Cat Facts, Stories and Tales

"Be entertained and Informed!"

Why Does a Cat Purr?

Cats not only purr when they are content, they also purr when they are in great pain, injured, in labor and even dying.

The reason which seems to fit each case above is, it's a sign of a friendly social mood. It may be given as a signal to a vet from an injured cat indicating a need for friendship. Or it can be a signal to an owner, saying thank you for your friendship.

Large cats, like lions and tigers, cannot produce a two way purr like domestic cats. Large cats can only purr on the exhale, where domestic cats can purr on the inhale and the exhale.

How Did a Cat Get Its Name?

The source appears to be Arabic. The oldest use of the name is found in North Africa.

This fits with the idea that cats descended from the North African wild cat, Felix lybica, via the Egyptians.

Why do we call a cat pussy or puss? They are variations of the names of the early Egyptian cat goddess, Pasht.

The word tabby comes from the Turkish name ubabi. Also, the Turkish word for cat is kedi, which is most likely where the word kitty originates.

Oldest Female Cat?

The oldest female cat ever recorded was probably Ma from Devon.

She died in 1957 at the age of 34.

Oldest Male Cat?

The oldest male cat ever recorded was probably Puss from Devon.

Can you belive he died just one day after his 36th birthday in 1939? It's amazing!

The Smallest Cat

The smallest cat on record is Tinker Toy, from Illinois, USA. Tinker Toy is 7cm (2.75 inches) tall and 19 cm (7.5 inches) long.

That's pretty small!

Those Cat Family Features

The look of each species of cat depends on its lifestyle and the environment in which it lives. Regardless, most members of the cat family (wild and domestic) have a number of common characteristics.

Males and females look similar, except for male lions, which have a mane.

Since cats walk on their toes, their steps are cushioned by their pads. This aids their silent hunting, and allows them to move swiftly when they pounce. The cheetah is the only cat swift enough to abandon stealth in favor of speed. The cheetah's claws are always unsheathed to maintain friction for swift turns.

All cats have an amazing sense of balance. They are able to leap and pounce with ease.

All cats have acute hearing and excellent sight.

Most cats are solitary, except for lions, which live and hunt in groups.

Incredible Journeys of Cats

There are many amazing stories of people that move to new homes with their cats, and then the cat returns to the original home miles away.

Ninja, a male cat from Washington State, USA, went missing from his new home. Amazingly, he turned up a year later. Where?

His old home. Approximately 1,370 km (850 miles) away.

And You Thought Your Mother Was Amazing!

Dusty, a tabby from Texas, USA, produced 420 kittens in her life.

Kitty, the oldest recorded feline mother from Croxton, UK, gave birth to her last kitten at the age of 30. The year was 1987. The kitten was number 218!

Tarawood Antigoe, a Burmese female, mated with a half-Siamese male to produce a litter of 19 kittens! The largest litter ever recorded.

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