Fun Facts about Cats
- They sleep 12-16 hours a day, which is equivalent to 70% of their lives. This makes them suitable for apartment living.
- Dogs’ ages (in human years) are calculated by multiplying the age by 7. Cats mature very quickly initially, but the rate of aging slows down, so that the multiplication factor drops from 15 in the first year to 4 or 5 when they are older.
Cat’s age Human years
1 15
2 25
4 40
7 50
10 60
15 75
20 105
30 120
- Despite what you read about cats lapping up saucers of milk, most cats are actually lactose intolerant.
- Those cute tortoiseshell/calico cats are almost all female. The coloring is carried on the XX gene. If you come across a male calico cat, it has XXY chromosomes (males have XY chromosomes), and it is infertile.
- Cats like to cram their bodies into tiny spaces. This provides them a sense of security.
Why some people dislike cats
A study showed that 15% of adults dislike cats, compared to 2% who dislike dogs.
Some reasons why cats are disliked are:
- Allergy to cats, due to protein molecules in the cat’s saliva which is deposited on the cat’s hair because of their grooming practices
- Cats that are allowed outside the house tend to defecate in the neighbour’s garden (to mark their territory)
- Birds and mice are the main prey of free ranging cats. People are upset when birds are killed.
- Cats are independent, aloof and unappreciative, compared to dogs.
I know a young lady who is so terrified of cats that she screams and runs when she sees a cat, even one just crossing a public road. Her reason for her phobia is that her mother is afraid of cats. I notice that most young children like animals, including cats. I believe that cat and other animal phobias can also be due to conditioned response.
Cat Islands
There are islands in several countries like Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Greece, etc, which are called cat islands, because they have large stray cat populations, which can exceed human populations. They become tourist attractions. Even St John’s Island (one of our Southern Islands) is called Cat Island.
Cat Café
Similarly, many countries, including Singapore, have cat cafes. Cat lovers pay a pretty penny to just sit in the café with a drink, and stroke the cats, most of them being originally strays.
Role of Stray Cats
They do reduce the rat population or at least the rats are not so bold when there are cats wandering around. My personal observation confirms this. When the resident stray cat in my condominium was removed, I spotted rats scuttling across the carpark on several occasions. The problem was resolved once another cat was brought in.
Personal Cat Stories
I had adopted stray cats for several years. The first stray was brought home by my elder daughter, who was seduced by a black and white stray kitten at a bus stop. Once you have one cat, it doesn’t stop, especially if you are like me, an alilurophile (cat lover). Altogether, I adopted 9 stray cats.
One cat had a “job”—- he took on the responsibility of protecting the other cats when they got bullied. This cat-with-a-job, named Gremlin for obvious reasons, shocked himself (he actually jumped) when he saw his own reflection in the mirror. Needless to say, he never looked in the mirror again.
My daughters blame me for naming another cat Leo. He adopted the persona of a bully. That is how Gremlin got a job.
Another cat was often bored stiff as an indoor cat. He often gave me the “I am so bored” look. He either fell or jumped out of my second floor apartment, and when I scoured the neighborhood and found him, he refused to come home. I let him be a stray again.
The last cat I adopted was bullied so much by the other cats that his personality changed from a friendly gregarious cat to one taken to hiding in cupboards and storerooms.
Now for the female cats. They were generally sweet natured and lovable. One was smart enough to respond to “give me a kiss” by giving me a gentle lick of my cheek.
All my cats lived fairly long lives, between 16 to 20 years. This is because they were indoor cats. Cats that roam can be killed by cars, by ingestion of poison, killed by dogs or swallowed by snakes.
I resolved to be cat-free after my last cat died, so that I can travel more freely, as I don’t have a live-in helper. No more cat tales.
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
