One of the most curious aspects about our animals is that there is a correlation between their age and ours. In particular, we all grew up with the idea that a "human" year equals to 7 dog years. For the cat, however, the versions are different. Here is the exact calculation of the age of the dog and cat, converted into "human" years.

Let's start from the age of the dog.

First, we must take into consideration the age, but also the size of the animal. As it is known, in fact, larger dogs, such as Terranova and San Bernardo, generally have a shorter average life than small and toy dogs, such as Chihuahua and Pinscher.

Within the first year of age, we will calculate 15 "human" years instead of 7, as mistakenly believed. If this reasoning seems strange to you, think of a simple aspect: puberty. In fact, dogs from 6 to 12 months of age complete sexual development, so they can mate and reproduce. If one dog year corresponded to 7 of "our" years, all this would not make sense. On the contrary, within 15 "human" years, we perfectly fit with pubertal calculus. For larger dogs, however, within the 40 kg weight we calculate 14 "human" years, whilst over 40 kg it is reduced to 12.

Starting from the second year of age we remain among the 23 "human" years of a small dog, 24 for intermediate sizes, going down to 22 and 20 for those respectively within and over 40 kg of weight.

Beyond 2 years of age, the calculation continues in a linear way, adding 4 years to each past year, but always relying on the age originally assessed based on size. So a 3-year-old dog will be considered on average approximately twenty-eight year old, whilst at 9 he will be comparable to a middle-aged man.

As for old age, however, as we said, large and giant dogs tend to age earlier than toy breeds. According to this reasoning, a 13-year-old Chihuahua will be considered a sixty-eight year old, whilst a Saint Bernard of the same age will have already passed the eighties in "human" age.

This is why there are small dogs that can exceed 15 years of age, whilst bigger breeds won’t.

Let's move on to the cats now.

 In this case, the calculation of the 7 "human" years is wrong, as for the dog. During the first two years of age, the relationship is very similar between the two animals, for which one feline year will correspond to 15 "human" years, while 2 to 24 years.

The calculation continues adding once again 4 "human" years for each year of the cat's age on a regular basis. In fact, removing minimal variations in weight, for example between a European breed cat and an imposing Norwegian Forest cat, there are no significant differences that require a distinction in the calculation.

So, a cat can be considered middle-aged around 9-10 years, while it can be compared to a seventy year old from 14-15 years. That is not all. As many of us know, it is not difficult to hear about real feline Highlanders, some of whom exceed 20 years of age, making them 90 years old and centenarians. Will it be thanks to their seven lives?

Source: https://www.petclub.it

 In ancient times, when all the technologies currently available to us had not yet been developed, to be able to perceive the climatic variations our grandparents relied on ancient proverbs. "Red sky at night, shepherds delight" is known to all of us, as well as the popular belief that cats would be able to warn us when the weather is about to change, especially just before a thunderstorm or downpour. Will it be true?

This belief dates back to very ancient times, according to what appears in the sources handed down to the present day. In particular, according to Lieutenant H.H.C. Dunwoody, as expressed in his Wheater Proverbs in 1883, cats would be very reliable. For example, we should especially observe some details, such as:

• The cat sneezes before it rains;
• The cat turns its head and washes its face from the side towards which the wind will blow;
• If the cat snores, bad weather is coming;
• When the cat washes himself behind the ears, it will rain;
• If the cat lies on his stomach, a thunderstorm is about to arrive.

Some of these may actually prove to be simple popular beliefs, or maybe not. In fact, it would seem that cats are really able to perceive an incoming storm, beginning to frantically lick their fur.

The reason for this behaviour does not depend on some magical power that cats would possess, but in perfectly explainable events.

Cats are likely to hear thunder in the distance, thanks to their particularly developed hearing, or they may experience changes in atmospheric pressure. The second hypothesis is the most accredited, considering above all that some felines manage to predict the storm even several hours before its arrival.

The reason for this phenomenon would be due to the fact that the coat of cats is sensitive to humidity present in the air. When the storm is approaching, the humidity level increases, accumulating on the cat's fur. As a result, they will feel more "electrified" and will try to decrease the electrical charge on the hair, just by licking each other. Their behaviour could also change, transforming them into wild and active cats.

So, if you are planning a nice trip out of town, ask him for a weather report first.

It is now known that pets can help us get better both in terms of mood and in terms of health. In particular, according to some recent studies, it has emerged that dogs would be able to prevent the appearance of asthma in humans, but especially in children.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Fujimura, at the University School of Medicine in Boston, and is based on a very interesting aspect. When a child is infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), he is more likely to suffer from asthma as he grows up. That is not all. The most important fact is that the presence of dogs in the house would be able to hinder the infections caused by this dangerous virus.

During the research, some mice were divided into two groups for eight days. The first group was exposed to common household dust, while the second group was exposed to dust from animal dwellings. After eight days, both groups were exposed to respiratory syncytial virus infection.

At the end of the study, it was found that the mice fed with household dust had no typical respiratory symptoms, unlike those normally fed. In addition, a new bacterial strain, called Lactobacillus johnsonii, was discovered in the gastrointestinal tract of the alternatively fed group. According to the researchers, therefore, these bacteria protect our respiratory tract from infections and allergies.

The theory was expanded by a parallel study conducted by microbiologist Susan Lynch, of the University of California, San Francisco. Following the model of the previous study, the team of researchers also subjected the mice to some substances that can usually cause allergies, such as cockroaches and egg proteins. The result was once again surprising: the mice exposed to dust from animal dwellings showed no reaction.

In particular, their effect would result in a reduction in the reactivity of the immune system towards harmless substances, a phenomenon underlying allergic reactions, even preventing serious inflammation of the respiratory tract.

At this point, efforts are being made to extend this investigation to the human organism, although the theory already seems clearly in favour of this assumption. Spending the first years of life in the company of a dog, in fact, could be an excellent solution to prevent many respiratory infections and even asthma.

All thanks to a bacterium, but above all, thanks to dogs.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/human/health/dog-asthma-child-pet-home-dust-immune-120620.htm

We often hear about boys of all age groups who commit cruel vandalism and bullying acts, probably in the grip of rampant generational boredom. According to several researches, a solution to put an end to this problem could be represented by animals. In fact, children who grow up with dogs and cats become more sensitive and empathetic, managing to be comprehensive with other and at the same time learning to take on their responsibilities.

A fundamental aspect, which emerged in the course of research, concerns the role of parents in the care of animals. In particular, it would seem that the theory mentioned above, is unrealistic if the owner is unable to deal with the animal. In other words, if a father abuses his dog, the child will absorb and assume that same behavioural pattern when he grows up. On the contrary, a parent who cares lovingly for his four-legged friend will show his children a fair and constructive pattern.

Similarly, the role of the parent should teach the adequate behaviour to the child, using simple words and gestures to describe what might please or annoy the dog or cat. A child, which is very persistent with a very small kitten for a hug, could accidentally hurt him. In this case, the parent should explain to him what the risks may be, showing him how pleasant it can be for both of us to simply pet the animal or feed it.

The special relationship that is created with pets helps children to become more sensitive and develop greater empathy, that is, the ability to connect with the emotions of others. A cat or dog are relatively defenceless creatures, who ask for constant care and attention, so the child who grows up learning to listen to the needs of another living being will become more sensitive and more responsive to what others are feeling.

This aspect has to do with what experts call "Emotional Intelligence" (EI), as opposed to the IQ that we talk about very often. Lets explain the meaning of these two terms.

The IQ is a test that is used to evaluate an individual's ability to think, reason, memorize and pay attention.

Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is the rarest ability of knowledge, understanding and managing emotions, but also to be able to tune in to the same wavelength as the emotions of others.

According to the most modern psychological theories, therefore, true intelligence would derive from the union of these two components, and not only from how quickly we can make calculations in mind or memorize a poem.

Children who grow up with an animal manage to develop a lot of emotional intelligence, which is very difficult to learn on their own. For this reason, especially if the parents manage to guide the child's relationship with the animal, they will lay the foundations for him to become a responsible adult, but above all respectful of other living beings.

We usually find ourselves wondering a lot by observing our four-legged friends. For example, we ask ourselves if cats are able to recognize their mother, father or siblings, not only as "life companions", but also in the sense of family. Here's what the experts think.

According to John Bradshaw, a behavioural expert from the University of Bristol in the UK, most animals will never have a chance to meet their grandparents. This aspect is rather obvious, considering that many owners of dogs and cats are not even aware of the genealogy of their animal, especially if it comes from the street or from shelters and kennels.

That is not all. A very interesting fact is that Bradshaw focuses mainly on the male line of the family, therefore fathers and grandparents. According to the ethologist, no cat will ever be able to remember these figures.

Indeed, feline colonies, as he said "are based on multigenerational cooperation between females - grandmothers, daughters and kittens". These take care of their offspring, feeding and supervising them until they are ready to be independent. Males, on the other hand, have a marginal role and are rarely involved in the growth of kittens.

In any case, "once the kittens are separated from the mother," explains Bradshaw, "they seem to forget about her quickly and in most cases can't even remember if they ever knew each other".

However, many cats can also react differently when meeting their mother or siblings. Their smell, in fact, remains etched in their memory, one of the most important distinctive features for animals, with a phenomenon called "primary association".

Thanks to smelling, they will be able to reconstruct an alternative form of family, associating the smell of the mother or relatives to a rather precise timeline, in which these figures are certainly placed in the first moments of their life and therefore are very important.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com

It seems incredible news, but in reality, many scientific studies are discovering that dogs would be able to perceive the presence of some health problems in humans, including cancer.

We already know that the dogs' sense of smell is definitely more developed than ours. It is no coincidence that truffle hunters have always exploited it. Police officers also use them to search for missing people, traces of drugs and even explosive devices.

Our four-legged friends, in fact, have a developed sense of smell, thanks to the presence of a huge number of receptors specialized in capturing odours, transmitting them to the brain. According to recent discoveries, the power of this developed sense in dogs is due to their ability to capture the so-called volatile organic compounds present in the external environment. These are nothing more than microscopic molecules, released both in the air and in liquids. Our nose is also able to perceive them, but not to the same extent as them.

According to an English study published in 2004 in the British Journal of Medicine, dogs would be able to perceive the presence of these compounds even in our body. In particular, during the research, a group of six dogs was observed, trained to identify urine samples belonging to patients with bladder cancer. The result was not surprising at first, because only 41 percent of dogs were able to identify the "sick" samples.

In the following years, other studies were conducted, specializing the dogs in the search for other forms of cancer, such as that of the breast or lungs. The Pine Street San Anselmo team, led by Michael McCulloch, chose to have the animals evaluate a sample of the patients' exhaled air. This time the result left everyone speechless: 88% identified breast cancer and 97% identified lung cancer.

In 2011, in Japan, the nose of dogs was tested for colorectal cancer. In this case, the precision of the test reached 98% accuracy, more than that of the tests normally used for the diagnosis of this tumour.

Due to the success of these studies, many other investigations have been developed around the world. Despite the accuracy of the tests, however, dogs will not be able to diagnosis cancer and other health problems at least for a few more years.

Source:http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/can-dogs-detect-human-health-problems/