In ancient Egyptian culture, cats were highly revered. People discovered that felines were quite attentive when it came to learning orders and tricks. Today, many people prefer to have cats as pets for many reasons, such as they don’t require much space, among others. If you are planning to get one, then you may be keen on knowing some facts about them. Here is all you need to know about your feline friends.

Their teeth
Cats have 26 deciduous or “baby” teeth when they are kittens and 30 permanent teeth when they are adults. Remember to maintain those teeth with routine dental cleanings. There are also specially formulated treats available in the market that can help maintain your furry friend’s teeth.

Their sense of smell
Cats can taste what they smell because of the vomeronasal organ on their mouth’s roof. A cat may occasionally hold their lips open in the Flehmen reaction to perceive and process pheromones with this organ. They also utilize their sense of smell to locate the territories of other cats, potential partners, and humans.

Their whiskers
A cat’s whiskers are thicker than normal hair, have deeper roots, and give essential sensory information. Whiskers are so sensitive that a cat can detect adjacent movement without touching an object. They may move the long, inflexible whiskers that extend sideways from the muzzle down to look for indications of life in prey. These whiskers also aid cats in determining if they can squeeze through narrow places. Cats have whisker-like hairs behind their front legs to assist them in detecting prey, and whiskers above the eyes provide a blinking response to protect the cat’s eyes when an item approaches.

Their tongue
If you own a cat, you’re undoubtedly used to the unpleasant sensation of your cat’s tongue dragging across your skin when he licks you. Papillae, or little, backward-pointing projections on the surface of the cat’s tongue, are what feel like scratchy sandpaper. They are made of keratin, a strong protein found in human fingernails. These abrasive projections, which allow a cat’s tongue to function as a comb, are an important tool for untangling fur when grooming. Licking their coat also helps reduce tension, fear, and uneasiness, which explains why a cat grooms itself energetically after a dispute with another cat.

Their flexibility
A cat’s tongue would not be as beneficial for grooming if its spine did not have such incredible flexibility, allowing him to groom its whole body. Standing, arching, and stretching regularly helps keep the cat’s 30 spinal vertebrae (excluding the vertebrae in the tail) supple and robust. The thin shoulder blades allow cats to move freely, while the narrow chest and absence of a genuine collarbone allow them to fit through small areas.

Their sight
You may have observed that your feline paws the water in the bowl before it drinks it or that it normally does not spot a piece of kibble on the floor right under its nose. This is because cats struggle to focus on close, immobile objects. Instead, they do considerably better while seeing movement and distant items. Cats frequently paw water before drinking to identify the surface’s location, the flow rate, and the presence of any hazard below the water’s surface.

Their paws
A cat’s front paw may be dominant. According to studies, male cats prefer their left paw more than female cats, which may favor their right paw more. The outer layer of skin on the paw pads is noticeably thicker than skin elsewhere on the body. After leaping forward, the big pad on the rear of the front paw frequently acts as a brake. This pad and the other rounded pads on the paws beneath the toe bones serve as excellent shock absorbers during landings.

Their ears
Cats can turn their ears to focus on the precise noise source due to the 32 muscles that make up each ear. Cats are also capable of turning their ears 180 degrees. A mouse sneaking through your house has no idea that each step it takes is announcing its presence. Your cat can locate the source of the noise because of the cone-shaped ears that are up to five times more sensitive than human ears.

Their speed
Over brief distances, a housecat can run at a pace of roughly 30 mph, implying that a cat can win a 200-meter race against some of the world’s fastest runners.

Cats are amazing animals that are one-of-a-kind in so many ways, from the form of their eyes to their specific taste buds to the long-debated reasons why cats purr.