I'd like to correct two of your facts a bit, I hope you don't mind. D:
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Cats will rarely meow to each other, and the reason for this is the cat's meow was evolved to imitate a human infants wails to get attention and food.
Meowing is actually how mother cats and their kittens communicate with each other! Adult cats meow at us because they cannot communicate with us very well using the same ways they mainly communicate with other cats (via body language, touch, scent, hissing/yowling), so they continue meowing because it works better. While it may have helped to kind of simulate a human infant, that's not why it evolved. c: Cats also meow for more reasons than to get attention or food; they may meow to greet you, to let you know they like or dislike something, or if they're stressed or in pain.
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(This one might be more well known) I believe in Japan (it might be China and my tired brain is being wack) They cut cats tails off in fear of them splitting in two.
It was common in Japan at one point because of the legends stating that long-tailed cats could curse people (some other legends say that cats will eventually split their tail if they live long enough and gain supernatural powers), but is (thankfully!) no longer a common practice. It did affect Japan's (and Southeast Asia's as a whole, I believe) cat population though, as 30-40% of cats there are naturally bobtailed! It also led to the creation of the Japanese Bobtail breed (which is one of my favorites).
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(Also might be well known but still funky) A white cat born with blue eyes is not at all uncommon to be deaf.
White cats are prone to deafness because the gene that causes the white coat can also cause degeneration of the inner ear! It is more common in blue-eyed cats, with 65-85% of all blue-eyed white cats being deaf. However, it can also affect cats that don't have blue eyes (17-22%), as well as odd-eyed cats (~40%; if they are deaf in one ear, it is always the side with the blue eye).
Okay, now for some of my own facts. :'D
- Speaking of Japanese Bobtails, they are the only breed where the bobtail does not cause health issues. Other bobtailed breeds like the Manx, carry a different gene that can cause many problems, such as arthritis, "Manx Syndrome" (where the spine is shortened/deformed and leads to many complications, such as spina bifida, digestion/bowel problems, small bladders, and early death), and megacolon! On top of that, the Manx gene is homozygous fatal, meaning that kittens that get two copies of it die in the womb. :c
- There is a dog breed called the Norwegian Lundehund which is very unique. They are extremely flexible, able to touch their heads to their backs, and able to raise their legs at a 90-degree angle to their body, like humans. They usually have six toes on each paw, and can close their ears. They were bred to hunt puffins, and nearly went extinct when hunters began using nets instead and a dog tax was put in place.
- The King Cobra is not a true cobra; cobras are in the genus
Naja while the King Cobra is the only species in its own genus
Ophiophagus (which means "snake-eater").
- It is a common misconception that dogs with black/blue spots on their tongues are part Chow. In reality, over 30 breeds are known to have these spots, and there's another breed with a solid blue-black tongue, the Shar Pei.
- Another dog misconception is that a blue-eyed dog is automatically a husky mix. There are other breeds that can have genetically blue eyes, such as Australian Shepherds, as well as coat colors that cause blue eyes (merle, piebald, and oculocutaneous albinism).
I'm tired, so that's all I can think of for now. Feel free to ping me if anyone thinks any of these are off. c:
