Cats Barking & Rats Laughing: 5 Weird but Fascinating Animal Facts

There's so much that we don't know about the animal world, but there's so much that we do, and a lot of it may surprise you. Animals are unique and complex creatures, and the more we learn about them, the more interesting discoveries we make. Here are five fun facts about different animals that may surprise you.

Cat Barks & Dog Dreams

A scientific study showed that both cats and dogs have a similar anatomy, which means cats can make a barking-like noise if they want to. There was an Instagram reel that went viral that showed a kitten who was brought up around dogs barking. For a cat to be able to bark, it needs to push more air through its vocal cords.

Shutterstock // Pixel-Shot

Speaking of dogs, Stanley Coren, a professor at the University of British Columbia, maintains that they do indeed dream, and about different things. Rottweilers may dream about chasing away intruders. Pointers dream about birds. It may also depend on what happens during the day, just like humans.

Frog Jumps & Chicken Genders

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a frog! There's a breed of frog called the Southern cricket that can jump great heights. This particular animal has been known to jump 60 times its body length. Talk about powerful legs!

Shutterstock // DCreator508

When it comes to chickens, they can occasionally change sex! In a chicken embryo, there are both male and female organs. Once the dominant gene takes over, the other organ goes dormant. However, health issues may cause a hen's ovary to die out, which will bring the dormant gene to the front, and presto-your hen is now a rooster.

Rats Are Ticklish

Animal behaviorists discovered that when a rat was stroked a certain way it started to make chirping noises, which were construed as joyful noises similar to laughter in humans. This is likely because of how playful rats are.

Shutterstock // Vladimir Turkenich

We hope that you enjoyed these five interesting facts. From cats barking to rats laughing, the next time a local animal-themed trivia night comes up, you'll smash it out of the park!