Today is National Cat Day! My name is Sebastian, I'm 8 years old and I've lived with Kathy since I was 2 years old. As a cat, I thought I’d do my feline duty and share with you some cool cat facts:


  • Cats have 473 taste buds but it’s believed we can’t taste anything sweet (what’s that?)
  • A bunch of cats is called a “clowder!”
  • A litter of kittens is called a kindle.
  • A house cat like me can reach speeds up to 30 MPH (vroom!)
  • The oldest known pet cat existed nearly 10,000 years ago
  • There are over 100 different cat breeds
  • Cats can see up to 120 feet away. Their peripheral vision is about 280 degrees
  • The oldest cat known, lived to the grand age of 36
  • The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3-5 years
  • Blue eyed cats are often prone to deafness
  • Cats lap liquid from the underside of their tongue rather than from the top when drinking
  • The largest breed of cat is the Ragdoll. Males weigh 12-20 pounds, with females weighing 10-15 pounds
  • At birth, kittens can’t see or hear
  • Cats can see in color – they are partially color blind
  • A quivering cats tail is the greatest sign of love a cat can give you
  • A cat can jump 5 times as high as it is tall
  • If a cat snores, or rolls over on his back to expose his belly it means it trusts you
  • Cats respond more readily to names that end in an “ee” sound
  • Compared to a dog’s 10 vocalization sounds (approx), cats have 100 different vocalization sounds
  • Cats purr at the same frequency as an idling diesel engine, approx 26 cycles per second
  • A cat will almost never “meow” at another cat. This sound is mostly reserved for humans
  • Cats have the largest eyes of any mammal in relation to body size
  • Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend an average of 16 hours sleeping each day
  • The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human
  • The heaviest cat on record weighed over 46 lbs!
  • Cats have powerful night vision, allowing them to see at light levels six times lower than what a human needs in order to see
  • Cats spend 30-50% of their awake hours grooming themselves
  • A cat’s nose has catnip receptors
  • A cat named Blackie inherited his owner’s $13 million estate, which was given to three cat charities
  • Abraham Lincoln loved cats!
  • A cat lover is called an ailurophile
  • The first cat went to space in 1963
  • The world’s oldest living cat is 31 years old
  • Ancient Egyptians loved cats so much they worshiped a half-feline goddess named Bastet
  • In Great Britain and Japan, black cats are a sign of good luck
  • The world’s first major cat show was held at London’s Crystal Palace in July 1871
  • Some cats are born with six toes (polydactyl)
  • Cats have 244 bones in their bodies, where humans only have 206
  • Cats can sweat through their paws
  • Around 200 cats live in Disneyland’s park and help keep control of the rodent population
  • Cats have an extra organ that allows them to taste scents in air (Flehmen response)
  • Neutered males live 62% longer than unneutered cats, and spayed females live 39% longer than non-spayed females
  • Adult cats have 30 teeth
  • There are more pet cats in the US than pet dogs
  • A cat’s brain has twice the amount of neurons in the cerebral cortex as dogs (PROOF that cats are smarter than dogs, ha!)


I’d like to think I’m a pretty good listener. So tell me, what’s your favorite cat fact?