Cat Fact Files

Humans yawn as an uncontrolled or involuntary reaction to tiredness. The intake of air increases oxygen levels in the bloodstream and thence on to the brain. Cats yawn for the same reasons, but they also do this to stretch the muscles around the face and mouth. They may be triggered to do so by flehmening.

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To a greater or lesser extent, all cats lose hair, especially in the summer months when they need less insulation from the weather. Logic dictates that long-haired cats moult more hairs than their short-haired counterparts, but this is not always the case. Some more active outdoor cats shed more hairs indoors than more sedentary house [...]

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The grinning cat, or one that is flexing its nose and lip, is performing a physical reaction known as ‘flemening’. Flehmen behavior is believed to be a direct response to pheromones and other natural body-chemical odors, and is triggered when there is stimulation in an area behind the nasal area known as thevomero-nasal or Jacobson’s [...]

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The eyes of a cat have a layer of reflective cells immediately behind the retina, known as the tapetum. Any light not absorbed by the microscopic rod-like structures in the back of the eye, especially when a cat’s pupils are fully open, is passed back out. This process creates the distinctive, characteristic shine in the [...]

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You can contact a breeder through professional registers of your local veterinary surgery. You will need to discuss breed standards to ensure that any resulting kittens measure up and will therefore find good homes. You will also need to talk about the fee structure, and then arrange to have your queen mated. An alternative for [...]

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There is a recessive gene influence in white-long and short-haired cats that leads to inherited deafness – but not always. Experts commonly suggest that deafness in white cats is indicated by those with blue or odd-coloured eyes.

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We possess the same binocular vision as cats. However, our eyes are placed laterally parallel on our oblong-shaped face, giving us a slightly reduced fixed field of vision when compared to that of cats. The eyes of a cat are placed marginally to either side of its narrow face. Our overlapping vision covers roughly 210 [...]

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Yes, a cat has a rather unique skeleton. Not only does it have more vertebrae in its backbone than a human, but this defining physiology also continues into the tail to create an extended backbone structure. A cat’s spine is made up of 30 vertebrae, excluding the 14-28 (depending on the breed) in the tail. [...]

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Cats do not see exactly in ‘full colour’. Although cats would appear to see the world almost in an overlapping binocular ‘night vision’ of greys, whites and blacks (when darkness falls, they need acute visual abilities), tests suggest that they can gradually discriminate between colours. Cats combine all their senses to ‘feel’ their way around, [...]

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The abrasive surface of a cat’s tongue is covered with many tiny, hooked ‘papillae’ – almost like miniature teeth. These hooks have a dual purpose, enabling the cat to clean off any flesh from the bones of prey as well as enhancing grooming.

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