Some Fun Facts!
Life is busy enough and we don’t always have time to think about trivial things. We worry about our health and our pet’s health and how to keep them safe. We worry about so many things that we feel are critical to our wellbeing, but we never stop to think about the small things that can put a smile on our dial, and to top it off, be amazing conversation starters.
Although some of the below might not be appropriate to share in all conversations, we hope that you will enjoy them and share them with your family and friends!
Speedy Gonzales!
We know that dogs are fast and most of them could easily outrun a human, but I bet you didn’t know that a Greyhound can outrun a Cheetah! No jokes! A Cheetah can get up to 113 km/h but can only keep this up for around 274 meters while a Greyhound can run at speeds in excess of 56 km/h for 11 kilometres. So, this means that although the Cheetah can win a short race, when it comes to an endurance test, the Greyhound will outlast him. You go boy!
High-five
Your pooch can be left or right pawed. Just like us, they use the paw that they prefer when they interact with us or play with their favourite toys. Keep an eye out and see which one your dog prefers. This might give you some ideas on how to set their table.
Changing gears
Your dog has over 18 muscles in its ears that they use to move them around. This gives them the ability to move their ears slightly to hear noises better, and can also be tell-tail signs of how your dog is feeling. A dog’s body language is also expressed in their ears, so it is vital for them to be able to use these and for you to pay attention to them.
Terrible twos, I think not!
A dog can learn over a 1000 words and gestures which puts their intelligence and understanding of us on par with a two-year-old. The only difference is that they are probably far tamer than a human 2-year-old.
I smell a rat!
It might not be appropriate for humans to smell each other’s bums but in a dog’s world it is critical for their social skills. From one sniff they can gather information like gender, eating habits, and general health. In other words, it takes just one sniff for them to gather the information that we humans might take a while to gather from our fellow beings.
Cuddle up
Dogs sleep in a pile as it makes them feel safe and part of a pack. So, if your pup cuddles up with you don’t be alarmed, they might just want to feel safe and part of your pack.
The VOICE
It might look like your dog thinks he is a candidate for a singing competition when he starts howling to certain songs on the TV but don’t go entering him anytime soon. Some music has a certain frequency or pitch that just hits his buttons.
How high can you go
Cats can, if they want, jump 5 times their own height, now that is super impressive!
Don’t be offended
If your feline friend keeps sticking their rear in your face, don’t be offended. In fact, take it as a compliment. They only do that with people they trust and feel secure around.
3 blind mice
Although cats are near-sighted and struggle to see what is right in front of them, their peripheral vision and night vision is far superior to humans.
Gees Louise!
We all know that whiskers are not just there to make our felines look cute, they are connected to a cat’s sensitive muscular and nervous system, acting as touch receptors. BUT I bet you didn’t know that they also have whiskers on the back of their front legs. Yip, you heard right!
Black cat with a pot of gold
Blackie was the richest cat whose owner (Ben Rea) left him $12.5 million when he passed away in May 1988. Blackie’s owner refused to acknowledge his 2-legged family members and lucky Blackie got the pot of gold. Leaves a lot to be said for the myth of a black cat being bad luck!
Without raising an eyebrow
In Ancient Egypt, if a family’s cat passed away, everyone would shave their eyebrows in grief. In certain cases, cats were also mummified and interred in tombs with their owners.
References:
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/wealthiest-cat