The Pet Pawcast

Episode 7 - Is My Pet Watching TV?

January 04, 2021 Lauren Dunkle Season 2 Episode 1
The Pet Pawcast
Episode 7 - Is My Pet Watching TV?
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode, Lauren dives into how attracted pets are to the television. She talks about dogs and cats who like to watch TV. We also touch on benefits to having a radio on for all your pets.

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  • TV and Vision
    • Dogs see in dichromatic meaning they see two primary colors, yellow and blue.  Cats can see a wider range of colors than dogs can but still very little red.  Humans see in trichromatic, all 3 primary colors, red, yellow and blue, which is why we can see all the range of colors
    • Dogs and cats are also far sighted, they can see things clearing far away but those objects become blurry when up close, which is why they rely on smell so much, or whiskers for cats
    • So does my pet watch TV? Well, they can definitely see it and make out some colors and movement.  But yes, animals can watch TV and some people say their dog or cat has a favorite show.  Most likely when they say that, it is a show that keeps their attention either with sound, movement or coloring
  • Dogs
    • Domestic dogs can perceive images on TV similar to the way we do
    • They are intelligent enough to recognize on screen images on animals and have the ability to recognize on screen dog sounds such as barking
    • My dog, Sassy, doesn’t react too much to the TV.  Most times dogs are on screen barking or making noise she ignores it, but she does struggle with identifying a doorbell on TV or real life
    • Dogs register images more quickly than humans.  Older TV’s that show lower number of frames per second do look like an old 1920’s film to dogs.  HDTV’s deliver a higher number of frames per second and are fluid for dogs, no more flickering.  If that’s not a good reason to buy a new TV I don't know what is
    • Dogs really only half watch TV, so shows with animals or fast movements will be more entertaining for them as opposed to the local news channel
    • There are dog specific shows or channels,like Dog TV,  meaning they are made for our pup.  These shows or channels run in HD, so they have more frames per second, and specially color their shows to cater to the dichromatic vision. These shows to humans, look perfectly normal and colors look as they should
    • How your dog reacts to TV can be based on their personality and breed.  For example, some dogs may only react when a dog is on the TV or they hear a dog.  They may even run behind the TV looking for the pup! Or another example, hounds are scent driven so they may be less likely to react to an animal on TV because they do not smell that animal, whereas herding breeds may be more stimulated with fast moving objects or animals on screen
  • Cats
    • Cats typically are more interested in the movement on TV.  They can see more colors than dogs and from afar they can distinguish more details in objects on TV than dogs can
    • My cat, Regina, definitely watches TV.  She loves to lay on the couch with us and the dog while we watch TV, her sister Phoebe not so much.  Phoebe wants to cuddle and be rubbed but could really care less about watching TV.  Regina’s attention is always caught by bright, fast moving colors. For example, when we watch The Masked Singer, at least once Regina will jump up on the TV stand to get a closer look, she will also sometimes paw at moving objects on TV.  But when we are watching The Office, where there is less movement and duller colors, she could care less
  • Companies such as Purina, Whiskas, and Nestle have all created TV advertisements geared towards animals.  Nestle and Purina used sounds, that humans cannot hear, that may cause your dog to react to their commercial.  Whiskas created a commercial with cartoon fish shapes and colors that appeal to cats in one of their commercials
  • Birds and Small Caged Animals
    • Bird and small caged animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, do not typically watch TV.  They do however, enjoy the radio
    • Birds enjoy listening to the radio, it has a calming effect on them and can help to relax them, especially if you will be gone for a long period of the day.  Typically the best music for pets is classical music or there are pet friendly radio stations on Pandora or YouTube.  Classical music or new age is the best, most pets do not appreciate pop or modern music.  Leaving a radio on for your bird can also help keep them from getting bored and becoming depressed.
    • For small caged animals, the radio can be a great way to drown out unpleasant sounds such as fireworks, construction or a storm and helps to keep your pet calm and de-stressed
  • For all animals, whether you are watching TV or leave the TV or radio on for them, be mindful at how much more sensitive their ears are then ours.  They can hear sounds farther away and the close sounds much louder than we do
  • When we know a storm is coming and we may not be able to be home, the radio is on in our living room and TV is on in the family room for Sassy, Regina and Phoebe.