UMary Allen
Uma inja ithuthumela, akusho ukuthi iyagula. Injabulo, ukuzikhandla, ukungezwani, noma ukwesaba nakho kungaba yimbangela yenja ukuba iqhaqhazele. Isibonelo, ezinye izinhlobo zenza lokhu ngokwemvelo. Iminyaka yobudala noma ukungazethembi nakho kungaba yimbangela.
“Izinja ziyanyakaza noma zikhahlele imilenze uma uzinwaya ngenxa yento eyaziwa ngokuthi i-scratch reflex. Ukusabela okungenangqondo ngokuphelele, okuchaza ukuthi kungani inja yakho ingase ibukeke ididekile njengoba wenza uma iqala ukwenzeka.
Yiziphi izinja eziqhaqhazelayo ngokwemvelo?
Uma inja ithuthumela ngenkathi ilele, lokhu ngokuvamile akusona isizathu sokukhathazeka. Ezinye izinhlobo zezinja nazo ngokwemvelo zijwayele ukuthuthumela. Izinja ezizingelayo, njengeJack Russel Terrier, zihlome ngomzwelo omuhle kakhulu wokuzingela ongabangela injabulo nokungezwani.
Kungani inja yami inyakazisa umlenze wayo?
Kungokufanayo uma umkitaza noma echelwe ngamanzi kungalindelekile. Izinja eziningi zizonyakaza ngenkathi zisaphupha. Uma inja yakho ingena echibini noma eqhweni elisha, ingase inyakaze bese inyakazisa udlalo lwayo ukuze isuse isisusa.
Ukuzikhandla ngokweqile kubonakala kanjani ezinjeni?
Izimpawu: Uma inja ingaphezu kwamandla ayo, ikhombisa lokhu ngokuqhaqhazela nokudiyazela, inhliziyo ishaya ngamandla, ihefuzela kakhulu, ingase ibe namajaqamba futhi ingase ilahlekelwe nomchamo ngokungalawuleki.
Ingabe izinja zithanda i-reflex yokuklwebheka?
Yonke inja ijabulela ukuklwebheka okuhle kwesisu, futhi abanikazi bezinja abaningi bayayazi indawo emnandi eyenza umlenze wangemuva wenja yabo isebenze. Ukukhahlela empeleni kuyi-reflex yokuklwebheka.
Kungani izinja zami zihlehla nyova uma ngizinwaya?
Ukuluma, ukulunywa, nokudikiza konke kuyizimpawu zikaMange. Imizwa - Imizwa ingabangela ukudikizela emuva—kokubili izinzwa zomzimba emzimbeni kanye nesimo senja kungase kuhlotshaniswe nempendulo yokuhlukunyezwa.
Kungani imilenze yezinja inyakaza lapho uklwebha indawo ethile?
Ukunyakaza kokukhahlela akwenzeki ngokuzithandela okubangelwa imizwa, exhunywe kumgogodla wenja yakho. Imizwa idlulisela umyalezo emisipheni yakhe yomlenze ukuba ikhahlele futhi inyakaze emzamweni wokuqeda into ecasulayo. Ngokunganakile, umzimba wenja yakho ucabanga ukuthi i-ruvley belly rub yakho iyizeze noma ukulunywa okudingeka ikunwaye.
Kungani izinja zami ziklwebha i-reflex bucayi kangaka?
Izizathu zokunwaya ngokweqile ezinjeni zingasukela ekungenweni yizindlebe kuye ezifweni zamazinyo, kodwa ukulunywa kakhulu ezinjeni kuvame ukususwa njengokungezwani komzimba nezinto ezithile. Izinja zingangezwani nendawo ezikuyo, ukudla, namazeze… noma yini.
Kungani izinja zikhahlela ngemuva kokuba seziphumile?
Uma ubona ukuthi inja yakho iklwebha phansi noma ikhahlela udoti ngemva kwayo, ngokuvamile kuyisenzo sokumaka indawo yayo, eyayaziwa ngokuthi “ukuziphatha kokuklwebha.” Nakuba ungase ungayibambi ngaso sonke isikhathi inja yakho, imizimba yabo imatasa ikhiqiza ukusabela kwamakhemikhali okubalulekile okubavumela ukuba baxhumane.
Kungani izinja ziphenduka izikhathi ezi-3 ngaphambi kokuba zilale?
Emibuthanweni ngaphambi kokulala kuzuzwa njengefa. Ukuphenduka uyisiyingi ngaphambi kokulala kuyisenzo sokuzivikela ngoba inja ingase yazi ngokwemvelo ukuthi kudingeka izimise ngendlela ethile ukuze igweme ukuhlasela endle.
Ingabe izinja ziyathanda lapho ukhuluma nazo?
Ithimba lithole ukuthi izinja zikhethe ukuchitha isikhathi esengeziwe nabantu abakhuluma nabo “ngenkulumo-yenja” besebenzisa amagama “ahambisana nezinja”. Inhlanganisela yephimbo nokuqukethwe izinja ezizizwa kahle ngakho. Okutholwe yileli qembu kushicilelwe encwadini ethi Animal Cognition.