Featured Animal: Cat

Cats (domestic cats) seem to date back to around ancient Egyptian times, when they were worshiped and heralded as sacred animals to the Gods in Egypt. The cat has since become an honored and valued member of family homes worldwide.

A cats senses are superior amongst the animal world, with exceptional sight, smell and taste, cats are able to subtly sneak up on, and catch their prey with immense success.

Despite the cats unbeatable night-vision, a cats eyesight during the day is actually not too dissimilar from a humans! Due to this, cats are more nocturnal hunters looking for small rodents and birds.

The average domestic cat sleeps for around 18 hours a day and tends to spend their waking time hunting for food. Despite wild cats being solitary animals, the domestic cat is known to enjoy attention from humans and other animals and will often even get on well with some dogs.

Cat Foot Facts

• Cats have soft pads on the bottom of their paws to enable them to move smoothly and run quickly.
• Cats have sharp claws to help the cat to grip when running and climbing trees.
• Sharp claws and soft pads allow the cat to hold onto and grip its prey effectively.
• The sharp claws of the cat are retractable which allows them to remain sharp as they avoid contact with the ground when it is not needed.
• Cats are able to walk very precisely as they put their back paws in place of the front paws, helping to minimise noise and visible tracks.

Cat Teeth Facts

• Cats have highly specialised teeth which allows them to both bite and tear meat apart.
• The front set of teeth in the mouth of the cat are well developed and act efficiently to shear meat apart, like a pair of scissors.
• Cats have tiny hooks or spikes on their tongue which helps the cat to get any remaining meat from bones.
• The hooked tongue of the cat is very beneficial so that the cat is able to clean itself effectively.
• The average adult cat has 30 teeth which include 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.