Animal Facts
Discover interesting and fun facts about cats, dogs, and other animals. Learn fascinating information about our furry friends.
Cat Facts
Get Random FactThe world’s rarest coffee, Kopi Luwak, comes from Indonesia where a wildcat known as the luwak lives. The cat eats coffee berries and the coffee beans inside pass through the stomach. The beans are harvested from the cat’s dung heaps and then cleaned and roasted. Kopi Luwak sells for about $500 for a 450 g (1 lb) bag.
A cat’s eyesight is both better and worse than humans. It is better because cats can see in much dimmer light and they have a wider peripheral view. It’s worse because they don’t see color as well as humans do. Scientists believe grass appears red to cats.
A commemorative tower was built in Scotland for a cat named Towser, who caught nearly 30,000 mice in her lifetime.
During the Middle Ages, cats were associated with withcraft, and on St. John’s Day, people all over Europe would stuff them into sacks and toss the cats into bonfires. On holy days, people celebrated by tossing cats from church towers.
Approximately 1/3 of cat owners think their pets are able to read their minds.
Two members of the cat family are distinct from all others: the clouded leopard and the cheetah. The clouded leopard does not roar like other big cats, nor does it groom or rest like small cats. The cheetah is unique because it is a running cat; all others are leaping cats. They are leaping cats because they slowly stalk their prey and then leap on it.
Siamese kittens are born white because of the heat inside the mother's uterus before birth. This heat keeps the kittens' hair from darkening on the points.
A cat has the power to sometimes heal themselves by purring. A domestic cat's purr has a frequency of between 25 and 150 Hertz, which happens to be the frequency at which muscles and bones best grow and repair themselves.
Like humans, cats tend to favor one paw over another
Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.
The most popular pedigreed cat is the Persian cat, followed by the Main Coon cat and the Siamese cat.
Cats make about 100 different sounds. Dogs make only about 10.
Grown cats have 30 teeth. Kittens have about 26 temporary teeth, which they lose when they are about 6 months old.
The first cat in space was a French cat named Felicette (a.k.a. “Astrocat”) In 1963, France blasted the cat into outer space. Electrodes implanted in her brains sent neurological signals back to Earth. She survived the trip.
Unlike dogs, cats do not have a sweet tooth. Scientists believe this is due to a mutation in a key taste receptor.
Dog Facts
Get Random FactWalt Disney's family dog -- named Sunnee -- was the inspiration behind "Lady and the Tramp."
The first dogs were self-domesticated wolves which, at least 12,000 years ago, became attracted to the first sites of permanent human habitation.
Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star and he really signed his movie contracts – all 22 of them – with a paw-print.
There are over 58 million dogs in the US
The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world. France has the second highest.
Chase that tail! Dogs chase their tails for a variety of reasons: curiosity, exercise, anxiety, predatory instinct or, they might have fleas! If your dog is chasing his tail excessively, talk with your vet.
Dogs have lived with humans for over 14,000 years. Cats have lived with people for only 7,000 years.
Wow, check out those choppers! Puppies have 28 teeth and normal adult dogs have 42.
Dogs have a ligament in the neck which allows them to conserve energy while running long distances following scent trails with their nose to the ground. Many other species have a similar ligament and it is called a Paddywhack.
Perky-eared dogs hear sounds better than floppy-eared dogs.
During the Renaissance, detailed portraits of the dog as a symbol of fidelity and loyalty appeared in mythological, allegorical, and religious art throughout Europe, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Velázquez, Jan van Eyck, and Albrecht Durer.
The American Kennel Club, the most influential dog club in the United States, was founded in 1884.
The normal body temperature of a dog is 100.94 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 Celsius) to 102.56 F (39.2 C) whereas human normal body temperature 98.6 F (37 C).
Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star.
Dogs belong to a biological family called the Canidae, a member of this family is called a canid. This is the origin of the adjective "canine" which means "of or like a dog, relating to or characteristic of dogs".
General Animal Facts
Get Random FactThere are 1 million ants for every human in the world.
The male seahorse carries the eggs until they hatch instead of the female.
The penguin is the only bird that can’t fly but can swim.
Elephants only sleep for two hours each day.
One-fourth of the world`s population lives on less than $200 a year. Ninety million people survive on less than $75 a year.
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!
Ninety percent of all species that have become extinct have been birds.
Most lipstick contains fish scales.
A blue whales heart only beats nine times per minute.
The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint - no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.
You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world.
Over 1000 birds a year die from smashing into windows!
Sailfish can leap out of the water and into the air at a speed of 50 miles (81 km) per hour.
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.