Pets are complicated creatures. See how many of these fun facts about your beloved pets you already know or how many facts will surprise you!From dogs to iguanas, they’re all unique in their own way with characteristics that entertain and intrigue. Have you ever wondered how your dog stays cool in the heat? Or maybe you’ve often wondered how your cat gets on top of the refrigerator. Why do birds eat so much? Below are the answers to these questions and much more.
Fun Facts about Dogs
- The myth that dogs don’t sweat is untrue. They do sweat, but only from the pads of their feet.
- Most dogs have about one hundred different facial expressions—most involving the ears.
- Dogs can make up to ten different vocal sounds.
- If you are looking for a new dog, there are over 350 different breeds throughout the world from which to choose.
- Dalmatians are born without spots. Their spots begin showing as they age.
- If you think dogs are colorblind, you’re incorrect. They can see the colors blue, yellow, green and gray although hues of red register in the grayscale.
- Your dog can run as fast as nineteen miles per hour at full speed.
- Dogs can locate the source of a sound in 6/100ths of a second using their ears like radar dishes.
- The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans more than 10,000 years ago.
Fun Facts about Cats
- Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four on the back.
- Cats do not sweat—they have no sweat glands.
- Cats can jump as high as seven times their height!
- Cats make over 100 different vocal sounds.
- A pack of kittens is known as a kindle while a pack of adult cats is a clowder.
- Running full speed, an adult cat can reach speeds of twelve miles per hour. Sprinting short distances, they can reach speeds of thirty miles per hour!
- A cat’s tongue is lined with papillae which are tiny backward hooks that help hold prey in place. The papillae are why the tongue feels like sandpaper when a cat licks you.
- A cat’s nose has unique ridges similar to a human’s fingerprints.
- A cat has over 230 bones in its body with shoulders and hips that are loosely attached to the spine. With multiple bone structure, cats are so flexible and can fit into minuscule spaces.
- A cat’s memory is exceptional. The feline can remember things for up to sixteen hours, exceeding that of the monkey and orangutan.
Fun Facts about Birds and other Exotic Pets
- Iguanas can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes under water!
- A bird must eat half its body weight in food each day to survive.
- Your bird’s heart beats 400 times a minute while resting!
- People reportedly own more than sixty million pet birds in the United States alone.
- Large parrots can live up to 75 years.
- Hamsters only blink one eye at a time.
- Armadillos give birth to four same-sex babies at a time. They are also the only animal that can get leprosy (besides humans).
- A garter snake can have as many as 85 babies at once!
- Eight to ten million ferrets are being kept as pets in the US, making them the third most popular pet in the country.
- Goldfish can live up to 40 years!
Photo credits: Thinkstock
