40 Fun Facts About Cats To Brighten Your Day

Cats are adored worldwide—especially online—but you might be surprised to learn that not all of them are officially owned. Out of the 74 million cats in the U.S., fewer than half are registered as pets!

Despite their popularity, many people know less about cats than they realize. These fascinating and unexpected facts might change the way you look at your feline friend the next time they casually stroll by.

It’s Believed That Cat People Are Introverts

Many people believe that cat lovers tend to be more introverted and independent compared to dog lovers. This perception comes from the similarities between introverts and cats.

Both cats and introverts often prefer to take care of themselves, doing things at their own pace and on their own terms. They’re comfortable in their own space and usually find ways to entertain themselves without relying heavily on others.

Cats And Humans Might Think Alike

Cats may have smaller brains than dogs, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less intelligent. In fact, some experts suggest cats might even surpass dogs in smarts.

A cat’s brain shares more similarities with a human’s, which could explain why their personalities often feel more complex and nuanced. Studies have also found that while cats might not excel at short-term memory, their long-term memory is impressively sharp—especially when it involves things important to them.

There Are More Cats Than There Are Dogs

While dogs often win the popularity contest, cats actually outnumber them in the U.S. There are over 74 million cats compared to just under 70 million dogs.

That said, not every cat has a permanent home. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, only about 36 million U.S. households own cats—meaning many felines are still searching for a place to call their own.

Egyptians Mourned In An Unusual Way When A Cat Died

Cats have long held a special place in ancient Egyptian culture. In the Valley of the Kings, a carving proclaims: “You are the Great Cat, the avenger of the gods, and the judge of words, and the president of the sovereign chiefs and the governor of the holy Circle; you are indeed the Great Cat.”

When a cherished cat died, families entered a deep mourning period. As part of their ritual, they would even shave their eyebrows to honor their beloved companion’s passing.

Harming Cats In Ancient Egypt Was Illegal

In ancient Egypt, cats were revered almost as gods. They were sacred animals, and harming one was a grave offense that could even be punishable by death.

Known as “Mau,” cats were cherished not only for their mystical qualities but also for their practical role. These feline guardians protected homes and crops by keeping snakes, rodents, and insects at bay, making them both spiritual symbols and invaluable household members.

Your Cat Rubs You Because They Own You

When your cat rubs against you, it feels like a sweet sign of love—and it is—but it’s also a power move.

Cats do this to leave their scent on you, basically claiming you as theirs. So if other animals are around, they’ll know you’re taken. It’s your cat’s way of saying, “This human belongs to me!”

Your Cat Is Definitely Ignoring You

All those times you called your cat and they didn’t respond? Yeah—they were probably just ignoring you. Cats can recognize their owner’s voice, but that doesn’t mean they always want to reply.

Studies show that when cats hear a voice—whether it’s their human’s or a stranger’s—they might twitch their ears or turn their head. But after that, it’s completely their choice if they want to pay attention. Classic cat behavior.

Cats Were Banned From The Vatican

The Vatican welcomes tourists and Catholic followers, but cats are not allowed. This started with Pope Gregory IX, who hated cats so much he saw them as the devil’s creatures.

Later, in the 1400s, Pope Innocent VIII took over during the witch hunts in Western Europe. Since cats were linked to witches, they were officially banned from Vatican City.

Cats Don’t Like Sweet Things

Cats may eagerly eat all the meaty treats you give them, but they don’t care about the sweets on your table. It’s not just that they don’t want sugar—they actually can’t taste it at all.

Cats are one of the few mammals without taste buds for sweetness, which is why they never ask for cake or candy.

Cats Are Faster Runners Than Usain Bolt

Cats are surprisingly speedy—many can sprint up to 30 miles per hour! To put that into perspective, that’s slightly faster than Olympian Usain Bolt’s average running speed of about 27 miles per hour.

Though most cats are naturally quick, their top speed often depends on their breed. Egyptian Maus, Abyssinians, Somalis, Bengals, Savannahs, Manxes, Siamese, Ocicats, and Orientals are some of the fastest runners in the feline world.

Cats Cool Down By Licking Themselves

Humans sweat to cool down, as their bodies have sweat glands all over. Cats, on the other hand, only have sweat glands in their paws.

However, that doesn’t mean their paws are doing all the cooling work. When your cat isn’t napping, it’s likely licking itself a lot. As the saliva dries off its fur, it helps lower their body temperature, keeping them cool!

The Real Reason Cats Are Always Sleeping

You might think that your cat is lazy since all its doing a majority of the time is sleeping. In fact, this is an energy-saving tactic that helps them stay wide awake for their hunts – which is also probably why they’re so active in the middle of the night.

They are still hardwired to hunt at night like their big cat cousins. Cats will spend about 70% of their lives sleeping.

Your Cat’s Meows Actually Mean Something

When cats meow, you might think that they’re only trying to communicate with other cats. But actually, they might also be trying to communicate with you as well.

Cats really only communicate with each other through scent and other body language. When they’re meowing to another cat, it’s usually to their mother when they’re kittens. But because cats realize that their humans are their caretakers, they’ve learned to meow at humans to get their attention.

Male Cat Owners Are Gentlemen

There’s a reason that ladies love guys who are self-professed cat lovers. Guys who own cats are chick magnets and for a very good reason.

Even the toughest guys who have cats have enough compassion, care, and patience to own one. This is a huge indicator of how they might handle romantic relationships. Some people say that guys who own cats have more luck in the love department than those who don’t!

Cats Really Do Have a Personality All Their Own

Cat owners know that no two felines are alike. Every cat truly seems to have a personality all their own – and there’s a scientific reason to explain why.

A study by the University of Messina’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine found that captivity can profoundly affect certain animals, felines included. While genetics do play a part in behavior and personality, a cat’s environment is a major factor too. This means that that cats can take on their owner’s behavior…both good and bad.

The Reason Your Cat Follows You Into the Bathroom

Cats are mysterious little creatures. One second they’re pretending you don’t exist, then the next they’re scurrying to follow you into the bathroom. But if you’ve noticed your cat always seems to follow you into the bathroom, there might be a reason why.

While there’s no concrete evidence to explain why cats love following their humans to the bathroom, Mikel Delgado, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, has some ideas. “Their litter box might be in there, so it could be a room that smells very familiar,” she says. “Cats also probably know that when we are on the toilet, we are a captive audience — nowadays we are so busy and distracted that many cats are probably looking for an opportunity to have our undivided attention!”

Cats Can Be Lactose Intolerant

Whenever people see a helpless kitten, the first thing they think of to provide nourishment would probably be a saucer of milk. After all, that’s just what we’ve learned from popular culture.

But you might just want to go for water next time you encounter this situation because cats can actually develop lactose intolerance. If you’ve ever tried to feed a cat with milk and they weren’t having it, this is probably the reason.

An Italian Cat Inherited $13 Million From Its Owner

One of the wealthiest cats in the world is a cat named Tommaso who lived in Italy with his owner Maria Assunta. When Assunta passed away at 94 years old in 2011, she left the entirety of her estate to Tommaso.

That estate was worth $13 million and included villas from Milan to Calabria. Tommaso went from being a simple street cat in Rome to becoming the richest cat in Italy!

Cats Can Make 100 Different Sounds

Cats don’t make a lot of noise, partially because they’re always sleeping. But your cat has the ability to be more vocal than you think. With their strong vocal chords, cats have the ability to make up to 100 different sounds!

Besides the basic meow, some of the most common cat noises include purring, hissing, yowling, growling, and wailing. Cats purr when they’re content but they hiss when they’re angry or scared.

Cats May Have Domesticated Themselves

While humans are notorious for domesticating animals, it’s widely believed that cats actually domesticated themselves. After all, they’re independent creatures, so having humans around isn’t exactly a necessity but historically, it’s helped.

Researchers have found that today’s domesticated cats are a result of feral cats who existed thousands of years ago. In those ancient times, human farming communities attracted all sorts of delicious pests and rodents. They took notice and haven’t left humans’ sides ever since.

Cat Doors Might Be An Isaac Newton Invention

Many people credit physicist Sir Isaac Newton for having invented cat doors. Whether or not it’s an urban legend, it apparently takes a genius to think that cats need their own tiny doors to walk through.

As the story goes, Newton was constantly interrupted by cats scratching at his door while at Cambridge. To fix this, he had the university carpenter saw holes into his door so the cats could just walk right through!

France Sent The First Cat Into Space

In 1963, France tried really hard to keep up with their American and Russian counterparts in the space race. With the first chimps and humans in orbit having already happened, the Centre national d’études decided to send the first cat into space!

Nicknamed “Astrocat,” Félicette the cat was launched 130 miles into orbit on a liquid-fueled French Véronique AG1 rocket on October 24, 1963. Fécilette was chosen only after the first cat Félix went missing.

Cats Eat Grass For Relief

If you’ve ever been distressed over your lawn getting messed up because your cat has been eating all of the grass, you might find relief in the fact that it’s actually helping your cat’s health.

Cats graze on grass because it acts as a laxative for them. So the only reason they keep eating your grass is because they’re trying to help things moving along smoothly. The added fiber helps worms and hair pass through their system faster.

Your Cat Kneads Its Paws When It’s Content

It’s adorable when your cat kneads its paws on you. There’s isn’t a precise reason as to why they feel the need to push their paws in and out on soft surfaces, but there are many theories.

The biggest theory is that kneading its paws is leftover behavior from its kittenhood. As kittens, cats will knead their paws into their mothers as a way to express contentment and help increase milk flow.

Cats Give Your Their Kill Because You’re Bad At Hunting

People often hate when their cats leave their kills lying around. Finding a dead rodent or other small animal in the middle of the hallway has been the terror of many cat owners.

But when your cat leaves its dead prey lying around, they’re actually trying to tell you how much you suck at hunting. This is something they’ve learned from their mothers who provided for them when she was teaching them to hunt.

Cats With Six Toes Are Named After Hemingway

There are some cats in the world born with six toes and they’re called polydactyl cats. They are born with extra digits due to a genetic condition called polydactyly.

In the 1930’s Ernest Hemingway was gifted a polydactyl kitten that he named Show White. At the time, Hemingway was living on the small island of Key West and as a result, the museum of his name is rampant with Snow White’s descendants!

Lincoln Thought His Cat Was Smarter Than His Cabinet

One historical figure who didn’t hate cats was Abraham Lincoln. He and Mary Todd Lincoln loved felines so much, they owned multiple cats when they lived in the White House.

Lincoln’s cats were named Tabby and Dixie, but he often found strays and took them home with him. He was so fond of cats that during his first term he allegedly said, “Dixie is smarter than my whole cabinet! And furthermore, she doesn’t talk back!”

Cats Can Taste Smells

Cats have an entire sensory organ in the roof of their mouth that essentially lets them taste their smells. Because cats have limited taste receptors, their hunger largely depends on their ability to smell.

This special organ in the roof of their mouth is called the vomeronasal organ or Jacobson’s organ. It has ducts that lead to the mouth and nose, which helps your cat analyze scents more thoroughly.

Cats Are Good For Your Health

Cat lovers don’t have to tell you twice about how great owning a feline is. But if you’re still not convinced, there are actually health benefits to being a cat owner!

Cats are said to be heart-healthy pets because they require less effort than owning a dog. They also relieve stress and anxiety. People who own cats also have fewer allergies than those who don’t. Also, they have a smaller carbon footprint than dogs!

Your Cat’s Hairballs Can Be Fixed

The scientific term for a hairball is a trichobezoar, since a “bezoar” is a mass of something trapped in the gastrointestinal system. Cats spend an awfully long amount of time licking themselves, which sometimes leads to the accumulation of fur in the stomach. When that fur gets too big, it’s often vomited.

If your cat has these issues, try grooming them more often to remove most of their fur. There are also special foods to help the hairball pass normally.

Cat Noses Are Like Human Fingerprints

Cats don’t have fingerprints but there’s something about their species that makes each cat individual from each other. The ridges and bumps on a cat’s nose are unique to the cat, so their noses are pretty much like human fingerprints!

Indeed, cats’ noses can be used as a form of identification if there were technology to achieve this. Microchipping is the current method, but the chips have the ability to fall out or malfunction.

Cats Might Be Smarter Than Dogs

This fact is bound to cause some controversy among dog lovers. According to Psychology Today, “the cerebral cortex of cats is greater and more complex compared to that of dogs. A cat’s cerebral cortex contains about twice as many neurons as that of dogs. Cats have 300 million neurons, whereas dogs have about 160 million.”

However, many animal experts believe that cats don’t engage their impressive cognitive skills unless they “feel like it.” That sounds about right.

Cats Can Be Left Or Right-Pawed

Just how humans have “handedness,” most cats also tend to favor one paw over the other. Interestingly, handedness in cats (and humans!) seems to be related to their gender.

Male cats are more likely to be left-pawed while females are typically right-pawed. As New Scientist reports, “hormone levels could explain [these] differences in paw choice. Previous research has linked prenatal testosterone exposure to left-handedness. While studies of two other domestic animals, dogs, and horses, revealed similar… biases.”

Raw Fish Can Be Bad For Cats

Since cats can be such picky eaters, we might assume that they know which foods are bad for them. But that’s not always the case! In fact, one food that’s strongly associated with cats — raw fish — is actually harmful to them. All those cartoons were wrong all along.

As a special treat every now and then, some tuna fish is probably not going to hurt your cat. But too much tuna, or any other raw fish, can have negative effects on your cat’s health. It might contain bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Before Kitty Litter, People Used Sand And Ashes

This will come as no surprise to anyone who’s witnessed a cat in a sandbox at the neighborhood park. They pretty much treat it as their own personal litter box. Back in the days before there was commercially-available litter, people used sand or ashes to deal with their pets’ waste.

Then Ed Lowe entered the scene in 1948. He suggested that his neighbor use clay minerals instead of the messy ashes she had been using, and “Kitty Litter” was born. When Lowe died in 1995, his company was worth half a billion dollars.

If Your Cat Doesn’t Cover Its Mess, Here’s What It Means

A cat that doesn’t bury its mess in the litter box but instead leaves it completely uncovered is sending a clear sign: that it doesn’t fear their human companion (or other cats in the household) at all.

This behavior is the equivalent of marking their territory in the wild. In colonies of feral cats, the most dominant cats leave their waste uncovered. An unburied mess means that the territory is taken.

Cats Are Capable Of Detecting Cancer

How is this for amazing? At least one cat is credited for saving her human companion’s life by detecting cancer. The black and white kitty, named Fidge, kept jumping onto owner Wendy Humphreys’ chest every night while she sat on the sofa.

When Wendy went to the doctor, a pea-sized lump was found, which she was told would have eventually killed her. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Wendy said “[Fidge] saved my life, definitely. No hesitation at all. I was told that if I hadn’t been diagnosed when I was I could have died because of the hormones in the menopause.”

There Are Millions Of Cats Without Forever Homes

Of the overwhelming cat population in the United States, only a handful are probably sent to shelters. Unfortunately, only 24% of cats who end up in shelters are adopted, which means that more than half of the shelter cat population is neglected.

If these cats don’t get adopted, their next options are much worse. According to American Humane, 71% of cats in shelters end up euthanized. This is why adoption is so important!

Hairless Cats Aren’t Actually Bald

From a distance, “hairless” cats (which are called Sphynx cats) appear to be completely bald. But when you get closer, you can tell that they actually have a thin layer of downy fur covering their skin. You can see it in the above photo.

If you get the chance to pet a sphynx cat, you’ll quickly realize that their bodies have a suede-y texture. These cats are popular with people who have allergies to breeds with longer hair.

Cats Can Squeeze Into Very Small Spaces

Many people who love cats are familiar with the phrase “if it fits, I sits. “Have you ever wondered how cats are able to squeeze themselves into some impossibly small spaces? It turns out that they have free-floating clavicle (shoulder) bones.

A cat is also incredibly flexible which is another way it’s able to squeeze itself into little spots. This is a good thing, as a lot of cats feel more comfortable and secure in a small space.