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 way you treat kittens in the early stages of it's life will render it's personality traits later in life.
The first cartoon cat was Felix the Cat in 1919. In 1940, Tom and Jerry starred in the first theatrical cartoon “Puss Gets the Boot.” In 1981 Andrew Lloyd Weber created the musical Cats, based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
Unlike other cats, lions have a tuft of hair at the end of their tails.
British cat owners spend roughly 550 million pounds yearly on cat food.
Researchers believe the word “tabby” comes from Attabiyah, a neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq. Tabbies got their name because their striped coats resembled the famous wavy patterns in the silk produced in this city.
The life expectancy of cats has nearly doubled since 1930 - from 8 to 16 years.
Blue-eyed, white cats are often prone to deafness.
Many cats love having their forehead gently stroked.
Cats hate the water because their fur does not insulate well when it’s wet. The Turkish Van, however, is one cat that likes swimming. Bred in central Asia, its coat has a unique texture that makes it water resistant.
The earliest ancestor of the modern cat lived about 30 million years ago. Scientists called it the Proailurus, which means “first cat” in Greek. The group of animals that pet cats belong to emerged around 12 million years ago.
A queen (female cat) can begin mating when she is between 5 and 9 months old.
In multi-cat households, cats of the opposite sex usually get along better.
The cheetah is the only cat that can't retract its claws.
Heat occurs several times a year and can last anywhere from 3 to 15 days.
A cat has more bones than a human being; humans have 206 and the cat has 230 bones.
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.