If you have ever considered a veterinary assistant career, chances are you love animals. However, it seems that the eternal question is whether cats or dogs are better. We aren’t sure either, but we got together some fun, interesting, and downright bizarre facts about cats and dogs that may tip the scales one way or the other for you! Cat and dog lovers unite!
1. The nose goes!
A dog’s nose print is unique to them! In fact, it is comparable to a human’s fingerprints and can be used to correctly identify our canine friends.
2. Identification by nose ridge
That’s right, just like dogs’ nose prints or human fingerprints, a cat can be identified by the extremely unique ridged pattern on their nose.
3. Not color blind
It is actually just a well-believed myth that dogs are color blind! In fact, they can see in color, but less vividly as a human. Their color vision is similar to ours in low light situations. However, to make up for this, they actually have better low light vision than we do!
4. Not so sweet
Cats are unable to taste sweet things. It is believed that there is a mutation in one of their taste receptors that keeps our feline friends from enjoying sugary snacks. No wonder it’s your dog and not your cat constantly trying to steal your snacks!
5. Dr. Dog
Dogs can be specially trained to detect a variety of health issues and alert their owner or a guardian. They can detect fluctuations in blood sugar for diabetic patients and also the onset of a seizure for someone with epilepsy.
6. Out to sea
Did you know that cats can actually drink sea water? Unlike a human kidney, a cat’s kidney is able to filter out salt receive hydration from ocean water just fine!
7. A million wealthy canines
It is estimated that about one million dogs in the United States have actually been set in their owner’s will as the primary beneficiary. However, not to be outdone, the richest cat in the world is worth $13 million after being left his owner’s fortune. That’s one rich cat!
8. Cat naps
Like human infants, kittens sleep much of the time as their quickly developing bodies release certain hormones necessary for growth only during sleep. However, once they are done growing, there isn’t a certain hormone released during sleep. Cats just continue to sleep because they can. Actually, by the time they are about nine years old, a cat will have slept for about six of the years he or she has been alive.
9. His bark’s worse than his bite
We sure hope that’s true! The force exerted by an average dog’s bite is 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch! In fact, a larger dog’s mouth can reach up to 450 pounds per square inch!
10. Feline conversationalists
How many of you cat-lovers spend time talking to your cat? Well, for those that do, it’s likely that your cat will talk back more than those who don’t! Actually, cats are able to make over 100 different vocal sounds, putting to shame the 10 that dogs can make. However, if you think that cats are the only ones that purr, you are mistaken! A cat’s purr, roughly the same frequency as a diesel engine that’s idling, is just one of many. Other animals purr also, like lemurs, elephants, squirrels, and gorillas!
11. Man’s oldest best friend
It is thought that human beings have had dogs as pets for over 12,000 years! Although they may have all descended from the same ancient creature, a Tomarctus, there are now over 700 breeds of dogs. The oldest breed is the Saluki, the largest is the Irish Wolfhound, the smallest is the Chihuahua, and the heaviest is the St. Bernard. There’s definitely no shortage of variety!
12. Smarty cats!
Cats tend to seem aloof and difficult to understand. However, their brains are actually much more similar to a human’s than a dog’s – about 90% similar to a human’s! In fact, the portions of their brains that moderate emotion are just about identical to ours. They also have nearly double the neurons that a dog has and boast a much better long term memory. Now, if only we can keep them awake long enough to use all that intelligence!
13. America loves dogs!
The United States has the highest population of dogs in the world, followed by France. In fact, about one in three U.S. families has a pet dog. Among the many breeds kept in the U.S., the Labrador Retriever is the favorite breed – it’s also the favorite in Canada and the U.K.!
14. Cats reign supreme
Although there are many dog lovers in the U.S., cats are actually the most popular pets in the country. There are about 88 million cats and 74 million dogs kept as pets by american families.
15. Pets are family
If you are a pet lover, you probably consider them as part of the family, and you’re not alone! In fact, in the U.S., about a third of polled dog owners will call their own homes and leave messages on the machine for their dogs. That’s not all! About 70% of pet owners sign their pet’s names to cards and over half put their pets in their family portraits.
16. Amazing feline bodies
Cats’ brains may be impressive, but their many physical capabilities are equally as amazing. They are able to manipulate their meows to sound like a human infant when they want to manipulate a human. Ever had a cat get in or out of a tiny space? That’s because their clavicle bones are free-floating and allow them to squeeze through small spaces. Cats are able to move their ears independently of one another and up to 180 degrees using the more than 20 muscles that control their ears. Wow!
17. I will survive!
During the catastrophic sinking of the Titanic in April of 1912, there were dogs aboard the ship too! However, three of those canine travelers survived. One was a Newfoundland, another a Pomeranian, and the third a Pekingese.
18. Fast cats!
The fastest recorded domestic cat could run about 30 mph. That’s three mph faster than the 27 mph record of Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world.
19. Fame is for the dogs
The first Hollywood dog star was Rin Tin Tin. In order to keep everything official, the directors had him sign all 22 of his movie contracts with a pawprint. Toto from The Wizard of Oz was actually played by Terry, a female Cairn Terrier. The famous Taco Bell dog is named Gidget and the dog that graces the side of the Cracker Jack box is called Bingo! Dogs aren’t only famous for their acting skills and pretty faces though; Laika, a stray dog from Moscow, became the first living being to try her paw at space travel aboard the Sputnik 2 in 1957.
20. Cat lovers unite!
Although there are more cats than dogs kept as pets in the United States, only about 11% of people would consider themselves cat people, statistics show that many of those cat lovers are also introverted. However, cat owners also tend to be more willing to try something new, perceived as more sensitive, and more likely to have a graduate degree.
Does all this cat and dog talk make you want to adopt a new friend? If so, visit your local humane society or Petfinder. Or maybe you are interested in spending your career taking care of these wonderful and fascinating animals? Check out the Ross Medical Education Center Veterinary Assistant program page! You could be working every day with cats, dogs, and other animals in need of care and love!