Cat Lovers Will Pounce on These Facts About Felines

In honor of Sunday’s American Cat Assn. cat show at the Masonic Temple in Arcadia we present the following cat facts:

Cats use 30 muscles for hearing, compared with the six we humans use.

The last First Kitty before the esteemed Socks was Misty Malarkey Ying Yang, a Siamese who lived with President Jimmy Carter’s daughter, Amy.

Cat mysticism goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who revered domestic felines as gods and mummified them along with their human roommates when the humans went to that big catnip patch in the sky.

And speaking of catnip, just under one-third of all cats lack the gene that gets the other two-thirds all excited over the herb.

President Calvin Coolidge had two kitties, and for awhile one of their larger cousins: a bobcat that was donated to a zoo.

Tom and Jerry, the cat and mouse team of cartoon fame (Tom is the cat), were originally produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who later went on to do “The Flintstones.”

The first Tom and Jerry cartoon was “Puss Gets the Boot,” which MGM did in 1940.

Another famous cartoon puddy tat is the lisping Sylvester, firtht theen in Warner Bros.’ 1944 “Birdy and the Beast,” with his most frequent nemesis the canary Tweetie Pie. Sylvester also starred with Elmer J. Fudd and Porky Pig.

And for the ultimate in obscure ephemera: which noble detective of classic British mystery fiction featured a “domestik catt” as part of his coat of arms? Why, Lord Peter Wimsey, created by Dorothy Sayers in the 1920s.

In addition to the hundreds of purebred and household kitties competing for prizes at the Masonic Temple, 50 W. Duarte Road, there will be lots of kitty orphans available for adoption, and vendors selling cat toys and furniture.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A $5 donation is requested for adult admission, $4 for people 60 and older and children 12 and younger. The show is wheelchair accessible. Information: (818) 780-0001.