Although dogs get all the love and acclaim for being man’s best friend, the cat is equally as fascinating and can make a wonderful companion for those who can give them a safe and loving home. From its ancestors in the wild to its modern domestic incarnation, there’s much to learn about this mischievous, intelligent creature.
1. Cats can sniff out odors from a distance thanks to an organ on their tongues that allows them to taste scents. It also helps them determine whether or not food is near. 2. Cats have an unidentified sixth sense that enables them to find their way back home, even over hundreds of miles. The cat’s flexible spine, paired with its sense of balance and the ability to “self-right” when they fall, help them navigate long journeys back to familiar territory. 3. The backs of cats’ eyes have a layer called the tapetum lucidum that reflects unabsorbed light into the retinas, which helps them see in low-light conditions. This is an adaptation that can also be found in the eyes of bats and moths.
4. Cats may seem aloof and unaffectionate, but they’re actually very social animals. Though they are typically solitary hunters, they can form close-knit groups with their mother and kittens or related females. However, their degrees of sociality with humans and other pets can vary depending on personality, innate temperament traits, and their early experience with human-related lifestyles during the’sensitive period’.