You can’t deny it – no matter if you own a pet or not, you still should have heard at least one myth about the two most preferred pets that is even considered as a fact. So here is a list of some actual truths and busted myths about your dogs and cats. And at the top of the list is the myth that…
Dogs are color blind
There are many people who would believe without any reason that dogs aren’t able to distinguish any color ranges other than black and white but this is simply not true. Dogs do see in color. Yes, they see more differently than us, people, and it is confirmed that it is harder for them to distinguish colors but in their eyes they still have receptors for blue and green shades – and none for red. As such, they can’t distinguish between colors like yellow, green or red but they could identify some shades of blue, gray and even purple. Some other visual stimuli that define their sight interpretation are brightness, contrast and motion. So it is safe to assume that dogs have red/green color blindness.
Cats can see in the dark
Since centuries ago people have been observing pet cats at night and indeed they are extremely active and they also move around surprisingly well in the dark – so much that human kind started another myth: the one that cats can see in the dark. And it is not entirely false either because they could really do see better in semi-darkness. This is due to their eye pupils that open much wider than ours when there is dim light. As such they let more light during dawn and dusk but that’s all. They absolutely cannot see in complete darkness.
Wagging tail = happiness
No. The myth that dogs wag their tails only when they are happy is entirely false but a misleading like that is quite normal. After all tail-wagging is an important part of body language and as such it surely does express some kind of emotion, almost like a human smile. But as our smiles, the fact that a dog wags its tail doesn’t necessarily mean that it feels happy or anything positive at all. Yes, it might be from excitement and pleasure but it could also mean that the dog is agitated, irritated, anxious or even tense – and many more.
Cat purr indicates pleasure
Surely, one of the most common sights is a purring cat while being petted by its owner and because of this it is normal to conclude that cat purring means happiness. However, this is not exactly the case because purring could be an expression not only for happiness but for any other strong emotion – positive and negative. For example it could indicate pleasure, pain, and fright. Some cats also purr when they are sick or stressed, when they give birth and even when they are dying. Sad, isn’t it?