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 U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.
The dog was frequently depicted in Greek art, including Cerberus, the three-headed hound guarding the entrance to the underworld, and the hunting dogs which accompanied the virgin goddess of the chase, Diana.
In 2003, Dr. Roger Mugford invented the "wagometer," a device that claims to interpret a dog’s exact mood by measuring the wag of its tail.
The most popular male dog names are Max and Jake. The most popular female dog names are Maggie and Molly.
Dogs can smell about 1,000 times better than humans. While humans have 5 million smell-detecting cells, dogs have more than 220 million. The part of the brain that interprets smell is also four times larger in dogs than in humans.
Eighty-seven percent of dog owners say their dog curls up beside them or at their feet while they watch T.V.
The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in seventeenth-century England. During heavy rainstorms, many homeless animals would drown and float down the streets, giving the appearance that it had actually rained cats and dogs.
Greyhounds appear to be the most ancient dog breed. "Greyhound" comes from a mistake in translating the early German name Greishund, which means "old (or ancient) dog," not from the color gray.
The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.
Many foot disorders in dogs are simply an issue of too-long toenails.
No, it’s not just to make themselves look adorable. Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from predators.
According to a study shared by Cornell University, dogs were domesticated between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago.
There are 703 breeds of purebred dogs.
Dogs curl up to keep themselves warm and protect vital organs.
The grief suffered after a pet dog dies can be the same as that experienced after the death of a person.
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.