This article has so much interesting information, I wanted to share it and give credit to the author.

WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE MCGUINNESS. May 31, 2019 (Images credit: DepositPhotos.com unless captioned)

1. Most popular pet

Cats are king in America, beating dogs as the most popular pet in the country with 88 million cats living in American households compared to 74 million dogs.

2. Wild heritage

A 2007 study found that domestic cats came from Near Eastern wildcats. 

3. Ear muscles

Cats have “directional hearing” thanks to their 32 ear muscles. By comparison, humans have only six ear muscles.

4. Breeds

There are dozens of cat breeds that are recognized by various cat registries – nearly 50 according to some sources.

5. Not such a sweet tongue

Unlike other mammals, cats can’t taste sweetness.

6. Nap time

Cats sleep for about two-thirds of their lives.

7. ‘Righting reflex’

Cats’ “righting reflex” is what helps them survive huge falls. Cats have been known to survive falls from more than 32 stories

8. Good for your health

A kitty companion may be good for your heart. Cat owners have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

9. Meow

Adult cats rarely “meow” to talk to each other. They’ve adapted the habit to talk to us.

10. Spy cats

The CIA tried to turn cats into spies. Despite spending $20 million on training the cats, the first kitty spy was hit by a taxi

11. Life extender

Spayed and neutered cats live longer. Neutered male cats live 62% longer than unneutered ones, while spayed female cats live 39% longer than unspayed one.

12. Favorite paw

Dogs and cats can be right-pawed or left-pawed, just like humans are right- or left-handed

13. Ancient Egyptians mourned their cats

When their treasured pets died, Ancient Egyptians would shave off their eyebrows to mourn their cats and continue grieving until their eyebrows grew back

14. Eyelids

Unlike us, cats actually have three eyelids. 

15. Black cats

The Japanese consider black cats a sign of good luck.

16. Returning home

If your cat goes missing, good news: 75% of lost cats make it home safely. 

17. Cat noses

Cat nose prints are as unique as human finger prints.

18. Cat actors

A theater in Russia uses cats as the actors, but it has been accused of animal cruelty.

19. CC

CC, for “Carbon Copy” or “CopyCat,” was the first cloned cat.

20. Cat picture

The original post here was too gruesome to include.

21. Declawing

While declawing cats is still legal in most of the U.S., it is banned in at least 22 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Estonia, Germany and the U.K. (come on USA, it’s time to ban declawing!!)

22. Killer cats

Cats roaming outdoors kill nearly 4 billion birds annually in the contiguous United States and are responsible for some species’ extinction.

23. Forgive and forget?

Among species scientists have studied, domestic cats were the only ones who never forgave or forgot.

24. A cat author

Professor Jack H. Hetherington brought his cat on as co-author of his research so he wouldn’t have to revise his usage of “we” to “I.”

25. Stinky paws

Cats have scent glands on their paws, which is part of the reason why they love to scratch on things around the house.

26. Kitty dreams

Scientists studied cats’ brain waves to learn that cats can in fact dream.

27. No chocolate, please

Chocolate can be lethal for cats.

28. Watch your feet

The CDC found that more than 86,000 human fall injuries are caused by cats and dogs each year.

29. Cat kidneys

While it’s best for your feline friend to get fresh water every day, cats can survive on only meat because their kidneys are so efficient. They can even drink seawater.

30. Mastication

They’re not being rude as they gobble their food. Cats do not need to chew their food to help with digestion.

31. Blind spot

Cats can’t see objects that are directly below their nose or chin

32. Cats’ tails

Cats’ tails contain about 10% of the bones in their body.

33. Fat cats

Guinness World Records stopped awarding world records to fat pets for fear that owners would intentionally overfeed them. Prior to that decision, though, an Australian cat named Himmy set the record at a scale-tilting weight of nearly 47 pounds back in 1986.

34. Addiction

Cats that are fed tuna can become addicted and refuse to eat anything else.

35. DNA

Domestic cats share more than 95% of their DNA with tigers.

This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.org.