Trivia

A.01

Dogs are said to have about the same intellect as a 2 to 3 year old child, with the ability to understand about 150 words and gestures, with some dogs learning up to 250 words. Cats are said to have the same intellect as a 1.5 to 2 year old child.

A.02

Yes it’s true. In the case of cats, most female cats are right handed, while most male cats are left handed.

A.03

Cats and dogs are unable to visualize certain colors. They are able to see certain shades of blue, yellow and grey, but are unable to distinguish between red and green. They make up for this lack of ability to discern color with a stronger night vision than humans.

A.04

They can jump to a height of about 5 to 7 times the length of their bodies.

A.05

It is said that dogs can discern between scents about 1000 to 10000 times better than humans.

A.06

Greyhounds are the fastest, and they can sprint up to 70km/h!

A.07

There are several items which pose a health hazard to cats and dogs. Examples are chocolate, coffee, garlic, onions, grapes, chewing gum, mint, toothpaste, mouthwash, macadamia nuts, alcohol, etc. Depending on the situation, consumption of these items may lead to life threatening situations.

A.08

This is an older calculation, and does not hold much truth today. Dogs fully mature at 12 months of age, where they are said to be equivalent to about 18 years old in human age. After that each additional year they grow older it is an equivalent of 5 human years.

A.09

They pant to regulate their body temperature. When they pant, they release water vapor through the surface of their tongues, thus cooling the body down.

A.10

There are some cities which enforces at least 3 daily walks for dogs kept indoors. And bicycles are not allowed during dog-walking. Owners caught not properly walking their dogs may be fined.

A.11

Cats and dogs have extremely sensitive hearing. While they are not that different in the ability to pick up the sounds and noises in our daily life, cats and dogs can also pick up extremely high frequencies which humans are unable to hear.

A.12

Cats and dogs have unique prints on their noses, similar to humans’ fingerprints. No two animals have the same nose print.

A.13

Similar to humans, dogs have REM and non-REM sleep patterns, and they dream during REM phase. If you see their legs twitch while asleep, it’s a sign of them dreaming. They sleep about 12 to 16 hours a day – so they spend about half their lives sleeping.

A.14

Cats and dogs only have sweat glands at their paws, and they sweat through their toe beans.

A.15

Their name came from the latin word pugnus, which meant clenched fist.

A.16

Papillon dogs have large beautiful ears resembling butterflies, and get their name from the French meaning of butterfly.

A.17

It is known that most cats dislike water. As cats groom themselves frequently by licking their own fur, they do not need a bath as frequent as dogs.

A.18

Scottish fold cats are said to have similar sitting patterns as humans. As their bodies are soft, they can sit upright and place their front paws in between their hind legs by bending their body forward. This pose is not often seen in other breeds.

A.19

The first dog to become a Hollywood star is the German Shepherd Rinty, who starred in the movie Rin Tin Tin. He used his paw to sign 22 of his movie contracts.

A.20

In 1957, the dog Laika who was on board the Sputnik-2 spaceship, was the first animal to have ever gone to space. Her daughter, Pushnika, went on to have 4 puppies with President John F. Kennedy’s terrier, Charlie.

A.21

Cats and dogs have a pregnancy period of about 2 months. They give birth to about 4 to 6 kittens or puppies at a time. However due to differences in physical conditions, there may be times where a larger or smaller litter is delivered.

A.22

Puppies are born without sight, without teeth, and without a sense of hearing. After 2 weeks they finally can hear and open their eyes. Their teeth start growing at around 6 months of age.

A.23

Small dog breeds mature faster than larger dog breeds, and have a longer lifespan as well.

A.24

A dog can leave many messages via scents in its urine. Information such as gender, age, health conditions, emotions, etc. can be conveyed to other dogs through marking scents.

A.25

They curl up their tongue backwards, creating a cup-like structure to aid them in drinking.

A.26

Dog breeds with low allergens include Poodle, Bichon Frise, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Chinese Crested Dog, and Italian Greyhound. Dog breeds with low shedding are a good choice for people with allergies.

A.27

The animated character in the Peanuts series. Snoopy, is the most famous beagle. While he does not look like a beagle, white beagles do exist, although in very low numbers.

A.28

Terry, a female Cairn Terrier, acted as Toto in the Wizard of Oz.

A.29

Basenji is one of the only dog breeds which does not bark. They make some yodels when they are happy or excited.

A.30

A Chihuahua is born with a soft spot in their skull, much akin to human babies. As they grow older, the soft spot fills and completes the formation of the skull.

A.31

While an adult Chow Chow has a bluish purple tongue, but they are actually born with a pink tongue. The color change occurs at about 8 to 10 weeks of age. Another breed with this unique trait is the Shar Pei.

A.32

Dalmatians are actually born completely white, and as they grow they develop their signature black spotted patterns.

A.33

While most people think of Chinese Crested Dog as a hairless breed, they actually come in hairless and powderbuff variations. The powderbuff has an elegant white fur flowing throughout its entire body.

A.34

Cats are unable to taste sweet things, so they are not interested in sweet products. While dogs have about 1700 taste receptors on their tongue, cats have only about 473 receptors.

A.35

While cats are thought to love milk, actually many cats are lactose intolerant and may suffer from stomach upsets when they drink milk.

A.36

Not all of them have folded ears. The kittens are all born with various degrees of folding of their ears, and normally at 3 to 4 weeks of age they will show signs having complete folding ears or straight ears.

A.37

Due to genetics or lack of pigmentation, some animals can be born with different colors in their right and left eye. This occurs in cats, dogs, horses, and humans as well. It does not affect the strength of visual acuity.

A.38

Pigs can be properly toilet trained. If you take proper care of them, they can be lovely domestic pets.

A.39

While they are unable to fly, pigs are actually good swimmers. On the uninhabited island Big Major Cay of the Bahamas, tourists can enjoy taking a dip in the sea with the pigs that live there. It is well known as a “Pig Beach” spot.

A.40

According to scientists, after monkeys and dolphins, the next most intelligent animal is believed to be pigs.