Cats and Kittens

A burial site in Cyprus provides the first archaeological evidence of humans and cats  living side-by-side, as far back as 9500 BC. Cats must have been brought to the island intentionally by humans.

In ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped, mummified, and—artwork suggests—kept  on leashes as part of the cult of the goddess Bastet.

In 31 BC, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire. Cats were introduced into  Roman life, becoming truly widespread in Europe around the 4th century AD. A cat skeleton from this period shows the shortened skull of domestic cats today.

In Europe, Sir Isaac Newton is rumoured to have invented the cat door in the late 17th or early 18th century.

Cats continued their service as mousers throughout history, even serving as official  employees of the United States Postal Service as late as 19th and early 20th century America.

A cat's meow is usually not directed at another cat, but at a human. To communicate with other cats, they will usually hiss, purr and spit.

Want to call a hairball by its scientific name? Next time, say the word "bezoar."

Eating grass rids a cats' system of any fur and helps with digestion.

Cats have the cognitive ability to sense a human's feelings and overall mood.

Cats use their whiskers to measure openings, indicate mood and general navigation.

If you killed a cat in the ages of Pharaoh, you could've been put to death.

Cats actually have dreams, just like us. They start dreaming when they reach a week old.

A group of kittens is called a "kindle", and "clowder" is a term that refers to a group of adult cats.

If your cat's eyes are closed, it's not necessarily because it's tired. A sign of closed eyes means your cat is happy or pleased.

When a household cat died in ancient Egypt, its owners showed their grief by shaving their eyebrows.