Over 50% of all pet owner would rather be stranded on a desert island with their pet, not another person.
Patients in the waiting rooms of doctors and dentists have been found to be more relaxed in the presence of fish tanks.
If you own a snake, researchers believe that you are a seeker of novelty and challenge the rules of convention.
According to the Ego Strength Scale of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, dog ownership can contribute to a strong self image.
You tend to be socially outgoing and expressive if you own a bird.
A New Jersey specialty company made a mink coat for a parrot who recited Chaucer!
King Henry III of France kept two thousand lap dogs in lavishly cushioned apartments in his palace.
In acient times the priests of Lake Shedit kept crocodiles as divine pets and adorned them with gold bracelets. Because they were well-fed and stayed on land sunning themselves most of the times, the bracelets were rarely lost; because they were crocodiles the jewelry was never stolen!
It was not uncommonfor cats in ancient Egypt to wear gold earring and dogs to wear silver necklaces.
In medieval times gentlemen used dogs to keep their feet warm. (Hot dogs?...)
Americans spend more than $20 billion a year on their pets. That's more than they spend on movies and home videos together!
People with animals are assumed to be nicer, that's why politicians like to be seen with them.
Over 50% of all U.S. households own pets.
The Best and Worst Reasons for Getting a Pet
Best
Worst
Desire for companionship
A reason to exercise
A way to raise your spirits
Wanting an uequivocal love object
A longing for a specific pet
Wanting a toy for your kids
An impulse decision
An excuse not to visit family
A way to use up leftovers
Desire for food
Ever heard of the old saying "Let the cat out of the bag" and wondered where it came from? Well, as you may know to "let the cat out of the bag" is to suddenly reveal a secret. It comes from the days in old England when baby pigs were brought to market and sold in a sack. Many times, though, sneaky vendors would trick buyers by putting a cat instead of a piglet in the bag. Smart shoppers who wanted to see exactly what they were getting before they paid for it opened the bag right there, therefore letting the cat out of the bag.
Norse meteorologists of long ago, having no satellite photos or weather radar, believed that witches rode the storms in the form of cats, which symbolized rain, and that dogs, which surrounded Odin, the god of storms, provided the howling winds. (Modern meteorologists believe that the expression evolfed because torrential storms sound like cats fighting with dogs; but them modern meteorologists believe their forecasts, too.)
The first animal ever to receive star credit in a movie was a German shepherd dog, Etzel von Oeringen, whose name was strategicly changed to "Strongheart", for publicity purposes. Strongheart made his debut in 1921 in a film called The Silent Call, and was an instant sucess, very instant. Strongheart's dreams of rolling in Milk Bones for the rest of his life were cut short when another German shepherd, Rin Tin Tin, took his place in the spotlight.
The early American settlers admired birds so much that they called people who they admired "birds". Calling someone a "bird" was a complement. Adding "brain" was not.
The old saying "putting on the dog" is used to describe someone who is acting snooty or showoffy. It comes from the time after the Civil War when the nouveau riche, who made their fortunes during the conflict, wanted to flaunt their wealth. Small, expensive lapdogs became symbols of wealth for the wives of the riche, and they lavished excessive amounts on these pampered pets. Today, anyone who puts on airs-even if they don't have a dog-is said to be "putting on the dog".
The expression "dog days", used to describe really hot summer days, originated in Roman times when they believed that during July and the first part of August, the rising "dog star" Sirius gave its heat to teh sun. Those heated weeks became known to the Romans as "days of the dog", and to us, just plain dog days.
People in the Middle Ages in Europe believed that witches could transform into black cats, and that all black cats were all witches. To have one cross your path was, therefore, considered unlucky. However in parts of Britain, Brittany, or the Midi of France, and other places, black cats aren't considered bad luck. They're considered to be good luck!
The base of the superstition that a rabbit's foot is a good luck charm comes from the belief that baby rabbits are born with their eyes open, therefore having the power of the Evil Eye, enabling them to ward off evil. The fact of the matter is that rabbits are born blind; it's yound hares that are born open-eyed.
Pet Superstitions and Myths
In the South it is believed that if a cat sniffs at a dead body, disaster will befall the whole family.
In Holland, it is thought that if you don't like cats, it will rain at your funeral.
If a girl cannot decide about accepting a marriage proposal, she is supposed to take 3 hairs from a cat's tail, wrap them in white paper, and leave it overnight. The next morning, after carfully unfolding the paper, if the hairs are arranged in the shape of a Y, her answer should be yes; if it's in the shape of an N, she's smart to stay single.
In the fur of every black cat there is believed to be a perfect white hair. If you find it and pull it out without getting scratched, it will make you rich or reward you with true love.
In Britain it is bad luck for a fisherman to mention the word "rabbit", especially while on a fishing boat. If, for some reason, "rabbit" has to be mentioned, it is referred to as "coney".
It is also a superstition in Britain that if you call out the word "rabbit" three times quickly on the first day of a new month, you'll have good luck throughout that month.(Unless of course, you're a fisherman!)
The Scottish believe it is unlucky to mention the word "pig" while preparing for, or during, a fishing trip.
A rabbit foot should always be kept in the makeup box of an actor for good luck; loss of it is bad luck.
If a girl steps on a cat's tail she won't find a husband that year.
In the Ozarks, it is believed that if a bird poops on a girl's hat, it is positive evidence that her parents are stingy (and that she needs a new hat!).
If a cat sneezes, it's a sign of rain.
If a cat sneezes 3 times, the family will catch cold.
If a cat sneezes near a bride, she'll have a happy marriage.
In Lancashire, England, it is unlucky to let a cat die in the house.
To break a cat of catching birds, rub a burned match or charred wood three times over the cat's nose.
If you can make friends with strange cats, you will be lucky.
If your cat walks to the door and then comes back and lies down in teh center of the room with all four feet in the air, company from out of town will arrive that day.
In Ireland it's unlucky to take a cat with you when moving from one house to another.
If a bird flies in and out of a room through an open window, there will be a death in the house.
If a caged bird dies on the morning of a family member's wedding, the married couple will separate.
Whatever you are dong when you first hear a cuckoo in any year, you will do most frequently that year.
The gypsies believe that if a dog digs a big hole in your garden, there will be a death in the family. (Probably the dog's.)
If your dog barks at night, knock on the wall three times and he'll stop.
A strange dog following you is good luck.
If you bury a few hairs from a dog's tail under your house, the dog will never run away.
Jumping over a dog will bring you bad luck.
If you put a hat over the head of a sleeping dog, that night you'll have his dreams.
It's good luck to step in dog poop. (Yeah, right, who came up with that one?)
the Irish believe it is unlucky to meet a barking dog early in the morning.
If a dog passes through a couple that is about to be married, bad luck will befall them.
To cure a cough, place a hair of the patient's head between two pieces of buttered bread and feed it to a dog. The dog will catch the cold and the patient will lose it.
It's good luck if a spider falls from the ceiling onto your face.
In Britain it is believed that if you find a spider on your clothes, you'll soon recieve money. (Especially if you just brought the clothes home from the dry cleaners!)
If you don't want to have a headache, wear a snakesking around your head.
Treasure is hidden on a path if you see a black goat standing there.
If a dog, snake, lizard, or hare crosses the path of a wedding party going to the wedding, the marriage will be unhappy. If a spider or toad crosses their path, their happiness is guaranteed.
Lucky greyhound= one with a white spot on its forehead.
An old folk remedy for asthma was to collect spider webs, roll them into a ball in your hand, and then swallow them.
A "cure" for bedwetting-roast a mouse and give it to the child.
A frog is good luck for the house it enters.
Snakes never die until the sun goes down.
If a mouse runs over a person, it is a sign that the person is doomed, and vice-versa.
