Our feline friends are unique and wonderful companions. Below is a collection of interesting and fun facts about cats.

• Cats are members of the Felidea family.

• A litter of kittens is called a kindle, and a group of cats is called a clowder.

• A cat's IQ is only surpassed by that of monkeys and chimps in the world of animals.

• Cats are the only animals that purr. They can purr at around 26 cycles per second, which is the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.

• Purring doesn't necessarily mean a cat is happy. Sometimes cats will purr when they are scared or hurt.

• A cat's nose pad is as unique as a human fingerprint. No two nose prints are identical.

• Petting or stroking a cat has actually been proven to help in lowering one's blood pressure.

• One way a cat shows s/he trusts you is by rolling over on his/her back.

• A cat's hearing is much stronger and more sensitive than a dog's or a human's. Our hearing stops at 20 khz; a cat's at 65 khz.

• Cats have 32 muscles in each ear and can turn their ear very quickly to catch noise. Much faster than a very alert watchdog.

• A cat's sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than ours.

• Cats have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws. If a cat is polydactyl, s/he has extra toes.

• Cats have over 100 vocals sounds, while dogs have only 10.

• Normal body temperature for a cat is between 100.5 F and 102.5 F.

• Cats drink liquid from the underside of their tongue, not from the top.

• Cats use their whiskers to determine if the space they are entering is big enough for them.

• To calm a frightened cat put your hand over his/her eyes and forehead or let him/her bury his/her head in your armpit.

• Only about 80% of cats have the gene that allows them to respond to the effects of catnip. The other 20% are not affected by it.

• Domestic cats are the only cats that can hold their tails vertically while they walk. Wild cats hold theirs horizontally or between their legs.

• The only "natural" breed of domestic cat in America is the Main Coon.

• Cats get an average of 16 hours of sleep per day.

• A cat lover is called an ailurophile.