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 That
last point can lead to a lot of confusion, even once all the
research is finished. Sometimes, pets do things that make us scratch
our heads. More often than not, these are also the things that make
us laugh (eventually- odd pet behavior is not always funny right
away). Frankly, sometimes pets do really weird things. But that’s
not to say there are not reasons for strange pet behaviors.
Even if it doesn’t look appetizing to people, dogs really do like
their food. Many dogs will carry bits of food, or even their entire
bowl, to another room at dinner time. This behavior may seem
strange, but the dog knows what it’s doing. In the dog's mind, by
moving the food, they are keeping it away from anyone that may steal
it. Smaller dogs, especially runts, will do this to keep their food
safe.
This behavior is a deeply buried instinct. One of my dogs does this,
and no matter how often I remind her that her food is safe, or any
other efforts we take to make sure her environment stays secure, she
will always think she needs to eat her food elsewhere.
Dogs may move their food to another room that smells like a member
of the family. To a dog, the scent of a family member means
security, and that means a safe place to eat. In my dog's case,
that's usually the bedroom. This means a lot of double-checking for
crumbs before bedtime.
Another weird behavior in dogs stems from how they dream. Dogs do
dream, just like most people. When they do, they often twitch or let
out odd noises. This is a result of vivid dreaming, similar to how
humans can experience sleep talking or walking. If your dog exhibits
these behaviors during a nap, just know that they are indicative of
REM sleep, meaning your dog is in a deep sleep cycle.
As for what dogs dream about, that question seems
like it wouldn’t have an easy answer. After all, it’s not like we
can ask them. But the most likely answer is that dogs dream about
stuff going on in their lives, just like people do. Dogs likely
dream about their owners, other pets in the house, daily
experiences, or even their own anxieties. As odd as it sounds, dogs
have stress dreams, too.
Knowing my dogs, they probably dream about running after the rabbit
that they want to be friends with in the backyard, or the strangers
walking outside. One of them really doesn't like when she can't see
faces, so she probably has nightmares of people wearing hats.
Another odd dog behavior involves the passage of time. Some dogs,
especially those with any sort of herding breed in their ancestry,
are very aware of the cycle of day and night. This doesn't just mean
that they know when it's time for dinner. This sense of time goes
further than that.
My second dog knows when it's time for bed, and will get upset if we
don't do so immediately. He does, in fact, throw a fit if we don't
go to bed "on time." Usually this means flopping on the couch and
sighing a lot- another weird thing that dogs do that is just as
passive-aggressive as when humans do it.
The truth is that some dogs are very sensitive to schedules. If
bedtime is consistent in the house, then deviations from that become
a problem. As a result, some dogs will effectively try to herd their
owners. It’s funny to think about it like that, but this dog takes
his self-appointed job very seriously.
Dogs are not the only pet with odd habits. Cats come with their own
unusual behaviors- or it can seem that way to people who aren't used
to them. I didn't have a cat until relatively recently in my life,
so I'm still learning what cats do and how they think. There is a
logic to most things they do- just not a human logic.
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For example, my cat will often go downstairs into the
empty basement and start to scream. That's not an exaggeration; we
can hear her everywhere when she does that.
Cats will often do this before they are spayed or
neutered. If this goes on too long, it may be a sign of physical
distress. In my cat’s case, this is usually a sign that she wants
attention, or wants someone to follow them.
Another odd cat habit is their desire to leave their food in a
person's shoes. My cat has done this to me, although admittedly it
has been a while. She did leave food in my girlfriend's lunchbox
once, and that was frankly hysterical, especially given the reason
for this behavior.
Cats will leave food where we can find it because, in
a way, they think of people as other cats. Big, two-legged, loud
cats that don't know how to be cats. This means that cats treat us
like kittens, which is why they leave us food. Clearly we don't know
how to hunt or feed ourselves, so it's up to them to feed us. It's
the same reason why they scream in other rooms- it's their way of
saying, "I'm in this other room! I want you to know that! In case
you need me!"
One last example of weird cat behavior is the variety of noises they
make. Cats can create so many little noises that aren't meows that
it's difficult to know when you're actually talking to one. I use
the word "talking," but truthfully that's a good way to explain it.
Cats are incredibly vocal creatures, and it is actually possible to
have a conversation with a cat.
As odd as it sounds, I talk to my cat all the time.
She may not know many words (cats do understand some human speech,
including their names), but they understand inflection and tone of
voice. Cats are quite capable when it comes to "speaking" with
people in this way. Cats are talking back- just not in our language.
The reality is that every strange pet behavior has a reason. Even
for those moments where we can’t figure out why a pet does what it
does, we can still boil it down to personality quirks, if nothing
else.
Dogs and cats are a lot like people- social creatures that
communicate in different ways. All it takes is a little more effort
to understand one another.
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