8 neat things you may not know about kitty

Are you a cat person? Do you like a pet that tells you when it wants attention and lets you rub its furry little belly? If so, you just might know that August 8th is International Cat Day and October 29th is National Cat Day  — where we celebrate our favourite kitty-cats and all the things that make them so special.

Cats don't have a sweet tooth

When you eat something sweet, like ice cream, you probably notice kitty staring at you with big eyes. You might be tempted to give kitty a taste of your snack or dessert — but it won't really be a special treat for them. Unlike dogs, cats can't taste anything sweet.

Right or left pawed?

Just like us, cats can prefer one paw over another and be either right-pawed or left-pawed. But unlike humans, female cats tend to be right-pawed, while male cats tend to be left-pawed. Meanwhile, 90% of humans are right-handed.

It's all about you

When your kitty is meowing, it's probably talking to you. Adult cats almost never meow at other cats. They use other ways to communicate like purring, hissing and spitting.

Keep the pieces small

Whatever you feed your cat (and it really should be food made especially for them), make sure the pieces are small. Why? Cats can't move their jaws from side-to-side like you can, which makes it very hard for them to chew big chunks of food.

You think you're tired?

If you think your kitty is always sleeping, you're probably right. Cats are crepuscular animals — that means that they are active at dawn (when the sun comes up) and dusk (when it goes down). They spend the rest of the time (2/3 of the day on average) asleep, about 16 hours. So it's no surprise that kitty probably looks super tired when you come home from school. And if kitty is still a kitten, they're probably sleeping 18 hours a day so that they can grow into a big strong kitty. A hormone that helps them grow is only released when they sleep.

They shouldn't drink milk

It's true. You might think you should give kitty some milk with their dinner, but cats really only need to drink fresh clean water to stay hydrated. Most cats are lactose intolerant — that means that they can't actually digest milk and it can give them an upset tummy. So keep that glass of milk to go with your cookies.

Small space squeeze

You've probably seen your kitty squeeze through some really small spaces. But how do they know if they can fit? It's all in the whiskers. They are so sensitive that they can let your cat know, even in the dark, if they will fit through a space since the whiskers are as long as your cat is wide. And those are whiskers above her eyes, not eyebrows!

Little blue eyes

Take a look at your kitty's eyes. Are they yellow, green, or even blue? Did you know that all cats are born with the same colour eyes? All kittens are born with blue eyes — their final eye colour doesn't develop until around eight weeks old.