The Importance of Investing in a Cat Scratching Post

Your cat is a real bundle of joy and affection. But when she is not spending her moments with you, she probably tries to direct her attention to other objects in your home. A cat scratching post is a must for people who want to save their expensive furniture from the claws of our cute but ferocious pets. But have you ever wondered why cats have a natural instinct to scratch objects? In the following article, we will dive deep into the world of cats’ instincts, and we will also list some categories of cat toys you can purchase to

Bear wrestling

Engaging in bear wrestling is considered to be an act of bear exploitation and is classified as a Class B Felony in Alabama.

Celebrating National Bird Day: 5 Ways to Appreciate and Support Our Feathered Friends

Celebrated on January 5th, National Bird Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of birds and their conservation. From the majestic bald eagle to the colorful parrot, birds play a vital role in our ecosystem and deserve to be celebrated. But why do we celebrate National Bird Day, and how can you get involved? National Bird Day was founded in 2002 by the Avian Welfare Coalition, a group dedicated to improving the lives of birds in captivity. The day was created as a way to raise awareness about the plight of birds in the pet trade,

Uncovering the Mystery of Animal Dreams: Do Our Furry and Feathered Friends Experience REM Sleep and Dreaming?”

Do animals dream? It’s a question that has fascinated scientists and animal lovers alike for centuries. While we may never be able to ask animals directly if they experience dreams, there is evidence that suggests that many animals do indeed dream. To understand whether animals dream, it’s helpful to first understand what dreaming is and how it occurs. Dreams are a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in the mind during sleep. They are typically associated with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and heightened physiological arousal. While

People Share The Conversation They’d Have With Their Pets If They Could Talk For 24 Hours

I graduated high school and went right to adopting rescue animals. The first one was a 5 week old puppy—a brindle girl so dark you’d be forgiven for thinking she was just a dirty black dog at first.

Her name was She-Ra and she was by my side for 22 years.

Twenty-two.

She saw me through scandalous college years, several whack partners, a first marriage…

She-Ra was as much a part of my “definition” as my sarcasm, my hair, or my loud face. She was, very honestly, the best friend I’ve ever had.

And I would have LOOOOOOOOOVED to hear the stuff she wanted to say back when we would sit around having chisme time.

Homegirls face was as loud as mine—I just KNOW she wanted to read some people into oblivion in English, Spanish, Spanglish, AND Pitbullian. I would have listened and been on stand-by with water so she could stay hydrated while she went off.

I’m a supportive bestie like that.

Reddit user l0velygh0st asked: 

“You’re gifted 24 straight hours where you and your pet(s) are suddenly able to understand each other and have real conversations like you’re old bffs just catching up on lost time. What would you want to tell them and how would you want to spend those hours with them?” 

Obviously She-Ra and I would be on our Thelma and Louise—minus the tragic ending and plus some incredible fashions.

Reddit users had their own incredible, adorable, ideas. The love between people and their pets is going to be our happy thought around here for the day.

“Lemme Upgrade Ya” 

“Write down every single quality of life improvements I can make for you.”

“Let’s go find you your perfect food to eat, let’s make sure there aren’t any aches and pains you have that we can’t address.”

“Tell me all of your favorite spots.”

“Tell me what you like, what you don’t. Literally everything.”

– Straightup32

About The Vacuum

“I would tell them that I love them, and that they’re good, and I would explain that I don’t cut their nails or vacuum the floor to hurt and scare them, it’s just stuff I need to do.”

“I would want to know what their lives looked like before they got to my family, if they can remember it. I would talk to them about funny stories from when they were young, and hopefully they’d have funny stories from when I was young.”

“I would also like to hear what gossip they might know because people still talk when pets are around.”

“I would want to ask them if there are ways I’ve been caring for them wrong, how I can care for them better and enrich their lives more. Are they hurting in any places that aren’t obvious?”

“They’re getting old, so I just want them to be happy for as many years as they have left.”

– SallyTwoSocks

When I Leave 

“Stop freaking out when I left the house. I will be back, like always.”

– Rawinza555

“But what if someday you’re not? Like you get in an accident and die and your buddy never knows what happened.”

“I think about that a lot and it breaks my heart”

– testerpants

“This happened to me!”

“I had sudden heart failure and was in the hospital for two months. Apparently, my dog just sat looking out the window every day, not understanding why I wasn’t coming back.”

“When I got home we were both so happy and getting back to her definitely helped save my life. I feel so guilty that she had to wonder why I had abandoned her for all those weeks…”

– cosmichorror845

“I’ve told my wife that if anything was to ever happen to me, my cat needs to see me so he understands I didn’t just leave.”

– Pure1nsanity

What’s In A Name? 

“To figure out what name he gave me.”

– Zure-Mossel

“Dog: ‘It’s Bar-woorrdddll!’ “

“Human: *tries to say it* “

“Dog: ‘No, you’re saying it wrong, but I like what you call me.’ “

– MoreNMoreLikelyTrans

“My cat’s name is Dobby, and I have another one named Nyxi. My conversation would go something like this:”

“N: ‘Why’d you call me Nyxi?’ “

“Me: ‘Well Nyx is the goddess of night and cats are known for loving the nighttime.’ “

“D:’Wow cool! Why’s my name dobby?’ “

“Me: *…shows picture* “

“D: 😑

“Me: ‘Your ears are big!!’ “

– 12Lister12

John Wick

“I would explain to them how much I love them and how they’ve saved my life many times.”

“I would ask what happened to them before they came into my life. They’re both rescues and we have made HUGE progress over the last three years, but they were pretty traumatized when I adopted both of them.”

“We would spend the day talking about our favorite things.”

“I would ask for the names and addresses of the owners that abused them both.”

“And I would go John Wick on those motherf*ckers.”

– [Reddit]

“OMG imagine if they could tell us their abusers…..that’s a dangerous path to go down but so many evil people would be gone from this world…”

– l0velygh0st

“I can’t even imagine.”

“My husband and I rescued our boy when he was barely two and we are his third or fourth family. He’d been passed around because he was “aggressive” apparently.”

“We’ve had him for five years and can’t imagine how anyone could ever think this massive goofball, scared-of-his-shadow, cuddly gentle giant could ever be aggressive.”

“Makes me wonder if he was being mistreated. He has a lot of separation anxiety, even now, because he was left and abandoned so many times before he was ours.”

“I get really sad thinking about it. He’s my world.”

– canohughess

Some Questions

“I’d have mostly questions:”

“’You don’t have to like your brother, but can we all agree to just coexist peacefully please?’”

“’I understand that taking medicine is no fun, but it’s what makes you feel better, so please stop fighting me whenever I need to give you the thing. It’ll suck for a couple seconds and then it’s over.’”

“’What is your obsession with lettuce?’ which seems like a normal thing until you realize it would be asked to cat.”

“’Why do you hump me when I lay down on the couch, but not when I’m sitting?’ (Asked to boy cat)”

“’Do you actually like the food I feed you?’”

“ ‘Is the temperature I keep the thermostat good for you?’ ”

“According to the internet, apparently I keep the temperature set too low, yet the kiddos run into my fridge or freezer often, and they sit on the vent when the AC is on in the summer, but also sit on the vent when the heat is on in the winter… are they hot or cold?! I don’t have the slightest clue.”

– SportsPhotoGirl

So now that we know what Reddit would do with 24 hours of talk time, it’s your turn at the mic.

Tell us what you’d want to talk about if your pet friends could converse for a day!

Desert Dwellers Break Down The Daily Facts Of Life They Face

Some months ago I found myself in El Paso, Texas. It was a fun enough time.

But let me tell you something—as a child of the Northeast, I don’t think I would enjoy living in the desert.

Nothing about the desert seems fun to me.

The idea of having the sun beating down on me all the time? I’m good, thanks.

Oh, there were no natural windbreaks out there, so sand just got everywhere whenever the wind picked up. That wasn’t great.

I mustn’t forget to mention the random lizards and scorpions that I’d see on the side of the road.

Or the spiders. Dear God, the spiders.

I guess I’m just accustomed to not having to think about animals all up in my space living in a Northeastern city. And I think I like it that way.

But there are plenty of people out there who live in these environments and would think I’m crazy for feeling the way I do!

They told us all about what it’s like living out there after Redditor Casual_WWE_Reference asked the online community:

“People who live in desert towns or cities, what are some everyday ‘facts of life’ about living in the desert that people who live in other places wouldn’t know?”

“And they are really freaking annoying.”

“Tumbleweed is not just in the cartoons. And they are really freaking annoying. Roadrunners are also around and are pretty cute. Coyotes party and sing in groups at night, and sound creepy as hell.” ~ sonictower

“Every now and then…”

“Every now and then we get a big wind storm that piles up the tumbleweeds in people’s yards. Imagine coming home from work and having tumbleweeds piled up to your roofline.” ~ elWattully

“Always wear a wide-brimmed hat.”

“Always wear a wide-brimmed hat. Long-sleeve T-shirts are underrated. Sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen.”

“Always have water on hand. Watch for snakes. Learn about heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and their respective symptoms.” ~ ClickBang911

“In the summer…”

“It’s dangerous.”

“In the summer we are often unable to go outside because 110-120 degree temps with little vegetation to absorb it will lead to heatstroke, and quickly.”

“Animals do not seek out the midday heat, and humans who think we’re somehow exempt from that will get sick.” 

“Adobe walls keep the heat out well but are hard to put nails into. Use 3M strips? Well, they melt. In my office, I usually have to replace broken frames every time the A/C shuts off because everything falls off the wall.” ~ [deleted]

“After a few days…”

“A couple of years after college, my friends and I spent a week in Big Bend National Park. It’s a large park in southwest Texas on the Mexican border, mostly desert with mountains, and the Rio Grande.”

“To give you an idea of the size of the park, our campsite was 70 miles from the park entrance.”

“After a few days driving around out there, we noticed that people were on another wavelength from what we were used to in the city and suburbs.”

“Folks you met at a store would give you a five-minute conversation. People driving by would wave. We would wave back because you could go half an hour without seeing another soul. People are wired to be social, and being completely isolated changes how you see others.”

“The loneliest I have ever felt was in downtown Tokyo on the streets of Shibuya, surrounded by thousands. Alone in the desert, people start to see each other.” ~ Thompson_S_Sweetback

“The entire reason…”

“It gets cold at night. The entire reason the desert is tolerable once you can provide shelter and water is almost exclusively because no matter how hot it gets, it’s usually around 50, 60 at night. Sand, dust, and dirt get everywhere.” ~ BigGoose478

“Big scorpions…”

“Big scorpions are scary, little scorpions will put you in the hospital. Incidentally, Fallout: New Vegas lied to you – the bark scorpion is actually both the smallest common scorpion in Arizona, and it’s also the most dangerous.”

“Learn to identify your spiders; the most dangerous spiders are not particularly predatory and will leave you alone, but you need to be able to ID your southern black widow, your Arizona brown spiders, and brown recluse spiders.”

“A brown recluse spider can cause organ failure, but a hobo spider, which looks really similar is harmless to the point that scientists are now assuming incidents attributed to the hobo spider are actually just misidentified brown recluse spiders.”

“There’s no hard, fast rule with snakes. Rattlesnakes want you to eff off. They tend to avoid humans for obvious reasons but that doesn’t mean you can’t stumble across one taking a nap.”

“There’s no cardinal rule with the danger of snakes at large, but on the off chance, a snake with black, red and white striping decides to taste test you, go to a hospital pronto.”

“The Arizona coral snake isn’t actually that dangerous – relative to rattlesnakes – but it’s also the one that’s really easy to identify.”

“Despite the cutesy name, Gila Monsters are dangerous. They’re not terribly fast but they’re pretty chompy and it’s the one case where a native lizard in the United States is also venomous.”

Other bugs: Arizona gets killer bees, and a particularly large eight-inch centipede called the Desert Centipede can also give a painful bite.” ~ BigGoose478

“When you’re choosing…”

“When you’re choosing where to place your garden, remember that ‘plant in full sun’ means full sun in the Midwest. That’s really not the same in southern New Mexico, where opening the front door is like checking if the lasagna is ready.”

“I have shade cloth over everything in our vegetable garden.” ~ DanYHKim

“Logistically…”

“Logistically, unless you have cloth seats in your car or seat covers of some kind, you need a towel to sit on your car seats or you’ll burn your legs. Using oven mitts to drive is not needed now but was crucial where we were in Arizona in the 70s.”

“Wild burros would walk through your yard at night, and sometimes would let you hand feed them. Carrot tops were especially liked!” ~ ReadOnTheCrapper

“I grew up…”

“I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and now live between Death Valley and Las Vegas in a rural low-elevation area. I can’t really safely go outside for what feels like half of the year.

“The temperatures where I live are insane, and they’re getting worse every year. I lost count of how many days we had over 120°F this past summer.”

“I have to physically pick up my dog to take her to the potty area. Some very cheap shoes will melt on the pavement on particularly bad days, so you can only imagine what that must be like for dogs’ feet.”

“Ground temperature is always much higher, especially asphalt. My rule of thumb is to usually take my foot out of my shoe and test it if I’m not too sure, if I wouldn’t walk on it then I won’t make my dog walk on it.” ~ Almadenn

Okay, after reading these, it seems clear to me that we shouldn’t be living out in the desert.

Why?

Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Safe to say I can’t handle it.

I don’t think I’d want to worry about my shoes melting… the humidity in the Northeast is enough!

People Share Their Best ‘How The Hell Do You Know That?’ Factoids

We all love a good fun fact.

They expand our mind just a tiny, gentle amount. Sometimes they bring a smirk to our face. And other times they’re reliable as hell during an awkward ice breaker.

So it’s not a bad idea to keep a few in your back pocket for when, say, you’ve just started a job or a first date is going horribly.

Thankfully, Redditor pygmypuffonacid was looking out for us when they asked:

“What are some ‘why the fu** do you know that information’ facts?”

Of course, you can’t go wrong with animal facts, like this one about squid. 

“Squid can literally give themselves brain damage by eating something too big. Their brain is a donut shape and the esophagus runs through it.” — orbitofnormal

Or this one, about a crustacean. 

“Crayfish (or lobster?) have a sort of open channel like an ear that helps them balance. A few grains of sand sit in it and because gravity is pulling the grains down they always know which way is up.”

“However if you put magnetic metal shavings into the holes and hold a large strong magnet above them they’ll start to swim upside down.” — XamiaArc

And do not forget about whales.

“only 10% of a whales sperm enters the mate, 90% goes into the ocean. meaning that drinking ocean water is drinking a percentage of whale cum” — SugonmaBalls

But of course, human bodies are just as bizarre. 

“Leave a human body soaking in a solution of lye and water for several months and it will dissolve into liquid and soft bone dust which can be washed down a drain, leaving no evidence behind.”

“If you need to speed the process up you can heat the water up to just short of boiling and dissolve the body in ~6 hours.” — hananobira

Same goes for human desires.

“Some foot fetishes occur because the part of the brain that controls feeling in the feet is positioned right next to the part that produces libido, and sometimes the wires within the brain become crossed.” — S_is_for_Smeagol

And how about a fact involving humans and animals both. 

“When someone dies in an area where insects can get to them, their face often decomposes first. There’s lots of nice holes on and next to the face that are great for egg-laying.”

“Then, the bugs eat your face and buzz off.” — tapiocatsar

History tidbits are always fascinating too.

Take this beer saga, for example.  

“That Rolling Rock beer almost went bankrupt in the 1990’s. As a last ditch effort they hired a new marketing exec to turn their fortunes around.”

“In their big meeting with all the board members waiting in anticipation for his big reveal he told them to just raise the price. They were ready to fire him on the spot, because they couldn’t sell any at the cheapo price.”

“Then he told them why – their price point was less than Budweiser at the time and that was the standard by which people judged the quality of a beer. He reasoned that if they increased the price to the next tier above Bud and did nothing else, people would believe it was a better beer, even though it was the same as it ever was.”

“It turned into their ad campaign and they thumbed their noses at all the yuppies who drank it by the case in college in the 70’s and 80’s who started buying it again because it was now a ‘better’ beer. It was wildly successful and saved the company.” — Finklemaier

Not all men from history are so admirable, though.

“Andrei Chikatilo, a serial killer from the USSR who was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering at least 52 women and children, was arrested and questioned by police six years before his official apprehension date.”

“This was because police took a blood sample from him that was different than the blood group of the semen found at the scene of one of his crimes. However, obviously, Chikatilo was guilty.”

“He had a rare genetic condition in which the blood groups of his blood & saliva and his semen are different, which is how he was questioned and released.” — sylveonstarr

This guy was awful too. 

“John Kellogg (inventer of corn flakes) was a huge advocate for circumcision because he believed it would prevent us from masturbating.”

“Also he tried normalizing putting acid on the clitoris for the same reason” — TrystenConn

This guy, on the other hand, was just so unlucky. 

“Valery Khodemchuk was an engineer working the Night Shift at Chernobyl’s Reactor 4 the night it exploded.”

“He was the very first person killed in the accident, as he likely died instantly when his body was vaporized by the blast. His remains were never recovered, and the ruins now serve as his tomb.” — TheMadmanAndre

And this fella was off his rocker. 

“Opicinus de Canistris, an Italian priest who lived during the 13th and 14th centuries, believed that parts of his body metaphysically represented regions of the world, and that if he felt pain in one area, then it could mean that disaster was about to fall on that region.”

“He also drew a metaphysical “world map” that was basically pictures of random people and animals stuck together instead of an actual map of the world.”

“He actually managed to get the Pope at the time on his side. It speaks volumes about the state of science in the Middle Ages that this blatant psychotic could promote his beliefs under the guise of serving Christianity.” — ugagradlady

This fact concerned a fictional guy. 

“In Silence of the Lambs, when Hannibal Lector gives the infamous quote ‘I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,’ it’s a reference that he’s off his meds.”

“Some antipsychotics have negative interactions with beans, red wine, and organ meats. It’s kind of an odd joke though, because Hannibal Lector is a diagnosed psychopath in the movie, and psychopathy isn’t treated with antipsychotics.” — [deleted]

Here’s hoping these facts aren’t too unnerving to dust off at a party or a team-builder.

People Break Down The Most Random Animal Facts They Know

Did you know that the blue-and-yellow macaw can live between 65 and 70 years? To put it simply: it will likely outlive a bunch of you (including me). It can also talk and bond very closely with humans.

It’s a pretty striking and fascinating animal. They’re also pretty readily available. I ran into a woman in the park the other day who had one perched on her shoulder!

But guess what? That’s just one of the multitudes of animals on this planet, and each one is cooler than the last.

That’s what we were so kindly reminded about after Redditor SerialNarcissist asked the online community:

“What random animal fact should everyone know?”

“If you’re camping…”

“If you’re camping and you hear an animal moving around, it’s probably a skunk or a beaver or a porcupine. Bears, moose, and other large animals are surprisingly sneaky.” ~ TypicalCricket

“The ones who don’t make it…”

“A Tasmanian Devil gives birth to dozens of babies, however, the mother only has four nipples. So it’s a race for those babies to reach one of them. The ones who don’t make it are then eaten by the mother.” ~ downvotecitybitch

“Dragonfly nymphs…”

“Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic and can launch their lower jaw like a grappling hook. They use this for hunting other pond-dwelling creatures before they leave the water. Probably the most badass thing in nature for a set of wings.

“That said they have a ridiculous hunt success rate, somewhere above 90%, so you best watch out if you’re a fly just enjoying your day.” ~ TheMadMellom

“You can tell which one…”

“Elephants can be left tusked or right tusked, similar to how humans are right or left-handed. You can tell which one an elephant is by the shorter tusk, if it’s a short right tusk then they’re right tusked and vice versa.” ~ CubsFan30

“A drone bee dies…”

“A drone bee dies immediately after mating with a queen due to powerful ejaculation, causing his penis to eject from his abdomen. He dies having the best orgasm of his life.” ~ insideoutcollar

“If a male clownfish loses his partner…”

“If a male clownfish loses his partner, he will develop female reproductive parts and mate with his male offspring.” ~ [deleted]

“An owl’s eyes…”

“An owl’s eyes are so large that they are immobile, they never develop any muscles for moving their eyes inside their sockets. Instead, they move their entire head.” ~ i-throw-socks-at-a-cat

“Penguins have a gland…”

“Penguins have a gland behind their eye that converts salt water into freshwater.” ~ Ozymandias200

“Leave them alone.”

“A moose will kill you. Like… Leave it alone.”

“It will gore you. It will kick you. It will headbutt you until you’re just a shredded corpse hanging from its antlers.”

“It will kill you in your car. It will kill you in a forest. It will kill you in a swamp.”

“You can’t just run one over with your car if it’s on the road. You can’t run away once it’s spotted you.”

“They are not nice, calm, or gentle creatures. They are massive, terrifying beasts. Leave them alone.” ~ [deleted]

“If you get bitten by a cat…”

“Cat bites are way more dangerous than most people think. A cat bite might not look like much from the outside, but their long, pointy teeth penetrate deep and are much more likely to cause an infection than a dog bite.”

“If you get bitten by a cat (like when trying to pet their tummy), always disinfect the wound, even if it doesn’t look bad.” ~ WarKiel

“They are part of a group of birds…”

“European magpies are the only non-mammal species able to recognize themselves in a mirror test.”

“They are part of a group of birds called Corvids which is basically the crow family, birds such as crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jays, and jackdaws. Corvids are the most intelligent of all the birds and some of the most intelligent animals on earth.”

“Studies are revealing more and more about this amazing group of birds and their cognitive power easily rivals apes and monkeys –– if not surpasses them. Go check out some documentaries or read up on them… it’s fascinating!” ~ Spawkee

“Orcas hunt out of boredom…”

“Orcas hunt out of boredom and will often toss the dead body of a seal around as if it was just a ball.” ~ IDAbaffal

“Some species of shark…”

“Some species of shark, like the grey nurse shark, eat their siblings (or the egg cells that would have become their siblings) while still in the uterus, meaning they become cannibals before they’re even born.” ~ Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

“They don’t even have feet…”

“Maggots can climb walls. Those don’t even have feet but god damn they hustle around the room.” ~ iremovebrains

“Call ducks were bred…”

“Call ducks were bred to aid their owners in hunting. They make loud noises to lure predators.”

“They’re cheeky, scared cutie-pies. They waggle their tail when they’re happy. They have oil from their butt which they use to clean themselves and keep themselves dry.”

“In some areas, it is illegal to own only one call duck because they’re a very social bird. They’re the cutest pets with personalities of their own.” ~ cteduck

“They are fertile only…”

“Female pandas ovulate only once a year. They are fertile only two or three days of the year.” ~ awesomecutepandas

“Generally…”

“CATS DO NOT DRINK ENOUGH WATER!!! Generally, cats don’t drink enough water to keep themselves properly hydrated.”

“In addition to the fact that their tongues aren’t designed to scoop water like dog tongues, it’s also possible for them to feel too anxious to drink from their bowl.”

“Cats in the wild derive most of their water intake from the moisture in their food. If all you feed is kibble, your cat is in a perpetual state of dehydration, which can lead to an overwhelming amount of health issues for them.” ~ OhBee86

How many of these awesome animal facts did you know?

All of them?

None of them?

Few of them?

The world is a fascinating place, isn’t it? We truly take it for granted.

We should probably stop that, especially if we want others to enjoy the wonders of the animal kingdom for years to come.