Animals are definitely intuitive, in what seems like a whole different way from humans. As anyone with a dog or cat knows, those fluffy companions sometimes have a way of just "knowing" when you're feeling sad, rewarding you with extra snuggles just when you need 'em most.
Believe it or not, many animals can also detect when you're on your period —thanks to their keen sense of smell, that is. Broadly recently conducted an investigation to determine what type of pets are most skilled at sniffing out someone's menstrual cycle, and the results might actually surprise you.
It turns out that both cats and dogs are able to detect menstruation by odor and hormonal levels. Of course, they don't actually have any scientific concept of what's happening in your uterus, but they do know that something is going on. But cat behaviorist Mikel Delgado explained to Broadly that most cats won't really care, adding: "They have other ways they can identify us, like our voice and their sight. And for the most part, we still smell the same so our cat won't be like, 'Who is this strange new person?'" Dogs might make their awareness more obvious, thanks to their habitual sniffing, but they also generally won't mind being around an owner who is menstruating. Incidentally, some dogs are also adept at detecting other health-related conditions in their owners, such as migraines, urinary tract infections, and even certain types of cancer.
Other pets, like birds and rodents, might be less keen on noting their human companion's change in smell. But one animal you definitely want to steer clear of during that time of the month? Iguanas. Dr. Beth Breitweiser, a veterinarian at All Wild Things Exotic Hospital, told Broadly that some male iguanas have reportedly attacked their menstruating owners. "Some get males aggressive for whatever reason with these different pheromone levels," Breitweiser warned. "Especially if you're at eye level." Dr. William Rodgers, a veterinarian in North Carolina, also notes that the smell of a human menstruating is very similar to the pheromone of an adult female iguana during mating season. Yikes. Be sure to make a mental note that the next time you're sporting a tampon or pad, you probably shouldn't cuddle any iguanas.
For the full report, be sure to head on over to Broadly for all the details on period-friendly pets.
Related: 20 Tweets That Will Make Anyone on Their Period Say "Literally Me"
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