ANIMAL BYTES...Suggestions, Tidbits, Ideas
Cats
~Cats with out of box issues. Try sprinkling a little catnip in with their litter while retraining them to use their box. It isn't foolproof, but worth a try. Please pay careful attention to the carpet cleaners you use on soiled areas. Cats have a tendency to continue soiling in the same areas once out of box patterns are established. Remember cats lick their paws and can ingest the chemicals used in carpet cleaners that are used for clean up. Most are toxic.
~Many cats are euthanized needlessly due to on going out of litter box issues. Please have your cat checked for intestinal blockage(s) due to hairballs. I adopted a cat with a sensative stomach and tremendous issues. An x-ray revealed what looked like normal feces in her colon and she was sent home with another round of medication. Despite soiling on carpets and frequent screams out of the blue I continued to do energy work on her. Two weeks passed and so did 3 very large hairballs through her stool. Always seek medical advice if you notice your cat exhibiting abnormal behavior. I felt my story was worth mentioning. It thrills me to report my older adopted kitty is well, using her litter box again, and no more issues.
~Cat Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) Cats spend up to 30% of their time grooming themselves. They lose almost as much fluid through saliva as they do through elimination. 2) Domestic cats are the only variety of the cats family that have their tails vertical when walking, while other wild cats walk with their tails horizontal or between the legs. 3) Ginger and orange colored cats are mostly male while tortoise shell and calico cats are mostly female. 4) Domestic cats are capable of sprinting at about 31 miles per hour. 5) When a cat purrs, it does not always indicate happiness. Cats also purr when they are in distress or in pain, such as giving birth. 6) Domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second - the same frequency as an idling diesel engine. 7) Domestic cats are capable of sprinting at about 31 miles per hour.
Dogs
~Dog Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) All dogs, regardless of breed, are direct descendants of wolves and technically of the same species. 2) Dogs have three eyelids - an upper and lower eyelid and a third one (called a "haw") inside of the other two. The haw helps protect the eye from dirt and dust. 3) Irish Wolfhounds were used by the Celts for hunting wolves around 500 B.C. and were later sent to Rome around 393 B.C., where they were viewed by the Romans in the Gladiator arena. 4) Scientific studies confirm that owners of dogs and cats tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. 5) Chocolate can be a lethal substance for dogs. It contains theobromine and caffeine which over-stimulate the cardiac and nervous system. 6) Seizure alert dogs have been used to warm victims of an imminent epileptic seizure. Some dogs are able to detect the oncoming seizure up to an hour beforehand. 7) The phrase "Dog Days of Summer" comes from the ancient Roman belief that the Dog Star, Sirius, caused higher temperatures during the months of June, July, and August. 8) Humans might smell a pot of stew cooking on the stove, but a dog can distinguish the smells of each individual ingredient, from the beef itself to the potatoes.
Horses
~Horse Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases. 2) If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes. 3) Where did the expression "to get one's goat" originate? Owners of high strung race horses would place a goat with them to help them calm down. Unscrupulous people steal the horse's goat *friend* in order to upset the horse so it would not race well. 4) Draft horses are the strongest animals in the world next to the elephant. 5) There are over 300 different breeds of horses and ponies around the world. 6) That the practice of mounting a horse from the left side began in ancient Greece. Warriors always carried their weapons on theirleft side, which made mounting on the right side impossible. 7) Horses height is measured in units known as "hands." One hand is equal to 4 inches. 8) Horses produce approximately 10 gallons of saliva a day.
Fish and Reptiles
~Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) A well cared-for goldfish can live as long as twenty years or longer! Goldfish grow their entire lives, and will continue growing to the size of their tank. 2) The largest freshwater fish ever recorded was Mekong Catfish in Thailand-it was almost 9' long, weighing in at 646 pounds. 3) Most species of fish are odorless. Fish usually gain a strong odor when their bodies start to deteriorate. 4) Sometimes known as 'land crocodiles,' Komodo Dragons can grow to more than ten feet and weigh 300 pounds or more. 5) Dry-skinned and scaley, most reptiles lay eggs just like birds. Eggs aren't the only thing they share in common with birds: many scientists believe that reptiles and birds are direct descendents of the dinosaurs. 6) Can you picture a snake with legs? If you turn a snake onto its back, you'll see tiny nodules (bumps) where the legs would be on another reptile, like a lizard. Scientists believe these nodules are where they snakes' legs would have been if they hadn't evolved out of them. 7) Turtles are well known for being slow animals, but that isn't always the case. The Smooth Softshell turtle can actually run faster than a human being on flat ground! 8) Most geckos have fixed eyelids, meaning they can't blink. To keep them clean and moist, they have to lick their own eyeballs! 9) Frogs pull their eyes inside their head to help them swallow food.
Birds
~Bird Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) There are between 325 and 340 species of hummingbirds. 2) Parrots or Psittacines (order Psittaciformes) includes about 353 species of bird which are generally grouped into two families: the Cacatuidae or cockatoos, and the Psittacidae or true parrots. The term parrot is generally used for both the entire order as well as for the Psittacidae alone. 3) Budgerigars are often called parakeets Both male and female budgerigars sing and can learn to mimic sounds, although both singing and mimicry are more pronounced in males. 4) Monks started breeding cararies and only sold the males (which sing). The word "Canary" is derived from the Latin canaria, "of the dogs", referring to the numerous wild dogs that inhabited the islands. 5) Roadrunners are terrestrial, and although capable of flight, they spend most of their time on the ground. Roadrunners are able to run up to 15 miles per hour and generally prefer sprinting to flying.
Farm Animals
~Farm Animal Trivia: DID YOU KNOW...
1) Roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks. 2) The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times. 3) A group of geese on the ground is gaggle, a group of geese in the air is skein. 4) A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why. 5) It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs, because a cows' knees can't bend properly to walk back down. 6) A pig is a hog -- hog is a generic name for all swine -- but a hog is not a pig. 7) Contrary to popular belief, animals are not all color-blind. Many species, including dogs, horses and sheep, can distinguish some colors...though not as well as humans. 8) Bees must collect the nectar from two thousand flowers to make one tablespoonful of honey. 9) Twelve or more cows are known as a "flink." 10) The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds. 11) Goat's eyes have rectangular pupils.
