Section Exam Questions With Verified
Answers
companion animals
animals with primary function as companionship; dogs, cats, birds, rats
what is the industry value?
the industry value increases over time as the price of the companionship animal industry increases
size of the market based off pet sales
freshwater fish, cats, dogs, birds, small animals, saltwater fish, reptiles, horses
market segmentation
the most money is spent on food, then vet care, supplies/medicine, services, and then purchase
do dogs care about their food?
yes; looks dont matter, smell matters a lot, dogs can make up their mind about food within 15
seconds of presentation
selecting food for cats
cats dont seem to be able to perceive sweet (but they do have 1 sweet receptor); taste is very
important; sodium acid pyrophosphate; self-select high protein, lower carb
careers available in the pet food industry
R & D; palability assessment; animal care taker; food chemist; sensory analyst
domesticated
tame; individual received socialization
wild
feral; individual did not receive socialization
early dogs
trash can bring disease; attract vermin; dogs eat trash; dogs eat vermin; dogs have easy access to
resources
settlement mutualism
more tame wolves are more likely to approach ad consume trash; wolves that capitalize on this
resource have increased fitness due to greater food security
domestication of cats
about 12,000 years ago in the middle east; ancestor: felis lybica; used in agriculture
, domestication of dogs
11,000-40,000 years ago in the middle east; ancestor: ancient wolf-like canid; domestication
happened in either europe, asia, or both
natural selection
environments change, so animals must too; adaptions have advantages physically and psychologically
through traits that are inherited; addresses some environmental chage; improves organism's fitness
to survive and reproduce
dog breeds
nearly all breeds were developed over the last 200 years; many breeds were developed in the
Victorian era
world of dogs
majority of the world's dog population are free roaming/village dogs; pet/working dogs are in the
minority
socialization period
puppies and kittens: around 3 to 8 weeks of age; they are feral if not socialized to humans at 14 weeks
sexual maturity
cats and dogs reach sexual maturity around 5 to 12 months
mating and reproductive systems
promiscuous: one litter can have several sires; no paternal care; offspring abandoned after a few
months
feeding
free-roaming dogs feed on trash and rarely hunt; village dogs subsidize their diet through human
leftovers, are omnivores, scavengers, opportunistic feeders; free-roaming cats hunt; colonies with a
human caretaker are fed cat food, are obligate carnivores
social behavior and communications
free living dogs form loose packs around a resource, once the resource is depleted the group
disperses; dominance hierarchy is poorly established; moderately advanced social behavior; free
living cats are solitary, but may form loose colonies around a resource/territory and have poor social
behavior
how do olfactory receptors work?
detect chemical features
functional receptors
dog (~1,000 OR genes); mouse (~1,200-1,400); rat (~1,600); human (~600-900); ORs are cross-reactive
and sometimes redundant; OR code has not been cracked, therefore not clear what the functional
implications are; thousands to potential millions of different odors could be distinguishable