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The pets you share your home with enrich your life. They give you affection and unconditional love. But did you know that owning a pet also positively impacts your health and wellbeing?
Pets can help you feel less lonely, according to CNN and this reduces anxiety and stress. But there are other health benefits that include better blood pressure levels and heart health.
So whether you have a dog, cat, hamster, or even a bird, you know that another benefit of having a pet is that they add happiness and laughter to your life. Here are 9 fun facts about pets that will brighten your day!
Cats are Sleepy Heads
If you share your home with a cat, you know that your fur baby can be found sleeping in a sunny spot most of the time. That’s because cats spend around 70 percent of their lives sleeping, according to FunKids. Maybe they are saving energy to be ready to pounce, play, and purr when you come home from work.
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Guinea Pigs Talk
Guinea pigs have their own language. They actually make 11 different sounds to communicate their needs and desires. If you hear the “wheek, wheek, wheek” sound when you are near, it means that they want attention and they make the “putt-putt” sound when they are content. So pet your fur baby and enjoy the conversation.
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Dogs Dream Like People
Do you ever watch your fur baby sleep and see them twitch and move? That means that she is dreaming. According to Readers Digest, dogs have similar sleep patterns and brain activities as people. Just as people dream about the events in their lives, dogs dream about usual activities like running and playing with a ball or stick.
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Goldfish are Very Popular
Goldfish are the most popular pet in the world, according to the health insurance company Pet Keen. Over 480,000 goldfish are sold every year. That’s more than all the dogs and cats combined. Watching an aquarium can help reduce stress, promote calm, and help you sleep. Maybe everyone should have a goldfish or two in their homes.
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Cats Win the High Jump
Cats can jump up to six times their height. That’s how they get stuck in high places. Their ability to jump, according to Moreton Daily, comes from their very strong back legs which allows them to leap and their tail which is used for balance. And that’s no tall tale.
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Dogs Have Super Sniffers
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. According to FunKids, its actually 40 times better than humans. This makes dogs super sleuths in sniffing out food dropped in the house and outdoors. Unfortunately, dogs have a poor sense of taste so they eat the rotting and bad stuff they find on their walks.
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Lizards Can Detach Their Tails
While lizards are not warm and fuzzy they do make good pets. But be careful not to sneak up on or frighten them or they will detach their tails. This is a defense mechanism that wild lizards do when they are frightened by a predator in the hopes of confusing them and allowing for a hasty escape. But don’t worry, lizards can actually regrow severed tails.
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Birds Are Actually Dinosaurs
Your pet parrot – or any other bird – aren’t just distant relatives of dinosaurs – they are dinosaurs, according to a blog from the 2nd Street Animal Clinic. While most of the dinosaurs disappeared from the earth millions of ears ago, the Saurischian branch survived and developed into today’s birds. So if you love dinosaurs, birds are the perfect pet for you.
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Dogs Noses Are One of a Kind
Besides being super sniffers, dog noses have another unique quality. According to Readers Digest, just like no two fingerprints are the same, no two pups’ noses are the same. Every nose has its own pattern of ridges and creases.
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