What does your cat have in common with lions?
Cats love to scratch almost anything.
All types of cats, whether large or small, have retractable claws except Cheetahs which only have semi-retractable claws due to their running habit. As well as using their claws to hunt, they also use them to climb trees and gain traction, so when these tools are stored when not in use, they stay sharp.
However, when lions scratch a tree trunk, this not only allows them to condition their claws, but also allows them to mark their territory via the sweat glands on their paws, as mentioned above.
Members of the feline family sniff with their mouths open.
Cats have a severely strong sense of smell due to the several million receptors lining their tiny noses (in contrast to humans who only have 5 million olfactory receptors). Furthermore, they are among the animals with an organ that can detect other odors. Such is the so-called Jacobson’s organ, which is located at the base of the nasal cavity and is present in both cats and dogs, pigs, cows, snakes and lizards.
Jacobson’s organs provide cats with the ability to taste and smell substances. They use this organ to make use of a movement called the Flehmen response, to open the mouth, make the nose wrinkle, and pause breathing. It’s easier to notice the “stinky face” in larger cats, although cat lovers can easily see it in their pets.
They rub their bodies against surfaces.
Cats have scent glands on different parts of their bodies: the front legs, the base of the tail, the sides of the face, and the areas around the mouth. Once a cat rubs against a surface (just like you), it marks its territory using pheromones.
When big cats want to warn other animals that they might enter their territory, they bump their heads on things in the environment to leave their scent behind.
They sleep most of the time.
Some cat owners think that their pet sleeps too much and when they look this up online, they get the answer that it is natural for a cat to sleep for a long time, 12 to 16 hours a day. However, this does not mean that they are lazy. Since cats are predators, they need to save energy to engage in high-intensity hunting.
Not all hunting activities lead to a tasty meal, so cats typically go through the feed-rest-hunt cycle. The same goes for big cats like tigers and lions. They can sleep in the shade for up to 20 hours. When they have a prized catch, they will not move until they are fully digested.
They love catnip.
The Nepeta cataria plant, commonly known as catnip, affects domestic cats in the most profound way. Once a pet gets a sprig of catnip, they will lick, sniff and roll around a lot (with more than this they will even jump up and then go to sleep).
It’s in their genes to enjoy nepetalactone, an active compound in catnip. Although 30-40% have no interest in it, many of their older relatives love it. Lions and jaguars have a strong reaction to catnip but, like house cats, this can vary from cat to cat.