Amazing facts about cats

Here is a list of less known facts about cats:

• The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.
• A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute.
• Cats knead with their paws when they're happy.
• The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
• During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.
• Cats have 290 bones in their bodies, and 517 muscles.
• There are three body types for a cat. Cobby type is a compact body, deep chest, short legs and broad head. The eyes are large and round. Muscular type is a sturdy body and round, full-cheeked head. Foreign type is a slender body, with long legs and a long tail. The head is wedge-shaped, with tall ears and slanting eyes.
• Know how old your cat really is? If your cat is 3, your cat is 21 in human years. If your cat is 8, your cat is 40 in human years. If your cat is 14, your cat is 70 in human years.
• The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years.
• A cat's normal body temperature is 101.5 degrees F (38.6 C). This is slightly warmer than a humans.
• There are two species of wild cats in African and Europe that still hunt. These two species both resemble the domestic tabbies.
• Cats are partially color blind. They have the equivalency of human red/green color blindness. (Reds appear green and greens appear red; or shades thereof.)
• Cats don't see "detail" very well. To them, their person may appear hazy when standing in front of them.
• Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their night vision is amazing!
• The color of a kitten's eyes will change as it grows older.
• At birth, kittens can't see or hear. Cats open their eyes after five to fifteen days and begin to develop their eyesight and hearing at approximately 2 weeks. They begin to walk at 20 days.
• Kittens begin dreaming at just over one week old.
• A cat's ear pivots 180 degrees. They have 30 muscles in each ear, and use twelve or more muscles to control their ear movement.
• Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!
• Cats are more active during the evening hours.
• Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
• An adult cat has 32 teeth.