Are You An Ailurophile (Cat Lover)?

Cats hold a special place in our hearts, if you own one (oops I mean if one owns you) you realize how they are truly a part of your family. Do you recognize yourself in any of the following statements? When you come home you greet your cat before greeting anyone else in your household. You will gingerly get out of bed in the morning and not disturb your feline friend or you will get out of bed at 4 a.m. because your cat has decided it wants to eat, drink, play or just see you get up and tend to its needs. You sleep comfortably with a furry body draped over your face and you understand your cat’s vocabulary – those chirps, purrs and meows that inform you of your cat’s comfort level and desires. Let’s face reality here, as cat lovers we are truly besotted with these feline creatures and feel our lives are not complete without their companionship.

Interesting Cat Facts for Ailurophiles

• Companionship and rodent control made cats special to Egyptians
• A cat has more bones than a human being, humans have 206 and the cat has 230
• Cats see six times better in the dark and at night than humans
• An adult cat has 30 teeth – 16 on the top and 14 on the bottom
• Purring does not always indicate that a cat is happy, cats will also purr loudly when they are distressed or in pain
• The cat’s tail is used to maintain balance
• The cat has 5 toes on each front foot and 4 toes on each hindfoot. Cats born with extra toes are called Polydactyly
• Owning a cat is good for our health and can help decrease the occurrence of high blood pressure and other illnesses.
• Stroking a cat can help relieve stress, and holding a purring cat can give you a strong sense of security and comfort
• Tabby is the basic prototype of all domestic cats, so despite your cat’s colour, he is actually a genetic tabby
• Not all cats can recognize the scent of catnip; it is hereditary in nature so some cats are born without the ability to recognize its scent. Kittens do not react to catnip until they are around 6 months old

“Time Spent with Cats is Never Wasted”

– Anonymous