An animal expert shares ten surprising facts about cats, from their lactose intolerance and body language to their bone structure and sensory abilities. Learn what your cat is actually trying to tell you.
Cats are unique beings who surprise us daily with their personality and numerous abilities. Their wild appearance and peculiar character always generate many doubts in the people who live with them. For this reason, in this video by an animal expert, we will share 10 interesting facts about cats that you probably didn't know to help you better understand your furry companion. Don't miss first, most cats are lactose intolerant. Although the image of a cat drinking milk is very present in everyone's mind, the truth is that it is not the best food we can give them. During the nursing period, baby cats produce a large amount of an enzyme called lactase which is responsible for digesting the lactose in breast milk. However, when weaning arrives and as the cat grows, the production of this enzyme progressively decreases so that the animal's body prepares to stop consuming milk. It it is worth noting that some cats, especially those that have never stopped drinking milk, do not have this intolerance. However, it is common for them to become intolerant and therefore it is not recommended to give them milk. 2. Cats do not perceive sweet flavors While a person has more than 9,000 taste buds, a cat has less than 500, so their ability to identify a variety of flavors is much more limited. In addition, cats only produce one of the proteins needed to assimilate information about sweet flavors. 3 they emit many sounds, but their language is mainly body language. It is currently estimated that cats can emit up to 100 different vocalizations, and contrary to what was previously thought, it is now known that they use these sounds to communicate mainly with humans, but also with other cats. Although their vocalization capacity is surprising, cats mainly use body language to express their emotions, moods and perceptions of reality. Cats body language is sophisticated and complex, comprising a wide variety of postures, gestures and facial expressions. 4. They have more bones than we do. A healthy adult cat has about 230 bones, 24 more than the human skeleton. This bone structure, combined with its well developed musculature allows felines to have great elasticity, allowing them to jump very high and fit through very small gaps. 5. They bury their feces to avoid being found Cats bury their feces for a very simple reason, to cover their scent. In the wild, this would help them stay away from potential predators. Likewise, other cats would not be able to find their territory. Although domestic cats are not exposed to these dangers, they maintain this natural behavior of the species and continue to do so to keep their territory protected. 6. Their fingerprints are on their nose Each person has a unique composition of fingerprints, so their identity can be recognized by this natural impression. In the same way, each cat has a unique and unmatched design of the cushion on its nose. More than fingerprints, cats have nasal prints. Interesting, right? 7. Their whiskers have very important functions. Your cat's whiskers aren't just hairs. They're an integral part of their sensory capabilities. Just like their eyelashes and the tiny hairs under their chin whiskers act as motion sensors combined with olfactory cells, allowing them to quickly detect potential prey, predators and other cats territories. 8. Cats can see in color. Cats eyes don't have red cone cells, so they can't perceive shades of red and pink. But they do have blue and green cone cells, allowing them to distinguish shades of yellow, blue and green. 9. If they rub against you, you're theirs. Cats rub against people, furniture and objects for several reasons. They do it primarily to leave their scent and mark that object, or in this case, person as part of their territory. Of course, when they do it very regularly with people who live in the home, it can also be interpreted as a display of affection and trust. 10. They need you because they love you. When they are babies, cats need their mother's nipples to stimulate them and suck more milk. It is a natural movement that generates a feeling of pleasure and well being. When an adult cat loves its humans, this is a way of expressing that it feels calm and comfortable in their company. Therefore, if your cat needs you, it is because it loves you and sharing this moment with you gives it enormous pleasure. And that's it for the 10 interesting facts about cats. Did you know them? Do you know any more interesting facts? If so, don't forget to leave your comment and if you liked the video, subscribe. Until next time, Experts oh.
