Attention all Cat lovers: get ready to sink your claws into some feline fun with a collection of cool facts about cats! These precious pets have been captivating the hearts of humans for centuries, and it’s no wonder why. Mysterious and independent, cats have a rich history and a host of unique qualities that, alongside dogs, make them an all-time favorite companion for humans. From their cunning hunting skills to their playful personalities, all about cats makes them endlessly fascinating, and the countless cat facts out there shouldn’t come as a surprise.

But there’s so much more to these adorable animals than meets the eye. Have you ever wondered what the oldest cat breed is or if cats can be potty-trained? Did you know that cats have been domesticated for over 9,000 years? Or that Freddie Mercury dedicated an album to his cats?

Today we’ll explore a wide range of fun facts about cats that will feed your love for felines and deepen your understanding of these incredible creatures. From their evolutionary history to their quirky habits, these cat trivia are the perfect tidbits of knowledge to satisfy your craving for all things feline. Whether you’re a seasoned cat lover or a curious newcomer, there’s certainly something you didn’t know on this list. So curl up with your furry companions, and get ready to get whisked away on a journey of fun cat facts!

#1 Freddie Mercury Dedicated His 1985 Album Mr. Bad Guy To His Cats

“This album is dedicated to my cat Jerry — also Tom, Oscar, and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe — screw everybody else!”

That's what Freddie Mercury wrote in the album’s notes.

Image credits: wikipedia.org

#2 Welsh Folklore Says That Blacks Cats Bring Good Luck To A Home

According to Welsh folklore, black cats may also be able to predict the weather.

Image credits: gutenberg.org

#3 The Oldest Cat In The World Was 38 Years And 3 Days Old

Creme Puff lived from 1967 to 2005. The same owner also had another cat, Grandpa Rex Allen, who was 34 years old.

Image credits: wikipedia.org

Bored Panda got in touch with Applied Animal Behaviourist (ACAAB) Julie Posluns of CatSchool.co. CatSchool.co hosts online courses, tools and tutorial videos for easy and fun cat training, not only empowering cat lovers to train their feline friends themselves, but also providing opportunities and activities that allow the two to connect on a deeper level.

We've asked Julie why she thinks cats make such great pets, and she explained that they meet all the criteria that potential owners are often looking for in a pet:

"They have big personalities in small packages and adapt well to our lifestyle. People are attracted to their 'cute' features—their soft fur, sweet faces, and comforting purrs make us want to nurture them. But since cats retain much of their wildness, they captivate us with their intelligence and independent spirit. Sharing our homes with them is amusing, entertaining, and conveniently also makes for great content on social media."

#4 The Cat Marlon Brando Was Holding In The Opening Scene Of "The Godfather" Was A Stray Cat

Francis Ford Coppola found the kitten on Paramount property. The cat wasn’t supposed to be included, and the purring even muffled some of Marlon Brando’s lines, which had to be looped.

Image credits: Peter Cowie

#5 Your Cat Knows Your Voice, But Most Of The Time Ignores It

Image credits: springer.com

#6 A Cat Survived Three Sinking Ships In WW2 And Was Named Unsinkable Sam

Image credits: zmescience.com

#7 Your Cat At Home Shares 95% DNA With A Tiger

Image credits: csmonitor.com

But, getting a cat for the sake of being able to post pics on Instagram should never be the sole purpose of a feline companion at home. Like any other pet, cat companionship is rewarding, but it can also be challenging, as elaborated Julie:

"The goal is to keep our precious pets safe, so having indoor-only cats is becoming more mainstream. However, finding ways to meet an indoor cat's need for exercise and enrichment can be challenging. Playtime, food puzzles and clicker training are a few ways to burn an indoor cat's energy."

Besides this, folks should consider a number of other crucial factors before adopting a cat. At the very least, there's the financial strain of all the various cat foods and carriers and toys you'll need to get and vet visits you'll have to go to. But there's also understanding that you can't go vacationing without a cat-sitter. And, last, but not least, you will have to adapt to a life with a cat as much as the cat will have to adapt to you—so if the little furry friend decides it wants to have an intense jog around your flat 800 times at 3AM, brace yourself.

#8 Adult Cats Meow Primarily To Communicate With Humans, But Rarely With Other Animals

Image credits: The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour

#9 Cats Can Solve Problems Better Than Dogs

Image credits: scholar.utc.edu

#10 Cat Called Stubbs Has Been Honorary Mayor Of An Alaskan Town For 20 Years

In case you’re wondering, Stubbs had no authority to make or enforce laws.

Image credits: upi.com

#11 Siamese Kitten Fur Color Changes Depending On Body Temperature

Siamese cats have an albino gene that activates when their body temperature increases above 30°C. As a result, if a Siamese kitten lives in a hot environment, the fur will remain light instead of turning into the characteristic darker coat.

Image credits: sciencedirect.com

#12 Cats Might Seek Out Boxes In Order To Cope With Stress

A study conducted with shelter cats found that providing them with boxes helped them acclimate to their new environment more quickly, reduced their stress levels, and increased their interest in interacting with humans.

Image credits: sciencedirect.com

Julie continued: "Cats are known to be aloof and independent, so when a cat shows us affection and a desire to communicate, it can feel rewarding—who doesn't want to be chosen as a cat's favorite person? Cats also hijack our day in the best way; whether demanding food, playtime or sitting on our computer, these constant companions ensure we take lots of breaks in our workday to entertain them."

And even if you don't have a cat around the house, they can still manage to hijack your time online, like in these 24 times cats surprised humans with their heroic acts, these 114 of the most famous cats on the internet, and these 50 "I don't own a cat" moments.

#13 Cats Spend Between 12 To 18 Hours Sleeping A Day

As cats age, they tend to sleep for longer periods of time each day than they did when they were younger.

Image credits: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#14 Cats Also Have Whiskers On The Back Of Their Front Legs

Image credits: vcahospitals.com

#15 Researchers Found That Upwards Of 65 To 85% Of White Cats With Blue Eyes Are Deaf

If the cat has one blue eye, the percentage drops to 40%.

Image credits: lsu.edu

#16 About 200 Feral Cats Roam The Disneyland Grounds, Where They Help Control The Theme Park's Rodent Population

Image credits: disneylandcats

#17 Cats Run Around After Using A Litterbox Due To Instictive Behavior Against Predators

It’s part of cats’ instincts to try and confuse predators who smell their feces.

Image credits: pethealthnetwork.com

Now, you'd think that you can't train a cat—remember, a cat can recognize your voice, but more often than not it will ignore it because it supposedly has a higher level of sentience than humans do and you ain't the boss of me. Probably. But just like dogs, it is possible, and Julie elaborates on this:

"Cats are highly trainable, and training will change your relationship, allowing you to take better care of your cat and have a stronger bond. Whether using carrier training to reduce your cat's stress with vet visits or improving your cat's comfort with nail trims, your cat can learn to be a cooperative partner in their care. Training is also an excellent form of feline enrichment; for example, teaching your cat to wear a harness and walk on a leash can be a perfect way to allow them to explore the outside world safely."

#18 Abraham Lincoln Kept Three Cats In The White House

Image credits: smithsonianmag.com

#19 Cats Have Over 400 Taste Buds

Image credits: purina.co.uk

#20 Aoshima Is Probably Japan's Most Famous Cat Island

Known as “Cat Island,” it truly lives up to its name, as about 220 cats live there — far outnumbering the human population of just six residents.

Image credits: reuters.com

#21 A House Cat Is Much Faster Than You And Can Reach Speeds Of Up To 30 Mph

Image credits: petfinder.com

#22 Oscar The Cat Appeared To Be Able To Predict The Imminent Death Of Terminally Ill Patients

It seems that Oscar could notice the lack of movement in some patients. Another theory affirms he was able to smell the biochemicals released from dying cells.

Image credits: nejm.org

#23 Scientists Still Don't Fully Understand How Cats Generate And Control Purring

While it is known that cats purr through the use of their larynx and diaphragm muscles during both inhalation and exhalation, the specific mechanism by which these muscles work together to produce purring remains unknown to researchers.

Image credits: zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Be sure to check out more from CatSchool.co (even more so if you have a cat), and follow them on Instagram and YouTube because nobody wants to break their cat (let alone be broken by it) and CatSchool.co is the best place to turn to for that.

But the list doesn't end here, so keep on scrolling to learn more fun facts about cats. And while you're at it, share some of your own fun facts about cats in the comment section below!

#24 An Average Sized Adult Cat Can Jump 5 To 6 Times Its Height

Image credits: cat-world.com

#25 Kittens Start Dreaming Very Young, As Early As Week Old

Image credits: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#26 Most Adult Cats Are Lactose Intolerant

Image credits: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#27 Some Cats Lack The Gene That Makes Them React To Catnip

Image credits: bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com

#28 Cat Hair Helped Solve A Murder Case

Shirley A. Duguay, who lived on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and owned a white cat went missing from her home. The police believed that Douglas Beamish, the father of Duguay’s three children, had killed her. When they examined Beamish’s jacket, they found it was covered in Duguay’s blood and white cat hair. This evidence was strong enough to convince a jury that Beamish was guilty of murder.

Image credits: nytimes.com

#29 Cat Claws All Curve Downward, Preventing Them From Climbing Down Trees Headfirst

Felines don’t know how to properly climb down and must resort to going backward. Others may know how to do it, but their claws, designed for climbing upwards, don’t provide sufficient support for a safe descent.

Image credits: petcoach.co

#30 Maine Coon Called Stewie Still Holds The Record For The Longest Domestic Cat At 123 Centimeters

Stewie’s full name was Mymains Stewart Gilligan. Sadly, he passed away in January 2013.

Image credits: guinnessworldrecords.com

#31 Wealthiest Cat Had A Fortune Of £7-Million

In May 1988, a wealthy man from the UK passed away, leaving his cat, Blackie, an estate worth £7 million.

Image credits: guinnessworldrecords.com

#32 Egyptian Mau Is The Oldest Known Cat Breed

Egyptian Maus were found mummified and placed alongside pharaohs. They were thought to act as companions and guides in the afterlife for the late kings.

Image credits: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

#33 Cats Have A Special Nasal Organ Called Jacobson’s Organ That Detects Specific Chemicals

Jacobson’s organ’s odor receptors do not respond to ordinary smells. The receptors detect chemical substances with no odor.

Image credits: vcahospitals.com

#34 Cats Can Drink And Process Salt Water

Image credits: journals.physiology.org

#35 99.9% Of Calico Cats Are Female

Image credits: wikipedia.org

#36 The Loudest Purr By A Domestic Cat Is 67.8db(A)

Image credits: guinnessworldrecords.com

#37 The Oldest Known Domestic Cat Lived 9,500 Years Ago

In 2004, French researchers discovered a 9,500-year-old cat grave in Cyprus, making it the oldest pet cat ever found. This discovery is 4,000 years older than any known cat-related Egyptian artwork.

Image credits: nationalgeographic.com

#38 Cats Like To Smell Green Olives

Olives contain an active compound similar in structure to nepetalactone, which is found in catnip.

Image credits: hillspet.com

#39 Ernest Hemingway Gathered Polydactyl Cats

In the 1930s, Hemingway adopted his first cat and continued to adopt many more throughout his lifetime. Today, about 40-50 polydactyl cats roam the Hemingway Home estate.

Image credits: atlasobscura.com

#40 80% Of Orange Tabby Cats Are Male

The color of a cat’s coat is often linked to the X chromosome. As females have two X chromosomes and males have an X and a Y chromosome, male cats only need to inherit the orange gene from their mothers to be ginger-colored. This means that male cats are more likely to pass on this trait to their offspring.

Image credits: catster.com

#41 Male Cats Are More Likely To Be Left Paw-Dominant

Females are instead more likely to be right-paw dominant.

Image credits: nationalgeographic.com

#42 Isaac Newton Is Anecdotally Attributed With The Invention Of Cat Door

Newton’s cats would often interrupt him by scratching at the door, so he requested that a hole be made to allow them to come and go as they pleased. One hole was made for the adult cat and a smaller one for the kitten.

Image credits: books.google.com

#43 Cats Have A Unique Pattern On Their Nose, Which Can Be Used To Identify Them

Image credits: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#44 Cats Use Whiskers To Measure Space

Image credits: petmd.com

#45 A Study Discovered That Cats Don't Have Taste Buds For Sweetness

Image credits: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#46 In The 1750s, Europe Introduced Cats To The Americas As A Form Of Pest Control

Image credits: worldhistory.org

#47 A Cat's Heart Beats Twice As Fast As A Human Heart

Image credits: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#48 In Case Of An Emergency Cats Can Recieve Dog Blood

After receiving a transfusion, it takes 4 to 7 days for cats to develop antibodies to dog blood. This means using dog blood for life-saving procedures in cats can be deadly if done more than once.

Image credits: rvc.ac.uk

#49 Cats Can Be "Potty-Trained"

Image credits: whiskas.com

#50 Some Ancient Egyptians Shaved Their Eyebrows When Their Cats Died

Image credits: worldhistory.org