Cats and dogs are able to hear a wider range of sounds, and softer sounds than humans. The pitch of a sound is measured in Hertz (Hz) and the comparative hearing ranges of dogs, cats and humans are the following: Humans: 20 Hz – 23 KHz Dogs: 60 Hz – 45 KHz Cats: 45 Hz – 64 KHz To give you a practical example of this: 64 Hz (roughly the lowest note a dog can hear) is the pitch of the lowest key on a piano. For every doubling in Hz, the pitch goes up an octave. Cats, with the top range of 64 KHz vs 23 in humans, can thus hear sounds at least two and a half octaves higher than humans can! This is why dogs and cats respond to dog whistles. The sound is too high for us to hear, but still within their hearing range. Cats and dogs also respond to a much lower intensity of sound than humans. Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB). Dogs can hear five times more acutely than humans; and cats about twice as acutely as dogs. Like Hz, dB also increases exponentially, so 30 dB is ten times as loud as 20 dB, and 40 dB is 100 times as loud. A practical example is that a whisper weighs in at about 30 dB, and a dog can hear that from almost three times as far away as a human. Cats are even more sensitive than dogs to these soft sounds. This also explains why dogs and cats are so scared by the sound of fireworks which, to us, do not seem so loud. They are in fact at least 5 times louder to our pets! Dr M. E. de Vries (BVSc)
YOUR PETS
Not left to the end through lack of importance but because we are sick and tired of telling responsible people how to care for traumatised pets, when we should be telling idiots they are breaking the law and ought to wake up and be responsible. Our handy guide to pet owners is below: – • Ensure all animals have identification. • If possible, stay home with them if you suspect fireworks fiends are about. • If you can’t be home with them, keep them inside and preferably in a room such as the kitchen where the windows are higher (and more difficult to jump through) • Attempt to mask any noise by drawing curtains and playing calming music at a reasonable volume. • Put familiar and comforting things around them such as toys, baskets etc. • Provide them with something to do such as giving your ` dog a chewy bone or lots of catnip or a catnip toy for felines. • If your pets do react badly to fireworks, then seek professional advice from your veterinarian. • Why not ensure your pets have a hearty and nutritious meal around nightfall. This will make them more likely to be sleepy! (nspca.co.za)
