Dear Jake,
Sometimes, when I’m working on a tricky question, I scale the tree outside my office. It helps me focus.
I asked my friend Steve Lampa how cats like me do that. He teaches small animal anatomy in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University.
He told me it’s all about a beefy backside and razor-sharp claws.
“First cats jump and propel themselves with their rump and hind limbs,” Lampa said. “Then they anchor with their claws—which are like grappling hooks. Domestic cats actually have sharper claws than their wild counterparts.”
The jumping part of the climb involves powerful muscles, especially … » More …
Read More ...Dear Izzy,
My coworkers sometimes forget that I’m a cat—until I reach out a paw to shake their hand. At first glance, cat and dog paws seem very different from human hands and feet.
I talked about that with my friend Natasha Hottmann. She’s a veterinarian at Washington State University.
She told me that a dog paw is actually super similar to a human foot. Dogs just walk on their toes—like they’re wearing invisible high heels. That’s called digitigrade locomotion.
“People think, ‘Oh, their knee is backward’ or something—but it’s not their knee,” Dr. Hottmann said. “It’s the point of their heel, which is … » More …
Read More ...Dear Prince,
When I was a kitten, I saw a movie about shark attacks. It made me nervous to go into the water.
I talked about that with my friend Nora Hickey. She’s a fish veterinarian at Washington State University.
She told me that sharks don’t eat people.
Many sharks can’t even bite. They have mouths adapted to sift sand or slurp up plankton.
Sharks that can bite don’t hunt humans. They eat prey with a thick fat layer like seals and sea lions. Muscly animals like birds, cats and people seem to taste bad to sharks.
“Even if they bit you, … » More …
Read More ...Dear Zara,
I love visiting the vet. But, like many cats, sometimes I need medicine to keep me calm.
I talked about that with my friend Lais Malavasi. She’s a veterinarian at Washington State University.
She told me about two kinds of calming medicine. Vets and human doctors use them to reduce pain and fear.
Sedatives make patients feel relaxed and sleepy. But they’re mostly aware of what’s going on. When the medicine wears off, they’ll probably have fuzzy memories.
Anesthesia makes patients unconscious. They can’t feel pain or move. They aren’t aware of what’s going on. When they wake up, they won’t … » More …
Read More ...Dear Jacob,
The quick, little sting of a vaccine shot can provide us with some big protection from germs that cause disease.
Read More ...Dear Lydia,
The short answer is yes, said my friend Leslie Sprunger, a veterinarian and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. But, as always, there’s a catch.
Read More ...