Vol.V, No.3
www.realestatenewsline.com
A Real Connection To Our Furry Friends By Pat Farrell
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID San Antonio, Texas Paid Permit #1590
Last month, in an article entitled “Did You Know” we explored the fact that bananas actually fall under the classification of “berries” whereas strawberries do not. So now it is time to look at the fact that as humans, we share between 50 to 60 per cent of our DNA (actually our genes) with those of the banana. It is the scientific presumption that we (animals and plants) are each made up of a variety of different combinations of the same stuff, i.e. gene base pairs, that serve different purposes within the different life forms. We humans have three billion gene base pairs (genome) that work together to make you, you, and me, me and we each share 99.9 per cent of our genes with other humans. We also share 96 per cent of our genes with the chimpanzee, our closest relative, 85 per cent with mice, 61 per cent with the fruit fly and 60 per cent with chickens (fortunately they got the feathers and we did
not!). And then there are the four legged members of our family like the cat which has a genome of 2.35 billion and the dog with a genome of 2.8 billion and respectively they share 90 and 84 per cent of human genes. Beyond our genetic connection to our furry friends did you know that like the fingerprints that are unique to each human, the print of the nose of each dog and the ridge pattern of the nose of each cat is just as unique to them? Most of us have also probably heard that dogs are colorblind, and that bulls will charge at the sight of the color red, however, the opposite is actually true. Bulls are colorblind and most likely charge as a result of the flipping motion of the matador’s cape, while dogs really do see color, just not as vividly as we do, but their perception of color is comparable to our ability to see colors in low light. Also, were you aware that like us who are right or left handed, cats and dogs are right or left pawed? Both kittens and puppies can sleep for long periods in the day as they are very active during the times they are awake. Kittens may need 20 hours of sleep daily because they actually emit a growth hormone while asleep during the time of kittenhood which ceases to happen once they are fully grown - then they will continue to sleep just because they can!. Puppies may need 18 to 20 hours sleep as they expend quite a bit of energy during their awake time, playing and exploring, but once full grown may sleep only 16 hours depending on the breed. As humans, they tell us we should get at least eight hours of sleep each night, although as babies we slept between 16 and 17 hours without any uniform periods of sleep time during each session. We most likely woke when we were hungry or had dirty diapers, much to the chagrin of our parents!
Have you ever tried to move a body part on one side of your body independent of the same body part on the other side? If not check with the family feline! A good example would be their ears as cats have 20 muscles to control these and can move one ear independent of the other up to a 180 degree range. Cats are also manipulative creatures as they can control their meows to sound just like a human infant should they feel they are not getting enough attention. And for those of you who talk to your cats you can most likely expect a response as cats can emit more than 100 different sounds and do so to respond to their owners. And while cats may purr, they are not alone as other animals including lemurs, squirrels, gorillas and even elephants are also known to purr. Not to be left behind, although they can only lay claim to 10 different sounds, there are more than 700 breeds of dogs, the smallest being the chihuahua, the heaviest the St. Bernard, the largest the Irish Wolfhound and the oldest known, the Saluki. It is thought that canines have been pets to their human owners for more than 12,000 years and are definitely survivors since a Pekingese, a Pomeranian and a Newfoundland made it safely off the sinking ship Titanic in 1912. The smartest breeds are considered to be the Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepard, Golden Retriever and Doberman Pincer and when trained to do so can understand 250 words, while the average dog understands 150 words. Dogs also have an uncanny ability to detect a dangerous drop in one’s blood sugar and have been known to alert their owners to this problem by whining, licking or pawing them. Anyone who has seen a true “service dog” in action can appreciate that these animals are not just any dog who may have been obtained from the animal shelter but rather were selected as a puppy from a breed
March 2019 well known for being very trainable such as the German Shephard, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Standard Poodle and Pomeranian, to care for the specific disability needs of their owner. Ideally the animal’s training will begin when they are six months of age and can last as long as a year, so the process is not inexpensive as it includes the puppy, food, medications, care, training and all permits, so it can cost, in some cases, as much as $25,000. In many instances some of the expense may be defrayed by donations from the public to the organizations that do the training. And finally, a few random bits of information you may find interesting are that kittens may need regular contact with people during their first seven weeks if they are expected to later bond with them. Cats actually smell with their mouths where they have a small scent gland located, and male cats will often be observed opening their mouths to detect a female in heat. Cats are known to “kiss” with their eyes as they show affection for their human or try to put other felines at ease. Dogs, on the other hand (or paw), can learn to dance with their owners and there are now competitions that feature this ballroom or freestyle dancing. Sometimes when a dog starts to limp it could indicate they might have a pulmonary problem. When a dog and its human are close companions, dogs can genuinely exhibit a look into their owner’s eyes that expresses their love for them. (Or there is a chance they just want their dinner). The expression “the dog days of summer” comes from the ancient Romans who believed the “dog star,” Sirius, gave off heat and made the summers hotter. Well so much for our genetic closeness to bananas! Isn’t it more fun to be closer to our four legged friends than to bananas? So, for now, Meow and Woof, Y’all!