Do you happen to share your house (and your life) with a cat…or maybe more than one furry friend?

If you do, you are well aware that those little rascals can be pretty mysterious and mischievous.

But there are still some common misconceptions about felines that we’d like to address today.

Let’s take a look at some of them!

1. Meow…

Contrary to popular belief, cats DO NOT communicate with each other by meowing. Kittens meow at their mothers but that practice stops when they grow up.

Cats actually communicate with each other by smell and they rub against things or mark areas with their urine. Tail positions are also used by cats to communicate with each other.

But cats DO meow to get the attention of humans because they figured out this tactic when they were domesticated thousands of years ago. Typical manipulative cat behavior…

2. They don’t want to k**l your baby.

No, your cat is not trying to m**der your child. That old myth that cats will creep into a crib and steal a baby’s breath is nothing but an old wive’s tale…and it’s been talked about for centuries.

Experts say you should probably keep your cat away from a newborn just in case something bad happens, but if you see your feline climbing into a crib, they probably just want to snuggle up against a warm body.

3. Oh, they care…

Cats are often characterized as, well, total a**holes and people think they don’t care about their humans at all.

But the fact is that cats do indeed get attached to their owners and many think of their humans as family. Cats may not get overly excited like dogs, but they like to headbutt people and knead their paws on them to mark their territory.

Well, that’s good to know…

4. Don’t touch me.

News flash! Cats DO like to be touched.

Yes, it’s true.

Research shows that cats actually do like to be petted and that they usually react negatively if they’re already stressed out for some reason when a person lays their hands on them.

Hey, they’re sensitive, okay?

5. Purrrrrrrrrr.

Guess what? When your cat purrs, that actually doesn’t ONLY mean they’re happy.

Cats actually purr for a lot of reasons: when they’re hungry, stressed out, or they’re feeling sick. And one theory even posits that cats purr because the vibrations will help improve their bone density.

6. You’ll land on your feet.

You were probably pretty young when you heard that cats always land on their feet, right?

We all were!

Cats do have a “righting reflex” that allows them to rotate quickly in mid-air so they can land on their feet but it doesn’t happen all the time and cats do sometimes get hurt when they fall.

Poor things!

7. Don’t do it.

Finally, the consensus is clear that you really shouldn’t declaw your cat. Yes, they might rip up some of your furniture from time to time, but this practice leads to a lot of complications including chronic pain.

Also, when they’re declawed, the last bone of each toe is removed so some declawed cats have a hard time walking.

There’s a reason why the practice is banned in some cities, states, and countries.

Check out this video for more info about misconceptions regarding cats!