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From a marathon-mad hamster, wall-climbing cat, and swimming dogs to an island ruled by rabbits, *Pets – Wild at Heart*, narrated by David Tennant, reveals how the pets we share our lives with are just a whisker away from their wild side and natural instincts.
Our pets have been tamed for thousands of years, but they were wild for millions more. They’ve adapted well to domestic life and make perfect companions, but their animal behaviour and natural instincts remain intact.
When puppies tumble and play, they’re actually in training for life as predators, busy creating their own ‘wolf pack’. And when faced with other city-dwellers, dogs must learn to rub along. Wolves can doggy paddle to cross rivers and chase prey, and many pet dogs seem to take to the water with gusto.
Farmers first domesticated cats as perfect pest controllers. Now, kittens use their lightning skills to catch imaginary prey – but it’s purely for fun. However, if you’re preyed upon, the rules of the wild are very different. Russian hamsters need to run, and in captivity, they take to their wheel, running on the spot and covering up to six miles a night. At speeds of 600 strides a minute, the hamster experiences a runner’s high.
Cats may be our favourite pets, and dogs a close second, but budgerigars come in at number three. Hugely social birds in their native Australia, pet budgies love to ‘chat’ just as they do in the wild. Disco the budgie has memorised over 130 phrases – even reciting them in his sleep.
On an island in Japan, rabbits rule. Released here 30 years ago, not surprisingly, there are now hundreds of them. They have learned to sit up and beg for food, and any white rabbits are revered and afforded special treatment. Also in Japan is ‘cat island’, overrun with feral cats and their kittens, fed scraps by visiting fishermen.
Cats come and go as they please; one ginger tom even free-climbs. First, he scratches to shed old claw sheaths and reveal new sharp claws, then he flicks out his dewclaws to negotiate the toughest bit of the climb up the outside of a house. So much more fun than using the cat flap!
The wanderlust has also struck pet dogs in Cusco, Peru. Every morning, they leave home alone and weave through the busy streets on a mission. Twenty or so meet up, drawn by a female on heat. Inevitably, fights break out, but eventually, they peel off and head back for the night – home comforts win out.
We’ve delved right under the skin of our favourite pets, seen life from their point of view, and uncovered some extraordinary new behaviours that highlight their wild side. You’ll never look at your pet in quite the same way again.
The team behind Penguins – Spy in the Huddle unveils the incredible secrets of animal behaviour, revealing the natural instincts of pets in ways never seen before. As astonishing photography explores the wild side of our playful pets, discover why hamsters love to run in a wheel, how dogs learn the rules of the pack, and how kittens develop into solitary hunters. Featuring breathtaking views of plunge-diving dogs, baby-sitting cats, acrobatic hamsters, and a playful cat outsmarted by its prey, you’ll never view your favourite companions in quite the same way again. The latest science also uncovers why budgies talk, how a cat scales a vertical wall with its special claws, why hamsters stuff their cheeks with more food than they can eat, and the true meaning behind a rabbit’s hop. Our pets also explore their wild side as we follow the free-roaming pet dogs of Cusco in Peru, pet rabbits inhabiting a natural warren, and the wild-living residents of Cat Island, Japan. A variety of innovative techniques, including moving X-rays, thermal imagery, minicam-carrying dogs, and revealing slow-motion photography, illustrate how our pets play and demonstrate that their true wild nature is just a whisker away.
Take another walk on the wild side with our favorite wildlife pets. Extraordinary photography reveals their hidden senses and secret communication skills, showcasing their animal behaviour. Dogs embark on a car trip through Paris, using their legendary sense of smell to reveal a very different city. A hamster employs his remarkable senses to stage a great escape and then uses his navigational talents to find his way home. Cats become intoxicated by the scent of a plant and face the consequences, demonstrating their natural instincts. A budgie displays his hidden charms to his mate as, under UV light, his crown and cheeks positively glow. Goldfish uncover secret senses that can detect the slightest water movement, while a guinea pig gives birth, with the newborns receiving surprising care from their father. In South America, where guinea pigs have lived with people for 7000 years, they express the true meaning of their entertaining calls, reflecting their natural instincts. When we groom a horse, we speak their language, but horses communicate with their ears in ways that we are rarely aware of. In Japan, cats convey their secret messages, and in Peru, dogs reveal the hidden signs that allow them to communicate across a city. Packed with extraordinary facts and wild behaviour, you’ll never look at your pet in the same way again.
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