Category: Animals & Nature

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Enjoy Some of the Best Tweets From “Thoughts of Dog”

I gotta say, I’m a little annoyed that here we are in the year 2021 and we still haven’t trained our dogs to talk yet.

I don’t know if we’re to blame it or it’s all their fault, but either way, it’s pretty discouraging. I thought we’d have this down by 2015 at the latest…

So, because that is the reality that we live in, we have to rely on the “Thoughts of Dog” Twitter account to let us know what dogs and thinking about and why.

And boy, is it insightful…let’s take a look. You might never look at your dog the same way ever again…

1. Keeping an eye on the important stuff.

Well, someone has to do it.

2. I agree with this sentiment.

What do you think?

3. Here, here!

We’re behind you on this one!

4. This is how everyone should live their life.

Anytime can be bed time.

5. You better go taste that.

You have to taste all the leaves and sticks, ya know?

6. What is this ball I keep hearing about?

Can anyone explain it to me?

7. Let’s look at the data.

Time to crunch the numbers.

8. It doesn’t seem fair.

What’s the deal with the sticks, humans?

9. What’s the point of all this?

How can I NOT fall asleep?

10. I can’t help it, okay?

But you know they’re still gonna take pictures.

11. You’re not allowed to go back.

Work from home forever. Sound good?

12. Don’t rush me!

I need to take my time…

13. A ball of fury!

And of FUR.

Well, wasn’t that adorable…?

Do you have any dogs in your household?

Well, if so, you know we want to meet them!

Introduce us to them in the comments!

The post Enjoy Some of the Best Tweets From “Thoughts of Dog” appeared first on UberFacts.

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Hilarious and Insightful Tweets From “Thoughts of Dog”

Don’t try to tell me that you’ve never sat around and wondered just what exactly your dog was thinking about…

I know I definitely have before!

And, since we haven’t trained dogs to talk yet, we need to rely on the “Thoughts of Dog” Twitter account to help us what’s going on inside those canine brains.

Are you ready to get deep and go on a fantastic voyage of discovery? So am I! Let’s do it now!

1. Time to create some chaos.

You knew this was coming!

2. What the hell happened?

Why am I not getting the attention I need?

3. Just take your time…

Even though your owner will be annoyed.

4. I think he’s talking about his toy.

And yes, it needs a bath.

5. You just threw it all away.

Why did you do that?!?!

6. Let’s go down the list.

It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?

7. Inside or outside?

There’s more to it than that…

8. It’s your time to shine.

This is not a drill!

9. He’s your best pal!

But not all dogs think this way…

10. This is what I’ll be doing.

Awwwwww. That’s cute.

11. It’s gonna be a great day!

And we hope you get all the attention you need.

12. Let me introduce myself.

Just don’t eat it!

Do you have any dogs?

Big dogs? Little dogs? Fluffy dogs? short-haired dogs?

If the answer is YES, please share some photos of them in the comments and introduce us to them.

And tell us a little bit about them, as well!

Thanks a lot!

The post Hilarious and Insightful Tweets From “Thoughts of Dog” appeared first on UberFacts.

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Let’s Take a Look at These Super-Duper Fluffy Cats

Yo! Bring on the floof!

That’s what I like to say…to other people and to myself…

Is that weird?

Ah, the hell with it! Who cares if it is weird? I want to see fluffy cats and I want to see them now!

And I’m in for a huge treat, and so are you. Because these fluff-balls are some of the most adorable kitties that you’re gonna see anywhere on Earth.

Let’s take a look!

And remember to yell out “Bring on the floof!” while you’re enjoying these pics! There ain’t no shame in your game!

1. This one is a double threat.

Floof and THOSE EYES. Wow.

I am sure you’ll fall in love with this cutie at first sight… from Floof

2. I love the name, by the way.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a dog or a cat named Cereal.

Cereal in winter from Floof

3. Perfect for cuddling.

No doubt about that.

My huge floofy boi cuddling with me 😻 from Floof

4. Get out in nature.

Enjoy your frolic in the snow!

Happy floof in the snow ! from Floof

5. Sorry, you can’t have anymore.

You sure are cute, though.

Someone ate all his Halloween candy already 😳 from Floof

6. This cat might turn out to be PURE EVIL.

But in the meantime, enjoy his company!

I Am the Night from Floof

7. This one is almost all floof.

I wonder what the other 10% is…

90% Floof from Floof

8. You just want to pick him up!

And cuddle with him for days!

he’s as soft as he looks ❤ from Floof

9. You might need a haircut soon…

On second thought, never mind. The floof is good.

Susanna’s head is slowly being engulfed by her own floof. from Floof

10. That’s a good-looking kitty!

And she seems polite, too.

Daintily crossing her floofy feet. from Floof

11. Perfect for snoozing.

What a good companion.

Boyfriend and floof take a snooze from Floof

Do you have any kitties in your house?

If so, please share some pics with us in the comments.

We can’t wait to see them!

The post Let’s Take a Look at These Super-Duper Fluffy Cats appeared first on UberFacts.

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“Thoughts of Dog” Tweets That Are Humorous and Insightful

Even if you’re not a big Twitter person, you should really subscribe to the social media platform so you can follow a great account called “Thoughts of Dog.”

Because, let’s get real, who doesn’t want to know what’s going on in our dog’s head, right?

I know I do!

And that’s exactly what this account does. So wonder no more, dog owners, because this is the real deal. Let’s take a look.

1. The rarest sit.

Have you seen it in the wild?

2. No more fireworks, people!

The pooches really don’t enjoy that.

3. That did not work out very well.

What the heck is going on here?

4. Waiting for the food to drop.

Any minute now…

5. Those are the kind of people you need to be around.

The kind that helps you out!

6. Bring on the pancakes.

You know you want ’em!

7. Narrowed it down.

Makes sense to me.

8. Are you sure you’re helping?

I’m just sayin’…

9. We could all use some more cuddles.

Especially from a dog!

10. Letting it all hang out.

Strut your stuff!

11. Bring your human to work day.

I like the sound of that!

12. Just do your best.

We’re all rooting for you!

Okay, you know the drill…

Now we want to hear from you!

In the comments, introduce us to your pooches and share some photos with us.

We want to meet fat dogs, skinny dogs, white dogs, black dogs, all the dogs you can imagine!

Thanks, fam! We love hearing from you!

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Why Don’t Humans Have a “Mating Season?”

The Reddit forum r/NoStupidQuestions is the place to go when you have a query you’re too embarrassed to ask your friends…or because you’ve already exhausted your friends asking this particular question.

This one should really get those brain-wheels greased – if humans are mammals just like all the rest (or close enough), why isn’t there a human mating season?

If you’re curious now, here’s what 15 people had to say about it!

15. Keep dreaming.

Ugh it’s terrible. I wish we would just have mating seasons.

U horny? yeah I’m horny, mkay let’s bang.

cool. done.

To hell with all this courtship and mind games.

14. Look at the smart guy!

There’s no definitive answer, but one part of it might be that humans are already communal creatures, so there’s no need to synchronize any sort of mating season, because we’re already together.

Additionally, human babies take a long time to mature, and are often looked after by more humans than just the mother, this makes asynchronous births easier, since there will be more humans to help with child care.

13. The more you know?

It’s actually Feb 14 and Jan 1st.

Which is why birthdays in October and November are more common…

12. It might not be for the best.

Organisms that can’t farm or stockpile resources may have no choice. If they don’t all birth when resources are increasing or abundant (usually Spring or Summer), the offspring will die. Of course disasters can strike e.g. a drought leading to famine and a mass die off for a species.

It also worth noting though that most species which require huge amounts of resources usually aren’t too numerous (humans are again another exception there, but evidence is rapidly mounting that we are using up our resources and screwing over the planet which could lead to us causing our own extinction….so yay?)

11. Hahahaha think about it.

Imagine everybody having a break off work to go out and find a mate.

Paid sex vacation?

10. We’re not alone.

Chimps and gorillas don’t have mating sessions either.

9. “Happy” holidays?

Everyone I know seems to have a September birthday which means that December is, apparently, mating season.

8. Seasons don’t matter.

Plus since we have to take care of them for years anyway, it doesn’t really make sense to avoid a winter. We’ll have to do the next one after all.

And writing that down, our species originated in a region with no winter. So the need for a mating season would probably be a lot less prevalent anyway. (Do other big mammals in the African plains have mating seasons?)

7. Blerg.

The human female reproductive cycle repeats every month instead of every year.

Our mating season is all the time except for one week a month.

6. Those dang kids.

Also since the time it takes for human babies to mature enough to no longer need parental support is longer than 1 year, it’d be irrational to have an annual season for mating.

5. There’s always a reason.

We don’t have a firm answer for this in nature, but generally, mating seasons are found in species that a) have a long gestational period; and b) have significantly unequal access to food year round.

Typically the mechanism is a hormonal cycle where the female is only receptive to mating under particular conditions (usually weather and calorie related).

Hardly any apes are seasonal breeders, and the few that are likely developed our common ancestors split. So while we don’t have a firm answer in nature, the most likely answer is that it’s because the ancestors of humans a few million years ago had relatively even access to food throughout the year. Our closest relatives (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos and gibbons) are all continuous breeders as well.

4. We can feed ourselves any time.

Animal mating seasons typically coincide with the season where resources (namely food) are most abundant. Pregnancy requires a lot of energy, after all, so there’s little point for a deer, for example, to try and have a child in the middle of winter when food is at its scarcest.

Humans, by contrast, have been less dependent on seasons being hunter-gatherers. More importantly, however, by possessing the capacity to be pregnant at any point in the year, males and females are ‘forced’ to stay in close proximity all year long, rather than have the males buggar off and only come back during mating season.

This allows the female to secure food, care, and resource for her and her progeny during the entire year, and allows for a better chance for the offspring to survive (as human offsprings are extremely dependent on their caretakers for a longer period relative to other animal species)

3. So…all year?

If you live in Canada, I’d call it winter.

2. “A continual basis.” Sure.

One of the more unusual aspects of human mating is that unlike most species, ovulation / fertility isn’t on display. If you’ve ever owned a female dog, you’ll know they go into “heat” and begin spotting, leaving a trail everywhere. In the wild this would lead a mate to the female during her fertile window.

Humans are one of the very few if not only(?) species that have this virtually entirely hidden… It requires that the male maintain courtship on a more continual basis… and it’s also heavily involved in preventing something akin to a mating season.

1. Details, because you know you want them.

I think it’s important to point out the differences between a menstrual) cycle and an estrous cycle. In terms of menstruation, humans are among a very limited group of mammals. Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium), whereas estrous cycles involve the re-absorption of the endometrium.

Menstruation is generally found amongst simian species. There are some bats, the elephant shrew, and the spiny mouse that also have menstruation cycles. Beyond that, placental mammals seem to use estrous cycles. There are species that use the estrous cycle that have bloody discharges from the vagina, and that gets mistaken for menstruation.

Giraffes (estrous cycle) seem to have a pretty subtle process that requires the male to taste/smell the urine of a female in order to tell if they are fertile or not. This can mean that males will headbutt a female in the bladder to get them to pee.

Don’t you just love stuff that gets your gears grinding?

What do you think about these responses? Are you buying it? Tell us in the comments!

The post Why Don’t Humans Have a “Mating Season?” appeared first on UberFacts.

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Scientists Are Using Human Cells to Enhance Monkey Brains. Is This a Good Idea?

In today’s edition of “More Scientists Need To Watch Movies”, some people think it’s a good idea to try to increase the size of a monkey’s brain.

Now, I have a problem with this for a couple of reasons, but the main one is that monkeys are gross, disgusting little disease vectors, and the last thing we need is them realizing they can spread germs to humans faster and on purpose.

But, as people – even the smart ones – never learn, here we are again.

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

Scientists in southern China are working to better understand how evolution happened (they say) by enhancing the brains and intelligence of several transgenic macaque monkeys.

Bing Su is the geneticist at the Kunming Institute of Zoology who led the effort.

“This was the first attempt to understand the evolution of human cognition using a transgenic monkey model,” he confessed.

Their findings indicate that the modified monkeys are better able to pass tests involving memory, colors, and blocks, and their brains took longer to develop, too – more like human children.

Image Credit: Pexels

The results were published on March 27th in the National Science Review, and several Western scientists were quick to call the experiments reckless, questioning the ethics of genetically modifying primates.

James Sikela, a geneticist at the University of Colorado, is one of the scientists who has concerns.

“The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take.

It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued.

…I find it troubling that the field is steamrolling along in this manner.”

While Europe and the US still continue to make it difficult to use primates for research, China has no such qualms.

That’s why Su was able to get this project off the ground during his quest for “signs of Darwinian selection,” and specifically, the selection for higher intelligence.

As humans evolved, our brains grew in size and power. Su, and surely others, are curious about which genes inspired the change, and given how similar our brains are to say, a chimps, they’re natural test subjects.

Image Credit: iStock

If we can isolate the 2% difference between chimps and humans, then could we figure out what makes us human?

The gene that fascinates Su is MCPH1, or microcephalin. Its sequence differs between humans and apes, and human babies born with a damaged gene have tiny heads, which would seem to correlate to brain size.

In these most recent experiments, Su added human microcephalin to a monkey genome.

He and his collaborators at the Yunnan Key Laboratory exposed monkey embryos to a virus carrying the human microcephalin, and 5 of the 11 survived long enough to have their brains measured. They all had between 2 and 9 copies of the gene at the time.

Though ethics questions abound, Su feels that by experimenting on macaques and not apes, he’s avoided the biggest concerns of his peers.

Image Credit: iStock

“Although their genome is close to ours, there are also tens of millions of differences.”

Basically, he doesn’t believe giving them a few human genes will somehow make them more than monkeys, ala Planet of the Apes, the way people fear might happen if the experiments were carried out on say, a chimp.

The transgenic monkeys in the experiments did not end up with physically larger brain, but they did score better on shot-term memory quizzes and other intelligence tests.

Martin Styner, a computer scientists involved in the paper, asked to have his name removed due to the belief that the experiments aren’t doing anything to further real scientific research into evolution.

Image Credit: Pexels

“I don’t think that is a good direction. Now we have created this animal which is different than it is supposed to be.

When we do experiments, we have to have a good understanding of what we are trying to learn, to help society, and that is not the case here.

They are trying to understand brain development.

And I don’t think they are getting there.”

Su and his team remain undaunted, with plans to create more modified transgenic monkeys in the near future.

What’s more, is that next time he plans to use a different DNA variant – SRGAP2C – which has been dubbed the “humanity switch,” due to its likely role in burgeoning human intelligence.

I don’t know about y’all, but I feel like we have enough going on.

Monkeys that are as smart as humans, apes or not, seem like a very bad idea.

The post Scientists Are Using Human Cells to Enhance Monkey Brains. Is This a Good Idea? appeared first on UberFacts.

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Artist Raises Money for Charity With His Hilariously Bad Pet Drawings

An artist who goes by the name of Hercule Van Wolfwinkle is doing some good work.

And when I say “good”, I don’t necessarily mean…well, good.

In fact, Hercule’s work is downright bad. But that’s the fun of it! He draws ridiculously bad portraits of peoples’ pets, but here’s the great part: he’s raising money for an important charity that helps out the homeless.

Check out Turning Tides, the charity Hercule raises money for, HERE.

Now let’s get a look at these terrible portraits!

1. Look at this handsome fella.

He nailed it!

New commission finished!!!This handsome little fella belongs to the most wonderful Jessica Milne.I’m not sure if…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Saturday, December 19, 2020

2. Two peas in a pod.

I bet this gruesome twosome causes a lot of trouble.

New commission finished!!!Last one for tonight. I was hoping to do more but I’m done in 😴This is ‘Honey B’. And…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Friday, December 18, 2020

3. Let it all hang out.

Hey, you do you!

New commission finished!!I’m no vet, but I reckon I’ve seen more pictures of people’s pets than most. And what I have…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Wednesday, December 16, 2020

4. I think the arms might be a little bit long…

Anyone else see that?

New commission finished!!!This proud looking fella belongs to the wonderful Eve Stratton Sheldon. I’m not sure what…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Wednesday, December 16, 2020

5. This one might be my favorite.

Get a load of those teeth!

New commission finished!!This happy chappy belongs to the lovely Phillip Roberts.I don’t know what his name is, but…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Saturday, December 19, 2020

6. Look at this pet!

I wouldn’t want to tangle with this wild animal.

New commission finished!!This goose belongs to the lovely Kate Smith. I don’t know what she’s called, but I’ve named…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Friday, December 18, 2020

7. Yes, this cat is judging you.

And yes, she also judging the drawing.

New commission finished!!This fuzzy feline belongs to the wonderful Kevin Reed and family. I don’t know what a he’s…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Tuesday, December 15, 2020

8. Hahahaha. This one is really something else.

Even got the bow and everything.

New commission finished!!!Karen Partridge has requested this portrait of her dog. It’s a breed of dog that is so…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Monday, December 14, 2020

9. We’re are Siamese, if you please.

Not really, but it kinda looks like it.

New commission finished!!I’ll be honest, I have absolutely no idea if I’ve broken my one pet per portrait rule or not…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Tuesday, December 15, 2020

10. Why are you wearing a shower cap?

Actually, never mind, I don’t want to know.

New commission finished!!Sally Daly sent in this picture of her dog sporting a shower cap just like my old Grandma…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Sunday, December 13, 2020

11. A real goofy pup.

This dog was just made to be a star.

New commission finished!!This portrait was requested by Jessa Rolexus as a gift for her good friend. I don’t know…

Posted by Pet Portraits By Hercule on Friday, December 11, 2020

I love those!

Do you have any pooches at home with you?

If so, please share some pics of them in the comments and introduce us to them.

We can’t wait to meet your doggos!

The post Artist Raises Money for Charity With His Hilariously Bad Pet Drawings appeared first on UberFacts.

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Funny Cat Posts That Are Just Purrrr-Fect

Did you see what I did in the title there?

I said purrrr-fect because we’re about to dive headfirst into some hilarious cat posts that will remind you why you have a love/hate relationship with your feline friends.

Yes, we know it’s MOSTLY love but you can’t deny that there are some times where you want to banish your cat to the great outdoors for a day or two. But don’t do that!

Just laugh at these posts and give them a squeeze. Then everyone will be happy.

Let’s take a look.

1. Hats for cats!

What else do you really need in your life?!?!

2. You are a superstar!

And we’re rooting for you!

3. This cat has super strength.

How did you do that?!?!

4. Hey, leave that cat alone!

She’s just trying to live her best life.

5. This cat is going through an existential crisis.

Can anyone help out?

6. Sounds like a smart cat.

Really workin’ the system!

7. This is what true love looks like.

These two are still at it!

8. The cat tree, seen in the wild.

A very rare sighting…

9. I guess I’ll see you later.

And she’s off to her secret lair.

10. You should probably just mind your own business.

They are not to be messed with.

11. You really need to lose some weight.

This is not where you want to be!

12. What the hell are you doing here?

This is MY house!

How about you?

Do you share your home with any cats?

If so, please share a photo with us in the comments and tell us a little bit about them.

Thanks!

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People Share Great Tweets About our Furry Friends

I don’t currently have a pet, but I can tell you that I’ve had multiple dogs and cats in my life and each one of them holds a very special place in my heart.

First the dogs: Quincy with a chubby Cocker Spaniel with a mean streak. Bailey was a delightful Golden Retriever with a great personality, and Bianca was another Cocker Spaniel we had but she was very timid and nervous all the time.

And then, on the feline side, we had a cat named Mr. Whiskers. He was a stray who started showing up on our porch and never left, and then we had Esmeralda, a beautiful Lynx Point who used to like to torment the dogs in the house.

I miss all of them so much!

In the spirit of all our pets past and present, let’s enjoy some great memes about our best friends. Take a look!

1. The cutest lil’ paws in the whole world.

Well, just look at that…

2. It’s all worth it.

You go ahead and sleep anywhere you want.

3. This dog is playing some mind games.

And I think he might be a secret agent.

4. We’ll get you some more treats very soon.

Don’t look at me that way!

5. You’re back again?

To be honest with you, I could’ve used some more alone time.

6. This pug is amazing.

Who else out there is living the Pug Life?

7. Hopefully, your cat will cheer you up.

Or she’ll turn against you because you messed with her breakfast.

8. This is the kind of content I need right now.

Who’s with me?

9. The look of love.

No doubt about it, you have a new best friend for life.

10. It’s time for another nap.

Oh, to have a dog’s life…

11. I’m 100% on board with this.

Yes, it’s all that really matters.

Now it’s your turn!

In the comments, share some photos of your dogs and cats and introduce us to them.

We’d love to meet all of them!

The post People Share Great Tweets About our Furry Friends appeared first on UberFacts.

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Hilarious Dog and Cat Tweets That We Think You’ll Want to See

If there’s one thing we can count on during these bleak times, it’s how much we can rely on our pets to make us happy.

They’re wild, they’re crazy, and they bring so much joy into our lives. And even when we get frustrated with them, you all know they’re still our best buddies in the world.

You know that there’s no doubt about that, friends!

So what do you say we celebrate our furry friends with some great dog and cat tweets?

I thought you’d say YES! Let’s take a look!

1. It’s his special superpower.

Here comes Lobster again!

2. Where did I go wrong in life?

Hang in there, Charlie!

3. A nice effort.

He’ll get the hang of it!

4. Look at this pair!

Best friends forever! I love it!

5. Yeah, I guess you’re right…

You have no choice but to agree.

6. You don’t want to cross this pack.

They mean business. So don’t mess around.

7. This is a perfectly normal conversation to have.

And I’d like to know what you came up with.

8. Okay, I’m ready to eat!

You have a new alarm clock.

9. You need to get to the bottom of this.

What are you trying to prove?!?!

10. The cat overdid it again…

You need to take it down a notch.

11. That’s a much better idea.

And that’s using your head!

12. Your vet is right.

That is a good-looking pooch.

13. They’re all unique.

And they’re all crazy…

We love this kind of stuff!

And now we want more…

In the comments, share some photos of your dogs and cats with us.

We’d love to meet ’em!

The post Hilarious Dog and Cat Tweets That We Think You’ll Want to See appeared first on UberFacts.