Interesting Facts

According to researchers at Kyoto University cats have a rudimentary understanding of physics. (The researchers showed how cats would react differently when they shook boxes with something in them, than when they shook empty boxes. Amazing! Cats reacted to a rattling sound? I don't suppose it occured to them that the shake of a cat  treats container has preconditioned cats to this.)  

According to a recent study of around 9,000 British pets by pet insurer Animal Friends, the number of  cats diagnosed with diabetes has skyrocketed by  1,161 percent over the past five years. (The fact is people who feed cats human food are shortening their lives. In addition more than half of the cats kept indoors are dangerously overweight. I've never understood the idea of an indoor cat. Spooky and Moose would never have stood for it.) 

A study carried out at Hiroshima University, showed that looking at cute animal pictures can actually improve a person's productivity at work. (According to LiveScience.com, the paper, entitled The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus, concluded that cute animals doing supercute things is like seeing babies, and can boost productivity in tasks that require focus. So, the next time your boss tells you off for giggling over Grumpy Cat, show him this.)

4th June is hug your cat day. Or cats.   +Karen O'Connor

Parts of the US and Australia have pet curfews where owners have to ensure that their cat or dog are indoors. (There are also no-go areas for cats and dogs, in an attempt to protect native wildlife. Some groups are calling for similar controls in the UK, where an estimated 200 million birds and small animals are killed by domestic cats every year. Laika is always in bed by 10pm.)

Cats have 32 muscles in each ear. (This allows them to rotate their ears for directional hearing, and to move each ear independently of the other, as well as lay them down flat to warn us they are in a bad mood. Humans only have 3 muscles in each ear, but some people can wiggle their ears. Can you? PS - I can't, even though my mum could.) #caturday  ;)

In the UK it is illegal for a dog to poo in your garden, but not a cat. (That said, public fouling is only an offence when it is not immediately cleaned up. UK dog owners who fail to scoop their dog's poop can be slapped with a £1,000 fine under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.  But cats can pretty much do what they want, when they want; hence their expression of superiority.)

The city of Kherson in Ukraine, has passed a law banning dogs from barking between 10pm and 8am to make life quieter for residents. (The rule also applies to cats miaowing and pigs grunting.  According to reports, anyone who flouts the law faces fines of up to £65.  So, no dog treats for a week.)

Cats use their purr to manipulate humans. (Researchers at the University of Sussex have learnt that cats use a special kind of purr -- a "soliciting purr," -- to get their bowls filled. This purr is different from the normal "carry on stroking me" purr in that it contains frequencies more irritating to the ears of humans. The message being, wake up and feed me.)

If they need a blood transfusion, dogs can have blood of any type, if it's just for one transfusion, but cats need to be blood type matched. (Cats have always been fussier than dogs.)

Ailurophilia is the "love of cats." (I am an ailurophiliac.)

Albino horses have to use sun lotion to prevent their skin blistering in hot weather. (Now you'd think that wouldn't be a problem in the UK, but you'd be wrong: During a heatwave (yes we get heatwaves), a police horse, called Sunny, got through 10 bottles of factor 50 sun cream a week, and that was just to protect his back, hips and nose. It's an expensive business, but a kind chemist donated five gallons of sun lotion to keep Sunny safe in the sun. In fact any pets with white fur can get sunburnt. It is important to put sun cream on any parts that might catch the sun - the tips of the ears are especially important, as these can burn easily.)

Cats are genetically unable to taste sweet things. (While dogs adore chocolate, cats remain indifferent. My dog doesn't know what chocolate tastes like, but he still drools if I am eating any!)