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Cats

To Save the Woodrat, Conservationists Have to Deal With an Invasive Species First: House Cats

On an island in Florida, a rare wild rodent faces a dangerous, feline threat

Do outdoor cats need to die?

The Moral Cost of Cats

A bird-loving scientist calls for an end to outdoor cats “once and for all”

Cool Finds

Cute Sand Cat Spotted for the First Time in a Decade in the United Arab Emirates

Researchers set out to photograph the elusive cat to help create a conservation plan for the endangered feline

Leopard territory in Southeast Asia has been reduced by 94 percent.

New Research

The Indochinese Leopard Is Down to Just a Few Lives

These threatened cats now occupy just 8 percent of their historic range in Cambodia, new population estimate finds

One of the Forest of Stone Steles Museum's famous cats.

Trending Today

Protesters Prevent Chinese Museum From Evicting a Family of Cats

The furry family is famous on the internet

Larry, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

Cool Finds

10 Downing Street’s “Chief Mouser” Is Keeping His Job Despite Brexit

Larry the Cat will outlast David Cameron at the Prime Minister’s residence

Portrait of paleontologist Mary Anning and her trusty assistant, Tray.

These Paleo Pets Made Fossil Hunting Less Lonely

In the solitary hunt for bones, furry companions provide company, act as field assistants and sometimes even make the ultimate sacrifice

Expanding human populations in India have pushed tigers into small, isolated habitats—and resulted in some unusual behaviors.

Anthropocene

Sorry, Tiger Dudes: Your Ladies Are Faking It

India’s tigresses may be feigning interest in sex as the result of shrinking habitat and overlapping territories

String theory—feline edition.

New Research

Cats Are Adorable Physicists

Beneath that fluffy exterior lies a shrewd understanding of how the world works

A tiger held captive at Thailand's so-called "Tiger Temple" in 2011.

Trending Today

Thailand’s Controversial “Temple Tigers” Are Finally Free

Thai officials found nearly 140 captive tigers as well as 40 dead cubs kept in freezers at the self-proclaimed sanctuary

Important information about a cheetah can be found in its feces.

A Fecal Pellet’s Worth A Thousand Words

Scientists can learn a surprising amount about an animal just by analyzing its poop

New Research

After Decades of Decline, Tiger Populations Could Be on the Rise

Though the latest numbers seem hopeful, the majestic creatures are not out of the woods yet

"Meditation and Minou," 1980, by Will Barnet.

Cool Finds

The Worcester Art Museum’s New Exhibit Is All Cats, All the Time

New art exhibit will trace humans’ captivation with cats throughout history

New Research

How to Tell if Fluffy Is in Pain, According to the Experts

A new study identifies 25 ways to tell if your kitty isn’t feeling well

High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, scientists and hunters are unlikely allies in an effort to protect the endangered snow leopard before it vanishes.

Hunters Become Conservationists in the Fight to Protect the Snow Leopard

A pioneering program recruits locals as rangers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where the elusive cat is battling for survival

This kitten, though adorable, was not one of the post office cats.

Cool Finds

A Brief History of Post Office Cats

Mail used to come with a side of meow

Cool Finds

The Only Known Jaguar in America Was Finally Caught on Video

“El Jefe” made a rare appearance in Arizona

Cool Finds

The Original Cat Video Returns to Times Square

All month long, Times Square will be under the gaze of a familiar, indifferent kitten

New Research

Cats May Have Been Domesticated Twice

But only one ended up as the house cat

Deep Earth creepy crawlies, mushrooms making rain, and a Maya city buried in ash are just a few highlights from this year's collection of science stories.

Cool Science Stories You May Have Missed in 2015

Quantum spookiness, a Maya city buried in ash and more in this year’s surprising science

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