Going Green: Six simple things you can do:

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

We've all heard about climate change, but here are some scary statistics. The United Nations says that 150,000 people are dying each year because the world is getting hotter. And it's not just people who are suffering; Greenpeace tell us that in 50 years one third of all land-based species could face extinction.

Here are six steps you can try at home.

Recycle as much as you can
Most local councils have a recycling scheme which means you can separate your rubbish into what can and can't be recycled. The most common things to recycle are glass (bottles and jars) and paper (newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper and packaging). Help your family to recycle by making a special poster to explain what can be recycled, or by making a special bin to put it in.

DONATE

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

Donate what you don't want
You might not want something anymore, but that doesn't mean someone else doesn't need it. Recycling centres collect clothes, furniture and computers and distribute them to people who need them. If you're sorting out your old toys, don't throw them in the bin; they'll just end up in a landfill site. Instead why not donate them to your local charity shop or the children's ward of your local hospital. If you want to swap them for something you really want, there are some good websites that can help you give away things for free, and find things you that want. Try Freecycle.

BAN CARRIER BAGS

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

The plastic in most carrier bags does not biodegrade, so it can take around 100 years to break down. Recycle Now told us that every year 100,000 tonnes of plastic bags are thrown away; amazingly that's the same weight as 70,000 cars! If you've got supermarket carrier bags at home, take them back to the shop they came from - they should know how to recycle them. Better still, stop using them altogether and buy reusable shopping bags. There are some great reusable shopping bags in the shops. Why not think about giving them to people in your family as Christmas presents?

SAVE ELECTRICITY

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

Make sure you don't leave things like the TV and DVD player on standby because they're still using up to 85% of the energy they would if they were switched on. Grown-ups aren't very good at remembering to turn lights off - so remind them! When light bulbs need changing encourage your parents to change them for energy-efficient bulbs. They're more expensive but will last 10 times as long as normal bulbs and use four times less energy. And remember; always turn things off when you leave the room, if there's no one there there's no reason for the TV/lights/music/ to be on!

MAKE COMPOST

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

Around 30% of the rubbish from our homes can be put onto a compost heap, instead of in the bin. Compost is just broken-down, rotted organic matter. You can put in anything that was once alive (apart from meat and animal products), so egg shells, coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, apple cores, tea bags and lots more.
Once it's rotted into compost you can use it to feed your garden. You can either buy a compost bin from a garden centre or make your own. All you need is a big plastic tub with a lid. Add scrunched-up newspaper every now and then to allow some air to circulate, and place the bin somewhere warm and sunny.
Once your compost bin is up-and-running you'll never need to throw teabags or vegetable peelings in the bin again and you'll have reduced family's rubbish by 30%. If you have a place for compost-able rubbish in your kitchen, make it your job to empty it into the compost bin once a day.

USE LESS WATER

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

We all waste lots of water, but it's easy to learn how to save it. Have a shower instead of a bath. A five-minute shower uses around a third of the water that it would take to fill a bath. Don't leave the tap running while you're brushing your teeth because it can waste a massive five litres of water per minute!
Using a dishwasher when it's not completely full wastes water too. Ask your parents if you can make loading the dishwasher your job. That way you can make sure it's completely full. If you use a paddling pool or water toys in the summer, don't just empty it down the drain. Instead, why not use the water to give your garden a drink.

DON'T WAST PAPER

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

It's easy to use lots of paper, especially if you love drawing and writing. Try and think of ways to use less, while still being creative. Use every piece of paper on both sides. Try drawing and writing on paper that would otherwise be thrown away. If your parents work in an office they may be able to bring home paper that has got printing on one side. And remember, if you're using a computer think before you print, don't print out anything unless you really need to.

WALK TO SCHOOL

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

We all know that cars are bad for the environment. So walking is a much better idea - it's good for the planet and good for you. If you're too young to walk to school by yourself find out if your school has a 'walking bus' scheme.
A walking bus is where lots of children walk to school together, stopping and picking-up other children along the way. Walking buses are run by trained adults who walk at the front and the back making sure everyone is safe. Usually anyone on the walking bus will wear bright or reflective clothing to make sure they can be seen.
If your school hasn't got a walking bus yet - suggest one. Have a look at this website about schools in Hertfordshire who have walking buses for some ideas.

USE RE-CHARGEABLE BATTERIES

Helping the environment isn't just for grown-ups. We can all help and there are loads of easy ways that we can do our bit.

How many of your toys have batteries in them? For most children it's lots! Batteries have chemicals such as mercury in them, and when they're put into landfill rubbish dumps the chemicals often leak out and can eventually end up in our water.
The next time you need new batteries, ask your parents to buy re-chargeable ones. They come with a re-charger unit which you plug into an electricity socket for about eight hours, and then your batteries are as good as new. They cost a bit more than normal batteries, but they'll last you around 1000 times as long!

Karaoke hogger killed for singing

A man has been stabbed to death by customers at a Malaysian karaoke bar for singing too much and refusing to share the mic.

Police said witnesses saw a group of men punch and stab 23-year-old Abdul Sani Doli with a knife at the bar late Wednesday in eastern Sandakan town on Borneo island.

A brawl broke out because the men were furious that Abdul Sani was hogging the stage.

Police detained two suspects after Abdul Sani was found dead outside the bar.

Airport introduces karaoke for a more horrific travel experience

Just when you thought airport departure lounges couldn't get any more nightmarish, Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas is setting up karaoke booths for travelers, just in time for the holidays.

For the past two years, officials have invited choirs and bands from high schools and churches to perform at Bush and Hobby airports during December. Karaoke seemed the next logical step, said Caroline Schneider, assistant airport manager for customer service.

'During the holidays, we have a lot of our novice travelers,' she said. 'We thought while they are waiting, they can just sing a song.'

Aspiring vocalists can choose from hundreds of song titles, Schneider said. Small prizes will be given to the singers.

Accident-prone Santa on display

An artist has created a Christmas display showing Santa with no legs because of an accident involving alcohol and some power lines.
Artist Keith McGuckin, from northern Ohio, shows Santa in a wheelchair being pushed down stairs by a crazed tree.

The installation is on show at the Oberlin Public Library.

An accompanying narrative explains that the tree later goes off to a strip club with money from Santa's Salvation Army kettle.

In 2006, the same artist made gingerbread Nazis whcih drew so many complaints he was forced to remove them from a shop's window.

Mad man can drive a taxi

A criminally insane man convicted of killing his wife should be allowed drive a taxi, a court has ruled.

The man killed his wife, but escaped a murder conviction on the grounds of insanity.

Australia's Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal says he should be allowed to drive taxis, local media reported.

But, the state's public transport minister, Lynne Kosky, says the law will be changed to stop people with similar backgrounds getting taxi licences.

She told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "The assurance that I can give to the public is that we will ensure that out taxi industry is safe, we will take all measures and we're doing that to make sure that our taxi industry is safe, we've currently got audits in place, and we will take every step possible to appeal this decision."

Toilet bowl rescue woman sues

A woman is suing a sports bar and restaurant, saying she got stuck inside a toilet bowl for 20 minutes after the seat broke.

Kathleen Hewko says she was in the bathroom at when the handicapped toilet seat she was sitting on cracked and dumped her into the bowl, a newspaper reported.

Hewko says in her claim that she had hip surgery prior and was re-injured when the seat broke.

The lawsuit names Starters and Kohler Co, of New Jersey, the company that made the toilet seat.

Representatives from both companies said they couldn't comment.

Camels get extremely lost

It may have seemed like a mirage: Two camels nibbling on a pine tree along a street in this desert metropolis on the Texas border.

Police tried lassoing the animals, which lunged at the officers with snapping teeth as onlookers chuckled.

But in the end, officials say all it took was some juicy green leaves on a branch held by the caretaker to lure the camels back into captivity.

Police spokesman Jaime Torres says the camels named Yull and Tobi escaped early Wednesday from the warehouse of a businessman, who had bought the animals for a planned amusement park.

Mexico has seen a rash of escaped animals lately, including four tigers, a 500-pound lion and a five-ton elephant.

Police pose with naked girls

A police officer could be in big trouble for posing for a photograph with a women exposing herself.

US media reports while it is not illegal for police to pose for photographs, exposing yourself in public is against the law.

And new images emailed to News 4 anonymously in the US show the officer posing with a woman clearly breaking the law.

His boss said the officer is now facing the sack.

The officer involved is said to be a San Antonio Park Police officer.

Woai.com reported that Park police chief Steve Baum told News 4: "On the surface, it's certainly not appropriate conduct, not something I would expect any police officer to be engaged in."

He added that there will be an investigation into the behaviour of the officer.

It is not known whether or not the officer arrested the woman, but Mr Baum said it didn't appear that he did.

When asked if the officer's actions could warrant his firing, Chief Baum answered, "It certainly could rise to that level. Yes."

Snake found in photocopier

A snake is not what you expect to find when you go to make a photocopy.

But Denis Matthews found a metre long snake was the cause of a paper jam.

He found the brown tree snake had curled up comfortably in his photocopier.

The nocturnal brown tree snake is often referred to as the night tiger and is usually very aggressive when confronted.

Mr Matthews, from Lismore in Australia, attempted to coach it out through the back of the machine, but the snake seemed reluctant to budge.

He told goldcoast.com: "When I used a long pointer to encourage the snake to move, it reluctantly came out through the front, under the monitor screen and round the back of the computer case."

He suspects the snake is still in the computer room as small objects have been knocked off shelves.

Angry parents attack Santa and his elves

A Santa and his elves have been attacked by parents outraged at exorbitant entry prices and long queue times at a Christmas theme park.
Blows were reportedly exchanged by furious parents at the Lapland New Forest attraction, which has been dubbed "Winter Blunderland".
The Sun reported that a dad was so angry at queuing for hours he hit Santa.

Three elves and three security guards were also said to be attacked in other incidents.
"The final straw for one dad came when after four hours he was told he would have to join another queue for his child to get a present – so he marched up and punched Santa on the chin," former staff member Adrian Wood told the newspaper.
The theme park, described as a "glorified car-boot sale" has been blasted for charging a "rip-off" £30 entrance fee.
Disappointed customer Claire Harnett and five-year-old daughter Tierney, told the newspaper they spotted Santa with his beard off having a smoke.

She said: "The whole experience was appalling, especially for the cost."
Recruitment agency Richards Events said they advised the 25 workers they supplied to quit working at the theme park.
Managing director Sue Holzher said: "We can't expect our staff to take constant abuse and do not want to put their safety at risk."
The RSPCA has also launched an investigation after dozens of complaints about the treatment of husky dogs, reindeers and donkeys on the site.
Dorset County Council's trading standards has received more than 1300 complaints about the park.

Woman drives off with part of petrol station

A woman was arrested in America for drunk driving, after she was spotted driving along with a fuel hose and nozzle sticking out of her petrol tank.

The 40-year-old woman was spotted by an ambulance crew in Nevada at 4.30am, driving with about 6 feet of fuel hose still dangling from her Subaru wagon.

The ambulance crew tried to attract her attention to let her know that she'd collected part of a petrol station, but were unable to.

In the end, they stopped her, and called the police. She failed a sobriety test, and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Authorities have so far been unable to trace the service station which is missing a nozzle and hose.

Man convicted over repeat horse sex

To be convicted of performing sex acts on a horse once may be considered misfortune. Being convicted of it twice – with the same horse – looks a lot like carelessness.

But that's what just happened to 46-year-old Leeroy Le Gallais, who was jailed for three years yesterday after admitting molesting the horse in a stable in Guernsey.

Le Gallais was already on probation after being convicted of performing sex acts with the horse, named Calico, last year. On that occasion, he had been caught after he left his underwear in the stable.

This time round, Le Gallais told the court: 'I had a few beers, I went to the stable and interfered with the horse.'

His crime was found out after Calico's owner noticed that a blanket and a mounting stool in the stable had been moved, and the horse was showing signs of stress. Police suspected Le Gallais, who confessed.

Woman held for scooter helmet violation

A motor scooter rider in central Taiwan was held at gunpoint during a traffic stop for not wearing a safety helmet.

Local media reported that after a police car whistled to the scooter to pull over, the officer in Taichung county pulled a gun on the 54-year-old rider surnamed Lin, who was wearing a hat but not a helmet, and ordered her not to move, Taiwan's Liberty Times said.

A spokesman for the Taiping police station in Taichung county said a gun was pulled because the rider had tried to get away.

"If you don't pull over, this can happen," said station spokesman You Chi-ming. "The officer's action was not extreme."

Upside-down train set to save space

Hang about... Thomas the Tank Engine was never like this.
An upside-down toy railway which saves space by hugging the ceiling has been created by inventor Keith Beadle.

The railway modeller spent three years perfecting the system, which uses a series of carefully balanced magnets to hold the locomotives and rolling stock in place.



The former electrician, from Crewe, said he had the brainwave while playing with his trains.

'I am always short of space for my layouts and it makes me a bit unpopular at home if I've got trains running around the living room,' he said.

'So I looked at the ceiling and realised that it was an empty space just waiting to be filled. So far I've made three tracks that all work really well, including a figure of eight. It is a question of getting the magnets just right. It was trial and error at first but now I have got it down to a fine art.'

The 73-year-old has spent £5,000 on patents and is now looking for a manufacturer to turn it into a commercial toy.

'Space is at a premium these days in every home and that's why I think a model railway that runs on the ceiling is a winner,' he said.

Robots tread the boards in world's first 'robot play'

Scientists in Japan have achieved a major breakthrough in robotics – as they've staged the world's first 'robot play'.

The two robots stars of the play, Takeo and Momoko, appear alongside human actors in the play Hataraku Watashi ('Working Me').



Set in a future where robots and humans co-exist, the drama takes place in the home of a married couple who share a house with two robots.

The robots, which were made by Mitsubishi, are programmed to deliver their lines and hit their marks – although the writer, Hirata Orisa , admitted it was frustrating waiting for the robots to be reprogrammed any time the director wanted to change an aspect of their performance.

The robot actors have yet to throw any artistic tantrums or start scene-stealing like a normal actor would – and one of their fellow human actors admitted to growing fond of them: 'You find yourself developing an affection for the robots. People were saying "they're so cute," particularly the female robot. At first I wondered what the fuss was about but I found myself smiling while I was looking at them.'

The scientists behind the production at Osaka University's Department of Adaptive Machine Systems say they hope to have an all-robot production in theatre within the next two years.

Robots have a long history in the theatre – the word robot was first introduced to the English language by Czech playwright Karel Čapek, in his 1921 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots).

Confessions of a baggage handler

Any airline passenger who's ever lugged a suitcase to a check-in gate and bid his or her bag adieu has likely wondered what goes on beyond those rubbery black curtains.And if you think your journey as a passenger is tedious, wait until you hear what happens to your suitcase in that conveyor belted underworld into which all checked bags descend.Under the promise of anonymity, a baggage handler with a decade of experience working for a major airline agreed to dish the dirt with us on the scene behind the scenes.

On embarrassing baggage situations:

Unless there’s something wrong with the bags, we don’t go through them. But every once in a while, we’ll get a bag with a humming noise coming from it, and we’ll have to open it. Normally it is just an electric razor or toothbrush with a battery that gets turned on while the bag is being tossed around. So we open the bag and turn it off. No big deal.But on one occasion, we came across a bag that we couldn’t get open...

Embarrassing buzzing noises

So we had to go out to the tarmac, where the passengers were boarding, and call the owner up to claim the suitcase. It was a woman, and we told her, 'Sorry, your bag is vibrating, you’ll have to open it.' She knew what it was right away - her face turned bright red. She opened it up, and there was her vibrator flopping around. She turned it off, and said to us, all embarrassed, 'I’m a single person who travels alone a lot…' And I’m like, 'You don’t have to justify it to me, just zip up the suitcase and we’ll pop it in the plane.' And that was that.

Lost, found and stolen

I’ve heard about baggage handlers stealing stuff, but no-one ever says who got caught and what was stolen. You just kind of hear rumours. But I honestly don’t know how it happens because as a baggage handler you’re in very wide-open areas of the airport - you have people all around you and there are cameras everywhere. I always wonder how people have the time to go through bags and take something. But by no means is it always the baggage crew stealing stuff. Passengers will steal bags in the claim areas, too, and a lot of the time we catch them. .

Things get lost

A lot of times you might think something was stolen, but it just fell out of your bag. If you don’t have the zip closed, or there’s a tear or rip in the bag, a lot of the small stuff falls out - Swiss army knives, keys, wallets, mobiles.There are huge lost and found boxes at any airport, and we’ve got more mobiles and chargers than you can imagine.

On luxury luggage and the (non) functionality of fragile stickers:

Whether it’s a cheap duffel bag or a Prada or Louis Vuitton suitcase - it all gets treated the same. I’m sure there are a handful of baggage handlers who know the difference, but there are a lot of knock-off designer bags coming from China anyway.

How your bag gets treated

What most passengers don’t understand is that most of the time, all the baggage handling is done mechanically by computers and robots. When they weigh your bag and push it down the belt at the check-in counter, it goes behind the wall and rides miles and miles of belts - it's being scanned by lasers, passing through different checkpoints and getting routed depending on the airline and the city.

Sorting out a puzzle

By the time the baggage handler actually sees your bag at the aeroplane, all he's trying to do is put a piece of a puzzle together in the cargo hold as quickly as possible. The cargo holds are actually very, very small, with a curved bottom and a flat top, so it’s really like working a puzzle. He’s got garment bags, briefcases, soft sided and hard-sided suitcases, golf bags, strollers, car seats and so on. He really doesn’t care what kind of suitcase yours is or how much it costs - he just cares how to put it all together to take up the least amount of space.On a medium sized plane with roughly 150 bags, they’re going to be stacked five high and five across, ten rows deep, with the heaviest bags on the bottom.

'Bad apples out there'

Go ahead and put a fragile sticker on your suitcase. But I’m not going to lie - there are bad apples out there, and they might see that fragile sticker and either make a joke or even treat the bag a little rougher.We see these huge bags that weigh a ton, stuffed with all sorts of stuff. Then there’s a fragile sticker on it and it’s like please - you know there’s no delicate piece of crystal or an on ornament in that heavy, over-packed bag. Do those passengers really think their bag is going to be treated any differently?

Handling 50,000 bags a day

Even if someone comes to us and says 'My bag has a glass frame in it,' that fragile sticker is only relevant at your original departure point. If you connect, there’s no way for us to let, say, New York know that when this flight comes in there’s a bag with a very special picture frame with a fragile sticker on it We can’t just say, 'Look for the black one' - at a busy airport, there are 50,000 bags going through per day.

On Bizarre Baggage:

Particularly on flights to lesser-developed countries, people bring all sorts of weird stuff that you don’t normally see in suitcases - it's usually stuff their families can’t get, or things that are considered a luxury. We see a lot of mechanical and hardware items that you take for granted that you could go to Wal-Mart and pick up. Boxes break open, and we’ve seen small engines for lawn mowers, a lot of car parts - air filters, oil filters, starters and alternators. You name it.

Smelly baggage

Then there are the food items. When I worked at one international US airport, just about every flight coming in had either Italian sausage or Polish sausage, but it wouldn’t be refrigerated and it would just start turning bad after a nine-hour flight.People bring other delicacies, too - things from Thailand and China. We’ve seen crickets and snails and different kinds of unidentifiable meat. Usually it comes to our attention because they’ve just wrapped it in wax paper and tossed it in their bag thinking, 'I’m going half-way around the world, that'll do.'

On Bad packers:

You can definitely tell the difference between the business traveler and the person who travels only once or twice a year. The business traveler has one suitcase and knows exactly what they need. Families who only travel once or twice a year bring everything they could possibly need and more!

Bulky packers

It does amaze us when people are going for a weekend getaway, and they bring these ridiculously sized suitcases.People will bring four different outfits per day. The cruise ship crowds tend to have packing issues, too, with suitcase after suitcase completely full.Then there are the cases of just poor decision making when packing - such as tossing a bottle of wine in as an afterthought. The bottle breaks and you pick up their bag and there’s stuff dripping out the bottom.

Luggage tags are no guarantee

It happens that the routing tags just fall off or bags get mis-tagged. So if your nametag is not on your bag, it’s really hard to reunite passengers with their luggage. If you’re flying to Paris or Frankfurt or one of the big airports, you’re likely to be fine. But if you’re flying into some small airport in the middle of Europe, you may never see your bag again.Be smart and put your name and itinerary on a sheet of paper inside your bag, because if there’s nothing on the outside to ID the bag we’ll go looking inside to see if there’s some way to locate the passenger

Less bags, less likely to get lost

Also, if you’re a family of four traveling, don’t have a separate suitcase for each person. Mix and match - have one outfit for each person in each suitcase. That way if one bag gets lost or destroyed, you’re not stranded and at least it doesn’t ruin your vacation.

Use some common sense

Almost once a week, someone will say, 'You lost my bag,'claiming that their heart medication was in there. And I’m thinking, if something that important is in their checked luggage, why did they put it in there in the first place? Whether it’s medication or materials for an important presentation, it’s just common sense - don’t put anything in your checked bag that you can’t live without once you get there.

If you’re shipping anything really valuable, send it Fed Ex.

The subway that writes you excuse notes

People late for school or work because of New York City subway delays can get notes from the transit agency to give to their teachers or bosses.

The New York City Transit division says it gives passengers the notes so they can prove they're not lying about being delayed while riding the subway.

Passengers request the delay verification letters over the phone. NYC Transit verifies the date and time of the delay and sends an official note in the mail in one or two weeks. It mails 34,000 notes a year.

Each letter shows the subway line taken and the durations of the trip and the delay.

NYC Transit is working on an online system so it can accept Internet requests and e-mail the excuse letters.

Artist delivers smallest card

The world's smallest Christmas cards have gone on sale in Britain.
Measuring just 24mm by 18mm - the size of a thumbnail - the hand-drawn cards have room for just 30 words inside.

'It's important to pay attention to the small things at Christmas,' said artist Lea Redmond, 28, of California.

However, the cards do need to go in a normal envelope to avoid them getting lost in the post.

Guy fights off knifeman with ornament

A man in the US used a candy cane lawn ornament to fight off a knife-wielding neighbour who had been attacking holiday guests at a Sacramento home.

Police spokesman Sgt Norm Leong said the man used the two-foot-tall plastic ornament to subdue the attacker until officers arrived.

He said the 49-year-old suspect became intoxicated, went over to a neighbour's home on Thanksgiving and began waving a kitchen knife at people gathered on the lawn.

He cut several peoples' clothing before one of them decided to fight back. Police said the man with the knife was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The guest who took up the candy cane was not arrested because police determined he acted in self-defence.

Free festive dinners for Mr Christmas

The Mr Christmas who broke his 14-year habit of eating festive dinners every day because of the credit crunch has been saved - by a restaurant.

Andy Park, 44, of Melksham in Wiltshire, can now tuck in to Christmas dinners over Advent at a Premier Inn hotel.

Couple save first kiss for marriage

Won't kiss on the first date? How about waiting until marriage?
Chicagoans Melody LaLuz, 28, and Claudaniel Fabien, 30, shared their first kiss Saturday at the altar.

The two teach abstinence at the city's public schools and practiced what they preached to their teenage students.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the couple had never kissed and that they had never been alone together in a house.

A friend of LaLuz says wedding guests cheered and stomped during the two-minute smooch.

LaLuz and Fabien say they have no worries about how they will spend their honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Fascinating facts about cats

Cats are really popular pets and most of us love them, but just how much do you know about our furry friends? Take a look at our fascinating cat facts.

1. There are an amazing 500 million cats in the world! And 92% of them are moggies, or non-pedigree cats


2. A cat's heart beats twice as fact as a humans, which means it beats at around 140 beats per minute.


3. Female cats can have kittens from when they are only six-months-old. They can have three litters every year, having around five kittens each time – now that's a lot of babies!


4. Cats 'knead' with their paws when they are happy.


5. Cats don't meow at other cats; it's a noise they just use for humans.


6. If a cat is falling it can turn its body so that it lands safely


7. In ancient Egypt cats were considered sacred animals.


8. There have been domesticated (pet) cats for 8000 years!


9. Scientists think that having a pet cat is good for your health. This is because cats are relaxing to be around, so people are less likely to get illnesses like high blood pressure.


10. When cats rub up against you they're putting some of their scent on you, which means they like you and think you belong to them.


11. Cats are sleepy creatures and can snooze for up to 20 hours a day!


12. Have you noticed how cats' eyes shine in the dark? This is because they have a layer inside which acts like a mirror. The lights set into roads are called 'cats eyes' because they work in a similar way.


13. There's a popular myth that cats have nine lives. It comes from the fact that cats are very supple and often escape dangerous situations.


14. Pet cats usually live until they are between 14 and 20 years-old, but the oldest cat lived for an amazing 36 years!


15. Cats usually weigh between 2.5 and 7kg, but there are some breeds which are much bigger. A Maine Coon cat can weigh over 11kg, and the largest cat ever recorded was a whopping 23kg!


16. Cats have an amazing sense of hearing. They have 32 muscles in each ear and can move each ear independently of the other.


17. Cats love being high up. This is because they like to have a great view of what's going on around them, including other cats, people and prey.


18. If you've ever been licked by a cat you'll know that their tongues feel very odd. It's because their covered in sharp spines (called papillae) which are useful when they are eating meat. They are also used when cats lick themselves to groom their fur.