100 curious facts from a can: cats, coffee, plants and more
3.7.2025
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Anna Sandner
Turns out, female cats are right-pawed and tomcats left-pawed. The knowledge cans on cats, dogs, plants and other topics contain curious and surprising facts. As an experienced cat lady, I checked out the can about cats to see if it could impress me.
I’m always down for acquiring useless trivia – as long as it’s based on real facts and genuinely surprising. I tried out a fact can about cats to see if it ticks all the boxes.
Cute little can of knowledge for everyone
The beautifully designed metal cans each contains 100 small tickets with surprising facts on a specific topic – from cats and dogs to coffee, plants and astrology. What’s particularly handy is that the cans are available in German, English and French. They make for great little gifts, are a fun game for a party or for anyone wanting to quench their thirst for knowledge on a daily basis.
The small metal tin is a cute little eye-catcher to pop on your shelf. The idea of serving up knowledge in small portions reminds me of surprise eggs a bit: you never know what you’re going to get, and that’s the appeal.
First try: cat facts put to the test
The principle of the fact can is simple and fun. You pull a small ticket from the sturdy box, which look like something from an old movie theatre or swimming pool. It’s a nostalgic touch I immediately like. Whether you want to treat yourself to a ticket every day or check out several facts at once is up to you. In any case, the paper tickets definitely provide an extra dose of retro charm, which I like.
Weak point: tearing off the tickets
However, there’s one drawback. Tearing off the tickets doesn’t work very well. It’s almost impossible not to bend or tear them in the process. Having said that, the tickets aren’t really nice enough to keep anyway. I find that a bit of a shame, because the ticket effect is so fun and adds a lot of charm to the box. Nevertheless, pulling the tickets is still a nice gimmick, especially if there are several of you.
How curious are the facts?
Let’s move on to the content. How curious are the 100 facts really? As a certified can opener and someone who’s spent practically every day of her life with felines, I’m no beginner when it comes to cat knowledge. So can the facts still surprise me? As a biologist, it’s also important to me that the facts are true. With my high expectations, I’m likely to be something of an end boss for this product.
But, lo and behold, I actually learned something new, was astonished and laughed. Some facts are surprising (cat noses are as unique as human fingerprints), others are more well known, for example, that cats are intolerant to milk. This is probably still interesting to cat newbies, though. And the mix of fun facts and humour makes the can good entertainment.
What I particularly enjoyed is that some of the facts are so bizarre they get you thinking or make you do some extra research. For example, that the first «catcert» was performed in Lithuania on 5 June 2009 – a four-minute piano concerto for a chamber orchestra and a cat. Or that purring improves cats’ bone density. Crazy, right? I wonder if the little purring ball of fur on my lap will also improve my bone density? That’s not the only curious fact that makes me want to put in some extra research. It also makes me want to try out the other cans. Who knows, maybe the one about dogs or coffee holds more surprises?
Where are the references? The tickets contain no references,
so I’m particularly sceptical about the crazier claims such as the alleged paw preference of female cats (left) and tomcats (right). I would’ve appreciated at least a small reference to studies or additional information. This leaves me with the itch to do some research myself. Although that’s exciting, the boxes would definitely benefit from a little more depth. For example, I couldn’t find any valid sources on paw preference, which left me feeling disappointed.
A little more background information on other facts, such as the many noises cats can make, would’ve been nice, too. But perhaps that’s what makes them so appealing: the fact cans give you something to talk about and invite people to wonder and discuss.
In a nutshell
Fun facts, not only for cat lovers
Despite small weaknesses, I’m liking these cans of facts. They’re varied, make for great conversation and have a retro vibe. I particularly like the fact that there’s something for everyone, with cans available on many topics and in several languages. Great as a small gift, for a party or simply for your own amusement: the curious facts from a can spark curiosity and provide many lightbulb moments.
Pro
- Great as a gift, for a party or just for fun
- Available in German, English and French
- Lots of topics: cats, dogs, coffee, plants and more
- Original design with retro-style tickets
Contra
- Not all facts are curious
- No sources stated
- Tickets are hard to tear off without tearing them
Header image: Anna Sandner
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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