Fatti interessanti sui gatti

If you own cats then you already know they’re some of the coolest animals on the planet. Ranked alongside dogs as the most popular domesticated furry friend, cats make excellent companions. But they’re also enigmatic little serial killers with a penchant for chewing on plants. No wonder some people believe that cats scelto essere addomesticati perché consideravano gli esseri umani utili nella loro ricerca del dominio mondiale.

Is this true? Can’t say for certain, but we do have some fun and interesting facts about cats that are sure to jazz up your pet-themed trivia night.

Fatti carini sui gatti

There’s no denying that cats are adorable. While they might not be as goofy and endearing as dogs, cats have features and moods that make people go crazy. Who doesn’t want to touch the toe beans?

Ecco alcuni fatti carini sui gatti che dovresti assolutamente conoscere:

• Most cats have no eyelashes. Yes, they have fur around their eyelids that resembles eyelashes, but they have no need for eyelashes. There is something else that does the job of eyelashes for cats—the third eyelid, also known as membrana nittitante.
• Cats can’t see directly under their nose. That is why you can’t put a treat down in front of them and expect them to find it right away. You can, however, point to what you want them to see, and your cat is sure to follow the gesture.
• Un gruppo di gatti è conosciuto come un clowder.
• C'è un Leggenda ebraica che dice che Dio creò i gatti quando Noè aveva bisogno di aiuto per proteggere le sue scorte di cibo dai topi sull'Arca. Un leone ha starnutito e ne sono usciti un paio di gatti!
• I gatti possono riconoscere voci diverse. Quindi sì, ti stanno ignorando quando chiami il loro nome.
• I gatti hanno anche un udito selettivo, scegliendo solo ciò che sanno essere benefico. I cani non hanno un udito selettivo, nel caso te lo stavi chiedendo.
• Every cat has a unique “print” on their nose that is much like human fingerprints. How cute.
• Contrary to popular belief, cats don’t really need milk. Fascinatingly, most adult cats are lactose intolerant and can’t handle it. This is because, shortly after being weaned, cats stop producing lattasi, l'enzima necessario per abbattere il lattosio.

Fatti sorprendenti sui gatti

Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with cute cat facts, it’s time to delve into the facts that are truly amazing.

Cats Can’t Climb With Their Heads Down

Have you ever noticed that cats are fine scaling impossibly tall trees without a moment’s hesitation? Yet when they go to return to the ground, they freak out? The reason why so many fire departments are deployed to rescue cats stuck in trees is because cats can’t climb with their head pointed down.

One of the reasons for this is their claws. When climbing, their claws hook into the tree or telephone pole and help propel them up. Going down doesn’t provide the same benefit. So do cats really get stuck in trees despite being masterful climbers? Yep.

I gatti possono correre fino a 30 miglia all'ora

Certo, i gatti potrebbero sembrare pigri quando si rotolano sulla schiena e si rilassano al sole tutto il giorno, but they’re not. When it comes to speed, domesticated cats are fast. In short spurts, some i gatti possono raggiungere velocità di 30 mph (48 kmh). Per confrontare, la velocità massima di un ghepardo è di 74,56 mph (119 kmh) e i leoni raggiungono il massimo di circa 50 mph (81 kmh). Se si considera la differenza di dimensioni, quei 30 mph sono impressionanti.

Come fanno i gatti domestici a raggiungere una tale velocità? Durante la corsa, le gambe anteriori e posteriori lavorano all'unisono. Le zampe anteriori spingono mentre le posteriori lanciano il loro corpo, dando loro la possibilità di correre per casa alle 3 del mattino.

I gatti Tortie e Calico sono quasi sempre femmine

If you have a calico or tortoiseshell male cat, they’re extremely rare. Only 1 in 3,000 calico cats are male. How does this happen? It’s the X and Y chromosome.

Simile agli umani, le femmine hanno un accoppiamento XX, mentre i maschi hanno XY. Poiché le gatte possono trasmettere solo il cromosoma X, che corrisponde al colore della pelliccia, molte gatte finiscono per esprimere il colore sia della madre che del padre, oltre alla pelliccia bianca. I gatti maschi ottengono solo il colore della pelliccia dalla madre.

Allo stesso modo, la maggior parte dei gatti rossi sono maschi!

I gatti sognano le pecore con erba gatta?

Cats and humans have quite a bit in common, including REM sleep. During the Rapid Eye Movement stage, dreaming occurs. Cats might not dream about fighting dragons or showing up to high school naked, but they do relieve their day-to-day schedule. You might notice that your cat is moving its paws or twitching. Some even sleepwalk, though that’s rare. Most often, a cat’s dream consists of reliving a good meal or playing with toys.

Navigare con i raggi del sole

Ever wonder how a lost cat can find its way back to your front door without issue? For many, many years, this was a mystery. Scientists discovered that cats have great memory for where they live and travel. They have mind maps of the routes they take, as well as cues that help them find their way if they’re unsure where they are headed. Cats also look to the position of the sun in the sky and use that for directions.

Accorto!

I gatti hanno più ossa degli umani

Humans might tower over cats, but that doesn’t mean our skeletons are as complex. I gatti hanno 250 ossa while humans only have 206. Most of the extra bones are found in the tail, giving a cat extra mobility. In fact, the tail alone has between 19-23 vertebrae, which contributes to 10% of all the bones in a cat’s body.

I gatti sudano attraverso i loro piedi

Some of the first cats to walk the planet were from desert regions. Being that they were walking across arid regions in search of food, they evolved to cope with warm temperatures. Many breeds aren’t as adept in dealing with the heat as their ancestors, but one unique evolutionary trait remains: sweating through the paws.

When a cat is overheated, they will pant and sweat out between their toe beans. You may even notice a trail of sweaty paw prints on the kitchen floor. However, most cats have such small feet that sweating out the paws isn’t always helpful, so they may also excessively lick themselves to cool down.

Curiosità sul comportamento dei gatti

Having learned some facts that show just how incredible a cat is, it’s time to focus on their behaviors. Cats are, in many ways, the exact opposite of dogs. They are aloof, independent, and inquisitive to the point of persistence. But there are many cats that also display dog-like qualities, such as going on walks or hikes with their human companions, fetching toys, and protecting their humans from danger.

Ecco altri fatti divertenti sul comportamento dei gatti che potresti non conoscere:

I gatti dormono fino a 18 ore al giorno

I gatti sono tra i dormienti più prolifici al mondo. Un gattino appena nato dormirà quasi 24 ore. Man mano che i gatti invecchiano, hanno bisogno di meno sonno, ma la maggior parte ha una media di circa 18 ore al giorno. Per dirla in questo modo, se possiedi un gatto di 9 anni, sono stati svegli solo per 3 anni della loro vita.

Running around and hunting prey expends a lot of energy in the wild. Sleep helps them conserve energy for the hunt. The same can’t be said for house cats, which is why some of them have weight issues!

Miagolare è riservato solo agli esseri umani

Here is a fun fact about cat behavior: meowing doesn’t happen between cats. When a cat meows, they are calling for humans.

It’s believed that when cats are kittens, they use meowing to communicate with their mothers. As they get older, they might start seeing their humans as their moms while reserving other forms of vocalizations for their feline friends.

Adult cats talk to one another with their tails, faces, and scent. People, on the other hand, get a full range of vocalizations that indicate all kinds of things, from greetings to “Get off your butt, I’m hungry!”

Modi di toeletta

I gatti sono creature molto pulite e amano mantenersi in ordine. Questo vale per la lettiera. Spesso i gatti copriranno i loro affari con lettiera pulita. Si ritiene che ciò rispecchi i comportamenti della vita allo stato brado, quando si copre l'urina e la cacca nascondendo il loro odore ai predatori. Quindi cosa significa quando il tuo gatto lascia scoperti i loro mucchi?

When your cat doesn’t cover his poop, it’s a sign that they don’t fear you.

Comunicazione del gattino

Meowing isn’t the only way a cat talks to you. For instance, when a cat rubs on you with their face, it means that they are marking you as their territory. There are scent glands around the nose and cheeks that leave their scent behind.

Furthermore, there are tail shapes and wags, slow blinks, kneading or “making biscuits.” That butt in your face that you hate so much? It’s a sign of friendship. Another signal that your cat thinks of you as a friend is when they drape their tail over you.

Ecco alcuni altri fatti relativi al comportamento sui gatti:

• When cats are bored, they will attack your ankles. If their cats aren’t out, it’s not a sign of aggression but of playfulness.
• Does your cats tail vibrate when they see? It’s weird to see, but it means that they’re happy to see you.
• I gatti rubano oggetti ai loro proprietari e ad altri perché ricorda loro la caccia.
• The next time you watch two cats fighting or playing, take note of the one who hisses. A hissing cat isn’t showing aggression but fear, and it means that they feel extremely vulnerable.
• Evita di stabilire un contatto visivo diretto con i tuoi gatti, poiché trovano tale comportamento intimidatorio. Questo è diverso dai cani che sono amichevoli con te; i cani usano il contatto visivo per comunicare.

Fatti interessanti sui gatti per i bambini per impressionare i loro amici

Indipendentemente dalla loro età, i bambini adoreranno questi fatti sui loro amici pelosi. Spiega questi fatti a tavola o mentre vai a scuola:

• Sir Isaac Newton, lo stesso scienziato che scoprì la gravità, inventò la prima porta per gatti.
• A cat’s sense of hearing is 5 times greater than a human’s.
• I gatti possono anche ruotare le orecchie di 180 gradi.
• I gatti possono saltare cinque volte più in alto della loro altezza.
• A normal cat’s purr is between 25-150 Hz, which is at the frequency bones and muscles beginning repairing themselves. It’s believed that purring is a form of self-healing and self-soothing.
• Il detentore del record per le fusa più rumorose è un gatto di nome Merlin di Torquay, nel Regno Unito. Le sue fusa raggiungono i 67,8 decibel, che è più del doppio delle normali fusa di 25 db.
• I gatti domestici condividono circa 95% della loro genetica e dei loro comportamenti con le tigri. Quindi sì, hai una piccola tigre in casa.
• Developmentally, the first year of a cat’s life is equal to the first 15 years of a person’s life. At 2 years old, a cat’s development is equal to a 25 year old human. From then on, a cat’s years equal about 7 of a person’s.

All The Cat Facts You’ll Ever Need

What are some mind blowing facts about cats? Go through the list again, if needed, because there are so many interesting facts about cats here. Now that you know a little bit more about cats, you may have a newfound love and appreciation for your purring companion. The next time they meow, remember it’s just for you!

Scopri di più sul tuo amico felino nel nostro post su significati della coda di gatto!