15 Mind-Blowing Cat Facts You Need To Know
1. A Cat Once Went To Space
When you think of living beings being launched up into space, you think of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who famously rocketed to the moon in July 1969. However, around six years beforehand, a French cat by the name of Félicette blasted off into outer space - becoming the first cat to do so.
Being launched nearly 100 miles above the earth on 18 October 1963, Félicette briefly experienced weightlessness while up in outer space. Luckily, she returned to earth just 15 minutes later, as if nothing had even happened to her. Her name will forever be in the astronomy history books, although it has sadly been forgotten over the last six decades.
While she was the first cat to head into space, many dogs, monkeys, and other creatures have also been rocketed out of earth. The general public prefer to put their eyes on these animals as opposed to Félicette, meaning the majority of people don't even realise a cat has done the exact same task before these other mammals even got the chance to.
Félicette paved the way for her furry friends, something that we should all take more notice of.