Between 5000 to 7000 Tigers Are Kept As Pets In The U.S.

National Pet Day on April 11th dedicates the day to those pets who may not always get the companionship and attention pets deserve. While loving our pets is something we do every day, the observance encourages helping out orphaned pet companions. It will improve their health and enhance their opportunities for adoption.

• 30,000 BC – Animals become domesticated. Likely starting with dogs, the relationship between humans and animals takes a turn and these domesticated animals become pets.
• 3500 BC – The dog collar is believed to have been invented in Mesopotamia, based on a wall painting depicting a man with a collared dog on a leash
• 3100 BC – Ancient Egyptians kept dogs as pets. Though they have more of a working relationship as guard dogs or hunting dogs, these ancient pets wear collars and are even given names.
• 3000 BC – Ancient Egyptians kept cats indoors. With granary (Grain) storage comes the need for pest control, so wild cats are allowed inside to hunt mice.
• 900 BC – Phoenician traders bring the first domesticated cats to Europe.
• 1866 – Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York after witnessing a carriage driver in Russia beating a fallen horse three years earlier.
• 1869 – First animal shelter founded in the US. With a heart for animals, a group of 30 women, led by Caroline Earl White, starts The Women’s Branch of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
• 2006 – National Pet Day began in 2006 when animal welfare advocate, Colleen Paige, decided she wanted to celebrate the joy that pets bring into people’s lives. As a Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert, she wanted to celebrate all pets.
• 2017 – Japanese feline Maru is certified as the most viewed animal on YouTube after 10 years of diving into boxes.
• Cats spend approximately 50% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
• 75% of pet owners celebrate their dog’s birthday.
• Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
• Rabbit teeth never stop growing; tough plant food helps to wear them down.
• Cats sleep for around 70% of their lives which can be up to 16 hours a day.
• Millennials own more pets than Generation X and the Baby Boomers.
• Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs. Chonkers can be more likely to develop arthritis, heart failure, high blood pressure, and more.
• An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as beneficiaries in their owners’ wills.
• Studies have shown that spending time with dogs can cause the brain to produce oxytocin – a hormone that can reduce stress and enhance well-being!
• Dogs can tell time better than we think – they have an internal clock just like us!
• There are more than 350 different breeds of dogs worldwide.
• Cats have better memories than dogs. Tests conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that while a dog’s memory lasts no more than 5 minutes, a cat’s can last as long as 16 hours.
• Dogs are as smart as a 2 year-old.
• A goldfish’s memory isn’t so bad. They can actually remember things for up to 3 months.
• The oldest pet goldfish lived to 43.
• Dogs can smell your feelings.
• A cat can jump up to seven times its height.
• A pack of kittens is called a kindle, while a pack of adult cats is called a clowder.
• Leonardo DiCaprio’s pet has a good chance of outliving him. The Sulcata tortoise, which was 10 years old when DiCaprio bought him in 2010, can easily live to be 80 and can grow to 200 pounds.
• Australians have one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world.
• Dalmatians are born spotless and develop spots as they age.
• To survive, every bird must eat at least half its own weight in food each day.
• Americans own more than 60 million pet birds.
• Larger parrots such as the macaws and cockatoos live more than 75 years.
• The American Veterinary Dental Society states that 80% of Dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.
• Dalmatians are born without spots!  They are born with plain white coats with their first spots appearing after they are 1week old.
• Dogs have 28 baby teeth and 42 permanent teeth.
• Cat whiskers are so sensitive they can detect the slightest change in air current.
• Cats have 26 baby teeth and 30 permanent teeth.
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
• Crocodiles cannot stick their tongue out.
• Starfish do not have a brain.
• Slugs have 4 noses.
• Only female mosquitoes bite.
• Polar bear skin is black!
• The only mammal capable of flight is the bat.
• Pets by the numbers:
  • 36% – the percentage by which owning a dog decreases the risk of death by heart disease.
  • 10% – the percentage of owners allergic to their pets.
  • 57% – of American households owned at least one pet, according to Pet Ownership Statistics.
  • 5000–7000 – the number of tigers kept as pets in the U.S.
  • 94% – the percentage of families with an autistic child who benefited from having a pet.
  • 44% – the percentage of people who’d rather cuddle with their pet than their partner.
  • 200 million – the number of stray dogs in the world.
  • 2 million – the number of animals who die in shelters every year.
  • 9% – the percentage of healthy dogs euthanized in Canadian shelters in 2017.
  • 90% – the percentage of pets found within a day when the owner was looking for them.
  • 29% – the percentage of people who have to part with their pets due to residential restrictions.
• The ten most popular pets
  • #1: Dog (45%)
  • #2: Cat (30%)
  • #3: Fish (9%)
  • #4: Bird (e.g. parakeet, cockatiel, parrot, etc.) (5%)
  • #5: Hamster/gerbil/mouse (2%)
  • #6: Horse (2%)
  • #7: Snake (2%)
  • #8: Guinea pig (1%)
  • #9: Lizard (e.g. iguana, chameleon, gecko, etc.) (1%)
  • #10: Tarantula (1%)

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Outward Hound

The Carousel

Animal Medical Clinic

National Today