All cats are members of the family Felidea. Interestingly enough, the cat family split from the other mammals at least 40,000,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest mammalian families.

All cats share certain characteristics that are unique to the cat family. Cats are pure carnivores. They need a high level of protein in their diets – around 30% – and lack the digestive equipment to do well on a diet of grains, fruits or vegetables. In fact, if you were to design a creature to live from hunting mammals you would have trouble doing better than the design of the cat.

If you know cats at all, you know that they have powerful jaws, long, sharp teeth, and claws that draw back into their paws when not in use. Cats hear extremely well. Their eyes are adapted for vision in dim light for hunting just before dawn and just after dusk, the prime hunting periods.– From “The Encyclopedia Britannica”

“You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats.” – Colonial proverb

“In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats.” – English proverb

“Beware of people who dislike cats.” – Irish proverb

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” – Leonardo da Vinci
“It is very inconvenient habit of kittens (Alice had once made the remark) that, whatever you say to them they always purr.” —Lewis Carroll (author, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)

“Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the cat. ‘We’re all mad here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; In fact, I didn’t know that cats COULD grin.”

 

All cats are members of the family Felidea. Interestingly enough, the cat family split from the other mammals at least 40,000,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest mammalian families.

All cats share certain characteristics that are unique to the cat family. Cats are pure carnivores. They need a high level of protein in their diets – around 30% – and lack the digestive equipment to do well on a diet of grains, fruits or vegetables. In fact, if you were to design a creature to live from hunting mammals you would have trouble doing better than the design of the cat.

If you know cats at all, you know that they have powerful jaws, long, sharp teeth, and claws that draw back into their paws when not in use. Cats hear extremely well. Their eyes are adapted for vision in dim light for hunting just before dawn and just after dusk, the prime hunting periods.– From “The Encyclopedia Britannica”

Don’t be alarmed when your cats bring you gifts of birds, mice or other wild critters. This is a natural part of their gift ritual, and they do it to please you.

Cats purr to communicate.

Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four toes on each back paw. have true fur, in that they have both an undercoat and an outer coat.

Contrary to popular belief, the cat is a social animal. A pet cat will respond and answer to speech and seems to enjoy human companionship.

If left to her own devices, a female cat may have three to seven kittens every four months. This is why population control using neutering and spaying is so important.

Kittens are born with both eyes and ears closed. When the eyes open, they are always blue at first. They change color over a period of months to the final eye color.

When well treated, a cat can live twenty or more years.

Cats live 14 to 20 years, some 30.

Cats beat dogs for the #1 spot as the most popular pet in the United States.

Dogs and cats are color-blind.

If you sneeze whenever you’re around cats, chances are it’s not the cat hair that sets you off, but the saliva that remains on their fur.

Aspirin is poisonous to cats.

A smooth, shiny coat is the sign of a healthy cat.

Cat saliva contains a detergent that keeps their fur clean.

Cats lick people as a sign of affection.

“Honest as the Cat when the meat’s out of reach.” – Old English saying

“A cat’s eyes are windows enabling us to see into another world.” – Irish Legend

“Cat’s motto: No matter what you’ve done wrong, always try to make it look like the dog did it.” – Unknown

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play” – Folk Saying

The cat is mighty dignified until the dog comes by. – Southern Folk Saying

“Whenever the cat of the house is black, the lasses of lovers will have no lack” – Folk Saying

“Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o’ fur?” – Irish Saying

“A cat is a lion in a jungle of small bushes.” – Indian Saying

“There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.” –Unknown Origin

“I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.” –Unknown Origin

”Never feed your cat anything that doesn’t match the carpet.´ –Unknown Origin

“Cat’s motto: “No matter what you’ve done wrong, always try to make it look as if the dog did it.” –Unknown Origin

“Dogs have owners, cats have staff.” –Unknown Origin

“You know when people see a cat’s litter box, they always say, “Oh, have you got a cat?” Just once I want to say, “No, it’s for company!” –Unknown Origin

“These aren’t my thoughts, they’re my cat walking on the keyboard.” –Unknown Origin

“You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats.” – Colonial proverb

“In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats.” – English proverb

“Beware of people who dislike cats.” – Irish proverb

“An old cat will not learn how to dance.” – Moroccan Proverb

“After dark all cats are leopards.” – Native American Proverb

A cat may look at a king. – English Proverb

Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat. – Chinese Proverb

A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays. – English Proverb

“Happy is the home with at least one cat” – Italian Proverb

“The cat was created when the lion sneezed” – Arabian Proverb

“Curiosity killed the cat, Satisfaction brought it back!” – English Proverb

“Books and cats and fair-haired little girls make the best furnishing for a room” – French Proverb

“I gave an order to a cat, and the cat gave it to its tail” – Chinese Proverb

“Cats, flies and women are ever at their toilets” – French Proverb

“The dog for the man, the cat for the woman” – English Proverb

“The cat who frightens the mice away is as good as the cat who eats them” – German proverb

“A cat bitten once by a snake dreads even rope” – Arab Proverb

“A cat may go to a monastery, but she still remains a cat” – Ethiopian proverb

“Ye shall not possess any beast, my dear sisters, except only a cat.” – The Ancren Riewle (Nun’s Rule)

“The cat is nature’s Beauty.” – French Proverb

“When rats infest the Palace a lame cat is better than the swiftest horse.” – Chinese Proverb

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them.” – Jim Davis

 

“Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well.” – Missy Dizick

“Actually, cats do this to protect you from gnomes who come and steal your breath while you sleep.” – John Dobbin

“We have a theory that cats are planning to take over the world, just try to look them straight in the eye…yup, they’re hiding something!” – Dog Fancy

“No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch.” – Leo Dworken

“The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn’t just one of your holiday games. You may think at first I’m mad as a hatter. When I tell you a cat must have three different names… “– T.S. Eliot

“He [the cat] liked to peep into the refrigerator and risk having his head shut in by the closing door. He also climbed to the top of the stove, discontinuing the practice after he singed his tail.” – Lloyd Alexander

As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind. – Cleveland Amory

“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.”

Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties. – W. L. George

Cats are the ultimate narcissists. You can tell this by all the time they spend on personal grooming. Dogs aren’t like this. A dog’s idea of personal grooming is to roll in a dead fish. – James Gorman

“There is the little matter of disposal of droppings in which the cat is far ahead of its rivals. The dog is somehow thrilled by what he or any of his friends have produced, hates to leave it, adores smelling it, and sometimes eats it…The cat covers it up if he can…” – Paul Gallico

“The really great thing about cats is their endless variety. One can pick a cat to fit almost any kind of decor, color, scheme, income, personality, mood. But under the fur, whatever color it may be, there still lies, essentially unchanged, one of the world’s free souls.” – Eric Gurney

“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.” Robert Heinlein

Dreaming of white cat means good luck. – American superstition

To see a white cat on the road is lucky. – American superstition

It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. – American superstition

If a cat washes behind its ears, it will rain. – English superstition

A strange black cat on your porch brings prosperity. – Scottish superstition

A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. – Italian superstition

A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. – English superstition

When moving to a new home, always put the cat through the window instead of the door, so that it will not leave. – American superstition

When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true. – American superstition

In the Netherlands, cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were going on. The Dutch believed that cats would definitely spread gossips around the town. – Netherlands superstition

To reverse the bad luck curse of a black cat crossing your path, first walk in a circle, then go backward across the spot where it happened and count to 13.

Cat superstitions tab content Cat superstitions tab content Cat superstitions tab content Cat superstitions tab content

Cats can’t taste sweets.

The cat’s front paw has 5 toes, but the back paws have 4. Some cats are born with as many as 7 front toes and extra back toes (polydactl).

 

Neutering a cat extends it’s life span by two or three years.

A cat’s tongue consists of small “hooks,” which come in handy when tearing up food.

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

Cat’s urine glows under a black light.

Cats have a third eyelid called a haw and you will probably only see it when kitty isn’t feeling well.

A cat sees about six times better than a human at night because of a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light.

Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day.

Cats are the only animal that walk on their claws, not the pads of their feet.

Newborn kittens have closed ear canals that don’t begin to open for nine days.

A kittens eyes are always blue at first.

A cat cannot see directly under its nose.

It is a common belief that cats are color blind. However, recent studies have shown that cats can see blue, green and red.

Cats with white fur and skin on their ears are very prone to sunburn.

Siamese kittens are born white.

A cat’s jaws cannot move sideways.

Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.

A cat can jump even seven times as high as it is tall.

A cat is pregnant for about 58-65 days.

Cats step with both left legs, then both right legs when they walk or run. The only other animals to do this are the giraffe and the camel

If a male cat is both orange and black it is most likely sterile.

“It is very inconvenient habit of kittens (Alice had once made the remark) that, whatever you say to them they always purr.” —Lewis Carroll (author, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)

“Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the cat. ‘We’re all mad here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; In fact, I didn’t know that cats COULD grin.” – ― The Cheshire Cat

“’It’s a friend of mine – a Cheshire Cat’, said Alice: ‘Allow me to introduce it.’ ‘I don’t like the look of it at all, said the King: ‘however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.’ ‘I’d rather not.’ the Cat remarked.” – Cheshire Cat quote by Alice in Wonderland

Well then,” the Cat went on, “you see a dog growls when it’s angry, and wags it’s tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased, and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

“If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“Only a few find the way, some don’t recognize it when they do – some… don’t ever want to.” ― The Cheshire Cat

“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” “I don’t much care where –” “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

“You can’t help that. We’re all mad here.” – Cheshire Cat quote by The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland

“I didn’t know that Cheshire cats always grinned; In fact, I didn’t know that cats COULD grin.” – Cheshire Cat quote by Alice in Wonderlande “‘It’s a friend of mine – a Cheshire Cat’, said Alice: ‘Allow me to introduce it.’ ‘I don’t like the look of it at all, said the King: ‘however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.’ ‘I’d rather not.’ the Cat remarked.” – Cheshire Cat quote by Alice in Wonderland

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And how do you know that you’re mad? “To begin with,” said the Cat, “a dog’s not mad. You grant that?” I suppose so, said Alice.