Both on the job and off, we hear a lot of "facts" about animals thrown around and readily accepted, especially on the internet. Let's take care of a few of those right now, shall we?
MYTH #1: All orange cats are male, and all calico cats are female.
While there is some truth to this, there are definitely exceptions. "The gene that codes for orange fur is on the X chromosome. Since females have two X’s and males are XY, this means that a female orange cat must inherit two orange genes (one from each parent) whereas a male only needs one, which he gets from his mother...In other words, orange cats always come from mothers with an orange gene, but female orange cats also require a father with the same gene. That’s why orange cats are usually male."
As far as a male calico, they do exist, but they are far more rare. "The XXY combination is a genetic rarity that occasionally shows up in cats (people, too). And if both X chromosomes carry the calico blueprint, you’re looking at one rare cat: a male calico. Such XXY animals are called Klinefelter males, after the doctor who first described the condition. If you have a male calico and think you can make money breeding him, you probably won’t. Though lovely, the cats are usually sterile."
MYTH #2: Dogs feel "guilty" when they misbehave.
Your dog has no concept of the emotion that we label as guilt. Countless studies performed with dogs and their owners (including situations in which the dog was acting "guilty" prior to the owner even finding a problem) have concluded that "any appearance of guilt or contrition in dogs is the result of the animals having adapted to live with humans over thousands of years". While their mannerisms are very similar to ours in these situations, they are simply acting on instinct based on prior events--"guilty behaviors could simply be the result of a learned association between a stimulus...and impending punishment."
MYTH #1: All orange cats are male, and all calico cats are female.
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| (Dr. Alley has seen FOUR female orange cats in the last two weeks alone!) |
While there is some truth to this, there are definitely exceptions. "The gene that codes for orange fur is on the X chromosome. Since females have two X’s and males are XY, this means that a female orange cat must inherit two orange genes (one from each parent) whereas a male only needs one, which he gets from his mother...In other words, orange cats always come from mothers with an orange gene, but female orange cats also require a father with the same gene. That’s why orange cats are usually male."
As far as a male calico, they do exist, but they are far more rare. "The XXY combination is a genetic rarity that occasionally shows up in cats (people, too). And if both X chromosomes carry the calico blueprint, you’re looking at one rare cat: a male calico. Such XXY animals are called Klinefelter males, after the doctor who first described the condition. If you have a male calico and think you can make money breeding him, you probably won’t. Though lovely, the cats are usually sterile."
MYTH #2: Dogs feel "guilty" when they misbehave.
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| (This face doesn't mean what you think it means.) |
MYTH #3: Cats and dogs act out of spite when angry at their owners.
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| https://consciouscompanion2012.com/2013/08/05/was-it-for-spite-think-again/ |
Similarly, cats and dogs do not act out of spite. Every behavior has an explanation, whether that is inherently obvious or not. In the case of cats, spraying behavior is both a way to communicate and a way to reaffirm their claim on territory if there has been a recent stressor present in the household; it can also be indicative of an underlying medical issue. With dogs, the cause of inappropriate urination or defecation is often a medical issue requiring veterinary care; it can also be directly related to stress and anxiety.
If you're still not convinced, consider this: "If our companion animals peed and pooped out of spite or malice, that means they would have to understand and believe that urine and feces are “gross”. (But that is our personal, human perception of urine and feces; not theirs.) Science shows that animals view feces and urine quite differently. To an animal, there is nothing gross about [it]."
MYTH #4: A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth.
While human mouths are no picnic, to be sure, dogs quite literally eat poop, and most people do not brush their dogs' teeth nearly as often as is recommended (twice daily--just like us!). As such, they are natural breeding grounds for bacteria and parasites. The reason that a dog licking a wound helps speed healing is "not because dog saliva is like antiseptic. It’s because a dog’s tongue is rough, and that helps to remove contaminants from an open wound."
These are just a few of the countless myths that we hear with regularity. Read more here!
Comments? Questions? Reply to this post below! We would love to have your input on any and all of our posts.
These are just a few of the countless myths that we hear with regularity. Read more here!
Comments? Questions? Reply to this post below! We would love to have your input on any and all of our posts.
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