Weirdness
What’s the science behind the weird behaviours of cats and dogs? We looked into several mysteries, to explain the possible evolutionary and biological reasons for each.
Let’s take a leap into the wild brains of your adorable, and often baffling, four-legged housemates.
Why do cats hate baths?
It’s no mystery that most domestic cats dislike being in water, whether for a bath or a dip in a pool or lake. Most dogs, on the other hand, can’t get enough of it. But why is this?
Perhaps it’s because a cat’s fur takes longer to dry than a dog’s does, and cats don’t like being sopping wet while they wait to dry off, Kelley Bollen, director of behaviour programs for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.
Or maybe cats prefer to have all four feet on a solid surface and “do not appreciate the sensation of floating in the water,” she said.
Additionally, some dog breeds, including the Portuguese water dog and the Irish water spaniel, are bred to “work” in the water and have body types equipped for swimming.
Whilst, most dogs are pleasantly introduced to water when they’re young, while cats are not.
Why do cats stretch so much?
Cats like to stretch largely for the same reasons people do: It feels good, and it increases blood flow to the muscles, Andrew Cuff, a postdoctoral researcher of anatomy at the Royal Veterinary College in London.
Cats sleep between 12 and 16 hours a day, meaning they’re not moving for long amounts of time. When cats are sitting still or sleeping, their blood pressure drops, Cuff said. Stretching can reverse that, he added.
“As you stretch, it activates all of your muscles and increases your blood pressure, which increases the amount of blood flowing to the muscles and also to the brain. “This helps wake you up and make you more alert.”
Stretching can also flush out toxins and waste byproducts that build up in the body during periods of inactivity. Moreover, when a cat stretches, it readies its muscles for activity, such as running after a mouse … or a treat.
Why do dogs walk in circles before lying down?
Dogs often walk in circles before settling down for a snooze. This curious behaviour is actually hardwired in them from prehistoric times, Leslie Irvine, author of “If You Tame Me: Understanding Our Connection With Animals” (Temple University Press, 2004).
Fido’s wild dog ancestors would walk in circles to make a nest — an area with stomped-down grass or underbrush where they could sleep. This behaviour may have also driven out snakes or large insects that otherwise might have bothered them.
Additionally, a nest would mark the dog’s territory, telling other dogs to stay away.
Why do dogs poop along a north-south axis?
Dogs aren’t just particular about their cozy “nests.” Turns out, some pups like to poop while they are aligned with the north-south axis of the Earth’s magnetic field. To come to this wacky conclusion, researchers spent two years observing 70 dogs as they defecated and urinated.
The dogs studied, which included 57 different breeds, tended to face north or south while pooping and seemed to avoid facing east or west, the researchers noted in their study, published in 2014 in the journal Frontiers in Zoology. Even so, the researchers are not sure how the dogs are sensing the magnetic field (if they are, in fact, sensing it) or why they’d have such a particular pooping position.
Why do cats bring home dead animals?
Even though most pet cats have access to a bowl of kibble, these natural-born hunters often still bring home mice, birds and other small animals they’ve killed during their outdoor escapades.
That’s because wild cats usually eat several small meals a day, and that instinct didn’t disappear when they were domesticated about 10,000 years ago. Moreover, mother cats in the wild catch prey and bring it home to teach their young how to eat. Domestic cats are often spayed, meaning they can’t have kittens. But they may still try to pass on their hunting wisdom.
In fact, your cat may think you’re a “kitten” that needs feeding or may want to thank you for the food you provide her.
Why can’t dogs eat chocolate?
It’s best to keep that chocolate bar out of Fido’s reach. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine — stimulants that are dangerous to dogs, Greg Nelson, senior vice president of Central Veterinary Associates in Valley Stream, New York.
After a dog eats chocolate, it might begin to drool excessively, vomit and have diarrhea. These are signs that the chocolate is toxic to the dog, Nelson said. Dogs can also experience an increased heart rate and act restless, nervous or excited because of the caffeine, he said.
In addition, an irregular heart rate can cause poor circulation, which can lead to a drop in body temperature. If the dog has an extreme reaction, it could have lethargy, muscle spasms and/or seizures; go into a coma; or even die, Nelson said.
If your dog has ingested chocolate, call your veterinarian for advice. You should also call your vet if your dog eats a grape or raisin, as these can cause kidney failure in certain breeds.
Do dogs sweat?
Dogs sweat, but not like people do.
When people sweat, they rely on their vast number of eccrine sweat glands all over their bodies. The sweat wets the skin and then evaporates, cooling the body in the process, Yana Kamberov, an assistant professor of genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. This system allows people to continue walking, trekking or running without overheating, she said.
In contrast, dogs have sweat glands only on their paws and noses, Catherine Carrier, a veterinarian and animal operations senior manager at Covance Laboratories, a contract research facility that partners with pharmaceutical companies. It’s possible that sweaty paws give dogs more traction, Carrier said.
But sweaty paws aren’t enough to cool off a dog. Rather, dogs mostly cool off by panting.
Photo Credit: Paul Eddie Yates
