PASS THE POPCORN, POPPET

Love to watch telly with your pet? You’re not alone

IF YOU’RE tuning in to your favourite soapie, chances are you’re curling up on the couch with a furry friend. According to a survey done earlier this year by online streaming service Netflix, 64% of South Africans find their dog or cat to be the ideal TV companion, 38% said they’ve turned to their pet for comfort during a sad or scary scene, and 30% say they’ve talked to their pet about the show or movie they were watching.

More than half the respondents said they’ve moved their position on the couch so their pet could be more comfy watching the box, while 23% have bribed them with treats to watch longer. And 16% have gone as far as to turn off a show because their pet didn’t seem to like it!

Turns out your furry friend has indeed been engrossed by what’s happening on screen.

Dogs and cats can perceive images on TV similarly to the way we do and they’re intelligent enough to recognise animals on the screen, even if it’s ones they’ve never seen before in real life. But they differ from humans in the colours they see.

Contrary to popular belief they don’t view the world in black and white. Dogs and cats can see blue and green, but not red. This is because they have only two types of cone cells at the back of the eye, compared to humans who have three, enabling us to see all three colours.

But cats and dogs are good at detect- ing brightness and movement, so they focus well on the outlines of animals or people they’re watching on the screen.

“Cats with a higher ‘prey drive’ are also more likely to be attracted to the quick movements of objects across the screen,” says Dr Jillian Orlando, a veterinary behavioural expert at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in the USA.

“If your cat is really intent on ‘hunting’ the television, don’t let her watch the TV unsupervised. And if you have a large flatscreen, mount it on the wall in case kitty decides to take the leap,” she warns.