perfume
b) to annoy their human companions
c) to impress their friends
d) to mask their own odour
55
The Heady Smell of Success
Why do dogs roll in stinky stuff?
A
a) it’s their version of perfume
b) to annoy their human companions
c) to impress their friends
PAWS
d) to mask their own odour
’N
CLA
WS
CORRECT ANSWERS:
a), c), and d)
Give yourself a virtual point for every correct choice.
Some experts think that dogs roll in stinky stuff instinctively, just like wolves, to mask their body odour. Before a hunt, wolves sometimes roll in the droppings of their prey, so that they can sneak up without their wolfy odour giving them away. That makes sense. Another idea is that the stench is an irresistible, intoxicating perfume to dogs. Could well be. Some experts even think that dogs might do it to impress their animal friends. Their animal friends might be impressed, or at the very least intrigued, but the same can’t be said for their human friends.
SmellyMoon_Final 4/21/08 10:30 AM Page 56
SmellyMoon_Final 4/21/08 10:30 AM Page 57
The Faint Smell of Success
Dogs may revel in smelling like excrement or dead Q
things, but it’s not for cats. Instead of trying to smell like their chosen prey, cats try to be as odour-neutral as possible, just like the most ferocious, solitary PA
hunters in their family tree. Like them, house cats WS
are stealthy hunters who stalk their prey patiently,
’N
CLA
and close in slowly, until they attack with explosive force and lightning speed. There’s still a wildcat WS
inside every kitty. They may eat canned food and sleep on a pillow, but they still have the instincts and the genes of a stealthy, unsmelly hunter.
Why are cats more or less odourless? Because . . .
a) their glands produce odourless compounds
b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser
c) they bask in the sun
d) they don’t eat garlic
57
The Faint Smell of Success
Why are cats more or less odourless? Because . . .
A
a) their glands produce odourless compounds
b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser
c) they bask in the sun
PAWS
d) they don’t eat garlic
’N
CLA
WS
CORRECT ANSWER:
b) their saliva is a powerful cleanser
Cats are clean and relatively unscented thanks to their cleansing saliva and countless hours of groom-ing, but they’re not completely odourless. Aside from the obviously smelly bits, cats have scent glands at the base of the tail, on the pads of the paws, and on the temples, lips, and chin. When a cat rubs its face into you, and winds its tail around your leg, even though you can’t smell it, you are being annointed with its unique, personal odours. It’s one of the ways that cats mark their territory. Cat owners can’t be blamed for thinking the gestures are expressions of kitty love because, in a way, they are. The cat has to love you, or at least like you, to want to mark you as its personal property.
SmellyMoon_Final 4/21/08 10:30 AM Page 58
SmellyMoon_Final 4/21/08 10:30 AM Page 59
Is it Reigning Cats or Dogs?
Pets are more popular than ever before. In most Q
Western nations, more than half of all households have a pet. Most Canadians and Americans let their pampered cats and dogs sleep on the bed. They buy PA
them presents, celebrate their birthdays, and may be WS
more affectionate with their pets than with the
’N
CLA
people in their lives. Of the pet owners surveyed, 63%
admitted to saying “I love you” to their pet at least WS
once a day. Nine out of ten agreed that pets are a good source of affection. Clearly, we love our animals, but which do we love more, dogs or cats?
In most countries where more than half the households have pets . . .
a) there are more cats than dogs
b) there are more dogs than cats
c) there are more households with cats
d) there are more multiple dog households
59
Is it Reigning Cats or Dogs?
In most countries where more than half the house-A
holds have pets . . .
a) there are more cats than dogs
b) there are