How Long Do Cats Live On Average
Typically, exclusively indoor cats live 1215 years on average, while outdoor cats live 25 years. Indoor cats are protected from elements of the outside world that often shorten an outdoor cat’s lifespan, such as disease, being hit by a vehicle, ingesting poison, or fending off predators. However, genetics, health, and access to veterinary care all come into play.
Guinness World Records lists beloved Creme Puff of Texas as the oldest cat to ever live, passing away in 2005 at 38 years old. To give some perspective, a 1-year-old cat is equivalent to a 15-year-old human, a 2-year-old cat mirrors a 25-year-old human, and from then on, every year a cat lives is equivalent to four human yearsi.e., a 10-year-old cat is 57 in human years. Most veterinarians begin designating cats as seniors when they turn 10 years old. Crème Puff was what legends are made of.
So, how can you give your feline a fighting chance to conquer old age? Lugones has a few tips.
Do Cats Really Have 9 Lives Badass Pets
Posted by Vittoria | Oct 7, 2020 | Cats Mysteries | 0
Do cats really have 9 lives? Have you heard about cats having nine lives? Is that because they are capable of surviving anything, or this attribution doesnt match reality? We are about to find out.
There is a way of saying that cats have nine lives in many cultures. Since ancient times, people have observed cats surviving the most incredible falls and getting through incredible life-threatening situations. While cats do not have nine lives, but just one, it is commonly believed that those animals have additional powers that allow them to live through impossible odds.
Lets examine the subject.
Curiosity Killed The Cat
In order for a cat to show off its incredible ability to survive, it first needs to be put in positions where survival is required. Cats do love to investigate, hence the idiom curiosity killed the cat. This curiosity gets cats into positions where they have to rely on their whiskers, tails, and their self-righting mechanism to survive and is why people considered cats to even need more than one life in the first place.
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Do Cats Have Nine Lives The Myth Explained
Across the U.S. there are almost 60 million pet cats, with around one in four households having a feline companion. With their incredible agilityand apparent ability to avoid certain death on a semi-regular basisthe saying that cats have nine lives has resonated across societies and generations.
But where did this saying come from?
Cats started living alongside humans in the Near East during the Neolithic period, around 10,000 years ago. It is thought the departure from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a farming one was beneficial to these ancient cats. As humans farmed and stored food, they attracted common prey for cats, such as mice and rats. The relationship between human and cat became beneficial for both specieshumans were providing food for the cats, and cats were stopping rodents from raiding human food stores.
Domestication sped up in Ancient Egypt. The civilization was known to worship cats, with several deities being depicted as having cat-shaped heads.
Pet cats were mummified and buried. One 2,500-year-old specimen scanned by French scientists in 2019 was found to be several different cats, with a textile ball in the place of the head. Earlier this year, researchers announced the discovery of what they believe to be the world’s oldest pet cemetery, with nearly 600 cats and dogs at one single Ancient Egyptian site.
How Cats Escape From Deadly Catastrophes
Cats DO almost always land on their feet. This is because they have what is called a righting reflex- they are able to twist around very quickly in the air if dropped from high places.
They have extremely good balance and reflexes, and have very flexible backbones, as they have more vertebrae than humans.
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Do Cats Really Have Nine Lives The Truth Behind This Myth
Nicole Cosgrove
The cats close relationship to humans is marked by its existence in countless idioms and sayings. We let the cat out of the bag, take a cat nap, there is more than one way to skin a cat, you put the cat among the pigeons, curiosity killed the cat, etc. But one of the best-known idioms refers to the fact that cats are said to have nine lives. This isnt true, but the saying likely originates from the fact that cats have an innate ability to survive dangerous situations and get away by the skin of their teeth.
But why are there nine lives specifically? And is there any truth to the saying? Lets take a closer look.
Do Cats Really Have 9 Lives
See files for Cats
How often have you heard and used the expression “cats have 9 lives“? There are many theories that explain this popular myth. The majority are as esoteric and ancient as they are interesting, whereas other scientific theories refute the myth of the 9 lives, but they still refer to the great strength of these feline creatures.
The belief that cats have 9 lives is widely held around the world. In fact, in European countries such as Greece, Italy or Spain, they may not be as fond of cats as they have given them two chances less, saying that they have 7 lives.
If you want to know where this expression comes from and understand the different hypotheses, keep reading this AnimalWised article in which we will reveal the mystery surrounding the supposed 9 lives of cats.
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Cats Are Less Prone To Diseases Than Other Animals Because Of Their Amazing Grooming Routine
Cats are known as amazingly clean creatures. They spend as much as 50% of their waking time grooming themselves. However, apart from cleanliness, grooming has a great number of other purposes.
Cats lick themselves to cool down when the weather is too warm as well as they groom themselves to clean away odor-causing agents as a protection against predators. Grooming also aids in getting rid of parasites , relieving stress, stimulating blood flow and cleansing injuries, therefore preventing infections. As a result, cats are typically less susceptible to diseases.
Who Made Up The 9 Lives Myth
According to Blue Cross, no one is entirely sure where this myth originates.
Even as far back as Ancient Egyptian times, kitties were worshipped as sacred creatures, with many attaching superstitions, supernatural powers and mystical beliefs to pussycats.
As a result, some suspect the myth started here.
Others trace the rumour back to William Shakespeare, as theres a mention of the nine lives of felines in Romeo and Juliet. Theres also an ancient proverb that states: A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays and for the last three he stays.
Its more plausible that the myth gathered weight over time, due to our kitties impressive ability to get themselves out of tight corners, thanks to their intelligence, dexterity and agility.
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Cat Survival Instincts Explained
“Genetically speaking, there’s not much difference between our pet cats and wild cats,” Lugones says. “They have retained a lot of their wild characteristics and natural survival instincts such as their ability to stalk, hunt, and pounce their prey, whether it be small animals outside, or toys that we have for them inside our homes.”
Another of these instincts, known as the “righting reflex,” explains why many felines find themselves feet first after a fall. They are able to right their body instinctively to land on their paws, so only their pride is wounded. But depending on the severity of the fall, kitty may not always be able to put her best foot forward, and serious injuries are possible. The righting reflex is an instinct only, and kitties are still susceptible to the dangers around them.
Why Do People Think Cats Have 9 Lives
As with most urban legends, it is difficult to determine precisely where the idea of cats having 9 lives originated. Several cultures lay claim to different numbers with some saying these beloved feline creatures are given 6 chances at life and others claiming 7.
When it comes to escaping disasters, cats certainly have all the luck. Whether theyve thwarted meeting their eternal doom when their persistent scratching brings down the living room curtains with a resounding crash, narrowly missed the moving wheels of a car, or miraculously avoided a tumbling coat rack used as a scratching post shuffling them from this life to the next, there is no question that cats are experts at avoiding great personal peril. How is this possible?
Cats are quick moving animals that possess a natural athleticism and grace. Their bodies are both compressible and flexible, allowing them to contort themselves into unusual positions to escape the threat of danger. In addition to this, cats are born with a natural instinct to move their bodies into an upright position when falling, permitting them to land squarely on their feet more often than not. This capability helps to prevent injuries which could be life threatening were the cat to make impact head first or on its side.
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Is There Any Truth Behind The Myth
Despite the idea that cats are godlike and invincible, and the fact that nine is a significant number in many cultures, the reality is that cats do not actually have nine lives.
Dispelling the Myth of Nine Lives
For one, cats are not described as having nine lives in all cultures. While certain areas around the world believe that cats have multiple lives, the number nine is not universal. For example, in Arabic-speaking parts of the world, cats are believed to have six lives. And in Spanish-speaking parts of the world as well as Italy, Greece, and Brazil, people believe that cats have seven lives. The fact that the myth is not agreed upon across the board proves that it’s more folklore than fact.
Beyond the inconsistency of the myth, however, the science is plain: Like all other animals on the planet, cats only have one life that ends much like the lives of other living beings. A study published in October 2016 in Scientific Reports found that the #1 killer of cats is kidney disease, and that acute kidney failure usually leads to the death of a cat around age 15.
The Partial Truth That Explains Why the Myth Has Persisted
While cats donât actually have nine lives, many humans believe this myth because cats are able to survive falls that would surely be lethal to most humans. But science can explain this phenomenon.
Why Do We Say Cats Have Nine Lives
A cat is one of the most agile, quick-witted and independent pets out there. In particular, cats can withstand falls that would easily kill a human which perhaps explains where the idea that a cat has nine lives came from. In one documented case, a pet cat in New York City survived a fall of 32 storeys with only relatively minor injuries. This ability to survive against the odds is all thanks to a cats amazing anatomy:
- Cats evolved to live in trees, and many wild feline species still do. Millions of years of springing or falling from a height ensure they have adapted to handle it well.
- Their impressive righting reflex enables them to twist their bodies around while falling, to land squarely on all four feet.
- Cats have a large body surface area compared with their weight, which also helps reduce the force of their landing.
- They also have great flexibility in their bones and ligaments, which helps them to sustain minimal injury from impacts.
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Do Cats Have Nine Lives
Throughout history, cats have been associated with something mysterious or even magical. While many legends have been created, one of the most mysterious one is about their unusual endurance. From times immemorial, they are said to have nine lives.
Cats might be a little mysterious but they obviously do not have nine lives, do they?
Of course, the answer is no. Cats do not really have nine lives. They are not immortal and there is no scientific evidence that would suggest that cats have nine lives.
So, to your surprise: the saying that Cats have nine lives. is just a myth. However, one that believes in reincarnation may say that cats have more than one life, but then not necessarily only nine. Right?
Cats Have Extremely Good Flexibility And Agility That Allows Them To Survive Life
Cats are also known for their flexibility and agility. Their flexible backbones and ligaments with their light structure help them to eliminate severe injuries from many types of accidents.
Moreover, they have quick decision-making skills and are able to react to danger incredibly fast because of their superior reflexes and great dexterity which definitely helps them to survive life-threatening situations.
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Are They Reborn Or Just Good At Jumping
Cats don’t really have nine lives. But the main reason that cats got a reputation for reincarnation is their ability to jump and land.
They climb high trees, run in front of cars and jump from high places. Surely someone with only one, short life wouldnt leap about frantically, like a pogo stick with a death wish?
Cats do though. So an old housewives tale, based on the fact that Mr Nibbles would jump from the top of the wardrobe and land on his feet, has persisted over hundreds of years.
Why Do Cats Have Nine Lives
There are tons of superstitions, which attribute different supernatural abilities to all cats.
The myth that cats have multiplelives is known all over the world. However, those multiple lives arent alwaysnine. The number varies from culture to culture.
In certain regions of Spain, itsbelieved that cats have seven lives. Turkish and Arabic legends say cats havesix lives. Italy, Germany, Greece, Brazil and some Spanish-speaking regionsgrant them seven.
No one knows where the expression came from, but it has been around for centuries, even William Shakespeare used the expression in Romeo and Juliet:
Tybalt:What wouldst thou have with me?Mercutio: Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives.
Theres an old English proverb thatsays: A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, andfor the last three he stays. This may be where the myth came from, butthis proverb is not meant in seriousness.
Nine is considered a magic number,which might be part of the reason cats are attributed with nine lives. Catshave been worshipped and feared throughout the ages and seen as magicalcreatures. Again, they are known as witches familiars.
In ancient Greece, the number nine referred to the trinity of all trinities. A supernatural number that invokes tradition and religion.
Others say that nine lives date backto Egyptian times. Egyptians revered cats and believed they held magical properties.
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Are Black Cats Unlucky
This myth can be incredibly damaging, as, even today, black cats are harder to rehome due to the negative associations they carry.
For centuries, black cats have featured in folklore and mythologies.
In the US and many parts of Europe, black cats are thought to signify bad luck.
In Italy, some believe that a black cat hopping on the neighbouring bed to that of an ill person signals oncoming death, while in China, black cat sightings are sometimes interpreted as symbols of impending poverty.
On the other hand, in Japan, crossing paths with a black pussycat is a sign of good fortune in Germany this depends on the direction in which the cat is walking: left to right is good, right to left is bad.
If you happen to find a black puss on your doorstep in Scotland, its believed youll soon come into wealth.
Do Cats Have Nine Lives The Origin Of The Saying
Cats are lucky. After all, nothing else in the animal kingdom can boast more than one lifelet alone nine! So, do cats have nine lives? While felines display a Houdini-like knack for escaping precarious situations unscathed, we know that, unfortunately, the nine lives thing is a myth. But where did this common saying originate?
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Does A Cat Really Have Nine Lives
Does a cat really have nine lives? There have always been a lot of rumors about cats, and the rumors about cats having 9 lives have convinced some people. In fact, cats have only one life. The fact that cats have 9 lives is nothing more than a legend.
Cats do not have 9 lives. Cats can be thrown to death, so be sure to watch them carefully and dont let them fall from a high altitude! There have always been a lot of rumors about cats, and the rumors about cats having 9 lives have convinced some people. In fact, cats have only one life. The fact that cats have 9 lives is nothing more than a legend.
In the Buddhist scripture Shang Qulu, it is said: There is nine life for cats, which are connectedness, spirit, calmness, righteousness, enlightenment, light, essence, energy, and god. Ancient folk rumors say that cats grow a new tail every 9 years. In the end, it became the Nine Lives Cat Demon and transformed into a human form. To this day, many countries have a saying similar to Cats have nine lives. In the final analysis, they are all derived from the powerful vitality of cats.
The following is from the scientific Angles to unlock the secret of the Nine Lives Cat.
1.Cats with four feet on the ground have a strong righting reflection ability. No matter what position they fall in, the cat can quickly flip its body and adjust to a downward posture. When approaching the ground, The cats body has been fully prepared.
Does a cat really have nine lives?