Animal Facts
Discover interesting and fun facts about cats, dogs, and other animals. Learn fascinating information about our furry friends.
Cat Facts
Get Random FactAccording to Hebrew legend, Noah prayed to God for help protecting all the food he stored on the ark from being eaten by rats. In reply, God made the lion sneeze, and out popped a cat.
Cats only use their meows to talk to humans, not each other. The only time they meow to communicate with other felines is when they are kittens to signal to their mother.
Julius Ceasar, Henri II, Charles XI, and Napoleon were all afraid of cats.
In ancient Egypt, when a family cat died, all family members would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning.
The biggest wildcat today is the Siberian Tiger. It can be more than 12 feet (3.6 m) long (about the size of a small car) and weigh up to 700 pounds (317 kg).
After humans, mountain lions have the largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere.
Unlike humans, cats do not need to blink their eyes on a regular basis to keep their eyes lubricated.
The most traveled cat is Hamlet, who escaped from his carrier while on a flight. He hid for seven weeks behind a panel on the airplane. By the time he was discovered, he had traveled nearly 373,000 miles (600,000 km).
Cats' eyes shine in the dark because of the tapetum, a reflective layer in the eye, which acts like a mirror.
During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, Pope Innocent VIII condemned cats as evil and thousands of cats were burned. Unfortunately, the widespread killing of cats led to an explosion of the rat population, which exacerbated the effects of the Black Death.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
The cat who holds the record for the longest non-fatal fall is Andy. He fell from the 16th floor of an apartment building (about 200 ft/.06 km) and survived.
Purring does not always indicate that a cat is happy. Cats will also purr loudly when they are distressed or in pain.
In Ancient Egypt, when a person's house cat passed away, the owner would shave their eyebrows to reflect their grief.
Miacis, the primitive ancestor of cats, was a small, tree-living creature of the late Eocene period, some 45 to 50 million years ago.
Dog Facts
Get Random FactThe 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".
Petting dogs is proven to lower blood pressure of dog owners.
The Beatles song "A day in the Life" has an extra high-pitched whistle, audible only to dogs. It was recorded by Paul McCartney for the enjoyment of his Shetland sheepdog.
Puppies have 28 teeth and adult dogs have 42.
A dog most likely interprets a smiling person as baring their teeth, which is an act of aggression.
Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.
Dogs have no sense of time.
A dog could detect a teaspoon of sugar if you added it to an Olympic-sized swimming pool full of water.
Dog nose prints are as unique as human finger prints and can be used to identify them.
Boxers are so named because of their manner of playing using their front paws.
A bloodhound named Tigger holds the record for the longest ears, each measuring more than 13 inches.
The border collie or sheep dog is often considered to be the most intelligent breed of dog some of them have been trained to recognize the words for up to 1,000 objects and retrieved them by verbal command.
Dogs can be trained to detect cancer and alert their owner.
General Animal Facts
Get Random FactSome 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.
In the 17th century, the value of pi was known to 35 decimal places. Today, to 1.2411 trillion.
Lightning strikes the earth about 8 million times a day.
Elephants are the only mammals that cannot jump.
All polar bears are left-handed.
A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.