Because they are intelligent and loving animals, cats are already the darlings of humans. But do you really know these animals? Cats are extremely unique and there are several curiosities about them that many people do not know. In addition, felines are also surrounded by many myths that are spread around: from the seven lives to that black cats are bad luck. To help you tounravel all the mysteries of the feline universe, the Paws of the House made a list of 100 curiosities about cats. You will discover things that never crossed your mind. Check it out!

Here are 100 cat facts you probably didn't know!

1) Cats' hearing is very acute. Compared to humans, who reach ultrasonic ranges of 20,000 hertz, cats can reach up to 1,000,000 Hz (hertz). Feline hearing is even better than that of dogs.

2) Many people wonder how many years a cat lives? Nowadays, the life expectancy of a domestic cat is 15 years on average, which can vary depending on the breed and other breeding factors.

3) The cat that lived the longest was Crème Puff, who reached 38 years and 3 days of life. For this impressive number, the kitten secured the historical record and is part of the Guinness Book of Records.

4) Over short distances, a cat can run at 49km per hour.

5) The legends that put cats at risk don't make any sense. Even with the superstitions that they are "bad luck" in some cultures, the black cat is seen as a sign of luck and prosperity in Australia and the UK.

6) Because they are very sensitive to sounds and vibrations, a cat can perceive an earthquake up to 15 minutes in advance.

7) The cat's heart beats almost twice as fast as the human heart, reaching around 110 to 140 beats per minute.

8) Cats can only sweat from two areas of their body, between their toes and from their paws. This is because cats do not have sweat glands in their body like humans.

9) Just like the human fingerprint, the cat nose pattern is unique.

10) A cat's ear can rotate up to 180 degrees.

11) Cats spend about 2/3 of their day sleeping.

12) The cat's tongue is not able to sense sweet tastes.

13) The cat whiskers usually have 12 hairs on each side in most felines

14) Felines are capable of making around 100 different cat sounds.

15) A purring or meowing cat are common ways that cats use to communicate with humans.

16) A cat almost never meows at another cat. They usually only purr, hiss (a higher-pitched, prolonged sound) and spit at other cats.

17) The cat's spine has 53 vertebrae, so it is a highly flexible animal compared to humans, who have only 34 vertebrae.

18) In a single jump, the cat is able to jump five times its height.

19) Unlike dogs, cats tend to keep their heads down when chasing prey.

20) A female cat can give birth to an average of nine kittens.

21) Cat skeleton: felines have 230 bones in their body.

22) The cat has no collarbone, so it can pass through any place its head passes.

23) 10 years of a cat's life is equivalent to about 50 years of a human being.

24) Drugs such as paracetamol and aspirin are extremely toxic to cats, as are some plants.

25) An adult cat has 30 teeth, while a kitten develops 26 temporary teeth in the first months of life.

26) Cat bathing: Pets spend about 8 hours a day cleaning themselves.

27) A cat has about 130,000 hairs per square centimeter.

28) Cats often stay awake at dusk and dawn.

29) There are over 500 million domestic cats in the world.

30) There are currently about 40 recognized cat breeds.

31) A cat's normal temperature is 38º to 39º.

32) A cat's temperature is measured through the anus. If the cat's temperature is below 37º or above 39º, it may be ill.

33) In order for the cat to chew large pieces of food, the cat's jaw moves in both directions.

34) Cats have 33 muscles that control the outer ear.

35) One pair of cats can give rise to more than 420,000 cats in just 7 years.

36) The cat's claw is a defining characteristic of felines. Because they wear down more, the cat's hind claws are not as sharp as those on its front paws.

37) Cats often fluff their blankets and humans for a reminder of what they did as kittens during nursing.

38) Cats are animals that tend to be always on the alert. The time when they tend to relax and be most comfortable is during meals.

39) Cats are extremely intelligent and trainable animals, and can even be trained.

40) Experts believe that cats use the angle of the sunlight to find their way home. This ability of cats is called "psi-travel". It is also believed that cats have magnetic cells in their brain that work like a compass.

41) Cats often have small tufts of hair in their ears that serve to keep them clean and direct sound to their ears.

42) Cat's vision is very limited, they can't see colors as well as humans.

43) The largest cat litter to date was 19 kittens, but only 15 survived.

44) Scientists believe that a cat purrs by making the vocal cords vibrate in the deepest part of the throat. For this to happen, a muscle in the larynx opens and closes the air passage 25 times per second.

45) The male cat tends to be left-handed, while the female cat is usually right-handed.

46) The hairball that the cat vomits is called egagropilos.

47) The cat brain is more like the human brain than the canine brain.

48) Humans and cats have a region in the brain responsible for emotions that is identical.

49) When a cat hunts an animal and shows it to its owner, it is trying to show its guardian its skills.

50) The act of purring relieves pain and aids in the healing of damaged bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

51) The cat shows aggression by hissing or blowing.

52) Cats love cardboard boxes because they stimulate their hunting instinct by mimicking the act of watching for prey.

53) Cats can see ultraviolet light and have up to 300 times better night vision than humans.

54) A cat's tail is a communication tool. When it is wagging its tail, for example, the cat may be indicating irritation.

55) Cats that eat dog food tend to be deficient in taurine.

56) Cats often rub against humans' legs to mark their territory.

57) In ancient Egypt, cats were treated as deities, so most pharaohs were depicted with their cats.

58) The smallest cat breed is the Singapura, weighing about 1.8 kg.

59) When a cat died in ancient Egypt, the family used to show sadness by shaving their eyebrows.

60) The largest breed of cat is Maine Coon, which can weigh around 12 kg.

61) Cats' fur generally does not insulate heat when it is damp, so most cats do not usually like water.

62) Cats cannot see objects that are less than 20 cm away.

63) Cats like to climb on things in order to have a human-like perspective of the environment.

64) When they are falling, a balance structure located in the ear, called the labyrinth, sends a signal to the central nervous system. Because of this, the feline sense of balance is very keen and causes them to perform various instinctive maneuvers.

65) The oldest domestic cat was found over 9,000 years old, in a sculpture in Cyprus.

66) Persian, Maine Coon and Siamese are the most popular cat breeds.

67) The Turkish Van cat breed has a unique coat structure that makes it water resistant.

68) Most cats had long hair until about 100 years ago, when experiments began to produce hairless cat breeds.

69) The heaviest cat on record was called Himmy and weighed 21 kg.

70) The world's largest cat moustache belongs to Missi from Finland, whose vibrissae are 19 centimetres long.

71) Cats have already been responsible for the extinction of several species of amphibians, rodents and birds around the world. For this reason, cats are considered an invasive species.

72) After the lactation phase, cats produce less lactase enzyme, so although milk is not a toxic food for cats, most cats are lactose intolerant.

73) The liver of cats is able to filter salt from water, so cats can also hydrate with salt water.

74) Domesticated cats share 96% of their genes with tigers. Because of this, domestic cats still have a great hunting instinct.

75) Some foods such as raw potatoes, chocolate, garlic, raisins, green tomatoes, grapes and onions should never be offered to cats as they can cause poisoning.

76) The cat's whiskers have a direct connection with the nervous and muscular system, acting as sensory receptors and sending information about what is around the kittens. Therefore, cutting the vibrissae is not recommended and can leave cats disoriented.

77) Experts indicate that cat meowing can be used to mimic the frequency of babies' cries, so they can get their owners' attention to get what they want.

78) The cat hides its feces in the sand to hide its own smell. This behavior in a wild environment can prevent predators from finding them.

79) Cats lick themselves to remove the smell of their owners from their bodies. If you are a pet parent, notice that he will lick himself right where you touched him.

80) There are about 100 cats in the Disney parks, and they help control rat infestations by being vaccinated and cared for by park staff.

81) A cat once ran for mayor of a city in Mexico. The feline was called Morris and was "candigato" in the city of Xalapa. It was a political protest of his owner, but it achieved a lot of relevance in the 2013 elections.

82) The French kitten Félicette was the first feline sent into space. She became known as "astrocat" and returned alive from the trip that took place 1963.

83) The largest cat in the world is called Barivel and is of the Maine Coon breed. In 2018, the kitten living in Italy was 120 centimetres at just 2 years old.

84) The world's smallest cat is a Munchkin. It measures 13.3 centimetres and lives in the United States.

85) In the original version of the Cinderella story, the fairy godmother was actually a cat.

86) In Russia, during the winter, a kitten saved a baby's life. The feline named Masha found the baby in a cardboard box and went inside to warm it up.

87) A cat named Hamlet spent seven weeks hiding behind the dashboard of an airplane. He traveled about 600,000 kilometers and came to be considered the world's most traveled cat.

88) Cats do not have seven lives, however, some felines are able to survive falls from 20 meters high.

89) Cats tend to sleep more when they are young because of growth hormone.

90) The Siamese cat can change color according to the temperature. This happens because this breed has albinism genes, which are activated when they are warmer.

91) A kitty named Blackie was named the richest cat in the world by the Book of Records. He inherited an amount equivalent to 13 million dollars from his owner in 1988.

92) Cats are explorers of nature. Although it is not very common, cats can walk on leashes if they are adapted to this practice from kittens. Some breeds, such as the Savannah, are more prone to this.

93) A cat asking for affection from its owner is a demonstration of trust.

94) Cat neutering has benefits for the health and behavior of the animal. The neutered cat has less chance and risk of contracting serious diseases, such as FIV.

95) Cat parents are best advised to raise their cats outdoors, as this increases the cat's life expectancy and reduces exposure to disease.

96) The taste buds of cats are less developed compared to dogs and humans. The feline palate has 475 taste receptors, while dogs have 1,700 and humans 9,000.

97) Cats began to be domesticated from 7,500 BC.

98) Because they have a well-developed hunting instinct, cats often hunt even if they are not hungry.

99) A cat's sense of smell is extremely acute, with around 67 million olfactory cells.

100) Every cat is unique and it is important to respect your cat's personality.