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Despite oodles of data on dog domestication, the exact origins of our feline friends have long remained fuzzy. We do know that pet cats retained many of their wild cat ancestors’ characteristics. This—perhaps not surprising many cat caretakers—makes pet cats technically “semidomesticated.” But scientists have squabbled over precisely where and when such changes came about. The feline timeline is especially tricky to pinpoint due to scarce archeological findings, along with the fact that the bones of wild cats and domesticated ones look quite similar. So far, researchers have encountered tantalizing clues, including depictions of cats as beloved, jewelry-wearing family members...

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has banned the sale and consumption of dog, cat and bat meat to curb the spread of rabies, the city’s governor said on Tuesday (Nov 25), marking a major victory for animal-rights advocates. Governor Pramono Anung said he had signed the regulation on Monday, following a pledge made last month, and that it bans the sale of “rabies-transmitting animals” for food. A six-month grace period will apply before enforcement begins, according to a document seen by AFP. Violations could result in sanctions ranging from written warnings to business-licence revocation. The ban applies to live animals, meat and...

A driver in North Carolina told emergency responders that a bald eagle dropped a cat that crashed through her windshield, police said. The incident happened around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, North Carolina Highway Patrol said. The driver was not injured. Highway patrol did not provide additional information. A photo shared by officials showed the car's broken windshield with a massive hole. In a 911 call, obtained by WLOS-TV, the driver told the dispatcher that the cat did not survive. "OK, you may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a...

Having a cat as a pet could potentially double a person's risk of schizophrenia-related conditions, according to an analysis of 17 studies. Psychiatrist John McGrath and colleagues at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research in Australia looked at papers published over the last 44 years in 11 countries, including the US and the UK. Their 2023 study found "a significant positive association between broadly defined cat ownership and an increased risk of schizophrenia-related disorders."

Introduction The age-old debate of dogs versus cats often sparks passionate arguments. While both pets offer unique joys, dogs hold distinct advantages rooted in their evolutionary history, social nature, and ability to enhance human well-being. This article explores 10 science-backed reasons why dogs are better than cats, addresses common questions, and provides insights for prospective pet owners. 1. Dogs Are Socially Attuned to Humans Dogs have evolved alongside humans for over 15,000 years, developing an unparalleled ability to read human emotions and gestures. Studies show they can interpret facial expressions, understand pointing cues, and even sense mood changes—traits cats lack....

"You must be a cat lady, Ms. Kaytee," the student said to me through laughter. I was working in a school, and had popped into one of the classrooms to assist with a project. This student who had just met me seconds ago assumed that I "must be" a cat lady. At the time I laughed: I had one cat, yes, but would hardly call myself a "cat lady." I also had a guinea pig, after all. Maybe this was some new Gen-Z slang that I didn't understand? Maybe "cat lady" means "an adult who is super cool"? (One can...

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes New York City could soon elect a "communist" mayor and signaled he’d prefer a Democrat to take the reins at City Hall over a far-left candidate. Asked during a White House press gaggle whether he’d urge Republican Curtis Sliwa to drop out of the race, Trump didn’t endorse anyone, but made clear his concern about current polling with just two weeks to go until Election Day. "Well, I looked at the polls and looks like we're going to have a communist as the mayor of New York," Trump said. "It'll be very...

The island of cats has a cat problem. Officials in Cyprus, the small island nation in the eastern corner of the Mediterranean, estimate there is roughly one feral cat for every one of its 1 million inhabitants — though activists contend the actual population is hundreds of thousands higher. In late September, the island’s parliamentary committee on the environment was told that an existing sterilization program is too limited to contain the burgeoning cat population. “It’s a good program, but it needs to expand,” said Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou, noting that the program conducts only about 2,000 sterilizations annually on...

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Thursday that will make it illegal to declaw a cat in California, a practice that lawmakers and animal advocates argued is outdated and inhumane. Assembly Bill 867 by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José) bars veterinarians from performing the procedure, which involves amputating the first bone in each of a cat's toes or severing its tendons so that it can't extend its claws. California law previously required the procedure to be performed by veterinarians, but will now limit it to cases of medical necessity. "Many countries have already outlawed this inhumane practice," said...

You’ve probably heard of spooky black cats, chaotic orange cats, and distinguished-looking tuxedo cats. If you’re really into cats, you might have even lesser-known color variants like seal point and ticked tabby. But there’s officially a new cat color in town— salmiak, or ‘salty liquorice.’ You can see one here. The pretty black, white, and grey shade—named for a popular snack food in Finland, where this coat color has been making itself known—is thanks to a fur strand that starts off black near the root, but grows whiter and whiter out towards the tip. The coat was first spotted in...

"You must be a cat lady, Ms. Kaytee," the student said to me through laughter. I was working in a school, and had popped into one of the classrooms to assist with a project. This student who had just met me seconds ago assumed that I "must be" a cat lady. Kids say the darnedest things, right? Kids say the darnedest things, right? At the time I laughed: I had one cat, yes, but would hardly call myself a "cat lady." I also had a guinea pig, after all. Maybe this was some new Gen-Z slang that I didn't...

Cats aren't what you would typically imagine when asked about law, let alone medieval law, but the history of Wales is full of oddities, and the medieval cat laws (Cyfreith Cath), are no exception. Here we find laws deciding on their value, their jobs, and what their appearance should be. Medieval Cat Laws - Laws for your Medieval Cat | 14:00 Cambrian Chronicles | 258K subscribers | 885,045 views | July 20, 2024 Chapters: 0:00 - Meow 0:39 - Assigning Monetary Value to Your Cat's Appearance 4:50 - Cat Products 7:06 - Cat Crime 9:00 - How to be a...

During the 19th Dynasty (ca. 1295–1186 b.c.), the village of Deir el-Medina, on the Nile's west bank in Upper, or southern, Egypt, was home to a community of civil servants and artisans who built and decorated the royal tombs in the nearby Valley of the Kings. Scholars are on unusually familiar terms with these people. "As expert scribes and draftsmen, they left quite a lot of writing," says Egyptologist Rob Demarée of Leiden University. At the site, archaeologists have excavated tens of thousands of texts written on papyrus and ostracons -- discarded pieces of pottery or stone used like scrap...

Joe Biden, 82, spoke out for the first time since his cancer diagnosis with a social media post on Monday morning. 'Cancer touches us all,' the former president wrote on X with a selfie of him sporting a brave smile alongside a somber-looking former first lady Jill Biden, who is holding their gray tabby cat Willow. 'Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,' Biden added. 'Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.' The post comes just hours after Biden's personal office revealed that he was diagnosed...

Rusty-spotted cat World's smallest cat 🐈- BBC | 1:57 BBC | 14.9M subscribers | 65,850,336 views | January 5, 2018

PC repair chap turned pet detective to diagnose the defectiveOn Call The unconditional love of a pet is often a solace, and perhaps never more so than at the end of a busy working week. Which is when The Register competes with the animal kingdom for your affection by delivering a new edition of On Call, our Friday column in which we share your stories of scratching out a living delivering tech support. This week, meet a reader we'll Regomize as "Walt" who fixes computers. "One day a client came in and complained that her laptop would not turn on."...

In a discovery that pushes back the timeline of domestic cats in North America, archaeologists have uncovered the earliest known feline remains in the modern-day United States.The find comes from the Emanuel Point II shipwreck, one of the vessels in the doomed 1559 expedition led by Spanish conquistador Tristán de Luna y Arellano. Published in American Antiquity on April 14, the study sheds light not only on the fate of these cats but also on their role in early colonial ventures...In September 1559, a powerful hurricane devastated the Spanish fleet anchored off the nascent settlement of Santa María de Ochuse.Several...

Tourists Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, were visiting Inspiration Point at Utah’s scenic Bryce Canyon National Park with their elderly tabby — now named Mirage — when the trio took a fateful plunge on Monday night or Tuesday morning, the Salt Lake Tribune reported, citing the sheriff’s office. Mirage, who is estimated to be 12 years old, was found by hikers on Tuesday night in a soft black pet carrier and in remarkably good condition... The fortunate feline only suffered two fractured canine teeth and a few fractured ribs — but miraculously “seemed to have weathered the fall...

A Maine Coon named Zeus has taken the internet by storm, earning millions of views across social media platforms with his sheer size and playful antics. Standing at an impressive 4 feet tall when on his back legs, Zeus is not your typical house cat. This gentle giant has captured the hearts of millions, and his owner, Daniela Ermolaeva, couldn’t be more proud of the attention her beloved pet is receiving, as highlighted in a recent feature by The Independent. Zeus, weighing 13 kg (around 28.6 pounds), has quickly become a sensation on Instagram under the handle @zeus.mainecoon.official. His rise...

A Colorado city plans to seize residents' pet cats and dogs in a bid to limit the number of animals allowed in households. On August 1, pet owners in Northglenn - about 40 minutes outside of Denver - will not be allowed to have more than four cats, dogs, or a combination of the two 'totaling no more than four.' The new pet ordinance was recently approved by the city council 'at the request of residents and after extensive research and discussion,' the city said. The restriction was introduced after concerned residents complained of 'excessive noise and waste caused by...