Many of the “facts” we grew up hearing about pets are false. For example: who hasn’t seen countless images of a content cat licking cream out of a saucer? When I got a cat in my childhood I remembered that image, and left out a bowl of milk for him. He sniffed it and threw up. This happened nearly every time I tried to give him milk; even if he didn’t spit up, he never touched the stuff.
Because it turns out, not all cats can drink milk. Some of them can, but lactose intolerance is as prevalent among cats as it is among people. Try giving your cat some milk; if it likes the milk, it can have some once in a while as a treat. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid giving it to your cat. And fair warning: the occasional treat of milk might never be worth it, because if your cat can’t digest the dairy, but tries to drink it anyway, you might have a gross litter box to clean out for a few days until the milk gets through your cat’s system.
“All cats love milk” is just one of many common pet myths debunked by veterinary advice website VetStreet. Let’s look at the other myths addressed by VetStreet’s own veterinary columnist Dr. Marty Becker.
1) “Cats purr when they’re happy”
This myth, according to Dr. Becker, is kind of like the cats and milk one: it’s not entirely untrue, but it’s not entirely true, either. Cats certainly purr when they’re happy or content. But a cat might also purr when it’s hurt. Why does it do that? Veterinary scientists aren’t sure, because they’re not certain why, precisely, a cat purrs. Their best guess is that cats purr as a comforting gesture, so it’s one they’ll make both when ready to cuddle and when they’re hurt (and want comfort).
2) “Cats will stay home if you butter their paws”
I’d never heard this one, but Dr. Becker says he hears it all the time. The idea is that a cat will go to leave, clean off its buttered paws, realize that it’s home, and thus stay. This one, says Dr. Becker, is patently untrue.
3) “Dogs see the world in black and white.”
If you’ve heard the other version of this myth – dogs are colorblind – that one is closer to the truth. Dogs can see some colors, but not all of them.
4) “Dogs eat grass when they have a stomachache”
Like most myths on the list, this is both true and untrue. Dogs are scavengers, so they make a practice of throwing up things they’ve eaten that aren’t good for them. Some dogs may eat a bit of grass to stimulate that, but many dogs just eat grass because they want to. So should you let your dog eat grass? A little, if it really wants, but make sure it’s safe grass that hasn’t been treated with any toxins.
5) “Dogs yawn when they’re tired.”
This is like the purring cats: true, but that’s not the only reason. Dogs might also yawn when they’re stressed or excited (I definitely see my dog do the latter). No one’s really sure why – it might have to do with yawns increasing oxygen flow and blood rate – but all we really know is that dogs have been observed yawning for all three reasons.
What pet myths have you heard about?
*(The above image by HeyDanielle is licensed by the Creative Commons 2.5 Attribution License).