Cats are complex creatures. They have so much sass and attitude that most people don’t like them because of their feline superiority. But there’s a reason why some people love the company of this furry, cuddly animals. In reality, cats are simply misunderstood and they’re just complicated critters who love what they love and have mood swings too – just like real people. So why not give these fur babies a chance?

Calling all cat lovers out there. Here are 17 things you need to know about felines.

The Tiniest

According to the Guinness World Records, as of December 2014, the smallest cat in the world was a feline named Tinker Toy owned by Katrina and Scott Forbes from Taylorville, Illinois. The cat was a male blue point Himalayan-Persian that measured 7 cm (2.75 in) tall and 19 cm (7.5 in) long when full grown. Unfortunately, little Tinker passed away at the age of six in 1997.

Currently, a 9-year-old munchkin cat named Lilieput is listed in Guinness as the world’s shortest living domestic cat, measuring 13.34 cm (5.25 in) tall.

Oldest cat

A tabby mix called Creme Puff was famous for earning the title as the world’s oldest cat ever recorded according to 2010 Guinness World Records. She lived from August 1967 to August 2005, passing away just three days after her 38th birthday. The matron cat’s owner, Jake Perry of Austin, Texas, also previously owned another cat named Granpa Rexs Allen, aged 34 years and 2 months.

The Oldest Breed

According to experts, the Egyptian Mau is considered the oldest cat breed in the world. Their ancestors were first recorded about more than 4,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt where cats are worshipped.

The Fastest

Aside from being the oldest breed, the Egyptian Mau can run up to 30 miles per hour, making him the fastest domestic cat breed in the world. Combined with powerful legs, these cats can catapult into great heights with ease. Most people would assume dogs are the dominant species when it comes to speed. However, the average cat can run 29.8mph while the average dog can run 19mph, making cats faster. No wonder they can outspeed most dogs, except the greyhounds which can run up to 45mph.

Big Mama Cat

In 1952, a tabby cat named Dusty from Bonham, Texas set the record by producing more than 420 kittens during her breeding life. She gave birth to her last litter on June 12, 1952 at the age of 18.

Longest Cat

A Maine Coon cat named Stewie, owned by Robin Hendrickson, was the record holder for world’s longest domestic cat. However, Stewie lost his fight against cancer and passed away on February 2013. The 8-year-old cat from Nevada, USA measured from the tip of his tail to his nose an incredible 123 cm (48.5 in) when fully stretched out. He’s also the record holder for longest cat tail.

Another Maine Coon named Omar, is currently the world’s longest living cat. Omar from Melbourne, Australia measures 120 cm (47.2 in)

The Chubbiest

Meow, from Santa Fe, New Mexico was the world’s heaviest cat, weighing 18 kg (39.6 lbs). The male domestic cat grew famous throughout the world in 2012 when an animal shelter publicized their efforts on Facebook to make him lose weight. However, after two weeks in the animal shelter, Meow started having breathing difficulties and passed away on May 5, 2012 due to lung failure.

But Meow was not the fattest cat on history. The title belonged to Himmy, a Tabby from Australia, that weighed almost 47 lbs (21 kg). The Guinness World Records has since stopped accepting applications for the fattest cat designation to discourage deliberate overfeeding.

A Family of Cats

Interestingly, the correct term for referring a group of adult cats is “clowder”. The other two terms you can use are “clutter” and “glaring”. Whereas the lesser-known term for a family of kittens is “kindle”.

Ailurophile

If you are a person with airulophilia, then that means you are a cat-lover. Yup, there’s an official name for cat-lovers out there!

A Cat’s Meow

Did you know cats don't meow at other cats, only at humans? Well that’s because cats are manipulative creatures. They make use of the meow sound to psychologically manipulate a human into giving them what they want. They can also change their meow and can even imitate a human baby when they need food.

Feline Eyes

At birth, every kitten’s eye color is blue. It is only about two weeks after they first open their eyes that they change color. Also, around 65% to 85% of those cats born with blue eyes and white fur are deaf. Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dusk and dawn. They also have a greater range of peripheral vision and have about 200 degrees field of view, which is better compared to a human’s 180-degree view.

They Have Unique Noses

Just like a human fingerprint, a cat’s nose is ridged with a unique print and can be used for identification. No two cats have the same nose patterns.

Who’s a leftie and who’s a rightie?

Most male cats are typically left-pawed while most females are right-pawed. Some cats, however, are ambidextrous, meaning they can be both.

Cats Sleep Most Of Their Lives

About 70% of their lives they spend it with their eyes closed, an estimated 15-18 hours of daily sleep. This means an average lazy-ass household cat only spends three years awake, that’s one-third of their lives.

Cats Are Smarter Than Dogs

A cat’s brain contains 300 million neurons, that’s nearly twice as many neurons than a dog’s brain, which only has 160 million. Cats’ brains are biologically 90% similar to a human’s - more closer than to a dog’s brain. Cats have nearly identical sections of the brain that control emotion to humans. They also have a better long-term memory than dogs although they have a lower social IQ.

Surviving From A Great Height

In 2012, a white ball of fluff named Sugar survived the 200 feet fall from her owner’s window on a 19th floor of a Storrow Drive high rise building. When examined by the Animal Rescue League, Sugar only had minor bruising on the lungs, but no scratch, and no broken bones. She must’ve use all her nine lives to survive!

Milk Is Bad!

Sure, we’ve seen photos and videos of hats happily drinking milk. But the truth is, after kittens are weaned from their mother’s milk, most of them actually become lactose intolerant like humans. That means they can’t digest milk, giving them painful stomach cramps and diarrhea. So don’t give them milk!





If you own a cat right now, I bet you didn’t know these facts about them. Aside from learning that these felines are way smarter than their dog counterpart, there’s a lot more we probably don’t know about them. Besides, these furry creatures are often secretive and have a mysterious aura around them. But still we love them anyway and keep them as companions. As the saying goes by Louis Camuti, “There is something about the presence of a cat…that seems to take the bite out of being alone.”



