Our most cherished companions are also really fascinating creatures! For example did you know cats’ development in the first year of life equals to 15 human years? Or that bloodhounds’ sense of smell can actually be used as evidence in court?
Read on for some more really cool facts on dogs and cats!
1. Thieving behavior is not uncommon among cats. They will often grab objects like stuffed animals, feather dusters, and other things that remind them of prey.
2. There are about 88 million pet cats in the United States, which makes them the most popular pet in the country!
3. To drink, a cat laps liquid from the underside of its tongue, rather than the top.
4. There are approximately 100 cat breeds.
6. The way you treat kittens in the early stages of their life will influence its personality traits later in life.
7. Outdoor cats' lifespan averages at about 3 to 5 years; indoor cats have lives that last 16 years or more.
8. There are up to 60 million feral cats in the United States alone.
9. The normal body temperature of a cat is between 100.5 ° and 102.5 °F. A cat is sick if its temperature goes below 100 ° or above 103 °F.
11. The little tufts of hair in a cat’s ear that help keep out dirt direct sounds into the ear, and insulate the ears are called “ear furnishings.”
12. There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with approximately 40 recognized breeds.
13. When a family cat died in ancient Egypt, family members would shave off their eyebrows as they mourned.
14. When cats leave their poop uncovered, it is a sign of aggression to let you know they don't fear you.
16. The technical term for "hairball" is "bezoar."
17. The world's largest cat measured 48.5 inches long.
18. Dogs have about 1,700 taste buds. Humans have approximately 9,000 and cats have around 473.
19. Dogs have three eyelids, an upper lid, a lower lid and the third lid, called a nictitating membrane or "haw," which helps keep the eye moist and protected.
21. Three dogs (from First Class cabins!) survived the sinking of the Titanic - two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.
22. The Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet. This dog was originally bred to help haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning.
23. The Pekingese dog was considered sacred among Chinese Royalty. At the court of Li Hsui, one of the last Manchu queens, all court Pekingese had human wet nurses. Each dog had its own eunuch to protect it from other dogs; some even had private palaces, complete with servants.
24. Jackals have one more pair of chromosomes than dogs or wolves.
26. Dogs can't see colors. They're color blind.
27. You may have heard someone say, "It's raining cats and dogs." There have been actual documented cases from all over the world of fish, frogs, dead birds, snakes, snails, beetles, worms and jellyfish raining down from the sky in great numbers, but no reports of showers of cats or dogs.
28. Nose prints are usually used to identify dogs in the same way finger prints are used to identify human beings. Breeders and trainers keep a dog's nose prints on file as part of its permanent record, and insurance companies require them whenever a dog is to be bonded. At one time paw prints were used as a means of canine identification, but these proved less accurate than noses.
29. Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not sweat by salivating, they sweat through the pads of their feet.
31. Weimaraner dogs were first bred in Germany for hunting deer in a special manner; the dogs were trained to pursue stags low and from behind, and to leap at their victims' genitals and rip off these most vulnerable organs in a single bite.
32. Dogs have 17 muscles in their ears so they can turn them in several directions to pick up sounds.
33. On average, dogs have better eyesight than humans, although not as colourful.