Did You Know?

Did you know that the purple-tongued chow chow dog was considered sacred in China? At one time, a Chinese emperor kept 5,000 of them of pets! I wonder if he had names for each of them?

"But mom, the kitty really did follow me home!" Parents everywhere have heard this lament, but in Switzerland, a 4-month-old kitten followed mountain climbers to the top of the Matterhorn. Now that was a determined kitty.

Ever wonder why your cat is so supple and moves so gracefully? It possesses 230 bones. But not all cats are as agile as others. The wildcat, margay, can climb headfirst down trees.

You may think that the cat is a great jumper, but the giant red kangaroo would win the Gold medal with a broad jump of 29 feet and a human high jumper would not stand a chance next to this animal that can leap 6 feet into the air. Tract and field awards for speed would go to the cheetah; its top speed of 70 mph can be reached in 3 seconds!

For those who like an unusual pet, you may want to try a Chilean red-leg tarantula. You might not like its eating habits however. The spider sinks its fangs in to its prey. The combination of venom and digestive juices that it injects kills the prey and liquefies its insides. Then the spider leisurely sucks up the internal contents. Yuck!

"What big eyes you have?" Red Riding hood said this to the wolf but she should have said it to the giant squid. It has the largest eyes of any animal. They are as big as volleyballs.

The prairie dog has one of the most developed forms of communications. They not only warn each other that danger is approaching, but they have individual calls for whether it is a hawk, person, dog or other predator.

Your pet may not be as accomplished as the prairie dog in communicating with you but if you think they are trying to tell you that they are not feeling well, seek professional translation because it is "Your Pet…Health Matters."