50 Fascinating Facts About Cats
14 The oldest known cat lived to be 38 years old.
15 Cats have the ability to make over 100 different sounds, while dogs can only make around 10.
16 A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than a human’s.
While humans have approximately 5 million olfactory receptors in their noses, cats have between 45 and 80 million, depending on the breed. This means that cats have a much greater ability to detect scents and can distinguish between a much wider range of smells than humans can.
Cats rely heavily on their sense of smell to navigate their environment, communicate with other cats, and hunt prey. They have a special organ called the vomeronasal organ, located in the roof of their mouth, that helps them detect pheromones and other chemical signals. This organ allows cats to “taste” the air and gather information about their surroundings.
In addition to their heightened sense of smell, cats also have very sensitive whiskers and an acute sense of hearing, making them well-equipped to navigate and survive in their natural habitats.