Dog days are over

Us Brits are notorious for our love of animals and man has been domesticating cats and dogs for thousands of years. Cats were worshipped as gods by the ancient Egyptians and dogs helped man to hunt and protected him.

However, man’s best friend is no longer the dog and Britain’s favourite pet is the cat, with 1.1 million more homes choosing felines over canines.

Your cat could be your greatest friend and ally, the source of companionship and comfort. You’ve probably shared many happy moments with your cat, but how much do you really know about your furry friend?

Feline Facts

A cat can stare at a king

Don’t have a staring competition with your cat. If you look directly at your cat they’ll feel threatened. If they look away from you, it means they respect you.

Cat got your tongue?

Cats are very vocal, so the more that you talk to the cat, the more they’ll ‘talk’ to you. Cats rarely meow at other animals; it’s their way of communicating with humans.

The cat that got the cream

Cats cannot taste sweet things and are lactose intolerant, yet love to lap up milk or cream. You should never feed a cat dog food, as cats need far more protein than dogs.

The cat’s out of the bag

Your cat can run at 30 mph (48 kph), which is faster than Usain Bolt. However, a cat will only hunt if their mother trained them to when they were a kitten.

The trouble with a kitten is that it becomes a cat

All kittens are born with blue eyes, with their eyes changing colour within the first weeks once they have opened their eyes. The correct name for a group of kittens is a kindle.

John Lewis Cat Insurance

Whichever type of cat you choose, make sure that your furry friend is covered against illness and injury. John Lewis Pet Insurance provides high-quality pet cover which is excellent value for money.

All of our pet policies offer a wide range of benefits and your pet will be covered for vet fees up to £12,000 each year, including alternative treatments such as hydrotherapy and acupuncture, as long as your policy is renewed and your premiums are paid.

Our pet policies also include insurance for kittens as we cover cats from as young as eight weeks old, and with no upper age limits your beloved cat can be insured for the long term.

Terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply.

John Lewis Insurance is a trading name of John Lewis plc. Registered office: 171 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5NN. Registered in England (No.233462). John Lewis plc is an appointed representative of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc. John Lewis Pet Insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (No. 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St. Mark's Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XL. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded and monitored.