Rodents
What popular rodent pet is missing from this list? Mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, degus, and chinchillas?
Guinea pigs
If your cat is a “chonker”, what’s the problem?
Too fat
What was the reason that Cruella de Ville (101 Dalmations) kidnapped all those dalmatian puppies?
To skin them to make fur coats. The puppy hair is finer and softer than the adult fur
Common pet birds: canary, finch, dove, budgie, cockatiel, parrot. Which one would be the best ‘cat equivalent’ bird?
Dove
Every morning when you check your aquarium for ‘ floaters’, what are you looking for?
Dead fish
Before they became pets, what were guinea pigs bred for?
Food
Some members of the feline family can purr and some cannot. But the ones who can’t purr, can do this that the purring ones can't
Roar
Why do dogs circle 3 times before laying down for a nap?
Residual habit from when they were wild - pat down tall grass and underbrush to make a comfortable bed
Why were canaries used in coal mines to detect the presence of carbon monoxide and other toxic gases?
Birds require much more oxygen than humans, so their susceptibility to toxic air is higher. Canaries chosen because they were readily available
If you replace only the water that evaporates from your aquarium, what will eventually happen to your fish? Why?
Topping up the water approach will lead to a buildup of nitrates and phosphates and a rise in pH. This leaves the fish more susceptible to disease and death. Need to change 10% of the water in your aquarium every week
Name the type of rat that loves to build nests and is fond of stuffing it with knickknacks and shiny objects
Woodrat. Also called the ‘pack rat’
What is curious about cat tracks (can see in mud or snow)?
The hind paws are placed down on exactly the same spot as the front paws
Most dogs love to bark (beagle, chihuahuas). But there are a few breeds that are pretty quiet. Name one
Greyhound, bull mastiff, french bulldog, chinook
What one characteristic of pet birds is a surprise to most people considering getting one
Longevity. Except for finches, typical pet birds can live from 10 to 50 yrs depending on the species.
What type of fish will continue to grow until it is too large for your tank, even if it is a large tank?
Daily double! 1. Goldfish (300 pts); 2. All fish (600 pts). Fish are ‘indeterminate growers’. They grow until they die
This little rodent is unusually anti-social. You cannot keep more than one in a cage
Hamsters. Literally a ‘Thunderdome’ situation!
This breed of cat was created from crossing Persian and Siamese breeds
Himalayan
The Dachshund (wiener dog) was bred to hunt for what animal?
Badgers
Falconry used to be a class-influenced hobby. List these birds-of-prey by the status they provide: peregrine falcon, sparrowhawk, gyrfalcon, and goshawk. (hint: size)
BIG > gyrfalcon > peregrine falcon > goshawk > sparrowhawk > SMALL
What would happen to your fish if the light fell into the tank?
Nothing. Electrocution is not possible because there is no ‘ground’ point (drain) like is a bathtub
All the research into why Hamsters (and mice, etc) love to run in hamster wheels points to this
They do it for the endorphins (‘runners high’)
Why do cats ‘play’ with their prey before killing it?
Cats want to minimize the risk of injury to themselves, so they like to completely exhaust their prey 1st
The hound breed was established for hunting deer, foxes, people, etc. So why do Basset hounds have such ridiculous short little legs?
So the hunters could keep up on foot!
In Monty Python’s “Holy Grail”, what famous bird question was asked at the Bridge of Death?
The airspeed of an unladen swallow
What the heck are “sea monkeys”?
Brine shrimp