Given that it is National Pet Day today, the team here at Masterclip thought it would be good fun to collate some fun facts about some of our favourite animals. We know you’re all animal crazy, plus who doesn’t love reading anything relating our furry friends? We’re not sure those types of people even exist…do they?
1. Dogs have wet noses because it enables them to absorb smells better. Moist noses also ensure that dogs are able to regulate their body temperature properly. They don’t have sweat glands like us, which means they secrete sweat from their noses – and also the pads of their feet!
2. Horses are actually very social animals. If kept alone, they become incredibly lonely and when they lose a companion, they will actually mourn the loss.
3. In the UK alone, Brits spend 10 billion a year on their dogs. This includes grooming costs, food, visits to the vet and anything else, such as accessories.
4. The first mammal to ever be cloned was a sheep. You may have learnt about this at school or read about it in the newspaper because it was a huge accomplishment for science. In 1996, Dolly the sheep became the first ever clone to be created from a somatic cell.
5. Dogs genuinely do suffer with separation anxiety. But the good news is that if you leave your dog a piece of clothing that smells of you, your scent will comfort them and soothe the symptoms of their anxiety.
6. Sheep have a split in their upper lip which allows them to be fussy with food… They are able to select the preferred leaves off a plant when eating.
7. Horses can see almost 360 degrees at any one time. And you thought having 20/20 vision was good! This is all due to the fact horses have eyes on the side of their head.
8. You can lower your blood pressure just by interacting with dogs! Yes, you read that right. Research suggests that human-dog interactions have a positive effect on your health.
9. Dogs and their poop like science! Seriously, when dogs do their business, they actually try their best to do it in alignment with the Earth’s magnetic field.
10. Sadly, there are more rabbits in shelters than any other animal. This may come as a surprise as we constantly see sad news about the number of cats and dogs in animal shelters. But it is actually rabbits that end up homeless the most.
11. Dogs will do wonders for your dating life if you’re a guy. Get this – if a guy has a dog with him when meeting a possible love interest, he is THREE times more likely to succeed in getting a girl’s phone number.
12. Sheep also have fantastic vision. Similarly, to horses, sheep have a field vision of around 300 degrees, which means they don’t even have to turn their head to see behind themselves.
13. Dogs curl up for more than to just look cute – it is an instinct ingrained into them from birth. It helps them stay warm and also protects vital organs whilst they are sleeping.
14. Rabbits shed like crazy but are no good at grooming themselves. Bunnies get hairballs if they groom themselves, but they are not equipped to cough up hairballs in the way that cats are. Rabbit owners must regularly brush their pet.
15. There is actually a dog breed that exists that cannot bark – the Basenji can however, yodel, so perhaps they are the lucky ones (and their owners).