Sandra Grossmann, certified companion animal nutritionist, certified feline training and behavior specialist, and founder of The Feline Consultant, believes the bond between cats and humans is so special because of felines' long lifespan, which allows them to create many precious memories together with their owners.

"The average lifespan of cats is much longer compared to dogs. Many cats live with their owners for 15 years or longer. The cat laid on the keyboard during college time, sat on the wedding planner notes, and suspiciously surrounded the baby’s bed at first. Many cats outlive dogs for years and stay with their owners for a long time. They are truly part of the family," she said.

Despite being solitary animals, cats can still form close bonds with members, siblings, or humans and even feel separation anxiety, said Grossmann.

"If your cat sleeps next to you, makes biscuits in your lap, or solicits affection, that’s definitely a sign of an emotional bond," she explained.

"Cats experience emotions, similar to humans or dogs. Separation anxiety is more common in dogs, but certainly also visible in cats. Owners can minimize separation anxiety by creating a safe and secure environment, providing enough enrichment, and desensitizing and counterconditioning the cat to their absence."

To have an even closer bond with their cats, Grossmann left owners with this piece of advice:

"The best way to strengthen the bond is by providing a safe and low-stress environment, enrichment, daily playtime, and routine. Cats are very trainable—clicker training or pattern games are great tools to strengthen the bond."

To learn even more about cat behaviors, previously Bored Panda was lucky enough to get in touch with cat behavior specialists Stephen Quandt and Molly DeVoss as well as the host of The Community Cats podcast, Stacy LeBaron, who kindly agreed to tell us more about the interesting creatures that cats are.

The experts enthusiastically agreed to share some of the less-known facts about felines because who doesn’t love coming across a good cat fact? Quandt told us that only two out of 42 species raise their tails to greet others. And that despite the common belief that cats are nocturnal (the most active at night), they are actually most active at dawn and dusk, making them crepuscular creatures.

"They are also polyphasic sleepers, which just means they take lots of naps. Cats also have three eyelids, the third being the nictitating membrane that is protective of their eyes but which can also be seen in sick cats," he additionally shared.

Some of the most interesting cat facts that DeVoss shared with us are that cats, just like humans, have blood types and their fur gets static-charged in dry or cold weather, which makes them pick up dust and dander more easily. She also mentioned that felines have a strong “place memory,” which means that they better remember where objects are rather than what they look like. “It’s also why they can seem puzzled if you rearrange the furniture,” she explained. 

Some other cat facts that DeVoss shared that are no less fascinating include the following: 

1. Hissing is a defensive body language. It is an expression of fear, stress, or discomfort of a threatened cat communicating “stay away.”
2. Your house cat’s physical appearance and sensory systems are almost identical to their wild counterparts.
3. Cats are unique amongst domestic species in that they have evolved from a solitary ancestral species.
4. Cats may yawn as a way to end confrontation with another animal.

Lastly, we couldn’t let go of the experts without asking for some advice for cat owners. LeBaron recommended avoiding free-feeding cats (letting them eat whenever they want) and setting some money aside for any pet-related emergencies. "Feed mainly wet food and use dry food as treats. It will help with weight issues and the overall health of the cats. Also, veterinary care is expensive so make sure you have an emergency fund ready for any cat emergencies you may have."

DeVoss’s piece of advice for cat owners was to steer clever of punishments. "It simply doesn’t work. Punishing a cat just erodes your relationship because most cat behavior, even nuisance behaviors, are natural to them; they don’t understand why you have gone "crazy." Bottom line: Don’t tell your cat “no!”, show it what you want it to do instead."