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‘Did You Know’: 30 Facts About Cats That You Might Not Have Heard Of
Interview With Author
If you own a cat, you probably never get bored. Looking at them pouncing, bouncing, stalking, and purring is a source of entertainment right there. And if we have to name a few things the internet is obsessed with, it has to be our beloved feline friends and the never-ending supply of fun facts. So what if we combine these two?
Figgy The Feline is a TikTok account dedicated purr-ely to two fluffy goofballs, Figgy and Juliet. With their informative clips, they’re teaching more than 233.1K followers lesser-known tidbits about them and their mysterious logic.
So if you’re looking for some cool and interesting facts to share with your fellow cat-loving friends, we’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling, upvote the ones you didn’t know about, and share your thoughts in the comments below! Psst! If you consider yourself a true feline fan, be sure to check out our most recent posts about them right here and here.
@figgythefeline We do love a good cat fact #DidYouKnow #fyp #viral #catsoftiktok ♬ Because of You - Ne-Yo
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#1
Cats sometimes yawn to end confrontation with another animal. It is basically their way of saying "whatever, not worth my time". Cats are so sassy.
RELATED:
#2
Cats are considered "obligate carnivores," Dogs are "facultative carnivores". Obligate carnivores MUST eat meat to thrive, facultative carnivores need meat but are able to survive on some non-meats. (Cats should never be on a vegan/vegetarian diet.)
#3
Guinness World Records no longer records "fattest cat". There was (valid) concern that cat owners would intentionally overfeed to get the record.
We managed to get in touch with Rachel Wolfe, Figgy and Juliet’s human and founder of the account. She was kind enough to talk about her adorable furballs and why people always want to learn more about their beloved pets. "We joined TikTok in the early days of the pandemic to pass the time," she told Bored Panda.
While today the account has collected more than 5M likes, Rachel knew almost nothing about the platform once she started. "I was under the assumption that the app was mostly dancing and lip-syncing videos, and thought that a cat being on the app was a completely novel idea."
The creator explained that Figgy often stands up on his back feet while playing, so her "original vision for his page was to use those clips to make it appear as if he was dancing". She quickly found out that "'Cat TikTok' not only existed but was one of the larger niche groups on the platform."
#4
Ancient Egyptians would shave their eyebrows when their cats died. It was a sign of mourning. They would mourn the loss of the cat until the eyebrows grew back. Cats were worshiped in ancient Egypt. They were believed to be magic beings.
#5
When cats slowly blink at you, they're basically saying "I LOVE YOU". In the wild, cats slow blink with each other as a way to show trust.
#6
Cats developed a special type of meow in order to get their way with humans. The "irresistible" sound is a combo of purring and meowing. The sound frequency is similar to an infant crying, and our brain struggles to ignore it.
Rachel was eager to tell us more about her beloved pets. "Figgy (aka The Figster, Mr. Fig, and Figs) is an almost-5-year-old domestic shorthair—although his cat DNA test results show he is most genetically similar to the Maine Coon." She found him a few days after graduating college "as a teeny tiny kitten stranded in the rain. He has been living the spoiled cat life ever since."
"His eyes add so much emotion to his face and he seems to always have the perfect expression in any scenario," the creator continued. "He often looks cranky and a bit intimidating, but he is such a sweet cat and loves to make friends with everyone he meets."
Exactly four years ago, Rachel adopted a second cat and called her Juliet. "She is about the same age as Figgy and is tiny, tailless, and extra floofy. Figgy has grown to love her very much, although he would never admit it if he could talk," she jokingly added.
#7
A group of cats is called a CLOWDER.
A group of wild cats is called a DESTRUCTION.
#8
There is a train station in Japan that employs cats as stationmasters.
Jayne Kyra 2 years ago
The depicted cat was the old stationmaster "Tama" (her name is on the collar, too), but has since passed at the age of 16 in 2015. Since then "Nitama" (Second Tama) took over Tama's duties. There are also Sun-tama-tama, and Yontama.
#9
Cats walk in a unique way. They move both right feet first and then both of their left feet. The only other mammals that walk this way are camels and giraffes.
With their random personalities and wacky stunts, cats rule the web. Whether it’s videos about dancing, life advice, or general knowledge about our feline friends, followers of this account sure seem to enjoy their content. "I think Figgy’s lovable little face has a lot to do with it, but we also try to sprinkle a little bit of fun facts about cats into all of our content."
Many people believe that cats are mysterious and strange creatures that are the perfect source for creating such clips. Even though they tend to act a bit weird, "those quirky things almost always stem from an instinct and we try to share information about that in the video’s captions and comments on both TikTok and Instagram."
#10
Does your cat ever lick you? Congrats, they are in love. Grooming others is very important in the social world of a cat.
#11
Cats have an extra organ. It's called the vomeronasal organ and it allows them to "taste" air particles. (Has your cat ever stared at you with their mouth open? They are using that organ.)
Jo Johannsen 2 years ago
Huh. I knew the action was called flehmen but not the rest. Apparently horses do it, too?
#12
Cats instinctively prefer to drink running water. In the wild, cats avoid stagnant water because it is likely to be contaminated.
According to Rachel, interesting tidbits of knowledge about our four-legged friends help many to grow closer with and better understand their pets. "Each time we share information about common cat behaviors such as dropping toys in their water dishes, chattering while watching birds out the window, or kneading and 'making biscuits' on blankets, we receive comments from cat parents who didn’t know other cats did those things as well."
#13
Studies suggest that cat owners are healthier than dog owners. Cat owners have been found to be less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, likely because of cats’ calming effects.
#14
Cats domesticated themselves!
Cats chose to stick around humans because they hunted the rodents that their crops attracted.
#15
Feral, unspayed cats can have litters of 3 - 7 kittens every 4 months. Those kittens have kittens. Their kittens have kittens, and so on. Spaying and neutering halts this process and prevents THOUSANDS of kittens.
"We always joke about how we basically have wild animals living in our house: so many of the things indoor cats do mimic the hunting or survival instincts they would be using out in the wild," the creator said. "It is fun to watch them stalk a mousey toy or knead their bed before laying down, knowing they would be doing very similar things if they were out on their own."
Even though our felines amuse and confuse us, it’s all part of their charm. So if you’re always eager to learn the lesser-known facts about the little lion in your living room, make sure to give the account a follow.
#16
Cats can dream. They are probably dreaming about hunting, according to scientists. Cats also have nightmares about bad experiences.
troufaki13 2 years ago
One time my cat was apparently having a nightmare because she woke up hissing!! 😂😂
#17
A cat's nose has a unique "print" like a human fingerprint. No two cats have identical nose prints (even litter mates have unique prints)
#18
Cats spend roughly 2/3 of their day sleeping. This means that a 3 year old cat has only been awake for about 1 year of its life.
Gin. No tonic 2 years ago
People sleep for 1/3 of their day. This means that a 3 year old human has been asleep for about 1 year of their life. (Actually more, cos kids sleep more than adults)
#19
About 40% of cats are either right or left “pawed” just like humans.
Males are more likely to be left pawed, females are more likely to be right pawed.
#20
Cats do not like their water being located near their food. In the wild, cats do not drink water near their food (dead animals) because it could be contaminated. This instinct is present in house cats.
#21
Cats actively choose to ignore us sometimes. Studies suggest that cats often hear us call for them but decide to ignore us. They believe it is because they were not bred to listen to humans, like dogs.
#22
Cats are responsible for the extinction of at least 63 animal species. This has landed them a spot on the "100 worst invasive species" list.
#23
A house cat is over 95% tiger (genetically).
They have many of the same behaviors, like play hunting, scent marking, and pouncing.
Samantha Lomb 2 years ago
Humans and sea urchins share 70% of DNA and a common ancestor so I'm not sure this is as meaningful as the poster thinks
#24
Cat whiskers are WAY MORE than just cute.
They pick up vibrations that help cats navigate their environment and determine spaces they can fit through (they are about the same width as their body).
Trimming a cat's whiskers causes them to become very disoriented.
GoddessOfChaos 2 years ago
My cat burned half his wishers off and became really clumsy, now I know why!
#25
Cats get the "zoomies" from built up energy. They are like a wind-up toy: once energy is built up, they must let it out.
V V 2 years ago
After a strenuous day of napping, grooming, eating and being otherwise adorable, my big boy tends to get the zoomies around 3 am. And there's nothing quite like 12 lbs running full tilt up and down the metal staircase, parkouring off the couch, and discovering that the mantel is not actually attached to the wall or fireplace.
#26
Cats often carry the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes rats to be attracted to cats. T. gondii makes its way to the rodent’s brain, and stops the natural fear response to cats. They seek them out, leading to their death and the cats' meal.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago (edited)
Before you go killing cats (and some do based on this) please note that humans generally get this from *two* sources: cat feces *and/or* raw meat. (Inf act, raw meat is how cats get it, as a rule.) The oocysts become transmissible around 24 hours after the fecal matter is deposited. Just waer gloves and a dust mask when cleaning a cat's litterbox, which most people (hopefully?) do anyway ---- and wash your hands to the elbows after doing so. Also, clean the cat box twice a day. T gondii can be damaging to human fetuses, hence the extra caution of no new cats during pregnancy (lest they carry it into the home) and the no-cat-litter-cleaning rule during pregnancy. Aslo, glove and dust-mask during gardening, just in general precaution, let alone against T gondii left by a stray cat's feces. Peace out from the Hygiene Police.
#27
Cats can find their way home even if they have traveled many miles. Scientists don't know how they do it. Some believe they can sense the earth's magnetic field, others believe they use their strong senses.
#28
Cats can develop depression (usually caused by external stressors). Some symptoms include loss of appetite, reduced energy levels, and changes in litter box usage.
#29
Cats communicate with their whiskers. Whiskers that are still usually mean relaxed, forward usually means curious, and back usually means upset.
#30
Cats can get acne. It is fairly common and is usually on the chin.
What do you think ?
Jo Choto 2 years ago
Hands up if you would have come to this post, even if it was just pictures and no text.
KariLovesHerKat 2 years ago
This was a great post! Really enjoyed it. More of this please with a few more pictures
Monsieur Joey 2 years ago
Cats are very smart. When mine wants me to give her food, and if I'm watching something on my computer, she sit on the keyboard, so the movie stopt and I have to get up (groaning) to go feed her...
Little Wolf 2 years ago
mine turned off my camera and then put screen lock on, and i freaked out before remembering screen lock exists 😂
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Jo Choto 2 years ago
Hands up if you would have come to this post, even if it was just pictures and no text.
KariLovesHerKat 2 years ago
This was a great post! Really enjoyed it. More of this please with a few more pictures
Monsieur Joey 2 years ago
Cats are very smart. When mine wants me to give her food, and if I'm watching something on my computer, she sit on the keyboard, so the movie stopt and I have to get up (groaning) to go feed her...
Little Wolf 2 years ago
mine turned off my camera and then put screen lock on, and i freaked out before remembering screen lock exists 😂
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