“Dogs that bark don’t bite”, “Cats always land on their paws”, “Dogs and cats don’t like each other”, “Dogs and cats only see black and white” – there are numerous myths and sayings like this about our animal ones Partner. But what is it about these legends?
Often misunderstand each other – but can also sincerely like each other: dogs and cats – Shutterstock / schubbel
Some of the well-known myths about dogs and cats are true, others are complete nonsense. There is often something completely different behind the behavior of our animal friends than it appears. In the following we take care of the four “truths” mentioned above.
1. Cats always land on their paws
When cats fall, they always land on their four paws and survive – is that true? In fact, cats have an excellent sense of balance and are adept enough to reflexively get their paws on the ground while falling. There are reports of cats that are said to have survived falls from particular heights, such as the sixth floor of a building. But be careful: cats need a certain minimum height to be able to land safely on their paws. One and a half meters should already be given so that the velvet paws have enough time to be able to turn into a safe landing position.
The fact that a cat almost always lands on its paws does not mean that it cannot injure itself. Too great heights – for example from the balcony on the fourth floor – are dangerous for cats in one way or another and can lead to broken bones or worse injuries. Therefore, always carefully secure your balcony against possible falls of your furry friend.
2. Dogs that bark don’t bite
A well-known saying that everyone has probably heard before. Unfortunately, the myth of the peaceful but barking dog is total nonsense. It cannot be said in general that a barking dog will bite, nor that it will not bite. Barking is part of dog language and can mean numerous things. Dogs bark with joy, among other things, when they want to draw attention to something or warn someone, when they are driving away or threatening rivals, or when they have been excited or frightened. Barking can mean many things, but it doesn’t guarantee you that a loud dog won’t bite. Dog language should always be viewed and interpreted in its entirety and in context.
3. Dogs and cats don’t like each other
It’s a common assumption that dogs and cats don’t like each other – in fact, the furry friends often fight each other. It is important to understand why this is so. Basically it can be said that most animals generally do not like other animal species, although there are of course individual exceptions and occasionally unusual animal friendships between different and “enemy” animal species. Normally, however, the individual species eye each other with skepticism. This is partly due to their different roles in evolution – in the wild, the different animal species tend to stay with each other.
In part, however, dogs and cats literally do not understand each other because they “speak” different languages. Both species sometimes have very different body language, which leads to misunderstandings in communication. But the animals can learn to interpret each other’s expressions correctly and then become friends. You can find out how to get the two brawlers used to each other in the guide: “Getting the dog and cat used to each other”.
4. Dogs and cats only see in black and white
That’s wrong. Dogs and cats are less able to perceive and distinguish between colors than humans, but they can still see colors. Dogs and cats mainly see the spectral range from yellow through green and blue. Red is hidden from them. You can find out more about color vision in dogs and cats in the guides “Dog Eyes: How Do Dogs See the World?” and “The Cat’s Eyes: What Can They See?”.
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