Cat Facts and Statistics Articles
- Cat Statistics: How Many Cats Are There?: Total number of cats in the world, numbers of cats in top cat-owning countries, cat-to-human ratios, and links to free and low-cost spay-neuter clinic directories
- How Long Cats Live: Average lifespans for indoor and outdoor cats, and a profile of the oldest living cat in the world
- Cat Years and People Years: A year-by-year conversion of cat years to people years – contrary to popular belief, it’s not 7 to 1
- Negative Cat Stereotypes Debunked: Common misconceptions and surprising facts about cats
- Why Do Cats’ Eyes Glow in the Dark?: The science behind glowing eyes
- Are Cats and Dogs Colour-Blind?: Cats and dogs can actually see some colours but not others
- Can Cats See in the Dark?: The science behind feline night vision
- How Powerful Is a Cat’s Hearing?: A comparison of cats, dogs, mice, and humans
- Are All White Cats with Blue Eyes Deaf?: Reasons for deafness in some blue-eyed cats; percentage of deaf white cats
- Which Are More Popular, Cats or Dogs?: Pet ownership statistics in various nations
- Debunking Anti-Cat Arguments: Refutes arguments commonly made by cat haters
- How Do a Cat’s Senses of Smell and Taste Compare to Those of a Human?: A comparison of the total numbers of scent receptors and taste buds
- Cat Behaviour, Communication, and Psychology Facts: Why cats purr, hiss, fight, roll on their backs to greet people, soil outside the litter box, rub against things, scratch things, play with their prey, bring home live prey, make chattering sounds at birds through a window, embark on sudden mad dashes around the house, etc.; evidence that cats feel love and other human emotions; what various cat vocalizations mean; and more
- Cat Coat Colour Linked to Temperament: Studies and observations of personality differences based on fur colour
- Polls Show Large Majority Against Declawing Cats; Majority Also Favours Anti-Declaw Laws: Results from 7 polls on declawing cats
- Study: Owning a Cat Cuts Heart Attack Risk by 30%: Research suggests owning a cat may reduce the likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease
- Do Cat People and Dog People Have Different Personalities?: Results of studies comparing personality traits and educational attainment of cat owners and dog owners
- Reasons Why Cats and Dogs are Surrendered to Shelters: Most common and most stupid reasons given for abandoning pets
- Declawed Cats More Likely to be Surrendered to Shelters: Studies show increased rates of behavioural problems and abandonment for declawed cats
- Why Do Cats Go Crazy for Catnip, Mint, Valerian, and Honeysuckle?: How cat-attractant plants work their magic
- What Are the Smallest Cat Breeds?: Weight ranges for the 12 smallest domestic cat breeds
- What Are the Largest Cat Breeds?: List of the biggest domestic cat breeds with weight ranges
- Which Cat Breeds Are the Most Intelligent?: A ranking of the most intelligent cats by breed
- When Do Kittens’ Eyes Open?: Normal timeframe for eye opening; signs of problems that require a veterinary consultation
- When Do Kittens’ Eyes Change Colour?: Age at which kittens’ eyes develop adult colouration
- Why Are Kittens Born with Blue Eyes?: The science behind blue eyes in infancy
- More Cat Pregnancy and Kitten Facts: Answers commonly asked questions such as whether or not pregnant cats can go into heat, how to tell if a cat is in heat or pregnant, the youngest age at which cats can get pregnant, how long a cat’s pregnancy lasts, whether or not a litter of kittens can have more than one father, normal kitten developmental stages, pregnant cat and kitten care and feeding, and more
- Cat Breeds That Get Along Well with Dogs: A ranking of cat breeds based on dog-friendliness
- Cat Statistics: The percentage of people who own cats in the U.S., cat adoption and euthanasia statistics, the percentage of owners who buy gifts for their pets, how many kittens two cats can produce over a lifetime, the percentage of women who have sacrificed relationships to their cats or dogs, and more
- How Fast Can a Cat Run?: Top speeds at which a domestic cat and a cheetah can run
- Cat Feeding Facts: Answers to many commonly asked questions, including whether or not you should feed cats dog food, eggs, or cow’s milk; what to feed a kitten; how often to feed cats and kittens; which is better, wet food or dry; how to implement a hypoallergenic diet; how to choose the best cat food; and more
- Cat History: How cats were domesticated, why black cats are associated with witchcraft, how the persecution of cats increased the black plague death toll, cat superstitions, and more
- Can You Train a Cat Not to Hunt? or Stop Cats Catching Birds?
- Which Animals Hunt Cats?: A list of animals that kill cats
- How Many Hours Do Cats Sleep Each Day?: Totals for cats and kittens and theories on the purpose of sleep
- Why Are Male Cats Called Toms?: Historical origin of “tom cat” as a term for unneutered males
- Why Are Female Cats Called Queens? Historical origin of “queen” as a term for breeding females
- Do Cats Dream? Evidence that cats dream
- Tortoiseshell Cats Are Nearly Always Female: Why almost all tortoiseshell and calico cats are female, and the unusual characteristics of rare tortoiseshell males
- Neoteny – Why Adult Cats Retain Kitten Qualities: How natural selection and human selection have kept cats youthful
- Black Cats Less Likely to Be Adopted: Reasons for the low black cat adoption rate
- Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?: Explanation of the feline righting reflex; likelihood of injury as a result of falls from various heights
- Why Do Cats Have Whiskers: How cats use their whiskers in hunting and navigation, causes of missing whiskers
- Are Cats Psychic?: Studies of and evidence for feline psychic intuition, and scientific explanations for some seemingly supernatural abilities
- Which Are More Intelligent – Cats or Dogs?: The results of studies comparing cat and dog brain capacity, problem solving, and other abilities
- Impacts of Cats and Dogs on the Environment and Wildlife: How cats and dogs affect local bird populations, environmental impacts of pet products, carbon footprints of cats and dogs
- Declawing Information Page: Declawing effects on behaviour and health, veterinarian statements on declawing; alternatives to declawing
- Ailurophobia: Fear of Cats: Causes of cat phobia, cures for cat phobia
- Animal Hoarding: Why some people collect large numbers of cats, dogs, or other animals
- How Smart Are Cats?: Evidence of feline intelligence
- Which Foods Are Toxic to Cats?: A list of foods that can poison pets
- Which Plants Are Toxic to Cats?: A list of plants that can poison pets
- Which Plants Are Safe for Cats?: A list of pet-friendly plants
- How Do You Train a Cat?: Litter training, scratch post training, clicker training, and more
- Cat Myths Debunked: Common misconceptions about cats
- Health Benefits of Cat Ownership: Studies showing that cat owners suffer fewer illnesses than those without pets
- Which Make Better Pets – Cats or Dogs?: Studies and statistics comparing cats and dogs on various measures, including usefulness, bonding, tractability, environmental friendliness, cost of ownership, and popularity
- What Is Pet Therapy?: The health benefits of pet ownership, how and where animals are used in therapy, a list of pet therapy providers
- Careers with Dogs and Cats: A list of pet-related job descriptions
- Spaying and Neutering FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions about spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs, including personality and behavioural effects, safety and recovery, cost, and more
- Mythical Cat Breeds, Frauds, and Hoaxes: The truth behind various fictional, faked, and fraudulent cat breeds
- Naturally Occurring Cat Breeds, Cross-Breeds, and Recent Mutations: How various cat breeds arose or were created by breeders
- Hypoallergenic Cats: Answers to frequently asked questions about cat allergies, information about hypoallergenic cat breeds)
- Halloween Cat Sacrifices: Real danger or an urban legend?
- Why Cats are Natural Carnivores: Information about the differences between cats, dogs, and people, and why cats need meat
- The Social World of Feral Cats: Feline friendships, communication, conflict, and cooperative behaviour in feral cat colonies
- Why Dogs and Cats Eat Grass: Theories about grass eating
- Why Cats Are Drawn to Shoes, Socks, Catnip, Valerian, and Chlorine: The reasons for these strange feline attractions
- Toxoplasmosis: This article answers frequently asked questions about how people get toxoplasmosis, risk to the fetus, whether pregnant women need to give up their cats, and whether toxoplasmosis parasites affect human personality
Cat Guides
- Guide to Cat Breed Personality Traits
- Guide to Cat Coat Colours, Patterns, and Markings
- Guide to Cat Fur, Face, and Body Types
- Guide to Cat Breeder Terminology
- Descriptive Terms for Cats
- Glossary of Cat Words
Cat Facts and Photos Series
- Calico and Tortoiseshell Cat Facts and Photos
- Tabby Cat Facts and Photos
- Black Cat Facts and Photos
- White Cat Facts and Photos
- Black and White Cat Facts and Photos
- Answers to Frequently Asked Kitten Questions
For more cat articles, see the main Cats page. For dog articles, see the main Dogs page.