Our pets are our faithful companions—they know us so well, as we do them. But how well do we really know them? Check out these amazing animal facts to learn more, and then discover some wacky local edicts to help keep you from running “a-fowl” of the law.

Cats

• Cats have thirty-two muscles in each ear and can rotate an ear individually like a radar dish.
• Your feline friend can make over 100 different vocal sounds.
• Cats have five toes on their front paws but only four on their back paws.

Dogs

• Contrary to the popular myth, dogs actually see color, but it’s limited to blues, yellows, greens, and grays.
• Canines have over 100 different facial expressions.
• Get a whiff of this: a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than ours.

Birds

• So much for “eating like a bird”—birds eat half of their body weight every day to survive.
• Birds’ hearts beat about 400 times per minute at rest, and, when active, some can max out at over 1,200 beats per minute!
• Our bird friends have hollow bones, which allows them to take flight.

Hamsters

• The largest hamsters in the world can grow to over a foot long.
• Many hamsters can blink one eye at a time.
• If your hamster seems to be hiding during sleep, it’s just because they prefer enclosed spaces while resting.

Chinchillas

• Because of their uniquely soft fur, chinchillas need dust baths to get clean.
• Chinchillas can release large pieces of their fur, which allows them to escape the clutches of predators.
• Depending on their surroundings, chinchillas are capable of making up to ten different sounds.