Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 18, 2017

Skin Medication Can Be Lethal for Pets, FDA Warns

A cream used to treat skin cancer and abnormal skin lesions can be lethal for pets, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned today. The agency said the medication, called fluorouracil, can make pets sick, and even kill them in some cases. People using this medication should use care when...

Feb 22, 2017

Despite 'Mind-Controlling' Parasite, Cat Owners Not at Risk for Psychosis

Cats are known to carry a parasite linked to symptoms of psychosis in humans, and past studies have suggested that kids who grow up with a feline pet are more likely to have mental health issues. But now a new study casts doubt on that link, finding no such connection...

Mar 22, 2017

Scent of a Kitten: Perfumer Debuts 'Kitten Fur' Fragrance

Our sense of smell plays an important role in how we interpret the world around us. And for people who love cats, there are few scents as welcome as the smell of the soft fur on a kitten's head. That delectable scent is now available in a bottle. Perfume company...

Mar 28, 2017

Friendly Felines: Cats Like People (Really!), Study Says

Do cats like being around people, or are they only using humans to open doors and operate can openers? A new study suggests that human contact is more important to cats than previously suspected (though, arguably, cat owners knew that all along). While it is commonly accepted that dogs enjoy...

Apr 18, 2017

#CatSquare: Why Fluffy Can't Resist Thinking 'Inside the Box'

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. See more Twitter's been on fire with people amazed by cats that seem compelled to park themselves in squares of tape marked out on the floor. These felines appear...

May 23, 2017

Are Cats Responsible for 'Cat Ladies'?

We all know that person. Her Instagram is covered with more pictures of feline friends than human companions. Not an insignificant number of these pictures feature mini cat-sized lattes with the caption Fluffy simply adores her morning coffee. And let us not forget that the archetype of crazy cat man...

Jun 19, 2017

Cat Tale: Ancient DNA Reveals How Your Kitty Came to Be

Modern cat lovers can thank the farmers of ancient Anatolia in the Near East for domesticating their fluffy friends about 10,000 years ago, a new study finds. Cat domestication likely began when these furry wildcats began hunting rodents that were feasting on grains harvested by Neolithic farmers. The farmers welcomed...

Jun 20, 2017

Photos: Ancient Cat Remains Tell the Tale of Kitty Domestication

Wild to tame cats (Image credit: Copyright Wim van Neer)Neolithic farmers in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) domesticated cats about 10,000 years ago to keep vermin at bay. Cats were so useful, farmers took them to Europe as far back as 4400 B.C., and the cats quickly spread as sailors and other...

Jul 13, 2017

Feline Purr-fection: What Makes a Cat Best of Breed?

Outstanding examples of pussycat pulchritude — with coats representing a range of hues in stripes, patches and solid patterns — were recently recognized on July 1 during a ceremony held by the Cat Fanciers' Association in Chicago to honor the year's Top Cats. Some champions sported cloud-like coverings of fur,...

Jul 13, 2017

Photos: Champion Cats are Show-Stopping Stunners

CFA's Best Cat, China (Image credit: AmyWorks)Cat Life Moonface took home several titles in the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) China division for the 2016 to 2017 show season, including Grand Champion, Breed Winner, and National Winner. He is a silver tabby and white male American shorthair. According to the CFA...

Sep 11, 2017

Six-Toed 'Hemingway Cats' Survive Hurricane Irma

More than four dozen cats that live at Ernest Hemingway's historic home in Key West, Florida, survived Hurricane Irma unharmed. All 54 cats, and the 10 people who stayed with them during the storm, are safe, David Gonzales, a curator at the house, told MSNBC on Sunday (Sept. 10). Gonzales...

Sep 25, 2017

Cosmic Kittens: Saturn Features Get Feline Names

If you know anything about Saturn, you probably know that it's a planet surrounded by rings. But did you know that it's also surrounded by cats? NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which plunged into Saturn on Sept. 15, has discovered at least 60 kittens orbiting in Saturn's F ring. These features aren't...

Sep 27, 2017

This Cat Was Buff: Saber-Toothed Kittens Were Muscly

The babies start off muscle-bound and then they grow like every other cat, said study co-researcher Donald Prothero, a research associate in the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. [12 Amazing Saber-Toothed Animals] It's well known among paleontologists that S. fatalis — a...

Dec 5, 2017

Cats Are As Brainy As Bears But Fall Short of Dogs

It's a bad news/good news situation for Fluffy: Cats don't have as many neurons as dogs, suggesting they just aren't as cognitively capable. On the other hand, they've got as many neurons as brown bears. Those are the results of a new study that counted neurons in the brains of...

Jan 24, 2018

If Your Cat Swats with Its Left Paw, It's Probably Male

When your cat knocks your favorite coffee mug off the counter, does it use its left paw or its right? There's no need to sacrifice any drink-ware for the answer; your cat's gender should tell you enough. According to a small feline-behavior study published in the journal Animal Behaviour, female...