Pets have been part of our lives for years and have a powerful impact on our health and wellbeing. From providing companionship and unconditional love to helping reduce stress and reduce feelings of loneliness, pets play an important role in our lives. In this list, we’ll take a look at some of the most interesting facts about our beloved pets. Let’s explore 10 amazing facts about our furry friends.
1. A dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times better than ours!
Dogs have a REALLY good sense of smell.
Scientists think it is somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than ours!
That makes them brilliant police dogs as they can sniff out clues better than we can!
2. Cats spend 70% of their life sleeping.
Although cats are playful pets, they actually spend a lot of their life sleeping…
It’s around 70% of their life.
This is so they can save their energy but be ready to pounce at any moment!
3. When rabbits are happy they jump around and flick their head and feet!
Rabbits feel happiness and they love to show it.
They will jump around and flick their head and feet.
It’s known as binkying!
Look at these cute pets below!
4. Hamsters are banned in Hawaii.
Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in the UK!
However, in Hawaii they are illegal to own.
It’s because if hamsters escape and breed, they could end up destroying plants and other animals.
5. Guinea pigs make 11 individual sounds!
Guinea pigs are very clever and use 11 different sounds to communicate.
You might hear them doing the ‘wheek, wheek, wheek’ sound.
They make this one when they are excited for food or want attention.
Then there’s the ‘putt-putt’ sound which they make when they are content.
6. Some lizards detach their tails when in danger.
You need to be very careful with lizards because when they are scared, they can sometimes detach their tails!
It’s their defence mechanism when they feel scared by a predator.
It confuses the predator and the lizard can get away!
When you have one as a pet, you need to be careful that this doesn’t happen.
7. Tortoises can live over 100 years!
Tortoises are a great pet but you will be looking after them for your whole life!
They can live for over 100 years.
Jonathan, a giant tortoise who lives on the island of St Helena, is thought to have hatched around 1832. That makes him the oldest known land animal alive today!
8. Budgies have hollow bones to help them fly!
Budgerigars are one of the most popular birds to keep as pets.
Their bones are hollow and have air sacs in them.
This helps them fly better!
9. Goldfish don’t have a three second memory.
Have you ever heard anyone say “you’ve got a memory like a goldfish”?!
That’s because it was believed that goldfish have really bad memories and can only remember things for three seconds.
However, after some studies, they might be able to remember things for up to 6 months!
10. It’s National Love Your Pet Day on 20th February every year!
Did you know that it’s National Love Your Pet Day on 20th February?
It’s celebrated every year.
If you have a pet then make sure you pay your pet lots of extra attention and love.
📖 Words to know
- Domestic
- Living with people, rather than in the wild.
- Mammal
- An animal with hair or fur whose babies drink their mother’s milk.
- Reptile
- A vertebrate with dry, scaly skin, like a tortoise or lizard.
- Lifespan
- How long a living thing usually lives.
⚠️ Watch out!
How much do you know about pets?
Which animal group do budgies belong to?
- Birds
- Mammals
- Reptiles
- Fish
What is it called when a happy rabbit jumps and flicks its feet?
- A binky
- A hop-skip
- A boing
- A twirl
Which of these is a mammal?
- A guinea pig
- A goldfish
- A tortoise
- A budgie
Which group?
Pets come from lots of animal groups: dogs, cats and rabbits are mammals, budgies are birds, goldfish are fish and tortoises are reptiles.
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