Here’s why you shouldn’t cuddle with an iguana when on your period

Just like how your dog knows when you’ve had a bad day, or when your cat knows to cuddle you extra tight, your iguana can also know what’s up. Have you ever noticed that your dog or cat knows when you’re on your period? Well, turns out, they aren’t the only animal with the ability to detect when your cycle has come back around.

Iguanas aren’t a fan of your cycle, ladies and people with periods.

Hormone levels and odor are two of the main factors that tip your pet off to your menstrual cycle. As Mikel Delgado, cat behaviorist explained to Broadly, your pet knows something is going on but it isn’t likely to upset them in any way. Similar to how a pet knows when you aren’t feeling well, your cat or dog just knows something is going on.

Delgado went on to say that there are other less common domesticated animals that are likely less intuitive about what’s going on in your body. Most surprisingly however, iguanas are not your pal during your time of the month. Dr. Beth Breitweiser told Broadly that iguanas, particularly male iguanas, aren’t down with menstruation.

In fact, some males get aggressive for whatever reason with these different pheromone levels.

Especially if you’re at eye level.

The smell of human menstruation is apparently too similar to a female iguana’s pheromones during mating season. Yikes. That means the males can get surprisingly aggressive towards unsuspecting female owners if Aunt Flo is visiting.

For iguana lovers everywhere, this is very sad news. For those of us who steer clear of the bug-eyed creatures, nothing has to change. But if you have a pet iguana, particularly a male, maybe just have someone else clean its habitat during your period. No harm, no foul.