6 fun facts about pets that you might not have known
Andrews McMeel Syndication
People love to collect, and it seems everyone has something they just can't get enough of. For me, pet-related trivia holds endless fascination. Here are some quirky tidbits I’ve found over the years.
-- Cat got your tongue: If you look at a cat's tongue with a magnifying glass, you'll see it's covered with row after row of barbs. These little structures that line the surface of a cat's tongue are called filiform papillae. They're hooked, and they are directed toward the throat.
These barbs help to hold prey while eating, and they also help a cat keep her fur in perfect (or should we say "purrfect"?) condition, pulling out dead and dying hairs, along with any debris picked up in the day's travels. Cats can actually feel when a few hairs are out of place, so that tongue is also a convenient built-in hairbrush.
-- Grass-eaters: Don't assume a tummy ache when your dog grazes. They may simply enjoy a daily salad and are seeking out the best of the available vegetation.
Dogs are predators, which means that their ancestors survived by eating meat. In the wild, however, it's not all cuts of juicy sirloin, but the entire animal -- including the vegetation found in the stomachs of herbivores.
Many dogs show a distinct preference for tender shoots, especially those shining with morning dew or damp from a cooling shower. Just be sure they don’t nibble on grass that’s been treated with herbicides or pesticides.
-- The colder the day, the rounder the cat: Cats typically sleep in one of two basic positions -- straight out or curled up tight in a circle. How curled a cat is will depend on the ambient temperature: The more tightly curled a cat is, the colder the air temperature. Curling into a tight ball helps to conserve body heat. When cats stretch out, they expose their bellies, allowing heat to escape and helping to cool them.
-- Dog tags for pets and people: Dogs have been taxed for centuries, but the idea of using a tag to signify that a dog was "street legal" seems to date to the late 19th century, when Cincinnati, Ohio, started issuing tags on an annual basis, and other cities and states soon followed suit.
Although wooden tags for soldiers were used in the U.S. Civil War to help identify the injured and the dead, it wasn't until World War I that American soldiers got metal tags as standard issue. The resemblance between the tags of soldiers and of dogs -- along with a good dollop of droll military humor -- soon had the new tags called "dog tags," a term that sticks to this day.
-- Keeping the weapons covered: A cat's claws can slow them down, which is why claws come out only when they're needed.
It's a mistake to refer to claws as retractable, by the way. The normal, relaxed position of a cat's claw is retracted, or sheathed. To bring out those daggers, a cat must voluntarily contract the muscles and rubber bandlike ligaments underneath their toes. If it were the other way around, cats would have to keep their muscles tensed all day long to keep claws sheathed.
-- From poverty to pampering, and back again: You may have thought that the phrase “to lead a dog’s life” referred to comfort and ease, but that’s a modern-day interpretation. The original meaning, which dates to the 16th century, was to live miserably, always harassed and never left in peace. Later, it came to mean a job or position that was boring or unpleasant. Fortunately, many dogs these days lead lives of pampered ease. On the other hand, saying that someone has “gone to the dogs” means that their lifestyle has gone from prosperity to poverty.
Q&A
Grit? Most birds
don’t need it
Q: After a gap of more than a decade, we now have another cockatiel. We had to start from scratch with a cage, dishes and more, so we figured we'd look into what's the latest and greatest. In the book "Birds for Dummies," you say birds don't need grit. But the pet store sold it to us anyway and said you were wrong. Who’s right?
A: Misinformation about birds is commonplace. And it's everywhere, from bird clubs to pet supply stores to the internet -- and even some general practice veterinarians' offices.
What we know about keeping pet birds healthy has changed dramatically. Grit (which is finely ground rock) was once thought to help birds grind their food, but it's no longer recommended for most birds by avian experts such as my "Birds for Dummies" co-author, Dr. Brian L. Speer, a board-certified avian specialist and former president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV).
Indeed, grit is now thought to have a negative impact on bird health, removing vitamins A, B and K from the digestive system. And grit occasionally leads to a potentially life-threatening problem when the amount of the stuff in the bird blocks the digestive system.
Still, some birds can make use of a small amount of grit. Canaries and other finches can be allowed a couple of grains every few months. Other birds, from budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds on up to the rest of the parrots and parakeets, don't need grit at all and shouldn't be offered any.
The best advice I have for anyone who wants the latest and best bird care information is to find a veterinarian who's a board-certified avian specialist or one who takes the time to stay current on avian care. You can find such a veterinarian through the AAV (aav.org). -- Kim Campbell Thornton
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Easy fix for
trash hounds
-- Does your dog love to rummage in bathroom wastebaskets or the kitchen trash bin? This is a rewarding behavior, so it's a difficult habit to break, but there’s an easy, kind and reliable way to solve the problem: Remove the temptation. Switch to a lidded trash bin or place it behind the door of a cabinet or pantry. If you’re remodeling your kitchen, request a slide-out trash can. Sometimes changing your behavior is the most efficient way to change your pet's behavior -- and the strategy is easier on you both.
-- Cats aren’t big on change, but if you’re moving to a new home, you can take some steps to make the event less stressful for them. The best way to move cats is to confine them to a "safe room" before and after the move, and transport them from the old house to the new one in a secure carrier. The ideal safe room is a spare bedroom or bathroom where they won’t be disturbed, with access to food and water, a litter box, a scratching post and toys. Confining cats prevents them from slipping outside, a risk at both the old and new home. Frightened cats may be difficult to locate on the day of the move if you don't make sure they’re someplace you can put your hands on them. Find more tips here: fearfreehappyhomes.com/ways-to-make-your-cats-move-to-a-new-home-safe-and-stress-free-2.
-- The family of dogs is a large one. In addition to more than 400 domestic dog breeds and innumerable cross breeds and mixed breeds (all of whom belong to the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris), the family Canidae is made up of 34 to 37 living Canids, including the various wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, African wild dogs, dholes and many more. Canids are found on every continent except Antarctica. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Bluesky at kimthornton.bsky.social. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.