Cats are certainly one of nature's most interesting creatures. Unlike dogs in which humans have bred over the centuries to do different tasks, cats have remained unique in their personalities and behavior, even if we have had a hand in shaping their appearance.

Cats have been domesticated by humans for many thousands of years dating back to early civilizations on the island of Cyprus nearly 10,000 years ago. During all that time, we have certainly learned a lot of interesting things about cats.

What follows are five interesting facts that you many not have known about cats. This is because their behavior and especially their biology are very different from dogs and many other creatures as well.

1.) Cats Can Drink Salt Water

Drinking salt water is poisonous to our bodies because our kidneys cannot remove the excessive salt which in turn will kill us. Cats on the other hand can drink salt water because their kidneys are so efficient that the salt is removed and expelled from the body. This unique ability has developed over many thousands of years that allow cats to survive droughts.

2.) Cats Rarely Meow at other Cats

While there are occasions where we will hear a cat meow to call the attention of another cat, such instances are very rare. This is because the communication between cats is almost exclusively non-verbal. Cats will sniff, lick, and often play fight with each other, but the most common sounds they make towards other cats are low growls or howls that are meant as warnings.

3.) Cats like their Water Bowl and Food in Separate Places

Because cats are natural hunters, they have developed the instinct over the years that eating their food next to water sources will mean that the water is contaminated. While most domestic cats will overcome this instinct, they are still naturally resistant to having both their food and water bowls together. It is one reason why cats will often drink from different sources of water. So try separating the water bowl from the food bowl to make your cat just a little more happy.

4.) There are very few "true" Black Cats

Most black cats will have a white spot of them somewhere on their bodies. This is because hundreds of years ago black cats were destroyed during the Middle Ages because they were believed to be associated with Satan or dark sorcery. However, only pure black cats were affected and their closely related cousins who sported at least one white spot were spared. This is why finding a pure black cat is nearly impossible today.

5.) The Left Pawed Phenomenon

Most female cats are right pawed while more male cats are left pawed. What is even more interesting is that in humans 90% are right handed while the remaining 10% tend to be male, much like male cats. The reasons for this lie in the fact that a cat's brain is similarly divided much like a human's brain.

These are simply five of the many interesting facts about cats whose curiosity about their surroundings is no more interesting than what we find out about cats themselves.