As indiscriminate animal lovers, we think all creatures are pretty darn amazing.

But most of us have grown so accustomed to our domesticated pets that we sometimes forget how incredible they really are. When you look closely, it’s easy to see that the average house cat is far from average.

Both their behavior and physical capabilities are truly awe-inspiring and will leave you looking at your sweet kitty cat in a whole new way.

  1. Cats spend about two thirds of their life sleeping. And about a third of their waking hours are spent on self grooming.
  2. Cats can run up to 31 mph, which is just over the speed limit on most city streets.
  3. Cats can jump about 6 times their own height, which explains how they get themselves into the darndest places.
  4. Adult cats in the wild don’t meow; only kittens do. Some scientists think domestic cats keep meowing to communicate with humans.
  5. Some studies have shown that cats who want food purposely make their meow sound like a human baby.
  6. Humans have 206 bones while cats have 231 bones in their bodies – the additional ones can be found in their spine and tail.
  7. A cat’s purr may have healing properties – their purr has a frequency between 25 and 250 hertz, which has been shown to promote healing in themselves and their human companions.
  8. Cats are far-sighted – they have excellent night vision and distance vision, but don’t do well with focusing on objects that are very close.
  9. Cats are actually lactose intolerant and should not drink much milk.
  10. The oldest cat on record lived to be 38 years old.
  11. The cerebral cortex of a cat contains almost twice as many neurons as a dog’s.
  12. A cat’s strongest sense is smell – it’s 14 times better than a human’s.
  13. Cats have scent glads in their tail, forehead, lips, chin, and under their front paws.
  14. Cats can rotate their ears 180 degrees thanks to 32 muscles that control them, and they can move each ear independently.
  15. In ancient Egypt, cat owners would shave their eyebrows to signify their grief of their furry companion’s death.
  16. Cats have been known to survive falls as high as 32 stories – their bodies are uniquely made to survive falls and their instincts allow them to spread their legs out, essentially using their own bodies as parachutes. They’re also adept at twisting their bodies to ensure they land feet down and using their springy legs to lessen the force of impact.
  17. Cats cannot taste sweetness.
  18. Scientific evidence exists that suggests domesticated cats have existed since 3600 B.C., a whole 2 millennia before Egypt’s pharaohs.
  19. Cat language includes about 100 different sounds whereas dogs have about 10.
  20. The cat brain is 90% similar to the human brain.
  21. Cats sweat through their paw pads.
  22. The reason cats can squeeze themselves into tiny places and through small openings is due to their free floating clavicle, or a collar bone that isn’t attached to any other bone. This means they can fit through any space that’s large enough for their head.
  23. A cat’s nose has a ridged pattern that’s as unique as a human’s fingerprint.
  24. Cats rub against people to mark them with their scent.
  25. The Egyptian word for cat is, “Mau.”
  26. Only 27% of cats at animal shelters are adopted.
  27. You should adopt a cat.

Ok, to be fair the last fact isn’t so much a fact as it is our opinion. Cats are incredible, smart, perceptive, loving animals and there are many out there who need forever homes. If you have room in your home and heart for a new furry friend, please consider adopting a cat from a no-kill animal shelter near you.