Furry secrets revealed

Why does your dog wag its tail? Discover what your pet is telling you

Image: Victor G

How well do you know your pet? Cats and dogs are undoubtedly the most popular furry companions, and while we might think we know everything about them, there are some secrets that we miss. Do you know what their tail movements actually mean? Are you aware of cats' incredible ability in the dark? If you want to discover this and more, keep reading: Today, we’re revealing 10 surprising facts about your pet’s secret life.

Image: Humberto Arellano

Just as humans write, eat, kick, and do most tasks with either their right or left hand, cats also have a dominant paw. Surprising, right? But it’s true: Cats often prefer one paw over the other when playing, going down stairs, or reaching for objects and food. Studies even show that male cats tend to favor their left paw, while female cats are more likely to use their right.

Image: Oria Helion

It’s no secret that dogs have an incredible sense of smell. In fact, it’s their strongest sense, estimated to be 10,000 times more powerful than ours. But here’s the surprise: their smell is so sharp that they can even detect diseases. Trained dogs can identify subtle changes in a person’s body odor, which allows them to detect conditions like skin, breast, bladder, and lung cancer. They’ve also been reported to sense malaria, diabetes, epilepsy, and even some viral infections.

Image: Kristina Yadykina

Dogs almost always come when we call them, but cats are different. If you think your cat doesn’t respond because it can’t, we have to say that’s not the case. Cats can clearly recognize their own names, and studies show they react with subtle signals like moving their ears or flicking their tails. They know when you’re calling them; they just choose not to come, which only increases their reputation as highly independent creatures.

Image: Alvan Nee

Your dog communicates with you through its body. For example, if it rolls over easily, it means it completely trusts you, since it’s exposing its most vulnerable areas (yes, that adorable belly). On the contrary, when a dog feels threatened, it may stand tall, perk up its ears, and fix its eyes on the person or object it sees as a threat. If a dog avoids eye contact, it isn’t always a bad thing; it can actually be a sign of respect! As for the tail, a dog uses it to communicate emotions and arousal, not just happiness; the speed, height, and direction reveal meaning, from excitement (fast, high) to fear (low, tucked) or caution (slow).

Image: Jack1007

If cats and dogs had IDs, they could sign them with their little noses. Why? Well, just as each of us has a unique set of fingerprints, every dog and cat has a one-of-a-kind nose. The patterns of wrinkles and lines on your pet’s nose pad are unlike any other in the world, making it a perfect natural identifier.

Image: Silvana Carlos

Did you know your cat only meows at you? That’s right! Cats don’t use meowing to communicate with each other, only with humans. While kittens do meow at their moms, once they grow up, they rely on body language, scents, and other sounds like hisses and chirps.

Image: Akshat Jhingran

What accent does your dog have? It may sound like a silly question, but it’s actually quite relevant. Studies show that dogs, even those of the same breed, bark differently depending on where they were raised. In other words, there are regional variations in their vocalizations. Some dogs copy their mother’s "accent," and it’s also been shown that some change the way they bark after moving to a new area.

Image: Akin Cakiner

Cats aren’t afraid of the dark, and not just because they’re intrepid, but because their bodies are built to navigate the darkest spaces. First of all: their eyes. Cats’ vision is designed for low-light hunting, and they can see clearly at light levels six times lower than what we humans need. In addition, their whiskers play a crucial role. They aren’t just cute; they act as guides, detecting changes in air currents and sensing nearby objects.

Image: Leo_Visions

Would you like to know how your dog sees the world? The old myth that dogs see only in black and white has been debunked. But they don’t see the way we do. Dogs have what’s called dichromatic vision, which means they can see color, but within a limited range. They mainly see shades of blue and yellow, and –similar to color-blind humans– they have trouble distinguishing between reds and greens.

Image: Piotr Musioł

While they may be very sweet animals, cats can’t taste sweet treats as we do. They simply don’t have the receptors needed to sense sweetness, and as carnivores, they didn’t need them in their evolution. So while we enjoy a movie with candy or popcorn, they prefer the savory flavor of meat.

NAME ANCESTRY

14 Surprising Origin Stories Behind State Names In The USA

Image: Pin Adventure Map

Ever wondered where most US states’ names come from? From Native American roots to foreign or made-up words, the stories behind many of them are riddled with surprising historical references. Although the origin of some US states’ names is fairly obvious, many derive from unexpected people or places. The origin of names like Colorado, Montana, or Nevada are easy to infer —especially if you know a bit of Spanish— but many others have Native American origins with intriguing meanings. Some are even derived from fiction. If you ever wanted to know where names like Oregon, Connecticut, or Wisconsin come from, you are in the right place. Enjoy the surprising etymologies behind some of the names that make our country.

Image: Joshua Woroniecki

Interestingly, for a state whose main economic activity is agriculture, the word Alabama comes from the Choctaw language and can be translated as "plant-cutters" or "vegetation pickers", recalling the farming practices of the Native Americans that lived in this area.

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Alaska is a corruption of an Aleut word that means "mainland", but can be translated literally as "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". This is one of those names that manage to bring poetry into a word as simple and down-to-earth as land.

Image: Vital Sinkevich

This one comes from… a Spanish adventure novel! Bet you didn’t expect that. In Las Sergas de Esplandin by Garcia Ordez de Montalvo, a book from the 1500s, there is a fictional place called the "Island of California". Even when the modern state of California is clearly not an island, some die-hard fanatic of the novel decided to bring the name to life here in the U.S.

Image: Juliette Dickens

Derived from the Algonquian word quinnehtukqut, which can be translated as "besides the long tidal river", in reference to the river Connecticut. If you are wondering what the "tidal" part means exactly, this is because the Connecticut River's flow and level are effectively influenced by tides along much of its course. Certainly some amazing insight into the rigorous knowledge of local hydrology that Native Americans managed to accrue over the centuries.

Image: Luke McKeown

Although the origin of this name is disputed, there are two main theories. One suggests that the islands may have been named after Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. However, others have speculated that it is actually derived from the ancient Polynesian word hawaiki, meaning "place of the gods".

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Another crazy one. Although the name was first claimed to be derived from a Shoshone word that meant "Gem of the Mountains", it is highly likely that the word was fabricated by George M. Willing, and meant as a practical joke.

Image: Stéfano Girardelli

Quite literally, "land of Indians", using a Latin suffix. The word Indians originally referred to the ancient dwellers of the shores of the Indus River, in South and Central Asia.

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"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!" said Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, right after a rampant tornado literally lifted her house in the air and took it to God knows where. Well, this US state’s fame for violent winds predates even the first settlers, since Kansas is a Native American word used by the Dakota, strongly related to the idea of "wind".

Image: Drew Beamer

This state owes its name to an Iroquoian word that means "land of tomorrow". Quite a blockbuster-worthy movie title, if you ask me.

Image: Mercedes Mehling

The origin story behind the name of "The Pine Tree State" is still disputed. However, there are some interesting theories. One states that it derives from "mainland", as a form of distinction from the many coastal islands in the vicinity. Other theories propose that it was named in honor of Henrietta Maria, queen of England, or after the province of Mayne in France.

Image: Anthony Cantin

To the Native Americans that lived in this region, Missouri meant "town of the large canoes", as the Missouri tribes were renowned for their skill in making dugout canoes.

Image: Ashley Levinson

A largely disputed one. Many suggest that the name has Spanish origins, being similar to other words like orejón (meaning "big ear") or orégano, in reference to a type of plant (similar to the Mediterranean oregano) that grows in the southern part of the state.

Image: Donnie Rosie

This is the only state that has a part of its founder’s name in it. It is widely believed that Pennsylvania means "Penn’s Woodland", and was named as such in honor of Sir William Penn, father of its founder William Penn.

Image: Brydon McCluskey

This is probably a French corruption of a native Miami word that meant "it lies red" or "river running through a red place", in reference to the bed of the river Wisconsin.

If our quick dive into the peculiar world of US state names wasn’t enough to quench your curiosity, stay around! We will keep uploading more content related to language and the weird stories and etymologies behind many English and foreign words.