Another benefit of working and hanging out with animals is that they quickly make it apparent that they don’t live in the same perceptual world we do, and that if we ignore that fact our relationship with them isn’t going to be nearly as good as it could be. But while the particular form of perception to which another animal species may assign a greater value may differ from ours, how we and animals process sensory data does share some basic similarities. This fascinating animal study on olfaction caused me to ponder how some ways we humans process visual
Read more →The first time my naïve little brain encountered the notion of canned hunts occurred years ago when a friend in law enforcement sent me a video of a sting operation involving such an establishment. Much as I strived to perceive the issue from all sides, there was no way my mind could connect sportsmanship with hunting animals confined to small, often unnatural habitats and even cages in some instances. I still can’t make that link but this article raises another facet of this mindset that reared its ugly head when the Atlantic strain of rabies arrived in New England:
Read more →This batch of meandering explores the relationship between exercise and canine behavior, specifically the myth that more exercise equals better behavior. Originally I intended a more inclusive discussion about this effect in multiple species of companion animals, but quickly realized such a podcast would last days. Instead I offer this abbreviated version that I hope will inspire you pay attention to other forms of animal exercise in a variety of species that may sacrifice quality for quantity. For example, in spite of the numerous trails in my area, I routinely see people riding horses on narrow winding roads where
Read more →After I recorded this podcast, I game across the article that triggered these meanderings in my deleted file. Among other things the news item demonstrates one way to recognize how much a person knows about normal canine and feline behavior. Those who know little to nothing typically assume that cats are essentially the same as little dogs. In their minds, if something works for dogs, it will work for cats too. That certainly would simplify matters. But alas, it just isn’t true.
Read more →One critical difference between the human and canine highs described in the article that triggered this podcast and the zoomies IMHO is that, under the right circumstances, the zoomies are a celebration. Under those conditions I suspect that the neurotransmitters produced may differ from those produced when a dog is running on a treadmill. I might be completely wrong about this, but I have difficulty accepting that, except possibly for an animal used to living in a small stimulus-deprived space, that running on a treadmill could be comparable to zooming outdoors. Of all the images of zooming animals one
Read more →A discussion of all the different factors that may come into play when a cat doesn’t use the litter box would fill a hefty tome. And like any information related to human and animal behavior, it would require constant updating as new behaviors evolved as conditions and cats change. The only constant will be as always: the animal’s desire to achieve physiological and behavioral stability in the most energy-efficient way possible. While this podcast discusses one feline coping strategy used by territorial housebound cats, it made me wonder what kind of behaviors similarly confined dogs trained to used pee
Read more →Did you ever think about all the different emotional charges the concept of home base may elicit? For me these all tend to be positive, probably because I’m one of those people who possesses a strong sense of place. Even though I readily appreciate and enjoy all kinds of different environments, there’s something about this little house on the hill that says “home” like none other. As a child, I remember my parents functioning that same way for me. Home was where they were. As long as they were there, I’d be safe. Sure, there were times when I
Read more →Did you ever encounter something while working on a project that caused your mind to make a leap, the results of which made you laugh out loud? That’s what happened to me when I reached the part of this podcast where I ask how you would feel if I referred to you as an “it”. Suddenly the mental image of the Anthropomorphic Police in their storm trooper uniforms materializing in my office and vaporizing me (and possibly the dogs and the cat) filled my mind. Even so, I can guarantee you that if you were born in the
Read more →When we’re younger, it’s easy to believe that what we do to pet dogs and cats animals represents what we’ve done for ages because it reflects the most logical way to do them. But is this necessarily true?
Read more →How easily could you ask your veterinarian about your dog or cat’s sexual behavior or some concern about your pet’s penis, vulva, or vagina? How easily could your veterinarian discuss such subjects with you?
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