Like sanitation workers, human pet-food testers have a job that inspires a certain degree of stomach-churning but nevertheless provides a valuable service. Think about it: Some 87 million U.S. households own at least one pet, which means there's a bustling industry for nutritional products that keep our animal companions happy and healthy. And since Fido isn't likely to elaborate on how his breakfast tastes (satisfying crunch, but a little too much salmon?), the onus is on the two-legged testers to deliver more insightful evaluations.    

Pet food stamped with a "human grade" label should be produced at a facility licensed to prepare human food.

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According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), pet food labeled "human grade" must be "stored, handled, processed, and transported" in a manner compliant with federal human food laws, while clearly indicating that the food is meant for pet consumption.

As such, pet-food testing is a multifaceted role that requires attention to particulars and strong communication skills. Obviously, the products need to be taken into the mouth for tasting, and while some testers claim to actually enjoy eating the food, most simply spit it out after chewing for several seconds. From there, the tester provides detailed reports on the nuances of aroma, flavoring, and texture. They also may be involved in the development of new food formulas and production methodology. It’s a job that requires a distinct set of skills rather than a set education: While a degree in a culinary-related discipline such as nutrition science may help, it’s more important for a would-be employee to demonstrate a passion for the process and a clear ability to differentiate between mouthfuls of gravy chicken chunks from plates A and B.

The pros of this career choice include apparently high levels of job satisfaction: "No two days are ever the same," noted one longtime taster, who added that he derived joy from helping pets "become happier and healthier." And the pay isn't too shabby, either, with reports of a salary that can soar to over $100K for experienced testers. The cons? Quality ingredients or not, you're still required to dig into food you probably wouldn't touch otherwise. But if you're looking for a new source of income, and figure you can better tolerate a steady diet of cold meats compared to cold calls, then this may be the job for you.

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Despite their near ubiquity — they’re found in every ocean except the Arctic and Antarctic — stingrays remain enigmatic creatures. In fact, it was only recently discovered that one type of stingray, the cownose ray, appears to use its distinctive tail as an antenna to sense danger. That information comes to us from a 2025 paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society by Júlia Chaumel and George V. Lauder, who write that the tails are “able to detect water disturbances resulting from prey, predators, body movements, and near body flow dynamics.”

Stingrays don't have bones.

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Their skeleton is made up entirely of fibrous cartilage. They’re sometimes referred to as cartilaginous fish, as are sharks.

For most types of stingrays, it has long been known that their tails are used to defend against would-be predators such as sharks. But in the Myliobatiformes order, which includes manta rays, devil rays, and cownose rays, the purpose of the tail was not previously clear. The study focused on cownose rays, whose tails are made up of stiff tissue covered in small holes; 3D scans revealed these holes are connected to the lateral line canal, a series of sensory organs that extend the length of the ray’s body, including receptors in its skin that detect movement. That’s especially useful for cownose rays, which bury their heads in the sand to feed on burrowing bivalves. Lacking eyes in the back of their heads, they rely on their antennae-like tails to warn them of incoming predators before it’s too late.

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Cats can do a lot of things their human friends can’t: They can purr, sleep all day without consequence, and jump up to six times their own height in a single leap. But perhaps most impressive of all is their ability to see ultraviolet light thanks to UV-transparent lenses in their eyes that allow UV light to reach their retinas. This will come as little surprise to anyone who’s ever noticed their cat staring at seemingly nothing for minutes at a time, but it’s a fascinating insight into how our feline friends view the world all the same. In fact, their UV vision actually allows them to see their prey’s urine trail while hunting and distinguish between their prey and a similarly colored background. 

Cats have more bones than humans.

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Cats have 230 bones in their body, while adult humans have a mere 206 — perhaps yet another reason our furry companions feel so superior to us.

This ability may not help your housecat in any practical ways on a daily basis, as being fed from a can doesn’t require much in the way of hunting, but it’s still a cool evolutionary trick. And cats aren’t the only animals with this ability. Bees, birds, reindeer, and mice have this enhanced vision as well, though for some of them it comes with the trade-off of not being able to see the color red.

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