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 life expectancy of cats has nearly doubled over the last fifty years.
Jaguars are the only big cats that don't roar.
Cats have 30 teeth (12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 canines, and 4 molars), while dogs have 42. Kittens have baby teeth, which are replaced by permanent teeth around the age of 7 months.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds; dogs only have about ten.
Cats must have fat in their diet because they can't produce it on their own.
Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the deaths of their cats.
When a cat drinks, its tongue - which has tiny barbs on it - scoops the liquid up backwards.
Neutering a male cat will, in almost all cases, stop him from spraying (territorial marking), fighting with other males (at least over females), as well as lengthen his life and improve its quality.
All cats need taurine in their diet to avoid blindness. Cats must also have fat in their diet as they are unable to produce it on their own.
"Evaluation and Parameterization of Stability and Safety Performance Characteristics of Two and Three Wheeled Vehicular Toys for Riding." Title of a $230,000 research project proposed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, to study the various ways children fall off bicycles.
Cats prefer to remain non-confrontational. They will not fight to show dominance, but rather to stake their territory. Cats will actually go to extremes to avoid one another in order to prevent a possible confrontation.
Dogs and cats consume over $11 billion worth of pet food a year
When a domestic cat goes after mice, about 1 pounce in 3 results in a catch.
Smuggling a cat out of ancient Egypt was punishable by death. Phoenician traders eventually succeeded in smuggling felines, which they sold to rich people in Athens and other important cities.
Cats have been domesticated for half as long as dogs have been.
Dog Facts
Get Random FactThe shape of a dog’s face suggests how long it will live. Dogs with sharp, pointed faces that look more like wolves typically live longer. Dogs with very flat faces, such as bulldogs, often have shorter lives.
A German Shepherd named Orient accompanied her blind owner Bill Irwin as he became the first blind person to through-hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail in 1990.
Teams of dogs compete for the fastest time without errors in Flyball races.
Dogs were first domesticated by cavemen.
Stroking dogs and gazing into their eyes releases the "feel good" hormone oxytocin for both people and dogs.
The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the Border Collie, (2) the Poodle, and (3) the Golden Retriever and the dumbest dog is believed to be the Afghan Hound.
Plato once said that "a dog has the soul of a philosopher."
All dogs are identical in anatomy, with 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth.
Thirty percent of all Dalmatians are deaf in one or both ears. Because bulldogs have extremely short muzzles, many spend their lives fighting suffocation. Because Chihuahuas have such small skulls, the flow of spinal fluid can be restricted, causing hydrocephalus, a swelling of the brain.
The process of birthing puppies is called "whelping."
Dogs have twice as many muscles to move their ears as humans, if you're looking for unusual facts about dogs!
French poodles did not originate in France but in Germany ("poodle" comes from the German pudel or pudelhund, meaning "splashing dog"). Some scholars speculate the poodle’s puffs of hair evolved when hunters shaved the poodle for more efficient swimming, while leaving the pom-poms around the major joints to keep them warm.
In ancient Greece, kennels of dogs were kept at the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus. Dogs were frequently sacrificed there because they were plentiful, inexpensive, and easy to control. During the July 25 celebration of the kunophontis ("the massacre of dogs"), dog sacrifices were performed to appease the ancestors of Apollo’s son, Linos, who was devoured by dogs..
Dachshunds were originally bred for fighting badgers.
Dogs sometimes appear to smile -- much like humans -- with open mouth grinning. This may indicate a relaxed, submissive state.
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.