CHRIS’ PETS FOR VETS
By Jo-Ann Clark

This month I thought rather than focus on pet safety/ health tips, I would change it up a bit and have some fun with a few fun facts about our beloved cats and dogs!  Did you know that…..

Dogs noses are wet to help absorb scent chemicals 

This amazing dog fact might answer a long-standing question that dog owners have. Why are dogs noses wet? Vetstreet says that the answer is that dog’s noses are wet to help them absorb scent chemicals! Their nose secretes a special mucus that helps to absorb these chemicals, and then they lick their noses to sample them, helping them understand what the smell is.

The record for the longest cat ever is 48.5 inches

Domestic cats are usually considered to be quite small and dainty creatures. But did you know the world’s longest cat was a Maine Coon called Stewie, and was measured at 48.5 inches? Whereas, the record for the tallest cat belonged to Arcturus at a whopping 19.05 inches tall! Those are some big cats.

The Beatles song ‘A Day in the Life’ has a frequency only dogs can hear

In an interview in 2013, Paul McCartney said that he added a frequency only dogs can hear to the end of the Beatles song ‘A Day in the Life’. So watch your dog when you play the song!

Cats walk like camels and giraffes

Have you ever noticed that cats walk like camels and giraffes? Their walking sequence is both right feet first, followed by both left feet, so they move half of their body forward at once. Camels and giraffes are the only other animals to walk this way.

A Bloodhound’s sense of smell can be used as evidence in court

According to PBS, a Bloodhound’s sense of smell is so spot on that it can be admitted as evidence in a court of law. Now if you thought that was an incredible dog fact, prepare to have your mind blown. Bloodhounds can also follow tracks that are over 300 hours old and can stay on a trail for over 130 miles!

House cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers

This cat fact will really blow your mind. A study discovered that our little house cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers! They also share a lot of the same behaviors such as scent and urine marking, prey stalking and pouncing.

Newfoundlands are amazing lifeguards

Newfoundland dogs are the ultimate doggy lifeguards, because they have water resistant coats and webbed feet. They were originally bred as fisherman’s helpers and to rescue people from drowning. Some owners have even reported that their Newfoundland tries to “rescue” them when they’re swimming!

The oldest known pet cat existed 9,500 years ago

This interesting fact about cats is guaranteed to wow at your next dinner party. Did you know
that originally it was thought that Egyptians domesticated the cat? But in 2004, French
archaeologists discovered a 9,500 year old cat grave in Cyprus. This makes this the oldest known pet cat and it predates Egyptian art about cats by over 4,000 years!

30% of Dalmatians are deaf in one ear

UFAW states that on average around 30% of Dalmatians are deaf in one ear and 5% are deaf in both. This is due to something called the extreme piebald gene which is responsible for their
white coat and blue eyes (in some of them). Dalmatians with larger dark patches are less likely to be deaf.

In 1963 a cat went to space

You’ve heard of monkeys and dogs in space, but did you know that a cat braved the great
unknown too? On October 18th 1963 Felicette, also known as ‘Astrocat’ was the first and only
cat to go to space.

Sources: https://www.purina.co.uk/dogs/behaviour-and-training/understanding-dog-behaviours/amazing-dog-facts

https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/behaviour-and-training/understanding-cat-behaviour/fun-facts-about-cats
 
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