April 11th is National Pet Day, here’s some fun facts!

(WJBF) – April 11 is National Pet Day! To celebrate, here are Best Friends Animal Society’s Top 10 list of random facts about pets:

10. Dogs’ ears have approximately 18 muscles which help them to change the direction of their ears slightly to hear better.

9. A cat’s whiskers are as long as their body is wide. Their whiskers let them know if they can pass through narrow spaces.

8. Screen time might be good for puppies. If you show 3-5-week-old puppies videos of “scary” things like loud noises, they are less likely to develop fears of new things later in life.

7. Kittens learn to meow solely to communicate with humans. Cats never meow to each other (although they do chirp to each other).

6. Puppies don’t find yawns contagious, but older dogs do! Contagious yawning is usually attributed to social mirroring. Baby humans don’t start social mirroring until they’re a few months old, so it makes sense that puppies wouldn’t either!

5. One way a dog perceives time is by the changing smells throughout the day.

4. Cats share 95.6% of their DNA with tigers.

3. Because cats can pause their labor, one litter of kittens can have multiple due dates.

2. If given the choice, dogs prefer to poop facing the North-South magnetic axis.

1. Cats perceive humans as big, hairless cats.

Across the country, shelters are struggling with higher intake, while adoptions, fosters and rescues are not keeping pace.

To learn more about adopting and fostering, visit bestfriends.org and find a local shelter or rescue where your perfect pet is waiting.

Best Friends partners with several local shelters to help you find the right best friend for your family in the two-state.

Georgia: