Kitty facts

[Ash]

Within two to three days of birth, each kitten in a litter chooses his own teat, and from then on, generally only takes a nip from this nipple.

The cat is the only animal that purrs. Domestic cats "sing both ways" and can purr while inhaling or exhaling, while the big cats (lions and tigers) can only purr while exhaling.

When a domestic cat goes mousing, they get fast food about every third pounce. Of course, most house cats have evolved from mouser to moocher.

Kitty Litter was invented in 1947 when delivery man, Edward Lowe, who was out of sand, suggested to a cat owner that she use a grease and oil absorbent (clay called sodium bentonite) instead.

In ancient Rome, feline feces were believed to have healing powers. Beliefs like this could have caused the fall of the Empire.

The term "cat's pajamas" comes from an English tailor of the late 1700s and early 1800s who made the finest silk pajamas for royalty and other rich patrons. His name was E.B. Katz.

A cat can turn its outer ear toward a sound about 10 times faster than a dog. Furthermore, a cat, with more than 40,000 nerve fibers in their ears, can hear sounds (such as the can opener) up to two octaves higher than humans. NOTE: Silent cat whistles wouldn't be a hot item because even if they heard it, they probably wouldn't come anyway -- unless the whistle made a sound like a tuna can being opened.

At the back of a cat's foot is a single carpal pad that doesn't touch the ground. It is thought to act as a brake when the cat leaps forward or stops from speeds that can reach up to 31 mph.

Cats are the only species that can hold its tail vertically while walking, according to Cat Fancy magazine.

Cats purr at the same frequency of 25 vibrations per second, their temperature is about 102 degrees Fahrenheit and their heart beats about 155 times per minute.

Cats eyes appear to glow at night because of a layer on the back of the retina called the tapetum lucidium, which possesses crystal-like reflective properties. Low light, yes, but cats can't see in total darkness.

About 50 percent of cats have the gene that allows for catnip crazies and get a hallucinatory high from eating, smelling or rubbing catnip. Maybe the others are like former president Bill Clinton and didn't inhale.

The U.S. superstition about having bad luck if a black cat crosses your path grew from the belief that the cat was on its way to visit the devil. In Britain, black cats are considered good luck.

A cat generally has 24 whiskers (called vibrissae), 12 on each side of its face. The whiskers are divided into upper and lower rows, which move independently of each other and are used to detect objects in low light and their ability to slip through narrow openings, like the opening to the cat carrier at the vet's office.

Talk about a cat nap, seventy percent of each cat's day is spent dozing. Thirty percent of their awake time is spent grooming.

Not to sound *beep*, but most orange cats are male whereas a vast majority of calico cats are female.

From: http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/monte ... 659115.htm