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It has been scientifically proven that owning cats is good
for our health
and can decrease the occurrence of high blood pressure and other illnesses.
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Stroking a cat can help to relieve stress, and the feel of a
purring cat on
your lap conveys a strong sense of security and comfort.
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The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization to realize
the
cat's potential as a vermin hunter and tamed cats to protect the corn
supplies on which their lives depended.
-
Sir Isaac Newton is not only credited with the laws of
gravity but is also
credited with inventing the cat flap.
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A cat has more bones than a human being; humans have
206 and
the cat has 230 bones.
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A cat's hearing is much more sensitive than humans and dogs.
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The cat's tail is used to maintain balance.
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Cats see six times better in the dark and at night than
humans.
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Cats eat grass to aid their digestion and to help them get
rid of
any fur in their stomachs.
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A healthy cat has a temperature between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius.
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Cats have the largest eyes of any mammal.
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The female cat reaches sexual maturity at around 6 to 10
months and
the male cat between 9 and 12 months.
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A female cat will be pregnant for approximately 9 weeks or
between
62 and 65 days from conception to delivery.
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The average litter of kittens is between 2 - 6 kittens.
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Ailurophile is the word cat lovers are officially called.
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Purring does not always indicate that a cat is happy. Cats
will also
purr loudly when they are distressed or in pain.
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In households in the UK and USA, there are more cats kept as pets than
dogs.
At least 35% of households with cats have 2 or more cats.
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When a cats rubs up against you, the cat is marking you with
it's
scent claiming ownership.
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About 37% of American homes today have at least 1 cat.
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Milk can give some cats diarrhea.
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The average lifespan of an outdoor-only cat is about 3 to 5
years while
an indoor-only cat can live 16 years or much longer.
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On average, a cat will sleep for 16 hours a day.
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A domestic cat can run at speeds of 30 mph.
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The life expectancy of cats has nearly doubled over the last
fifty years.
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Blue-eyed, white cats are often prone to deafness.
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The cat's front paw has 5 toes and the back paws have 4.
Cats born with
6 or 7 front toes and extra back toes are called polydactl.
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An adult cat has 30 teeth, 16 on the top and 14 on the
bottom.
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There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the
back of a cat
and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside.
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Cats and kittens should be acquired in pairs whenever
possible
as cat families interact best in pairs.
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In multi-cat households, cats of the opposite sex usually
get along better.
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The first official cat show in the UK was organized at
Crystal Palace in 1871.
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All cats need taurine in their diet to avoid blindness. Cats
must also have
fat in their diet as they are unable to produce it on their own.
Taurine is an amino acid formally known as 2-Aminoethanesulfonic Acid
with the chemical formula: C2H7NO3S.
Taurine is an essential amino acid for the cat, which means that the
cat
can not synthesize sufficient Taurine from other amino acids. Humans and
dogs,
for example, synthesize Taurine from the amino acids Methionine and Cystine.
Preformed Taurine is only available from animal tissue, and high
concentrations of
Taurine are found in the heart muscle, skeletal muscles, brain and eyes of
mammals,
as well as the meat from clams and oysters.
Taurine is very sensitive to heat, and Taurine content in meat is greatly
reduced after cooking.
For example:
Taurine Content of Selected Foods
(mg/kg, wet weight)
|
Item:
|
Uncooked
mean
|
Baked
mean
|
Boiled
mean
|
|
Beef muscle
|
362
|
133
|
60
|
|
Lamb muscle
|
473
|
257
|
126
|
|
Chicken muscle
|
337
|
229
|
82
|
"Make a friend for life!"
