With the Purrfect Pets Online Slot dominating the slots lobby at the Sloto cash slots casino it may be time to explore some little known facts about our favorite fluffy friends.
Wagging Tail
It’s actually a misconception that dogs wag their tails when they are happy or excited. The wagging tail can, indeed, convey those emotions but, within the doggie kingdom, dogs use their tails to communicate different things. Also, some dogs (like beagles) have tails that naturally extend vertically even when they’re at rest while others like whippets and greyhounds tend to curl their tails under their bellies. Boston terriers and pugs don’t wag their tails at all.
When you see a dog wagging its tail you need to watch other types of indicators so that you understand exactly what the dog is saying. Fast wags usually indicate excitement while a slow wag may mean insecurity. A wagging tail accompanied by wiggling hips often means friendliness but if you see a dog wagging his tail very fast while he holds it vertically, watch out for other symbols because that dog may be in a threatening stance.
Training Cats
You can actually train your cat! Cats are independent creatures but that doesn’t mean that cats are untrainable. They don’t respond to praise and petting in the same say that dogs do but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to train them. Prepare lots of treats and you’ll be surprised at how easily Pussy can be persuaded to do her tricks.
Try different types of treats to find out what your kitty likes best and then lay in a supply. Then, get her used to the idea that she’ll be rewarded for specific behaviors. Once you start practicing, she’ll learn that her actions can trigger those delightful treats and you’ll be on your way to owning a trained cat.
Language
Dogs understand much more than the tone of your voice. They actually understand dozens of words and quite a number of simple phrases. In a recent study, researchers Sophie Jacques and Catherine Reeve of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Canada found that dogs could understand 89 different words and phrases. They attributed the ability of the dogs to learn and respond to human verbal and non-verbal cues to dogs’ evolutionary history and close association with humans.
In addition to responding to their own names and basic commands (come, stay, down, no, wait, leave it, ok and no) most dogs would show pleasure and excitement when they were told that they were a “good girl/boy” while many could learn to respond to more sophisticated words like "watch,” "sit” "vacuum", "lake" and "peanut butter".
Most dog owners could have told the researchers that, as well as the fact that almost every dog will respond positively to “do you want to take a walk?”
Predictions
Stories of animals predicting natural disasters abound. There’s no hard and fast evidence that animals can predict a natural disaster but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that indicates that many animals have a sixth sense when it comes to an impending thunderstorm and even an earthquake.
Cats and some dogs are sensitive to sounds, smells and changes in atmospheric pressure. Those senses make many (not all) able to sense that a storm is coming before humans feel it.
Researchers have been especially interested in how many animals seem to be able to sense the onset of an earthquake. There are numerous accounts of these kinds of predictive behaviors and researchers don’t discount them – they believe that the animals sense the earth’s vibrations and detect changes in gases released by the earth prior to an earthquake. In short, the animals feel the earthquake at its earliest stages.
In any case, no one has yet come up with a plan of how to harness this type of animal sensitivity in order to prepare the human population for an incoming earthquake.
Illness
It’s not always easy to determine if your cat or dog is ill but you’re their advocate in ascertaining whether or not they need to see a vet. Cats that are ill will usually have less energy, be less sociable, show changes in overall appearance, energy level, sociability, take less care of their coat, shed more, have less appetite, have heavy breathing, have nasal or eye discharge or miss the litter box. Signs to look for include mood changes, no inclination to play, less purring/mewing and noticeable weight gain or loss.
With a dog many of the symptoms of illness are the same – general lethargy, weight loss/gain, eye/nose discharge – but there are other symptoms to watch out for as well. They include diarrhea, excessive thirst or urination, refusal to eat for over 24 hours, red or swollen gums, itchy/flaky skin and difficulty urinating.
Whiskers
Dogs' whiskers are packed with nerves. They send sensory messages to the dog’s brain. They help the dog move around and orient itself in tight places, especially when visibility is low.
Cats whiskers have special sensory organs that send messages to the cat’s brain regarding the positioning of the cat’s body and limbs. This is how cats balance as they walk along high, narrow spaces and jump from heights. The cat’s whiskers communicate his emotions by elevating the whiskers, pulling the whiskers on his muzzle taut, flairing them and directing them forward.
