Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles The internet loves cats, but did you know the print on a cat's nose has a unique rigid pattern just like a fingerprint? Or that catnip really is like a drug for cats? One of its volatile oils called Nepetalactone enters the cats' nasal tissue and acts like an artificial cat pheromone. The sensory neurons are stimulated and ultimately trigger a behavioral and sexual response in the brain and body in around 80% of cats, which must be nice, considering cats spend around 85% of their day doing absolutely nothing. Drinking, eating, defecating and even mating only take up about 4% combined. But when they are moving, they always seem to land on their feet. This is because of something called the "Righting Reflex". Not only do cats have very sensitive motion and gravity sensing abilities allowing them to determine which way is down, they also have an extremely flexible backbone and no collarbone. By bending in the middle and using fast twitch muscle fibers, they can whip around without ever changing their net angular momentum. And did you know that when a cat lifts its tail while being pet, it's really inviting you to smell its behind? Cats use scent to communicate and this exposes glands and pheromones holding their signature smell, a nice alternative to a hug or a handshake. They also rub up against you to spread these pheromones. The glands on their face, tail and body, help them to claim you with their scent, while also leaving nearby cats signals about their identity, sexual availability and territory. On the other hand, cats bury their poop in an attempt to hide its smell. This evolutionary instinct is not only to avoid attracting predators but to show that they're submissive to a dominant cat in the wild. In the case of your house, this is your cats way of recognizing you as dominant. Also in complete darkness, cats can't actually see, though they can see much better than you and I in dim light. Cats have a layer of cells behind the retina called the Tupetum Lucidum, which acts like a mirror reflecting extra light back at the retina. In near darkness, this gives their eyes a second chance to pick up more light, but without any light present, they can't see anymore than we can. And if you ever see a cat with three distinct colors, often called a Calico or Tortoiseshell cat, you can bet it's female. The fur color gene is located on the "X" chromosome. This means females can have two colors, in addition to white, because they have two "X" chromosomes. The male "Y" chromosome, on the other hand, does not have any color genes. As a result, males will generally only have one color along with white, though in rare genetic cases, it is possible for them to have more. Interestingly, we still don't really know why cats purr. In fact, cats purr both during pleasurable situations but also while they're in duress or injured. While many believe it's a means to communicate passivity or pleasure, one interesting theory suggests that the frequency that purrs occur at 24 - 140 Hz promotes healthy bone growth and healing. Because cats have adapted to a lifestyle with frequent rest and sleep, this may be a low energy mechanism to promote muscle and bone health. (You've) got a burning question you want answered? Ask it in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter. And subscribe for more weekly science videos.
B2 colour purr chromosome retina smell dominant The Science of Cats 17996 413 VoiceTube posted on 2022/09/25 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary