How well do you know your furry friends? Dogs and cats may be our everyday companions, but there's more to these animals than meets the eye. Here are seven surprising facts about dogs and cats that might just amaze you.

In this post, we'll be exploring:

• The Beatles' secret message to dogs in one of their hit songs.
• Why cats have more toes on their front paws than on their hind paws.
• The accuracy of a bloodhound's sense of smell.
• The healing power of a cat's purr.
• The Guinness World Record holder for the tallest dog.
• The unusual ability of a cat's tongue.
• Unique identifiers for dogs and cats akin to human fingerprints.

1.The Beatles song ‘A Day in the Life’ has a frequency only dogs can hear

Paul McCartney said in an interview in 2013, that he added a frequency to the Beatles song that only dogs could hear

2. Cats have 5 toes on each front paw and 4 on each hind paw

Most cats have 18 toes. Do you know why cats have more toes on their front paws than their hind paws? The answer is simple, our beloved felines use their fifth toe to have a better grip when catching prey, climbing a tree, holding on to food or grooming.

3. A bloodhound’s sense of smell is so accurate that it can be used as evidence in a UK’s court

Bloodhounds are pretty amazing. With over 300 million nose cells, bloodhounds have by far the finest canine nose. In comparison, the German Shepherd only has around 127 and humans only 5 million olfactory cells.

4. A cat’s purring helps to heal bones, tendons and muscles

A cat purring is one of the most comforting sounds in the world and while it certainly means your cat is happy and comfortable, the sound has also been long associated with a therapeutic healing effect. Cats’ purr vibrations range from 20 – 140 Hertz and studies have shown that frequencies in the 18-35 HZ range can heal soft tissue injuries to ligaments, tendons and muscles.

5. The tallest dog on earth

Freedy the Great Dane, born in May 2012 had an impressive 103.5 cm shoulder height, and holds the current Guinness World Record in the dog size category – even though he was the smallest of his litter as a puppy. Sadly, he passed away in 2021.

6. Cats’ rough tongues can lick a bone clean of any shred of meat

Cats have a perfect tongue for grooming. Looking closely at the tongue, you’ll notice backwards-facing spines which are called filiform papillae. These are used like a comb to groom their fur to collect dirt, debris or loose hair and also work to clean bones of any shred of meat.

7. The nose print of dogs and cats is unique.

As we humans can be identified via our fingerprints, so can dogs and cats clearly be distinguished via their nasal prints. The paw prints however do not leave any clear indications.

Read our Top 3 Tips on Canine Enrichment here