Pets – Encyclopedia.com

Is it True That Cats Only Meow at Humans?

Makayla — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:00:17 +0000

Meowing is one of the most endearing aspects of domesticated felines, more commonly known as house cats. Recently, viral memes have spread on social media which indicate cats only meow at people But is it true that cats only meow at humans? Do cats ever meow at each other or other animals? While not all social media memes can be trusted, it turns out this viral meme is based on a real fact. It is true that cats only meow at humans. But why do cats meow only at humans? Cats meow at humans The internet is a very cat friendly place. While there are many online forums and groups dedicated to dogs, very few canines have become part of viral memes the way several notable cats have. Keyboard cat, Grumpy cat, Maru and Lil Bub are all cats whose image gained viral traction online resulting in a unique form of celebrity feline status. Unlike famous dogs on TV like Wishbone or Lassie, these cats were not playing a part but just being themselves. Their unique appearances and behaviors led to their use in popular memes and even advertising campaigns. Some of these cats are known for their distinctive and adorable meows. Lil Bub in particular has an especially cute but unusual meow. Many cat owners are similarly charmed by their own cats’ meows. That is not a coincidence. Adult cats meow only at humans and for good evolutionary reasons. Do cats meow only at humans? So why do cats meow only at humans? According to the ASPCA, while “Kittens meow to let their mother know they’re cold or hungry, but once they get a bit older, cats no longer meow to other cats. But they continue to meow to people throughout their lives.” But just because cats don’t meow at each other, does not mean they do not communicate with each other. Purina explains how “adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. Cat language is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language and touch.” The reason cats meow exclusively at humans is simply because “cat language” doesn’t work on people! Purina further explains how a “cat is dependent on [its owner] and quickly learns that” humans are no good at “picking up the scent messages… or the body language [the cat] is attempting to use…. So the meowing develops into a second language to communicate to [people]. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people.” Like different words in any language, cats use different sounding meows with different meanings. A short meow is a simple greeting, like “hello!” While a drawn out or mid-pitch meow indicates a demand such as for food or being let out, a high-pitch meow indicates distress like pain or anger. Remember, too, that meows are not the only way a cat communicates with people. Purring is another adorable sound cats make that indicates comfort and happiness. Hisses are a famously a way cats warn others, including humans, to stay away.

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Is it True That All Calico Cats Are Female?

Makayla — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 21:45:32 +0000

To find out if all calico cats are female it’s best to consult with someone who knows about cat genetics. Simply put, there are some male calico cats, but most often calico cats are female. Why it’s this way is purely about numbers and how cat genes get passed down. Are all calico cats female? No. There are male calico cats but they are unusual. According to the founder of the Calico Cat Registry International, 1 out of every 3,000 calico kittens are male. So why do people believe that all calico cats are female? According to veterinarians, it’s likely because male calico cats technically aren’t possible without a genetic mutation, so to speak. In fact, because of the way genetics work in cats – male calico cats usually have an extra pair of chromosomes. This could also be the reason why most male calico cats are sterile. Even though most calico cats are female, those born male typically have average and healthy lives – aside from not being able to reproduce. Even though there are not many males, not all calico cats are female. Due to the mutation and the extra chromosome, it’s been said that most male calico cats also have malformed genitals. Even with genetic mutations and malformed genitals, the cats are still considered male by binary standards, which means that not all calico cats are female. What makes calico cats female? It’s actually the other way around. The fact that the cat is female is why it can be calico. Cat genetics aren’t simple but how a calico kitten is created isn’t that hard to understand. Cats get their color from the X chromosome only. Male cats typically have a chromosomal makeup of XY and female cats have XX. Calico cats are produced when both the genes for black and orange fur are passed down. Since the fur color only comes from the X chromosome, female cats are the only cats capable of having both of these colors passed down genetically. Male cats generally get their coloring from their mother since they have one X chromosome. In cases where male cats turn out to be calico they would still need two X chromosomes to be able to have both black and orange genes. Scientifically speaking, this means that all calico cats are female or have an extra chromosome. Calico cats considered to be male must have a chromosomal makeup of XXY. Technically, this means they are not actually male but outside of the binary entirely. Does that mean all calico cats are female? No. Some are still male, even though they are usually sterile and contain an extra chromosome. Until standards of biological sex catch up with adaption and evolution, it will still be said that some calico cats are male. Although unusual, they aren’t considered rare. Calico cats are most often female but the mutation of the genes seem to happen more frequently than most mutations. Does this mean that male calico cats are special? Some cat enthusiast believe so and some still think that all calico cats are female.

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Is it True That Dogs Are Colorblind?

Makayla — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 20:39:14 +0000

People have believed that dogs are colorblind for years but is it really true? Some researchers have been exploring exactly what dogs and other animals can see. Does that mean that dogs are colorblind? No, but it turns out they do see the world very different than humans do. Why do people think that dogs are colorblind? The first time it was recorded that dogs are colorblind was in the late 1930s. Will Judy, a writer and dog enthusiast, wrote a book called “Training the Dog.” Inside it he wrote,”It’s likely that all the external world appears to them as varying highlights of black and gray.” The them being dogs in this context. It went mostly unquestioned for the next 30 years and seemed to be confirmed in the ’60s when scientists said that only humans and primates were able to see in color. During the years where that belief reigned supreme many people were taught that dogs could only see in black and white. There wasn’t much evidence to back up this idea, just the speculation in the books written about dogs. Yet, the belief still remained. Just a few decades ago, more information about how the anatomy of a dog’s eye led to the understanding about whether or not they are colorblind. What makes a dog colorblind? Dogs aren’t colorblind but they do see color differently than humans. This is actually because of the way the retina is formed. The retina of the eye is filled with cells that sense light and then converts the light into electric impulses. Those impulses are then sent thru the optic nerve into the brain. Scientists have determined that differences in the retina explain which colors the eye can see in both humans and dogs. The human retina has more cones, which is the part responsible for color perception. In contrast to humans, dogs have less cones and more rods in their retinas. Rods are the part responsible for sensing movement and low light visibility. Since dogs developed as hunters, their eyes evolved in a different way than humans. They needed eyes that were better able to hunt and track. It’s this major difference in their retinas that makes dogs “colorblind.” Is it true that dogs are colorblind? Not really. Dogs are not colorblind – but they do not see the same colors as humans. They see in blues, yellows and grays. They have trouble telling the difference between some colors and see mostly gray. It turns out the original assertion from the ’30s may have been true in guessing that dogs see in shades of gray. Does that mean that dogs are colorblind? Humans who are “colorblind” are most often unable to tell the difference between green and red. Dogs are also unable to see the color red, so it’s understandable that people say dogs are colorblind. However, technically they aren’t. Not being able to see the color red is normal for dogs, even if it isn’t for humans. This means for a dog, they aren’t colorblind. They just see like a dog.

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Is it True That Dogs Have the Cleanest Mouths?

Makayla — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 15:44:27 +0000

We’ve all heard a dog lover tell us that dogs have the cleanest mouths. It probably does make them feel better after getting slobbery kisses or sharing their cereal bowl with their furry friend – but it may not be true. Scientists have been on the case discovering and mapping the microbes in the mouths of humans, dogs and cats. The findings of their research has proven that this old belief may not be exactly right. Do dogs have the cleanest mouths? According to researchers it may be impossible to tell if dog’s mouths are cleaner than humans. This is because the microbes found in the saliva of dogs is more than 80% different than what has been found in a human mouth. According to Floyd Dewhirst, a bacterial geneticist and professor at Harvard, only 15% of the bacteria found in dogs is also found in humans. Does this mean that dogs have the cleanest mouth? Not exactly. Sources say that both dogs and humans have around 600 different bacteria living inside their mouth. Scientists believe that the number varies based on environment and what things get put into the mouth. Since both humans and dogs have the same number of bacteria in their mouth, who has the cleanest mouth can’t really be determined. Even more fascinating is that the bacteria in the mouths of both humans and dogs can actually be beneficial to them and the way their bodies work. This means that “cleaner” in this case is kind of subjective, or like comparing apples and oranges, as they say. Is a dog’s mouth cleaner than a human mouth? The question is simple but the answer is not. The bacteria in a dog’s mouth is beneficial to a dog and the bacteria in a human’s mouth is beneficial to a human. This means that both of the mouths aren’t necessarily dirty but instead that both mouth’s function how they should. What makes a mouth clean anyway? Some people believe that free from bacteria is clean, that freshly brushed teeth is clean – but a mouth without bacteria could make a human and a dog sick. Both humans and dogs have mouths filled with bacteria. Most of the time that bacteria aids in a bodily process, however sometimes foreign bacteria can get in and cause an infection or an exaggerated immune response. In a dog’s mouth, this doesn’t happen that often unless they are eating a special diet. However, human mouths pick up harmful bacteria more frequently than dogs. Some would say this does make a dog’s mouth the cleanest. When looking at the numbers though, they aren’t. Not so surprisingly, the cat actually seems to have a cleaner mouth than a dog. Unlike humans, the microbe inside a cat’s mouth is more easily compared to a dog. About 50% of the bacteria that lives in the mouths of dogs are also found in the mouths of cats. However, cats only had about 200 types of bacteria opposed to the 600 a dog had. That makes a dog mouth more dirty than the mouth of a cat, if numbers are the only thing considered.

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Is it True that Cats Have Nine Lives?

Makayla — Sat, 12 Oct 2019 21:11:12 +0000

As the old wives tale goes, cats have nine lives. Is it really true that cats have 9 lives or is it just a myth passed down from generation to generation? The truth is – cats do not have nine lives. Sadly, they are just as mortal as the rest of us and only have one life, that will inevitably end. While it isn’t necessarily true, the saying about cats having more than one life spans across cultures. Admittedly, in some cultures the myth claims that cats have 6 or 7 lives. In spite of this differentiation, most people will still answer 9 when asked how many lives a cat has. Do cats have nine lives? Some people do believe that cats live more than one life because they are reincarnations. Cats have been portrayed in movies and on the television to have more than one life as well. In a magical context, cats are often used as a way that a passed away relative hangs around. However, this is not likely where the belief that cats have nine lives originated. It’s much more likely that the old adage originated from an old English proverb developed sheerly on the demeanor and actions that most cats have. The old proverb goes, “A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays”. This proverb accurately displays what some people love (and what some people hate) about cats but some people claim that the fib about cats having nine lives comes from somewhere else. Where does the idea that cats have nine lives come from? Some believe that it comes directly from the cat’s ability to endure falls and narrowly escape death. Cats are pretty slinky creatures in general and did adapt to live in trees and pounce on prey. They hop from surface to surface without fear of falling, and if they do they twist their bodies in miraculous ways to always land on their feet. Many sources claim their abilities to scale up refrigerators and leap down without fear gave people the idea they had nine lives. Why is it that cats have nine lives? What is the significance of the number 9? It’s mostly unclear why its said cats have nine lives but there is some speculation about cats and their ties to magic. Across many cultures cats have been both feared and worshiped. Their mystical and aloof ways keep humans wondering just what cats are about. It’s believed that the idea of 9 lives came from the mystical and magical powers that ancient cultures believed the number 9 held. It was said to be representative of the trinity of the trinity and in turn the holiest of holy. Everyone knows that cats themselves think they are holy but does that mean they have 9 lives? Perhaps they know they have 9 lives to live and that’s why they want things on their own terms and aren’t afraid to bring out the claws. Would you be more temperamental if you knew you had 8 more lives to live?

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