By Cherise Udell, Care2
How well do you know the feline family? Here is a fun selection of true or false questions that may surprise you!
1. Cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, which is similar to an idling diesel engine. True or False?
2. Cats have been known to survive falls up to 200 feet. True or False?
3. Catnip is similar to human hallucinogens. True or False?
4. All cats are susceptible to the brain altering chemicals in catnip. True or False?
5. A cat sweats through its tail and ears. True or False?
6. In the Middle Ages cats were thought to have poisonous fangs and many of society's ailments from stale beer to the spread of diseases were blamed on cats. True or False?
7. With the spread of the Plague in Europe, the reputation of cats was salvaged. True or False?
8. Cats have been domesticated twice as long as dogs. True or False?
9. A group of cats is called a "clowder." True or False?
10. Cheetahs can purr, but they cannot roar. True or False?
Now, the answers!
1. Cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, which is similar to an idling diesel engine. True or False? True.
2. Cats have been known to survive falls up to 200 feet. True or False? True. A feline named Andy, once owned by a Florida State Senator, fell a dizzying 200 feet and survived!
3. Catnip is similar to human hallucinogens. True or False? True. The primary active compound in catnip is Nepetalactone, which is chemically analogous to human hallucinogens.
4. All cats are susceptible to the brain altering chemicals in catnip. True or False? False. Some cats are entirely unaffected. Others appear to have devoured a dozen pot brownies!
5. A cat sweats through its tail and ears. True or False? False. A cat actually sweats through its paw pads and nose.
6. In the Middle Ages cats were thought to have poisonous fangs and many of society's ailments from stale beer to the spread of diseases were blamed on cats. True or False? True. Because felines were associated with femininity and sensuality and seen as inherently dangerous and untrustworthy, the Church declared the cat evil and a symbol of Satan. Hundreds of thousands of cats were skinned alive, tortured and crucified - and as we all know, thrown into fires with "witches." The Middle Ages was NOT a good time to be a cat.
7. With the spread of the Plague in Europe, the reputation of cats was salvaged. True or False? True. For 200 years, cats had been targeted and exterminated and consequently the rat population exploded. In 1799, cats suddenly came back into fashion.
8. Cats have been domesticated twice as long as dogs. True or False? False. Cats actually have been domesticated for only half as long as dogs.
9. A group of cats is called a "clowder." True or False? True. That said, have you ever heard the term used?
10. Cheetahs can purr, but they cannot roar. True or False? True. Unlike true "big cats," cheetahs cannot roar, but they do purr and chirp.
Did you know the answers to most of these questions? Did any of the answers surprise you? Do you have any other fun true/false questions to share?
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