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Wonderful World of Pets • Vol. 19: #33 • (8-13-2023) Tidbits of Coachella Valley
Seventy-five percent of Americans own pets, opening their homes to an estimated 77 million cats and 61 million dogs. Why do we love our pets so much? The answer is pretty clear when we see that 94 percent of pet owners say their animal pal not only provides companionship, but makes them smile more than once a day. This week Tidbits looks at a variety of interesting and random facts about our furry and feathery friends who add this important dimension to our lives, so get ready to be put on information overload!
• The canine nose works thousands of times more efficiently than the human nose, according to scientific study.
• The eight heaviest breeds of dog are: St. Bernard, English Mastiff, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Tibetan Mastiff, Newfoundland, Neapolitan Mastiff and Anatolian Karabash.
• A cat preening its back or the back of its ear is said to be a sign of rain.
• Cats almost never “purr” at other cats. This affectionate response is reserved for humans.
• The oldest domesticated cat ever found on record was a tabby named “Puss” in Devon, England, who lived to be an amazing 36 years of age.
• Quite a few pet birds can learn to talk and can say as many as 200 words and phrases.
• African Gray parrots are said to be so smart that they can articulate their own sentences. For example, one Gray, named Baby, knew his owner’s name and heard people ask the owner if she was leaving for work. He also heard her tell the kids to go to school. He assimilated all that information and voiced, “Mom, itʼs time to go to work.”
• Dalmatian puppies are born pure white, without their distinctive spots. It’s only when they start to grow that their black or brown spots begin to appear.
• A dog’s whiskers are touch-sensitive hairs called vibrissae. They are found on the muzzle, above the eyes and below the jaws, and can actually sense tiny changes in airflow.
• According to a recent survey, the most popular name for a dog is Max. Other popular names include Molly, Sam, Zach and Maggie.
• An American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that some dog owners exercise their pet while away at work by simply calling home. The ringing phone excites some pooches and causes them to run around the house. Others will call and talk to their pets on the speaker phone or on their smart home monitoring system.
• According to ancient Greek literature, when Odysseus arrived home after an absence of 20 years disguised as a beggar, the only one to recognize him was his aged dog Argos, who excitedly wagged his tail and licked his master, then suffered a heart attack and died.
• At the end of the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life,” an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, was recorded by Paul McCartney for his Shetland sheepdog.
• Barbara Bush’s book about her English springer spaniel, “Millie’s Book,” was on the bestseller list for 29 weeks. Millie was the most popular “First Dog” in history.
• Before the enactment of the 1978 law that made it mandatory for dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets, approximately 40 million pounds of dog excrement was deposited on city streets every year.
• Who’s smarter, cats or dogs? Cats have been shown to have better memories than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that while a dog’s memory lasts no more than five minutes, a cat’s can last as long as 16 hours, exceeding even that of monkeys and orangutans.
• Cats have more than 100 vocal sounds; dogs have about ten.
• Cats are the most common pets in America. After cats and dogs are Parakeets, coming in a distant third at 14 million.
• Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads of their feet.
• The dachshund is the smallest breed of dog used for hunting. They are low to the ground, which allows them to enter and maneuver through tunnels easily.
• Developed in Egypt some 5,000 years ago, the greyhound breed was known prior to the ninth century in England, where it was bred by aristocrats to hunt such small game as hares.
• Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible.
• A cat’s arching back is part of a complex body language system, usually associated with feeling threatened.
The arch is able to get so high because the cat’s spine contains nearly 60 vertebrae which fit loosely together. Humans have only 34 vertebrae and far less range of motion.
• A cat’s sensitive hearing rates as one of the top in the animal kingdom. Cats can hear sounds as high-pitched as 65 kHz; a human’s hearing stops at just 20 kHz.
• A cat’s tail held high means happiness. A twitching tail is a warning sign showing displeasure, and a tail tucked in close to its body is a sure sign of insecurity, fear or distress.
• A cat’s tail plays a vital part in the cat’s balance and in the “righting reflex” that allows it to land on its feet after falling from a height.
• According to a survey done by the American Animal Hospital Association, seventy percent of people will include their pet’s name when signing greeting cards, and 58 percent include their pets in family and holiday portraits.
• Small dogs are rapidly gaining popularity, according to American Kennel Club statistics. Three toy breeds are among the top ten in popularity on the most recent list: the Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua and Shih Tzu rank 6th, 9th and 10th, respectively. A decade ago, no toy breeds were in the top ten.
• Almost 40 percent of pet owners say they have more photos of their pet than of their spouse or significant other.
• “Seizure Alert” dogs can alert their owners several minutes before the onset of an epileptic seizure. How they are able to sense these signs is as yet unknown.
• Some people prefer more unusual pets that can be listed in the realm of exotic. While these creatures can range from snakes to skunks, to hedgehogs and even spiders, most folks prefer to share their households with those in the category of cuddly. □
