00:00:00
The internet loves cats, but did you know
the print on the cats nose has a unique
00:00:04
rigid pattern just like a fingerprint?
Or that catnip really is like a
00:00:07
drug for cats? One of its volatile
oils called nepetalactone enters
00:00:11
the cats nasal tissue and acts like an
artificial cat pharamone. The sensory neurons are
00:00:16
stimulated and ultimately trigger a
behavioral and sexual response in the
00:00:19
brain and body in around 80%
of cats. Which must be nice considering
00:00:24
cats spend around 85%
of their day doing absolutely nothing.
00:00:27
Drinking, eating, defecating and even
mating only take up about 4%
00:00:31
combined. But when they are moving, they
always seem to land on their feet. This
00:00:35
is because of something called the
"Righting Reflex". Not only do cats have very
00:00:39
sensitive motion and gravity sensing
abilities allowing them to determine
00:00:43
which way is down, they also have an
extremely flexible backbone and no
00:00:47
By bending in the middle and using fast
twitch muscle fibers they can whip
00:00:51
around without ever changing their net
angular momentum. And did you know that
00:00:54
when a cat lifts its tail while being pet
it's really inviting you to smell it's
00:01:00
Cats use sent to communicate and this
exposes glands and pharamones holding
00:01:03
their signature smell. A nice alternative
to a hug or a handshake. They also
00:01:07
rub up against you to spread these
pharamones. The glands on their face, tail and
00:01:11
body help them to claim you with their
sent, while also leaving nearby cats
00:01:15
signals about their identity, sexual
availability and territory. On the other
00:01:20
hand, cats bury their poop in an
attempt to hide its smell. This evolutionary
00:01:24
instinct is not only to avoid attracting
predators
00:01:27
but to show that they're submissive to a
dominant cat in the wild. In the case of
00:01:30
your house, this is your cats way of
recognizing you as dominant.
00:01:34
Also in complete darkness cats can't
actually see, though they can see much
00:01:38
better than you and I in dim light. Cats have a layer of cells behind the
00:01:42
retina called the "Tupetum Lucidum"
which acts like a mirror reflecting extra
00:01:46
light back at the retina. In near darkness
this gives their eyes a second chance to
00:01:50
pick up more light, but without any light
present they can't see anymore than we can.
00:01:54
And if you ever see a cat with three
distinct colours, often called a Calico
00:01:58
or Tortoise Shell cat you can bet it's
female. The fur colour gene is located on
00:02:02
the "X" chromosome. This means females can have two colours in addition to white
00:02:06
because they have two "X" chromosomes.
The male "Y" chromosome, on the other hand,
00:02:10
does not have any colour genes, as a
result males will generally only have
00:02:14
one colour along with white
00:02:15
though in rare genetic cases it is possible for
them to have more. Interestingly we still
00:02:20
don't really know why cats purr. In fact
cats purr both during pleasurable
00:02:23
situations but also while they're
in duress or injured. While many believe
00:02:27
it's a means to communicate passivity or
pleasure,
00:02:30
one interesting theory suggests that the
frequency that purrs occur at
00:02:34
(24 - 140 Hz) promotes healthy
bone growth and healing. Because cats have
00:02:38
adapted to a lifestyle with frequent
rest and sleep, this may be a low
00:02:41
energy mechanism to promote muscle and
bone health.
00:02:45
Got a burning question you want answered? Ask it in the comments, or on facebook and twitter.
00:02:49
And subscribe for more weekly science
videos.
русский▼
English
