How the Loss of a Tail Affects A Cat and More

A cat’s tail is obviously there for a reason. The tail is used for balance like how a tightrope walker uses a long pole. If the cat is walking along a narrow ledge or fence and decides to peer over in one direction, he automatically moves his tail in the opposite direction. However, cats compensate quite well if the loss of their tail is because of an accident.

How Can Cats Walk in Snow and Get Frozen Paws

Cats’ footpads are very calloused areas, made of a modified type of skin that covers a thick cushion of connective tissue, making them much tougher than normal skin. Because these areas are thicker, they offer some protection against the cold. Where there is no calloused skin, there is fur.

Why Cats Don’t Drink Much Water

The cat’s ancestors were originally desert animals. Their kidneys have adapted to functioning incredibly well without much water and can eliminate many harmful toxins into the urine without needing much fluid to do so. The average healthy cat needs very little fluid to maintain his health. If you are feeding your cat canned food, which is 70% water, the cat may choose not to drink much water. However, fresh water should always be available.

Can a Cat Get Sunburn?

Not only can a cat get sunburn, but he can get a serious form of skin cancer as a result. White faced cats and/or pink nosed cats are especially susceptible to solar dermatitis. If not treated, it can induce squamous-cell carcinoma, a form of cancer. It’s best to keep all cats indoors.

Why Cats Have Such Large Litters

Nature was kind to cats when it came to guaranteeing the survival of their species. First, your cat can get pregnant as early as four months of age. Plus, the feline reproductive cycle is set up so that the female doesn’t ovulate until she has been by stimulated by a male cat. In other words, her eggs are released and available for fertilization only after the male’s sperm has been introduced into her reproductive tract. Because she ovulates instantly when she mates, the odds that she will become pregnant are greatly increased.

The Largest Litter of Cats

One of the largest known litters in which all the kittens survived was from the offspring of Bluebell, a Persian from South Africa. She once gave birth to 14 kittens. Cats can produce two or three litters a year. During her reproductive life, a female could have more than a hundred offspring. A tabby beat this record in 1952. By the time Dusty had her last litter at age 18, she’d had more than 400 kittens.

Average Length of Life

The average life span of a cat has nearly doubled since 1930, with most indoor cats living16 to 20 years. There are countless documented examples of cats who have lived beyond the age of twenty. Outside cats who fend for themselves on the streets, on the other hand, normally live only 3 to 4 years.

The Oldest Cat

One of the all-time senior citizen cat records was held by Puss, a cat who lived with Mrs. T. Holway of Devon, England, until she died on November 29, 1939 just one day after her 36th birthday.