Fun Cats Facts For Kids

Cats and dogs are obviously two of the most loved animals living on this planet. Cats can be pretty tricky to understand, so get in on these facts about cats. They might help you take care of them better.

Domesticated cats are short to medium-sized animals which mainly live with humans as pets. There are also wild cats who should not be taken away from their habitats and feral cats who live on the streets surrounding human habitats but do not like to live with humans.

Cats can come in all kinds of sizes. Some small cats are Singarupa, Cornish Rex, or Munchkin. Whereas some big cats are Maine Coon, Bengal, or Siberian cats.

Even in terms of genders, the characteristics of the cats can be different. For example, male cats usually have bigger territories than female cats.

A female cat will be more vocal during her heat cycle. It's also important to understand a cat's calls to tend to them better. Cats also like to play or rest by themselves a lot.

Read on to know more fascinating facts about cats. If you like these facts about cats, then check out saber-toothed cat and the caracal. 
 

Cat Interesting Facts

What type of animal are cats?

Domesticated cats are a kind of mammal that stay as pets with humans.

What class of animal do cats belong to?

Cats belong to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many cats are there in the world?

Domesticated cats are one of the favorite pets all around the world. These domesticated cats are usually bred in the homes of their owners or at the breeders. So, the exact population of these cats is not known.

Where do cats live?

Cats live all around the world except Antarctica. Domesticated cats depend upon their owners a lot. So, they especially live around places which are populated by humans. They have even been seen living on islands.

What is a cat's habitat?

Domesticated cats mainly live in households with their owners. They can live in any type of climate and environment. It can be farms, urban areas, mountains, or plains. Cats can thrive anywhere depending upon the species of the particular cat.

Who do cats live with?

Cats., like a lot of other pets, make a strong bond with their owners. Other than humans, they have been known to live in the same house along with other animals as well. These animals are guinea pigs, dogs, some birds, and a few other animals that people keep as pets.

How long do cats live?

The lifespan of cats differs according to the different species. So, the average lifespan of all cats is not yet known. However, cats living in captivity are known to live for around 14 years or so.

How do they reproduce?

Whether a breeder or an owner, knowing the reproductive cycle of your animal is important. For domesticated cats, the females mature sexually by the age of 6 months, and the males mature by eight months.

The breeding season for them comes in the months of October to March in the southern hemisphere and in March to September in the northern hemisphere. The cats get their estrous cycle every 21 days during this time.

At this time, the females cry out to call for partners, and males can be seen roaming around in search of such partners. The gestation period is around 60-67 days.

The average litter size of all cats has not been calculated. But the litter size of 18 kittens at once has been recorded.

The kittens are cared for by the parents for the next few weeks. The young kittens are mature enough to live on their own by 12 weeks.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the domesticated cats is not listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. But they are found in abundance in every country of the world except Antarctica.

In some parts, even overpopulation of the animal can be seen. This results in a decrease in the population of their prey, such as small vertebrates and some birds.

Cat Fun Facts

What do cats look like?

The physical appearance of cats differs according to their breeds, and more than 100 different breeds of domesticated cats can be seen around the world. But all the cats surely have some similarities.

Such as, they are medium-sized animals. Some have short fur, while the others have long and bushy fur.

Cats have 244 bones in their body, and they have the ability to rotate half of their spine almost 180 degrees as they have more or less 30 vertebrae bones. A cat's forelegs are known to have five fingers on them, and a cat's hind legs have four fingers on them.

They also have 26 teeth which get developed within the age of one year. Cats also have the ability to jump almost five times their heights.

How cute are they?

Cats are considered one of the cutest animals living on this planet, which is absolutely true. Have you ever seen a little kitten asking for cuddles? It can melt your heart in seconds.

A cat's reserved nature is known to all, but that does not mean that they are not affectionate. They can come to you for cuddles or sit on your lap resting, or sleep at your bed right next to you. These characteristics only add to their cuteness.

How do they communicate?

Cats can make various vocal sounds like hiss, purr, and also cats meow. They can be very vocal or be the silent kind of cat, but it all depends upon the kind of cat you have.

They also behave differently at the time of their heart cycle. They might knead. They cry out to call their potential partners.

They might become more affectionate than usual and may want to go out more. If you are a pet owner, you need to understand these languages to be able to take care of them better.

How big are cats?

Cats are short to medium-sized animals. The length of a cat can be about 18 in (46 cm). The smallest domesticated cat is the Singapura breed of cat. They grow up to be only about 6-8 in (15.2-20.3) in length.

How fast can cats run?

Cats have the ability to run through rough surfaces due to their retractable claw, and they can run pretty fast compared to their size too. Their speed can reach up to 29.8 mph. Cats can also jump pretty high. They can jump almost five or six times their length.

How much do cats weigh?

Among more than a hundred breeds of cats, knowing the average data is not easy. However, cats usually weigh somewhere around 9.03-11.89 lb or 4.1-5.4 kg.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males of the species are called 'tom' or 'tomcat'. In contrast, there's no general name for the females of the species. But in terms of breeding, a neutered cat is called a 'queen'. You will be fascinated to know what names a group of cats have. A group of cats can be called 'clutter', 'glaring' or 'clowder'.

What would you call a baby cat?

The baby of a cat has always been called a kitten.

What do they eat?

Domestic cats can be omnivorous or carnivorous in nature, depending upon their breed.

Some domestic cats rely on their humans for food completely, and some can fend for themselves by hunting small birds, rodents, fish, birds, or anthropods. When needed, they can also eat plant matter.

But if, as an owner, you are giving them a meal, then it is important to know that they need a balanced diet of 8-10% of the good kind of fat, 30% of carbohydrates, and 30-35% of muscle meat which provides them with enough protein.

This helps them with proper growth and proper coat development. In accordance with the genders, the males need to eat about 250 -300 calories per day, and the females need to eat about 200- 300 calories per day.

When these cats hunt, they bite their prey on the neck, which kills them instantly by severing the spinal cord from the head.

Are they territorial?

Cats are territorial in nature. Most of the time, cats are reserved creatures.

They like to stay and rest in their own place. So, if disturbed, they might show aggression towards whoever is trying to invade their space.

Mainly they show aggression towards other cats, but it can be directed towards other animals of the house or their human family members too. In the case of other animals in the house, remember to take them away from your cat's space.

Remember that you are not invading their space in any way either. But there are a few things that can also trigger the territorial nature of your cat too.

If they sense some feral cat has come into their home, or if some new animal or pet has been recently introduced to the family, or when they reach sexual maturity, it can cause the cat to become cautious of their territory and show aggression in the result. So, look out if any feral cat is entering your home.

Would they make a good pet?

Cats can make incredible pets, but that depends on what an owner wants. If you are in search of a pet that will not ask much of your attention, then cats are perfect for you.

You wouldn't have to worry about needing big spaces to keep a pet as cats adapt pretty well in small apartments too. Some cats might need grooming regularly, but other than the few cat breeds, most cats don't need too much maintenance and keeping them as pets cost a lot less than many other pets.

Cats also usually have a long lifespan.

As a bonus, if you are allergic, then you can opt for these hypoallergenic cats - Cornish Rex, Balinese, Sphynx cats, Siberian, Javanese, and more cats like these. There are many more reasons why cats can make perfect pets.

Did you know...

Some of the most famous domestic cats are Siamese cats, Maine Coon cats, Tortoiseshell cats, Tabby cats, Russian Blue cats, and more. Some exotic cats like Cornish Rex or the Bengal cats are also favorites.

In the case of indoor vs outdoor cats, there are a few differences. The biggest wildcat known to man is the tiger.

Compared with them, domestic cats are pretty small. Outdoor cats have many features on their body which helps them survive in the wild, and they entirely fend for themselves. In comparison, domestic cats depend on their owners a lot.

It is believed that cats are the only animal among mammals that cannot taste sweetness.

Cats can't see much of anything that is near to them. But their night and peripheral vision are many times better than that of humans.

Cats sometimes get stuck in trees. The main reason for that is their claws are curved downward. So, they cannot climb down the trees.

Cats can feel their surrounding with their whiskers. They feel vibrations around them through their whiskers and get a sense of their surroundings. That's why you should never cut their whiskers short. It might actually harm your cat.

Why do cats knead?

The kneading habits of cats are also known as 'making biscuits', and they might knead for many reasons. They might knead when they're happy, and they want to show affection towards you.

The kittens knead when they are young to stimulate the mother's milk production, and as they grow up, their habit doesn't go away. That's why they might knead in their adulthood, seeking that comfort. Females may knead to let the males know that they are ready to mate.

The paws of the cats have scent glands. So, they might knead in order to spread their scent to mark their territories.

Why are cats afraid of cucumbers?

Cats are afraid of cucumber. This fear started when some people started making videos by throwing cucumbers towards their cats, and in reaction, the cats were acting scared.

There might be two reasons for this reaction. One might be the suddenness of the act, or cucumbers might look like snakes to them. These can be the reason for their fright.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the Maine coon and the Balinese cat.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our cat coloring pages.