June is Adopt a Cat Month, and I hope lots of cats will be getting fur-ever homes this month. In honor of our paw-some feline friends, I am going to devote all blog posts this month to feline topics.

To whet your appetite for all things feline, here are some fun facts about Felis catus.

Kitten Facts

Every year, kitten season starts around the first day of spring, when female cats come into heat as days get longer. 65 days (plus or minus 2 days) after mating, the litter of fur potatoes arrives. Kittens are born with their eyes and ears shut and without teeth. Kitten eyes and ears open at about 9-10 days of age. The 26 baby teeth begin to erupt at 3-4 weeks of age. Kittens do not need to be trained to use a litter box. If you provide one, they use it starting at about 3-4 weeks of age!

Cat Facts

Adult cats have 4 more teeth than kittens do for a total of 30 teeth. Dogs have 42 permanent teeth. Because cats are obligate carnivores (their diet must consist of meat), they need fewer teeth than dogs who are omnivores.

White cats with blue eyes are commonly deaf. This combination of white coat color, light eye color and deafness is known as Waardenburg’s Syndrome. A similar syndrome occurs in humans.

Even though this is a fun blog post, I have to put in one serious feline fact. According to Pet Obesity Prevention, 60% of cats are overweight or obese. To help you determine if your cat is one of the 60%, review our feline body condition score chart featuring famous felines.

One of cats’ most endearing qualities is “making dough” or kneading with their paws on a fluffy blanket, their bed or your leg. This instinctive behavior facilitates the release of milk during nursing. Because cats associate this behavior with food, many cats knead into adulthood as a happiness indicator.

Are you a cat whisperer?

If you think you are a cat expert, consider testing your skills with this interactive quiz on the meaning of the faces your cat makes.