your favorite cat, it will begin to decrease.

There have been cases when animals even helped scientists make useful discoveries. One of them is the invention of iodine. They say that he was found by accident, and the cat helped in this. She accidentally knocked over the flasks with chemicals, as a result of which they mixed, and the well-known iodine was obtained.

Facts that no one knew about

Many will agree that cats are very mysterious animals. And even scientists are not sure that a person will ever be able to reveal all their secrets. Here are 10 facts about cats that most likely no one knew until recently. American scientists conducted research for several years and found out a lot of things that make people look at their pets in a new way.

● Short memory. Cats can remember their surroundings or obstacles they overcome in as little as 10 minutes. Wherein visual memory much shorter than the muscular one.

● The birth rate of cats is affected by global warming. An increase in air temperature led to a reduction in the duration of the cold season, and this, in turn, increased the mating season in animals. The birth is too large quantity kittens leads to an increase in the number of stray cats on city streets, since most of them do not find homes.

● Cats are loved more than dogs. That's what the American Veterinary Association found after surveying many families about their pets. They learned quite interesting facts about dogs and cats. It turned out that in 2007, about 72 million families kept the first animals, and almost 82 million kept the second. This means that most people prefer to have cats. In addition, you need to take into account that there can be two or more of them in one house.

● Dogs are smarter than cats. In 2010, scientists published the results of their research. They said that social animal species, such as dogs, have experienced greater brain growth over the past 60 million years than solitary species, i.e. cats. In addition, there are many cases where the former show intelligence much more often than the latter. For example, dogs benefit humans: they serve as guides for the blind, find drugs, diagnose cancer, search for and save people from avalanches and rubble. What do cats do? They bask in the sun for hours and wake up all the inhabitants of the surrounding houses with their nightly “concerts”. Based on the degree of usefulness for humans, we can conclude that dogs are smarter than cats. This is considered only because they are more often used by people and behave more actively than furry purrs.

● The most interesting facts about cats and dogs are that they can live together quite peacefully and even be friends. Scientists are confident that the long-standing enmity between these two different species of animals exists only due to disruptions in communication, and not due to innate instincts, as previously thought. If you bring them together at a fairly early age, they will communicate, play and understand each other perfectly.

● Cats are very cunning and cunning. In 2010, one was introduced interesting video, filmed by wildlife researchers in the Amazon forest. Thanks to these sensational shots, they became known unusual facts about cats living in this area. In the Amazon jungle there is a small species of monkey - tamarins. They are the favorite prey of the local wild cat, the margi. In order to lure a monkey out of hiding and catch it, it imitates the sounds of its prey.

● Cats control humans. Probably many have already thought about this. Interesting facts about cats say that our pets manipulate us and encourage us to do what they want with the help of purring, rubbing against their legs, loud meowing, or even a heart-rending and unpleasant “concert”. They force their owner and his family members to fulfill all their wishes - to feed them, pet them, let them out for a walk, or allow them to jump on the bed.

● Interesting facts about cats say that they drink not like other animals, but in a special way. To see this, you need to record a video of them lapping up milk, and then watch the recording in slow motion. You can see that cats first bring their tongue to the liquid, creating a small vertical column out of it, and then return it to the mouth with milk. In order to make it convenient for them to drink, you need to choose a bowl that is not too large and deep.

● Cats, like people, can also be obese. Number of animals having overweight, is increasing every year. There are now about 50 million obese cats in the world. This is due to the fact that pets rarely leave the apartment and they really lack any physical activity. And its absence when consuming large amounts of high-calorie food leads to excessive weight.

Those people who have kept a cat at home for many years know almost all the behavioral features of this cute animal. They can confirm that each of the animals has its own special temperament. Sometimes cats can be very demanding and sometimes completely unpredictable, but in any case they are loved and cared for.

… This African wild cat, which is still found in nature. The cat was domesticated 5 thousand years later than the dog, that is, relatively recently. However, new data suggests that the union between man and cat took place much earlier.

World's oldest remains of domestic cat found
During excavations in Cyprus, scientists found the world's oldest remains of a domestic cat. According to French scientists, the remains of an 8-month-old kitten were found in a Stone Age tomb along with human remains. Approximate age this burial is 9.5 thousand years old. It was previously believed that cats were domesticated by the Egyptians around the 20th-19th centuries. before the Nativity of Christ. photo

The Egyptians domesticated cats five and a half thousand years ago.

And the first to do this were the Egyptians, who could impose the death penalty for killing a cat, which was a sacred animal. The ancient Egyptians called the cat "mau", which means "to see". In Egypt, the cat was considered sacred. The inhabitants of the land of the pharaohs worshiped the goddess Bast, with the body of a woman and the head of a cat. In 1500 BC, another pharaoh, demonstrating statesmanship, issued a decree prohibiting mere mortals from keeping sacred cats at home. This privilege was reserved exclusively for the pharaoh himself. Killing a cat was considered a terrible crime, and the culprit was executed without delay. If the pussy died a natural death, mourning was worn for it. The body of the animal was mummified, placed in a coffin, wooden or even bronze, and interred in a special cat cemetery. The cats' bodies were embalmed, and an embalmed mouse was placed next to them. In one ancient Egyptian city, mummies of over 300,000 cats were found. When a cat died in a family, all family members shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning.

In the Middle Ages, cats were burned at the stake

During the Feast of St. John, cats were burned alive in city squares.

Similar to a person
In humans and cats, the areas of the brain responsible for emotions are identical. The brains of cats and humans are similar and different from the brains of dogs.

Smart cat

The study showed that an event is stored in a dog's memory for about 5 minutes. And the cat remembers for 16 hours.

Cats predict earthquakes. But people have not yet learned to understand their predictions.

How much does the brain weigh
A cat's brain weighs 32 g, a dog's - 100 g.

Blood type, like humans
Cats have AB blood type, just like humans. The cat takes 20-40 breaths per minute.

Normal temperature cats - 38.5-39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees F).

Pulse in cats, it is felt on the back thigh in the place where the leg connects to the body. Normal pulse in a cat: 110-170 beats per minute.

Muscles and Muscles

Muscles
There are 32 muscles in each cat's ear. This allows her to move each ear independently up to 180 degrees, turning them in the direction of the sound source 10 times faster than the best guard dog. A person has 6 muscles in each ear.

The cat perceives sounds at a frequency of up to 65 kilohertz, humans - up to 20 kilohertz.

Bony cat
A cat has more bones than a human (230 versus 206). A cat also has more vertebrae - 30 of them, which is 5 more than the number of vertebrae in the human spine.

Muscles in a cat 500, while humans have 650. The cat is a great acrobat. Its front legs can rotate in almost any direction, and both halves of its body can move in opposite directions!

Can distinguish odors well
Cats better than dogs distinguish odors. During the First World War, the British Army believed that with the help of four-legged controllers it was possible to detect the appearance of poisonous gases in the shortest possible time, for which even a special “cat corps” was created. In order to detect gas leaks from appliances in time, cats were previously kept on submarines.

Ambidexters

25% of all cats are ambidextrous (that is, they are equally good with their right and left paws).

Cat's vision

In relation to body size, cats have the most big eyes of all mammals. Experimentally established: cat eye capable of amplifying the light signal 40–50 times. It is not surprising that in the dark their vision is almost perfect. The only drawback is that kitties do not see objects located directly in front of their muzzle.

Cats have an overview at 185 degrees, almost like a person (180 degrees). But dogs have a wider view than humans and cats. Hounds have vision of 270 degrees, although dogs typically have vision of about 250 degrees.

Cats have color vision but dogs do not. It is believed that cats have color vision - a rarity in the animal world. Recent research has shown that cats distinguish between blue, green and red colors. But dogs do not have color vision.

Seen at night

A cat's eyes are able to capture and make maximum use of the weakest light radiation, due to the peculiarity of their structure. Inner surface The eyes of these animals have a shiny layer, the so-called mirror, which reflects the incident light. Her eyes, like the eyes of nocturnal predatory animals, do not produce light, but only reflect the weak rays of stars, the Moon, and distant light sources that enter the eye and focus on their back surface. In the cone of light from car headlights, the eyes of cats caught on the street, or the eyes of predatory animals on the outskirts of the forest, sparkle like diamonds precisely thanks to these mirrors, which capture any weak light and then focus them on highly sensitive photoreceptors, enhancing the effect of the light pulse.

Are born with blue eyes

In newborn kittens, the eyes open on the 9th day. At first they are blue. But within a month their color changes.

Most cats don't have eyelashes

White cats with blue eyes are deaf And if a white cat has only one blue eye, then she is deaf in the ear that is closer to blue eye. But white cats with orange eyes have normal hearing.

Sniff with mouth

Cats can detect odors not only through their nose, but also through their mouth. For this purpose in oral cavity they have the so-called Jacobson's organ. A cat's sexual partner is also selected using this organ.

How long do cats sleep?
Cats sleep 16 - 18 hours a day. During sleep, they are sensitive to changes in their environment. The cat's reaction can be judged by the movement of the cat's tail.

Cat hearing
A cat's hearing is also enviable. It picks up sounds whose frequency is 3 times higher than that accessible to the human ear.

cat nose

A cat's nose leaves a print that can be used to identify it as belonging to a particular cat - it identifies it like a fingerprint identifies a person.

There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world belonging to 33 breeds.

Cat's heart beats at a speed of 110 - 140 times per minute, which is twice as fast as the human heart.

Cats big and small
The largest cat of the Ragdoll breed. Males weigh 6.5 - 10.5 kg, females - 5.5 - 8 kg. The smallest cat is the Singapura breed. Males weigh 3.5 kg, females 2.5 kg.

Tail - vertical
The domestic cat is the only one that can hold its tail vertically when walking; wild cats hold their tail horizontally.

Why does a cat need a mustache?

The cat has 24 whiskers. Which grow in four horizontal bunches on each side. The whiskers function as a radar and help the cat navigate during walks. This also explains the ability of cats to see at night. In addition to the whiskers, the cat has other long, especially sensitive hairs - they are located on the eyebrows and between the pads of the paws.

Ability to navigate in space
Another cat mystery is its amazing ability to navigate in space. There have been cases when cats returned home, finding themselves hundreds of kilometers from their home. According to one version, a kind of internal compass helps them. By at least When, during an experiment, a magnet was attached to the head of the cat Murka, she immediately got lost.

Finds a home, but no owners

Like birds, cats have no trouble finding their home. However, they are not able to find their owners if they move away from home.

Traveling cats
The story of one New York cat seems surprising, whose owner, a veterinarian, moved from New York to California, but did not take the cat with him. Five months later, the veterinarian was surprised when his cat showed up at the door of his new home. Without thinking, he walked inside and curled up in his favorite chair. The distance between New York and California is 3,500 kilometers.

Kittens need to travel
Kittens, accustomed from childhood to travel in transport in comfort, do not deliver to their owners during transportation even in adulthood.

Cats chase gliders like dogs

It's funny that in Australia, possums are often chased by cats, and the cats behave like dogs chasing the cats themselves. A cat with a menacing snort chases a snarling possum, which climbs a tree, after which the animals begin to yell at each other - to the delight of the residents.

cat tail

Of all the cats, only domestic cats can hold their tail upright while walking. Wild cats hold their tail vertically or lower it between their paws. A satisfied porridge wags its tail raised up. Almost 10% of all bones in a cat are in the tail; the cat uses its tail to maintain balance.

Sharpening their claws
... about a vertical or horizontal surface based on individual preferences. They sharpen on wood, others on the floor.

Cat's step
While walking, cats step simultaneously on the right front and back, and then on the left front and back. They walk on their fingers.

Flexible and bouncy

The cat does not have a collarbone, so it can fit into any gap provided that its head fits through it.

A cat's vertical jump is seven times the length of its tail and 5 times its height.

When the cat jumps soft pads her feet muffle the sound of her landing.

When a domestic cat catches a mouse, it is successful one out of three times.

When a cat brings her prey to her owner, she brings him a gift, just like her kittens, whom she teaches to hunt. You need to praise the cat, take its prey and quietly throw it away.

Cats don't always land on all fours. The idea that cats always land on their feet is wrong. When falling from a height, cats break bones, just like people.

How and what do cats eat?

A cat's jaws cannot move sideways. Before starting a meal, cats sniff the offered dish for a long time. Their nose acts as a thermometer. As for food preferences, everything is complicated. Sometimes you don’t know what’s best to treat her with - meat, milk, fresh cucumber or valerine drops. Some cats prefer raw fish. And others - raw potatoes.

They eat and don't eat

The cat should receive food that is energetically comparable to 5 mice. Cats need to eat fatty foods because they cannot produce fat on their own. Cats don't eat candy; chocolate is poisonous to them. Not all cats like milk (because not everyone digests it), such cats cow's milk and dairy products cause stomach upset and diarrhea. Many cats love milk, but some do not. Such cats are given milk rarely and little by little. Many indoor and garden plants are poisonous to cats. There are plants that have effects on cats that marijuana has on humans.

Why do spayed or neutered cats gain weight quickly?
They get fat because they eat a lot. Often cats are operated on at an age when their metabolism is already slow and their need for food is not very high. Cats continue to receive the same diet and gain weight.

Dog food is bad for cats

If a cat is fed dog food, it can go blind; dog food does not contain the substances necessary for cats (taurine).

Cats don't drink tap water
Chlorinated tap water irritates certain receptors in a cat's nose. Let tap water stand for 24 hours before pouring it into the cat's bowl.

Vitaminized through licking
A cat spends 5 hours or more a day licking its fur. The cat's daily toileting is explained not only by its cleanliness. Another purpose of “washing” is to lick from the fur a certain amount of a substance containing vitamin B, which is necessary for regulating mental balance. If you deprive a cat of this opportunity, it will become nervous and may even die.

Stroking a cat lowers a person's blood pressure - this is a scientific fact.

Why cats can be tri-colored, but cats cannot

The gene responsible for Orange color, is associated with the sex chromosome X. This gene gives black or red color. A female with two X chromosomes can be red and black, and a male with one X chromosome can be either black or red. If a male is born black and red, it means he is sterile.

Cats with white fur are very susceptible to sunburn.
... therefore, long exposure to the sun threatens them with skin disease (skin cancer). Therefore, on a sunny day, white cats are not allowed outside.

Siamese have darker cool areas
Siamese cats have cooler colored body parts. Siamese kittens are born white because they are supported in the womb constant temperature. And then the cooler parts of the body darken.

Tend to be clean

A cat buries its excrement to hide its tracks from a possible stalker.

When the cat feels good
Cats do well in a group with an even number of cats.
A cat responds to a name if it ends in “i-i.”
As a sign of trust in you, the cat may roll over on its back and roll on the ground.
Cats prefer women because they have a higher voice than men.
When a cat bites you when you stroke its belly, it does so out of pleasure. Cats living together sometimes rub their heads as a sign of peaceful intentions. Young animals do this more often, which means they are extremely excited.

Cat breeds
To date, 100 cat breeds have been officially registered. Experienced “breeders” have been struggling for years to obtain the next breed. For example, by crossing a Burmese shorthair and a black American cat, the now popular Bombay breed appeared, which is striking in its external resemblance to the rare black leopard living in India.

Recently, many lovers have given preference to exotic breeds such as the Sphynx. Without the slightest hint of fur, this cat is undoubtedly the most unusual of all breeds. We call her the Don Sphinx. Very gentle creatures, sphinxes get cold easily and require special care.

Reacts to women

The cat reacts better to women than to men, probably because female voice higher in tone than men's.

The fattest and the skinniest

Long and skinny cats are more likely to walk and scream than their short-bodied, densely built cousins.

The fattest cat
... lives in the Yagupov family from the Ural city of Asbest. Their pussy, named Katie, weighs a whopping 23 kilograms. Of course, she had long ago lost interest in all the joys of life, except for one - food and sleep. Moreover, about 10% of her time is allocated to the first, and the rest - to the second. Katie is only 5 years old, her length from nose to tail tip is 69 centimeters, her mustache span is 15 centimeters, and her appetite is 1.5 sausages per minute. The former record holder is the fattest cat, according to the Guinness Book, lives in Australia and weighs 21 kilograms 300 grams. Katie has a competitor - a cat from the USA, which, according to her owners, weighs 34.5 kilograms. And here it is, officially the most fat cat planet, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, lives in Sweden. Weighs 19.5 kilograms. He is extremely lazy, practically does not walk and sleeps all day. To refresh himself, he rolls over to the bowl.

Fat cat from China
A record-breaking cat lives in China. Even human ones are inferior to its volumes. The waist circumference is 80 centimeters, and the weight is 15 kilograms. Despite obvious signs obesity and mature age- nine years old, the cat remains mobile and a good appetite. He eats almost three kilograms of pork and chicken meat a day.

Very expensive cats

If you wish, today you can buy a kitten of any exotic breed from us, if only you had the money: prices for the rarest specimens reach up to 16 thousand dollars.

The smallest adult cat
Most small cat lives in the city of Beijing, US state of Illinois. The cat Mister Peebles is two years old and weighs only 1 kilogram and 300 grams. The record holder belongs to the Good Shepherd Veterinary Clinic.

Not very careful cat

Zoologists conducted an experiment, the purpose of which was to determine the degree of caution of domestic animals when crossing the street. It turned out that the goose is the most careful; it almost never dies under the wheels of cars. In 2nd place in terms of caution was the pig. She is followed by a cat, a chicken and a dog.

The character of a cat depends on its color
According to zoologist H. Hamer, the character of domestic cats to a certain extent depends on their color. Black cats are nervous, sensitive, curious and very fond of alka. Black and white cats are playful and easily bond with their owners, especially children. Striped cats, on the contrary, are closed, avoid contact not only with their owners, but also with their fellow animals, and especially value freedom and independence. Brown and brown-white cats are phlegmatic, love peace, and are homebodies. White cats are capricious, nervous, eccentric, touchy and more susceptible to infections than others.

Loves fresh air

Cats love fresh air, so the windows in the house should always be open.

When I'm irritated
Ears flat against the head: Another familiar signal, often accompanied by circling movements of the tail, this is a sign of obvious irritation.

Does not tolerate confined spaces
The cat likes it when all the doors in the house are open; it cannot stand closed spaces.

A cat that can bark

The cat Musa, living in Ukraine, is 8 months old. Throughout her adult life, the cat was raised in the same house with dogs. She not only managed to make friends with her barking brothers, but also learned something from them. When Musya gets angry, instead of snorting like a cat and releasing her claws, she begins to growl and bark.

Thai cat adopted a rat
Pair Thai cats Juan and Pajani have been caring for Gina the rat for 3 years now. Juan picked up the helpless little rat 3 years ago and since then the cats and rats spend all day together. They even eat from the same bowl and sleep cuddled up to each other. The owner of the unusual trio also has a dog who willingly makes friends with a tame squirrel. Truly one big and friendly family.

Protector of mice
The protector of the mice turned out to be the cat Kuzya, who lives in Yekaterinburg. While looking for felt boots, the housewife found mice in the pantry and called the cat for help. He quickly dealt with one thief, and spared the other four mice. Then the rodents hid under his long hair, like chickens under a hen. Kuzya did not protest and warmed the uninvited guests on his chest.

Cats feed wolf cubs and servals
At the Novosibirsk Zoo, the cat Murka took in three newborn wolf cubs that were abandoned by their mother. The cat herself recently gave birth to offspring and is now feeding the wolf cubs along with her own kittens. Recently, a similar story happened among another zoo resident - servals, which are representatives of the cat family traditionally living in Africa. The female also abandoned the newborn calf. Then the zoo workers put it on the cat Sima, and she began to feed it along with her kittens. Now the newborn serval cub is already close in size to its adoptive mother.

Long courtship process

Biologists say that in love relationships In cats and animals, most of the time is occupied by the process of courtship, while the sexual intercourse itself turns out to be very short and in most cases is unsuccessful. As soon as a cat enters a “free” territory, she immediately begins to attract many males with her scent and calls. After short fights, which often do not exceed the limits of normal threats, the rival cats are located at a certain distance from the female, giving her the right to make a choice. The cat continues to provoke them, but beware of those who dare to show impatience at this moment and approach her - she will immediately use her claws and teeth. Other cats are not deterred by this behavior, and one after another they try to approach the cat, who invariably fights them back.

The cat's future husband must be cunning

The most reserved (or cunning?) cat is in the most advantageous position. He uses each new fight with the next contender to quietly creep as close as possible to the object of his attention. In order not to irritate the cat, he freezes in a pose of complete indifference every time the female fixes her gaze on him. Finally he turns out to be very close and emits a quiet, questioning “meow”. If the cat does not receive a contemptuous hiss in response to this, the game can be considered won. And if the cat waits calmly, lying on its paws and throwing its tail to the side, the happy chosen one understands such a sign as an invitation to an act of love.

The act of love is short and resembles a brawl

The latter begins with the cat grabbing his girlfriend by the scruff of the neck with his teeth and trying to hold it tighter. The act of love is usually very short and sometimes ends... in a fight. The cat suddenly begins to purr angrily, turns over on its back and digs its claws into the face of the chosen one, who has no choice but to retreat as quickly as possible.

Biologists for a long time It was not possible to unravel the reason for this behavior. Now she is famous. The fact is that the cat's penis is covered with sharp, prickly growths. They, like the barbs of an arrow, easily penetrate inside the cat, but straighten out and cause severe pain when trying to "exit". This pain causes severe irritation of the cat, and at the same time... the process of ovulation. Ovulation occurs with each mating, and a cat can have kittens from different fathers in the same litter.

Cats do not stop at one partner, but, on the contrary, sequentially go through many males one after another. A cat can have up to a dozen partners per day.

Reproduces very quickly

If a cat is left to its own devices, it will produce from 3 to 7 kittens every four months. Therefore, cats need to be sterilized. At good care a cat can live 20 years or more. Regular term domestic cat - 14 years old. Sterilization prolongs her life by 2-3 years.

The age of cats is determined by their teeth
Cats have 30 teeth (12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 canines, 4 molars), dogs have 42 teeth. First, kittens grow baby teeth, which they replace with permanent teeth. This happens gradually: between the ages of 3 and 4 months, their incisors fall out. Between 4 and 6 months of age, they lose their primary canines, premolars, and molars, and at 7 months of age, young cats grow their permanent teeth. You can determine the age of a kitten by its teeth.

Learning abilities

Cats are distinguished by their ability to early learning and early onset, including physiological, maturity: an 8-10-month-old cat can be compared to a 17-year-old boy. A 4-month-old kitten needs to be played with so that it gets used to interacting with people. Kittens remain with their mother until they are 8 weeks old. At this time, she instills in them the necessary behavioral skills.

Cats are talking
It has been established that cats produce over 60 different sounds. The more you talk to your cat, the more purrs and meows you will hear from her in response. They make sounds In terms of pitch, the sounds made by cats cover the range from 75 to 1520 Hz. The most auspicious meows, expressing feline happiness, joy and complacency, were shorter in duration, produced at a high frequency and their melody, as a rule, moves from high tones down to lower ones. Warning and tense “meows” last longer, are “sung” at a low frequency and “ascending”.

Cats purr for their owners for selfish purposes

It has long been known that domestication changes the modus vivendi (way of life) of an animal. For example, there is evidence that dogs are able to track the direction of their owner’s gaze, and horses are able to sense the slightest movements of the rider’s muscles or respond to a gesture. Domestic cats are able to manipulate human attention and clearly differentiate sounds that express pleasant sensations, and sounds that attract attention. The experiment involved 12 domestic cats, who provided about a hundred different sounds: the meow of a hungry cat, a cat resisting being scratched, a purring, hissing cat, and so on. Human volunteers classified the sounds according to the degree of pleasure or aggressiveness they expressed. It turned out that cats inform us of their intentions in order to attract our attention. Conscious “switching” from the hard “maaao!” to a soft “meow”, the changed sound range is very simply explained by the need for cats to “establish contact” with a person - the most natural selection and adaptation for the purpose of survival.

Negative ions of cats

Scientists have determined that cats, unlike dogs, saturate the air with negative ions, which are beneficial to human health.

Cats communicate with each other without music

Over many centuries, domestic cats have “developed” a special language that is understandable to humans, taking into account the human range of perception and psychology. Interestingly, cats communicate with each other on a more complex level, capturing frequencies that we simply cannot hear. Indeed, listen to how domestic cats communicate with each other: sharper, clearer and more “wild” - in other words, they speak in their native dialect. You can’t do this with a person, you need to be more melodic with a person, otherwise the chances of dinner will decrease. But wild cats make sharper and less musical sounds.

Lifespan of cats

Cats live no more than 20 years. To compare the age of a cat and a human, you need to equate the cat's first year to 20 human years, and then add 4 human years for each cat year. For example, a 4-year-old cat can be equated to a 32-year-old man.

Allergy sufferers will receive genetically modified cats
The American company Allerca announced that by 2007 it will release hypoallergenic cats created using genetic engineering methods to the market. The cost of one kitten from Allerca will be $3.5 thousand, which is comparable (or even cheaper) to the cost of many cats exotic breeds. Scientists will use the British Shorthair breed as the basis for the redesign. Modified cats will not produce the specific protein that the allergic person reacts to. At the same time, such a modification will supposedly not hurt the cats themselves at all.

Allergy to cats

People who are allergic to cats are actually reacting to their saliva or dander. In this case, regular washing of the animal can help.

Susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases

Cats and cats can suffer from sexually transmitted diseases.

The habit of licking Moscow snow can cause cancer in dogs and cats

Cat racing
In America, in the city of Little Rock, cat races over a distance of 150 meters are held annually. The winners of the race receive a $2,000 prize.

How many stray dogs and cats
There are more than a million stray dogs and approximately 500,000 stray cats living in the New York City area.

Every second pet in Europe and the US is obese

In the United States, where more than half the population is overweight, the fitness industry for pets is already thriving.

Temple of cats
... is located in Kagoshima (Japan). It was built in memory of seven cats, who acted as clocks in the war of 1600: the Japanese then determined the time by the dilating or contracting of the cat’s pupils. This temple is revered by Japanese watchmakers...

Animal rights are in the constitution
Germany became the first European country to include animal rights in its constitution. According to supporters of the amendment, the new legislation can prevent the use of animals for scientific and religious purposes.

Cat cafe
In Brazil, a network of cafes has been created for cats living near hotels. Thus ended the conflict over land between hotels and cats, who had chosen these lands, and hotel restaurants. Cats are caught, vaccinated, dewormed, sterilized and released into the wild. To prevent cats from visiting human restaurants, special cafes have been created for cats, where anyone can personally feed the cats.

Contact lenses for cats and dogs

Contact lenses for dogs and cats have been launched in Japan. They are sold in veterinary clinics for those animals that have problems with the cornea of ​​the eyes. Everything in the new product has been thought out to the smallest detail: dog lenses can be easily removed and put on, but do not slip off the pupil, causing no particular inconvenience to the animal. If, in parallel with wearing lenses, drops are instilled into a dog or cat, the effect will be significantly enhanced and the cornea will recover faster.

Monument to the cat

The monument is located in St. Petersburg - this is people's gratitude to cats - one of the most beloved and most popular domestic animals in our century, living side by side with humans since ancient times. It is installed in the courtyard of the main building of St. Petersburg State University on Vasilyevsky Island.

Crazy love for cats
A resident of the American state of New Mexico, she was very fond of cats. The neighbors knew about her hobby, but could not stand it when it began to spread from under the door. bad smell. Police found nearly 100 live cats in the woman's home. This will exceed all permitted standards for keeping pets, but this is not the worst thing. In addition to the living ones, about 80 dead frozen cats were found. Each of them was neatly packed in a bag with the “signs” of the deceased and the date of death. The owner had read articles about cloning and dreamed of one day bringing her pets back to life.

How many domestic cats are there in the world?

There are 400 million of them on our planet, with the largest number found in the United States. Australia is in first place, where there are 9 cats for every 10 inhabitants. On the Asian continent, Indonesia is the leader, with more than 30 million cats, and in Europe, France is the leader, whose residents have 8 million cats in their care. At the same time, there are countries, for example, Peru, Gabon and some others, where domestic cats are almost never found. Cat lovers are more numerous than dog lovers. Photo

The first cat show took place at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871.

Number of cats and dogs in the USA
Since 1987, cats have become America's #1 pet, surpassing dogs. In 2002, the number of domestic cats and dogs in the United States increased significantly and amounted to 137.5 million animals. Moreover, the number of domestic cats reached its highest level of 76.8 million animals, and the number of dogs - 60.7 million. 55% of American households own a cat or dog. Moreover, 15% of families own both a cat and a dog. Cat owners tend to have more than one pet, while dog owners usually have one pet. Back in 1981. American households owned 54 million dogs and 44 million cats. In 1987, the number of domestic cats exceeded the number of dogs. This trend, noted by PFI during many years of research, continues to this day.

10 thousand hours of your life

On average, a cat spends more than 10 thousand hours of its life purring.

The cat is calling!

An elderly cat owner tried to teach his pet how to speed dial 9-11 on the phone. The owner had no idea whether he had succeeded until he fell last month - and the cat called for help!

Cats were loved and feared

Abraham Lincoln, who had 4 cats when he was president. And these are the heroes of history. how Julius Caesar, Henry II, Charles XI and Napoleon were afraid of cats. Florence Nightingale was known as a cat lover: she kept cats all her life, of which she had about 60.

Cat smell
Allergy sufferers suffer from cat saliva and the smell of musk glands. Cats' scent glands are located on their face and at the base of their tail. The most odorous are mature cats. If you bathe your cat more often, allergies will decrease. If an allergy sufferer gets a cat, it is better for him to choose a sterilized cat.

Cats suffer from gum and dental disease, so they need to be shown to a veterinarian dentist every year.

The cat becomes infected with worms by eating fleas from the body or from catching mice. Therefore, when a cat catches a mouse, it is better to reward it with a treat and take the mouse away from it. IN in rare cases cats become infected with worms from dogs.

Cat diseases are transmitted to humans
You can become infected with worms, but it is more unpleasant to catch this serious disease like toxoplasmosis. This disease is common in cats and is spread through feces. It affects infants in the womb and those with weakened immune systems.

Most warm-blooded animals: cats, the bats, skunks, and hori can get rabies, so they, like dogs, are vaccinated.

Cats heal
Scientists studied the purring of representatives of different types of cat breeds, wild and domestic, and determined the main frequencies at which these graceful animals purr: for domestic cats - 27-44 Hz, for puma, ocelot, serval, cheetah and caracal - 20-50. Wounded cats, both wild and domestic, purr, licking their wounds, and perhaps that is why they survive even after falling from tall buildings. Purring triggers a healing mechanism, similar to our ultrasound treatment. Scientists are now trying to use feline “treatments” to stop the development of osteoporosis and promote bone regrowth in women after menopause. The human skeleton needs constant nutrition or stimulation, otherwise it begins to lose calcium and weaken, and purring allows cats to heal and strengthen their own bones.

Cat Fertility

Cats produce 203 litters per year. in which there can be from 1 to 8 kittens. At favorable conditions A cat can give birth to 100 kittens or more in her lifetime. In 1952, a Texas Tabby named Dusty set a fertility record with more than 420 kittens, with her last litter at age 18. The most numerous litter (all kittens survived) was that of a Persian cat from South Africa named Bluebell. Bluebell cat gave birth to 14 kittens at once.

A pair of cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 kittens over a period of 7 years.

More than 35,000 kittens are born in the United States each year.

cat body consists of 290 bones and 517 muscles. A cat has 5 more vertebrae in its spine than a human.

Isaac Newton, the great physicist who discovered the law universal gravity, also made another discovery. It was he who came up with the idea to install a cat door in the door of the house.

Age of the cat
If domestic cat 3 years, then she is at the same age as a 21-year-old person. For a cat to be 8, that's 40 years of age for a human. If a cat is 14 years old, she is already 70 by our standards.

How long do domestic cats live?
A domestic cat usually lives up to 15 years, while a cat living in the wild has a lifespan of 3 to 5 years. The oldest cat was Puss from England, who died in 1939, one day past her 36th birthday.

Learn to eat prey
A cat attacks a moving object, expecting it to be game; this behavior is instinctive. However, it must be taught to eat prey - this skill is not inherent in it by instinct.

Don't like citrus fruits
Cats hate the smell of lemon and orange.

Amble
Only the giraffe, camel and cat are capable of ambling, stepping simultaneously on the left hind and front legs, and then on the right front and back. This gait allows you to move quickly, deftly and silently.

Cat on the doorstep
Before the wedding - means a long, happy married life. A white cat is good luck. Well, black - alas...

If a cat sleeps with its four paws tucked under itself, this indicates cold weather.

Low light
A cat sees objects with illumination six times less than that required by a human. They can distinguish an object at a distance of more than 60 m, the cat's visual angle is 285 degrees.

The ear rotates 180 degrees
The cat's ear rotates 180 degrees. This is achieved by the work of 30 muscles that are found in each ear. Typically, 12 or more muscles perform the movement of the ear.

Cat glands are located in two places - between the ear and eye and at the base of the tail.

Food – room temperature
Cats prefer food neither cold nor hot, but at room temperature.

Cat schedule
Cats sleep 16 hours a day. They are active in the evening hours. And they devote 30% of their waking hours to grooming and grooming. Their rough tongue serves as a brush for them.

Left-footed or right-footed
Half of domestic cats have equal use of their right and left paws. The other half are right-footed or left-footed.

$4 billion for cat food
Americans spend $4 billion on cat food every year.

There is probably no person in the world who would be indifferent to cats. These amazing creatures, capable of lifting your spirits in a matter of minutes and forgetting about all your troubles. And we can say for sure that all cats are the most extraordinary. But there are some special and interesting ones!

Every cat, regardless of breed, color or age, has a unique character. Sometimes the appearance of a cat can also be unique. The most amazing and unusual of our smaller brothers could not remain unnoticed by their wide popularity.

Rare breeds

What could be more unusual than a cat without a tail? (Manx) is deprived of such a natural decoration as a tail. And this is not an experiment to breed a new breed, nature ordered it that way. Thanks to their peculiarity, these cats have become one of the most recognizable.

Unlike their cousins, bobtails and all their species have a tail. But! Not completely, but just a few vertebrae. The length of the tail of this breed can vary from 2 to 16 centimeters.

As a result of a genetic mutation, this adorable breed like multi-toed cats. Their paws can have up to 7 toe pads, and their number can vary on each paw. Some bobtail cats can sometimes boast the same feature.

Another unusual representatives of cats is the munchkin breed (or dachshund cat). Short legs do not affect the animal’s quality of life in any way. This is a playful, active and lively breed that loves to jump.

The breed also rightfully takes its place on the list of the most amazing cats. Their fur is coarse and curly. Combined with thin long legs and a proud straight profile, these cats look like real aristocrats.
Ears with slightly curved back ends are what one of the most expensive breeds can boast of.
Who doesn’t know the original and catchy appearance of kao-mani. White color and multi-colored eyes give this breed of cats special beauty and mysticism.

You can’t ignore the unusual for representatives cat world habits, such as, for example, a love of water treatments. The Turkish Van breed loves water like no other. They are excellent swimmers and can sit in the water for hours.

Unusual habits and stories

As noted earlier, each cat has its own character. But how unusual it can be!
For example, a cat living in California loves to steal things from his neighbors. IN progress is underway everything that is bad. From underwear to shoes, not to mention small toys, socks, and various souvenirs. The kleptomaniac cat's personal record is that he stole more than 10 things in one night. Neighbors treat such a “criminal” with humor and without any fear.

An amazing example of devotion and fidelity, as well as intelligence and nobility, is demonstrated every day to the residents of Melbourne by a cat who accompanies his owner to work in the morning, and then waits for her on the railway platform all day.

Anyone interested in unusual cats has, in most cases, come across information about unusual breeds ah, which appeared due to mutations and natural selection, or were specially bred.

But the history of unusual cats is not limited to the history of unusual breeds, since the originality of this animal is determined not only by its external characteristics, but also by its character and unusual life circumstances, which no, no, and indeed befall our pets.

There are many examples of amazing cat life in history.

In most cases, the stories of amazing cats begin with a story about their unique abilities.

For example, there are cats that have telepathic abilities, cats that can find great distance your home, and even cats who can at least speak. The memory of each such animal is preserved for a long time, sometimes even for centuries.

Telepathic cats: we feel everything!

The heightened intuition of cats and their telepathic abilities deserve a separate chapter. Moreover, entire books are devoted to this cat ability, which, however, expressing a lot of assumptions regarding the explanation of this phenomenon, do not give a clear answer, at least not a clear one, with scientific point vision.

People have long noticed the ability of cats to telepathy, this is a scientific fact.

In any case, merchant sailors have long known that cats somehow inexplicably know exact time, to which ships sail from foreign ports.

Two made it into history bright occasions cat telepathy that is worth telling. In the first case, one cat accidentally got into a car that belonged to his owner's friends. These people somehow managed not to notice the cat in the car, and took it to a completely different settlement, which was located 160 kilometers from the cat’s home. However, the cat, which found itself at such a distance from the house, still managed to overcome such an impressive distance for a cat, and somehow found its way home. Perhaps his telepathic abilities helped him in this.

It should be noted that cats are generally not inclined to travel, and prefer to live in their assigned territory.

The diameter of a cat's territory is about 300 meters, and for cats it can reach up to 3 km. Three kilometers is quite a lot for such a small animal, but still, it’s only three, and not one hundred and sixty traveled by the aforementioned cat!

As for the second case, it cannot be called happy. When a cat owner died in a car accident, his cat died instantly, as was witnessed by both other cat owners and doctors. At the same time, as the autopsy showed, there was no reason for the cat to die, and she was in excellent health.

Talking cats: excellent conversationalists

For real, talking cats there are very few in the world. There are more than enough people who like to meow heartily, but to find a cat that can say something more intelligible than “mrrryau” you will have to try hard. One such cat lived in Baku in one large family. The cat's name was Masi, and when he was two years old, his owners taught him to talk. Of course, no one made Cicero out of him, but they still taught him something.

At first these were not very intelligible interjections, but after some time, Masi began to pronounce entire words in Russian and Azerbaijani. Moreover, he even learned to answer questions, and if he was asked “what does snow do?” he answered: “he’s coming.” In addition, he knew the word “no” well, and after some time, he learned the word “twelve”.

Guard cats: fighting poachers

The death of the cat Rusik caused sincere grief among both the police and other residents of the Stavropol region.

In the Stavropol Territory, the only police cat in history, whose name was Rusik, became famous. This mustachioed fellow policeman was very effective in fighting smugglers, detecting illegally imported fish whenever they tried to smuggle them. In addition, Rusik helped police officers find sturgeon hidden by poachers. True, despite the fact that the whole region admired the cat, the poachers could not leave it just like that, and soon killed Rusik.

Cat-politicians: political fate is in our hands

The most famous political cat is Humphrey, who belonged to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. However, it is worth mentioning that this cat was not adopted by Tony Blair himself, but also by his famous predecessor, Margaret Thatcher, thanks to whom he settled in the residence of the prime ministers. When the residence passed from Margaret to Tony, Humphrey also came into use of the new prime minister.

Before Tony Blair took office, the cat enjoyed honor and respect, and proudly bore the title of Chief Mouser of the British Isles, but Blair for some reason disliked the cat, and kicked him out the door, without even bothering to find a home for him. For some time, the cat simply sat under the door, waiting for his new owner to finally take pity on him, but since the pity in him was sleeping like a dead sleep, the cat soon left in search of a better life and food.

It is unknown who informed the general public about such a low act by the new prime minister, but soon the cat-loving British, having learned about it, simply bombarded Blair with a hail of accusations. As a result, the prime minister's rating fell incredibly low. And here Mr. Blair began to feel sorry for himself and his career, which had begun to falter. I had to announce a government search for the cat. In the end, he was found and presented to the public in good condition, which saved the young prime minister’s career from ruin.

There are all sorts of cats in the world. Big and small, fluffy and almost bald, fat and thin, lazy and record holders for catching mice... Among the diverse cat family, there are also the most outstanding in one or another quality.

• According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest of 330 cats is the ragdoll: the male weighs up to 9 kg. For most domestic cats average weight adult males are equal to 2 kg. Neutered cats weigh slightly more on average.
• Well, I think few people doubt that the largest wild cat is the Ussuri tiger. 4 meters from nose to tip of tail and 384 kg of manpower, muscles, claws and fangs.
• Tinker Toy, a Himalayan Persian cat owned by Katrina and Scott Forbes of Taylorville, NY. Illinois, USA, is only 7 cm high and 19 cm long. That is, he is the smallest domestic cat on earth.
• The lightest breed of domestic cats is the Singaporean. The male Siamese hybrid, owned by Angelina Johnson from the USA, weighed only 0.79 kg. At the time of weighing he was 23 months old.
• In general, cats live longer than dogs. Although not as long as we would like. Confusion in this data is often caused by the same nickname, which can be used to call two or more cats in a row without saying a word. The oldest can probably be considered a tabby cat named Puss, which belonged to the American T. Holway. His cat lived 36 years. A more reliable case is a tabby cat named Ma, which belonged to the American Alice St. George Moore from Drewsteignton, gr. Devon, UK. This cat was euthanized at the age of 34 years.
• Among the wild felines, the lion lived the longest in the Berlin Zoo. He rested quietly in his enclosure at the age of 29. For comparison. In the wild savannah, lions live an average of 12 years.
• The largest known litter of 19 kittens (4 stillborn) was born on August 7, 1970 by a 4-year-old Burmese cat named Antigone. Her owner Valery Gein said that the cat became pregnant from a Siamese cat. Of the 15 live kittens, there were 14 males and 1 female. The largest number of live kittens (14, all kittens survived) brought Persian cat, owned by Elinora Dawnson from South Africa.
• During her long cat life, the Texas tabby gave birth to 420 kittens. And recognized as a cat mother heroine!
• In all official sources, the motley cat named Towser, who lived in Scotland, is recognized as the most successful hunter. It is estimated that she caught 28,899 mice throughout her life: an average of 3 mice per day. She died at the age of 20 in 1987.
• Among wild hunters of people, the tiger is the leader - 436 people. In second place are leopards (400), but lions were responsible for the deaths of 84 people. True, the book does not say for what period of time the calculation was carried out.
• A historical record. Excavations at the city of the dead near Karnak in Egypt have uncovered the largest burial of cats ever encountered. There are 300 thousand cat mummies in the tombs.
• The owner of the record for walking distance can probably be recognized as the cat Ryzhik from the city of Kem. During the holidays, the owners brought him with them to Petrozavodsk. The next day the cat suddenly disappeared. Sad, the owners accepted the loss and taxied back. Imagine their surprise when, after 2 months, Ryzhik, who had lost a lot of weight, appeared in an apartment in Kem, having covered a distance of 430 km from Petrozavodsk. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the house, he immediately went to the saucer from which he was always given milk. During the first few days the cat slept, ate, and then, having gained strength, returned to its former life.

And this is only a small part of the various achievements and records of cats. Both domestic and wild. Surely our cats will surprise us more than once in the future.