@catfacts

Most cats had short hair until about 100 years ago, when it became fashionable to own cats and experiment with breeding.

Cats are now Britain's favourite pet: there are 7.7 million cats as opposed to 6.6 million dogs.

Every year, nearly four million cats are eaten in Asia.

Researchers are unsure exactly how a cat purrs. Most veterinarians believe that a cat purrs by vibrating vocal folds deep in the throat. To do this, a muscle in the larynx opens and closes the air passage about 25 times per second.

During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the widespread killing of cats led to an explosion of the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death.

Both humans and cats have identical regions in the brain responsible for emotion.

The largest cat breed is the Ragdoll. Male Ragdolls weigh between 12 and 20 lbs (5.4-9.0 k). Females weigh between 10 and 15 lbs (4.5-6.8 k).

Like birds, cats have a homing ability that uses its biological clock, the angle of the sun, and the Earth's magnetic field. A cat taken far from its home can return to it. But if a cat's owners move far from its home, the cat can't find them.

The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat which still exists today.

A cat lover is called an Ailurophilia (Greek: cat+lover).

Cats control the outer ear using 32 muscles; humans use 6

Cats, just like people, are subject to asthma. Dust, smoke, and other forms of air pullution in your cat's environment can be troublesome sources of irritation.

Cats must have fat in their diet because they can't produce it on their own.

Heat occurs several times a year and can last anywhere from 3 to 15 days.

Cats control the outer ear using 32 muscles; humans use 6