TulsaPets Magazine January 2021

January/February 2021 • TulsaPets 9 Maybe Cats Are Superior After All Cats have the skillset that allows them to learn how to use a toilet. Some cats can survive falls from as high up as 65 feet or more. In one litter of kittens, there could be multiple “father” cats. Cats have over 100 sounds in their vocal repertoire, while dogs only have 10. Cats use their whiskers to measure openings, indicate mood and for general navigation. The world’s most fertile cat, whose name was Dusty, gave birth to 420 kittens in her lifetime. … OK, Dogs Are Equally Great Dogs have two times the amount of muscles in their ears than humans. Hence, their sense of hearing can reach four times the distance of humans. Some dogs can identify the smell of lung cancer from sniffing a person’s breath. A typical dog has the same brain aptitude level as a toddler. Dogs can comprehend about 250 words and count up to five. At age 1, dogs have the same level of physical development that humans have at age 15. Greyhounds can run as fast as 45 miles per hour and are the fastest canines on the planet. Canines are resilient. Out of the 12 that were on board, three dogs survived the Titanic: two small Pomeranians and a Pekinese. And remember the Michael Vick scandal? Afterward, one of Vick’s fighting dogs ended up being a therapy dog and brought joy to dying children. No Wings, No Legs, No Problem Who needs legs or wings? Not fish! Some species of fish can fly (glide), others can skip along the surface, and others can even climb rocks. A great white shark rolls its eyes into the back of its head when it attacks to protect its eyes from debris and the thrashing of its prey. Relatedly, it can go as long as three months without eating. The flatfish spends so much time on its side, hiding from predators, that one eye will migrate to the side that faces up, making the fish blind on one side. Moving body parts may be impressive, but how about disappearing? A spawning salmon’s stomach organs will completely disintegrate to make room for millions of sperm and eggs. All clams are born as males but can later turn into females.