11 Things Only Cat Owners Know

I didn’t know anything about cats before we got our two fluffballs moving in with us. Since then I’ve learned a lot about cats and I’m presenting 11 new revelations around cats that I’ve had since then.

1. If you press on a cat’s paw, its claws come out. Our cats don’t even mind us touching their paws and pressing on them. Many cats apparently don’t like it at all – so be careful if you ever want to try this!
2. Many cats have a dark spot on the roof of their mouths. When Garrus does one of his extensive yawns, you can easily see the dark spot at the roof of his mouth. I initially thought he had somehow injured himself, but the internet tells me this is very common and there’s no reason at all to worry about it.
3. Cats snore. Their snow can range from quiet heavy breathing to a very noisy type of squeak.
4. Cats have their own personalities. Granted, this one is not very surprising, but if you’ve never had cats, it’s kind of hard to tell. Our cats are both black and look almost identical, which is why, before I had learned what distinguishes them, I mostly told them apart by their personalities. Garrus loves caves and will make his way to lie under blankets. He’s a real clown! Wrex on the other hand is extremely cuddly and loves sitting on a lap receiving strokes.

5. Some cats like to sit on shoulders. With our two cats, it’s Garrus who enjoys climing on people’s backs. He used to like shoulders, now it has to be a whole back. He’s losing interest in it a little bit, but he still likes it on occasion. It’s good to have some advanced warning, as I can tell you from personal experience that it’s very unpleasant to have a cat with all claws out jump on your back when you’re only wearing thin pyjamas.
6. Cats like company. One of the cliches I knew about cats is that they are loners and don’t like other cats. In reality, most cats do enjoy having company, not only in the form of other humans but also other cats. You should therefore never keep a cat as the only cat in your own.
7. Adult cats usually can’t digest milk. Whenever we had a cat coming to our yard when I was a kid, we used to put out some milk thinned with a bit of water. Nowadays, I’d not do that anymore, as I know most cats are lactose intolerant. As a consequence, cats who drink milk will often get diarrhea from it, just like lactose intolerant people.
8. Cats can learn to perform tricks. Everyone kows that dogs can be taught to sit and give a paw on command. Cats on the other hand are seen as hard to train. Why, I’m not quite sure, as using a clicker and rewards can be very effecting in teaching your cats.
9. Cats always have a teddy bear with them. If you look closely, a cat’s paw looks like a little teddy bear!

10. Cats can dream. Sometimes when a cat is snoozing on your lap, you can watch their eyelids move and their limbs twitch. Supposedly this means they’re having a dream. Do cats dream of electric mice?
11. Cats have baby teeth that eventually fall out. On occasion, they’ll even have baby teeth and grown teeth in their mouths at the same time. And then suddenly the baby teeth fall out. I suppose if humans lose their baby teeth, why not cats?