3.6 Dogs and Cats

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on dog and cat ownership, including historical context, health benefits, and risks associated with pet ownership.

Mutualistic co-existence

A relationship where both species benefit from each other's presence, as seen in the early human-dog relationship.

Biophilia Hypothesis

The innate human tendency to interact and form close associations with other forms of life in nature.

Anthropomorphize

To attribute human traits, emotions, or intentions to animals, often applied more to dogs than to cats.

Animal-assisted therapy

A treatment approach that involves trained animals to help people with physical, social, emotional, or cognitive challenges.

Pet ownership benefits

Social support, companionship, improved mental health, and teaching empathy and social skills.

Pet ownership risks

Infections, allergies, financial burden, and increased emotional burden upon loss.

Canine domestication

The historical process that changed dogs from pack animals to domesticated companions, evolving from wolves.

Feline domestication

The more recent domestication of cats, primarily linked to agriculture and pest control of grain stores. Cats have not changed much (retained hunting ability, easily revert to feral, diet close to wild cats)

Pet care costs

The average financial expenses pet owners incur for veterinary care, food, insurance, etc.

Veterinary check-up

An annual assessment by a veterinarian to ensure the health of pets, important for disease prevention.

Dog Behavioural Characteristics

• Dogs are very trainable, social animals that respond to social hierarchies

  • understand speech + hand signals

  • early and more frequent socialization

  • seek human contact and affectionate if socialized

• Dogs will accurately retrieve toys once they learn the toy name half the time

Cat Behavioural Characteristics

• Cats are largely independent and less social, hard to train

  • can discern when owner is speaking to them (but not others)

  • limited ability to understand human words

  • Early socialization and time spent with humans decreases aggression

  • Cats less likely to seek human contact or be affectionate than dogs