【英语时差8,16】狗比猫弱？（下）

Now, even small dogs are genetically¹ programmed to function like predators², which makes sense considering they are close relatives of wolves. And birds–you can probably figure out why the only way you’d find out your bird is sick is when it dies. The situation with cats, as compared to dogs and birds, is much more interesting. On the one hand, cats are predators, but on the other, they’re small enough to be prey³. So how can you tell if your smaller pets need medical attention? For one thing, trust your hunches⁴. No one knows your pets like you do, so if you notice even very subtle changes in habits and behavior, you may want to have a vet⁵ look them over. For a cat, other signs of illness might be that it has stopped grooming⁶, is losing weight, vocalizing more or less than usual, or missing the litter box.

1 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

2 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

4 hunches   

预感，直觉( hunch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle. 一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。
• We often test our hunches on each other. 我们经常互相检验我们的第六感觉。

5 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

6 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。