

Social gathering? Try these cat facts to get the conversation flowing!
Last Updated:
Read Caption
Featured Photo Creative Cat Studio/Bigstock
Wonder why your cat’s tongue feels like sand paper? Or which is the world’s oldest cat breed? Read on to find out!
Improve Your Cat Knowledge with These Fascinating Cat Facts

NynkevanHolten/Bigstock
The Oldest Cat Breed
The Egyptian Mau is widely considered the oldest domesticated cat breed, with a history dating back thousands of years to ancient Egypt. Evidence suggests these ancient cats existed as far back as 3,000 years ago.

BodnarPhoto/Bigstock
Cats Have Fewer Taste Buds Than Dogs or People
Cats only have 473 taste buds, far less than humans—we have 9,000—or even dogs, who have 1,700 taste buds. Cats can taste savoury, salty, bitter, and sour flavours, but not sweet.

dzha33/Bigstock
Terrific Tummies
Your cat’s sagging belly has a name—and a purpose. Called a primordial pouch, it serves several functions. The padding provided by the primordial pouch helps protect the vulnerable belly and internal organs therein from teeth and claws during a fight. The extra skin also allows cats to stretch out their bodies when running or jumping, improving speed. Finally, it allows cats to store excess fat that they will later burn off. This is especially important for wild cats that don’t have ready access to food. Lions and tigers also possess a primordial pouch.

geargodz/Bigstock
Cat Eyes of a Different Colour
Cats with two different coloured eyes are quite rare, making up just 0.6 percent of the feline population. These cats typically have one iris that’s blue while the other is green, brown or yellow. It’s caused by a condition called heterochromia, created by the same gene that makes cats white! Heterochromia iridis is more common in certain breeds, such as Turkish Van, Persian, and Siamese cats. It can also occur in mixed breed cats.

Birute Vijeikiene/Bigstock
Who’s Your Daddy
One litter of kittens can have multiple dads. Female cats release multiple eggs when they are in heat, so they can become pregnant with kittens from more than one “father” cat at the same time!

Creative Cat Studio/Bigstock
Why Do Cat’s Tongues Feel Like Sandpaper?
The sandpaper-like rasp of your cat’s tongue is due to something called filiform papillae. These hard, backwards-facing spines on their tongues work like a comb when grooming themselves. The rough texture also helps remove meat from animal bones. But why do dogs have smooth tongues? Though cats are extremely successful predators, they are also prey, due to their small size. This makes effective grooming paramount to help minimize their own scent and escape detection. Dogs, on the other hand, evolved from pack-hunting wolves, making grooming less important, hence the ordinary, smooth tongue.

Sonjachnyj/Bigstock
Cats Spend 30 – 50% of Their Day Grooming Themselves
Cats spend 12 to 16 hours a day sleeping, but when they’re awake, they’re all about self care. Cats typically spend between 30 and 50 percent of their day grooming themselves, says Pamela Perry, D.V.M., resident in animal behaviour at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Camuti Consultant with the Cornell Feline Health Center. “It’s a huge chunk of their day,” she says.
This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Cat magazine. Subscribe today!