Whats the topic for today?
I just thought I would talk about some facts about cats. Some informative facts but some just for fun too.
Ok fire away then…
OK fact 1. Did you know that cats can not taste sweet things? Because they are carnivores their taste buds are just not designed to detect sweet things.
That’s interesting. Is that fact of any use to people?
Its worth knowing if you are trying to make a medicine more palatable for a cat. There’s no point trying to disguise the taste with something sweet. It’s best to use something savory like the juice from a tin of tuna, or maybe butter or vegemite. Dogs on the other hand do like sweet things.
Give us another fact
The normal heart rate for a cat is anything from 120 to 220 beats per minute depending on how active it is or how stressed it is. Typically when a cat comes to see the vet they are a little stressed out and so their hearts are often beating around the 200 mark. At home when they are resting they are more likely down at the 120 mark.
Is it useful for people to measure their cats heart rates at home?
It can be useful. If a cats heart when resting at home is always around 200 then it is a fair indication that something is wrong and a trip to the vet is needed. People can feel their cats heart beat by gently placing the fingers against the chest.
Have you got another fun fact for us
Do you know how fast a cat can run? Have a guess?
They can run up to 50kpm but they can only keep it up for one minute before they need a rest otherwise they would overheat. Their escape strategy is to run as fast as they can to a safe hiding place. Up a tree for instance.
What about dogs?
A racing grey hound can reach 65kph. The thing about dogs though is that they can run forever and that’s how they catch their prey by running them into the ground.
Whats the normal temperature for a cat?
On average its about 38.5oC but it varies a bit. I don’t worry too much about a cats temperature unless its approaching 40oC.
Can people measure their own cats temperature at home?
So long as they are gentle and use a lubricated thermometer inserted no more than 1cm then it is safe.
How long do cats live for?
On average about 13-15 years but many go on much longer. The oldest I have met was 24 but the world record is 33 yrs for a cat in china.
Is it true that all white cats are deaf?
Certainly some of them are but only a few. White cats are much more likely to be deaf if they also have blue eyes. Deaf cats are more likely to be involved in road accidents.
Have you got any more fun facts?
Well male cats are nowadays called tomcats but that hasn’t always been the case. In the 1700’s they were referred to as rams.
Is it unlucky to have a black cat?
Strangely enough yes but only because statistically they are more likely to get hit by a car at night. Unfortunately its just as unlucky to have a white cat as they are quite prone to skin cancer here in the Marlborough sun. If you chose a mainly white coated cat try to get one that has a black nose and coloured ear tips as these are the regions that are prone to cancer. Avoid pink noses.
Could you apply sun screen?
You can but cats tend to lick it off as soon as you apply it. In the past we have tried tattooing pink noses to make them black but this has been shown not to work as the black pigment is in the deep layers of skin whereas it is the surface layer that is prone to cancer. People have tried using permanent black marker pen on cats noses but no-one knows if this helps or not. I would expect not.