La passion for the boxes of dogs and those for the socks of the catsthe way in which dogs move around the place where they have done their needs and the tendency to cover them with felines. Pets do strange things, at least it may seem that way to us. We can look at them with curiosity, or ask ourselves about the reasons, if there are any (and there are). The majority of these bizarre dog and cat behaviors however, they have a root in evolution: in the nature of their species but also in the way they have found to relate to man, transforming their characteristics to adapt to us.
That is, the behavior of their ancestors has been adapted to their new lives as pets, as a curious one explains article in the Washington Post. But the ancient instincts persist.
Dogs and cats, one marks the territory, the other hides
For instance? Dogs often “make their beds” by scraping on blankets or bunks, and turning around a few times before settling down, a habit that probably stems from an atavistic instinct to create a warm and safe place to sleep. Or they paw on the ground after having done their business. Because? They are depositing their scent in those areas, in favor of other dogs: an “oddity” inherited from wolves. There marking of the territory it is a function of communication based on odors and pheromones, which allow dogs to judge things like the reproductive or health status of other individuals.
Cats, on the other hand, almost always bury their waste. They are covering their tracks. Naturally active at dawn and dusk, they are in the middle of the food chain – both hunters and hunters – and covering up their tracks can definitely make a lot of sense.
Why do “cats knead”?
Experts also insist that the reputation of cats as socially indifferent it is undeserved. They have facial scent glands and when they head their human reference they are likely depositing secretions to clarify where their social dimension begins and ends.
We come to the famous “Kneading” cats: this is what puppies do on the tummy of their nursing mothers to stimulate milk production. Adult cats can “knead” humans when they feel relaxed or try to calm down. It’s like thumb sucking for small children.
Dogs, wolves with “puppy eyes”
Dogs share, yes, many behaviors inherited from wolves, but they have also developed some just to adapt to domestic life: for example, the “puppy eyes”, the innocent look that humans are unable to resist. As Jeffrey Stevens, director of the Canine Cognition and Human Interaction Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “Dogs they have developed some muscles around their eyes to “manipulate” humans. They look at us in this way and this changes our behavior ».
He licks the master’s face, he’s not kissing him
Dogs like it licking the master’s face? They are not kissing him. Instead, it is a sign of submission. When a lower-ranking individual approaches a higher-ranking individual, he licks the dominant one to say, “I’m not a threat to you.” Puppies lick their parents for food.
Let’s go back to the cat’s passion for socks (but also for shoes)? The explanation is in the smell, which tends to be stronger, of the owner, which remains in the socks compared to other clothes. Strange but true.
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