Pets do the darndest things at times, but there could be a strange reason why.
Psychic astrologer Jessica Adams believes funny behaviour such as sitting in the toilet bowl, trying to eat candles and walking backwards could be down to a timely astrological phenomenon known as Mercury in retrograde.
Research of 2,000 cat and dog owners found our four-legged friends have been increasingly caught barking at nothing, eating mud and even trying to ‘dance’.
Acting like a human, trying to do a forward roll, sleeping in an empty bathtub and even sucking on a baby’s dummy were also among some of the unusual behaviours cited by the respondents polled by pet wellbeing specialist, ITCHpet.com.
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But while it may seem funny to owners, Adams believes there’s a strange rationale behind the madness.
She said, “Pets can do all sorts of unusual things and a lot of the time we, as humans, can find it thoroughly entertaining. It’s what makes our pets so loveable.
“However, their quirky goings on might be down to more than just a ‘funny five minutes’ - as it could be due to something called Mercury in retrograde.
“Mercury is the planet that actually rules pets. When it appears to go backwards and forwards, moving in peculiar ways, so does life in general - according to your horoscope.
"This is what’s known as Mercury Retrograde. And animals also get affected.
“In 2020 we have Mercury Retrograde, and Mercury Petrograde, three times; February and March. June and July. October and November.
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“So, if you think your pet’s behaving strangely, the answer is in the stars - with astrology at play.”
Has your pet been acting strangely? There are the weirdest things dogs and cats have done.
Top 30 weirdest pet behaviours
- Had a 'mad half hour' – such as running or darting crazily around the house
- Tried to catch flies
- Taken food out their owner’s hand
- Chased their own tail
- Tried to catch a flying bird
- Head-butted their owner
- Chased a leaf
- Stood up on hind legs / sat on hind legs like a human
- Howled / barked at the TV
- Howled / barked at nothing
- Drank out of a mug
- Climbed into a carrier bag
- Bitten their own tail
- Tried to 'talk'
- Deliberately done things their owner has told them not to
- Barked at blank space
- Slept on their owner’s face
- Carried around a log
- Walked into a window / glass door
- Jumped on the TV
- Bitten at their owner’s hair as if it were another animal
- Dug at a hard floor
- Barked at themselves in the mirror
- Sat in the sink / bath with the tap running
- Refused to let other animals / people near their owner
- Howled / sang along to a song
- Barked at the phone
- Cat barked
- Eaten mud
- Ran backwards
