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Cats

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Australian Cities Pass Cat Curfews

Fluffy little murderbeasts may soon be kept under lock and key

Does she look like she would enjoy being jabbed with a needle? Conservationists have used assassin bugs to test the blood female Iberian lynx, like the mother picture above with her cubs, for pregnancy.

Cool Finds

How Do You Give an Iberian Lynx a Pregnancy Test? Use an Assassin Bug

Researchers used the insects to keep tabs on population growth in the threatened species

Ask Smithsonian: Are Cats Domesticated?

There is little genetic difference between a tabby and a wild cat, so scientists think the house cat is only domestic when it wants to be

New Research

Here’s What Music Specially Composed for Your Cat Sounds Like

Research shows that cats prefer “species-specific” with frequencies and tempos that mimic the sounds of purring and birds

New Research

Save the Birds By Embarrassing Your Cat

Outfitting cats in colorful collars may be one key to preventing them from effectively preying on birds and other small animals

The skittish cat was spotted in Uganda's Kibale National Park.

Cool Finds

Rare Cat Caught on Camera…Attacking a Monkey

Africa’s most elusive wild cat makes a rare daytime appearance

Surprise! Cats may be able to pick up on the moods of their owners.

New Research

It Isn’t Only Dogs; Cats May Pick Up on Emotional Cues, Too

New research shows that, like babies and dogs, our feline friends look to us for clues on how to react to new situations

Can the Siberian Tiger Make a Comeback?

In Russia’s Far East, an orphaned female tiger is the test case in an experimental effort to save one of the most endangered animals on earth

New Research

Conserving Tigers Could Hurt Leopards

When one predator returns, another can be displaced

New Research

How Cats Transformed From Wild Animals to Cuddly Companions

Genetically, there’s not that much separating feline pets from jungle beasts

Cat in his basket at Vienna’s first cat cafe

Cool Finds

America’s Finally Getting Its First Permanent Cat Cafe

Cappuccino and a Siamese, please

Cool Finds

Your Cat Has No Idea What You Want And Is Kind of Scared of You

Cats don’t do social skills

Why Does Rain Smell and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

New Research

Here’s What the Newly Sequenced Cat Genome Might Tell Us

In addition to teaching us more about kitties themselves, the cat genome could shed light on human disease

A photographer takes pictures of Lhasa Apso dogs in a basket, during a Dog and Cat Expo in Manila. With 12.3 million dogs to 1.7 million cats, the Philippines is very much a dog country.

Cool Finds

There Aren’t Just Dog People And Cat People; There Are Dog Countries And Cat Countries

Dogs and cats are not equally popular worldwide

Cool Finds

This Smart Cat Feeder Uses Facial Recognition to Exclude Greedy Kitties

The feeder tracks each cat’s food intake to make sure no one is taking the lion’s share

New Research

Researchers are Tracking House Cats with Tiny Harnesses

GPS measurements and collar cameras will tell them where, exactly, kitty goes all day

Tiger skins confiscated in Yunnan, China.

Cool Finds

China Finally Came Clean About Its Shady Tiger Skin Trade

Whether or not this will improve the situation for tigers, however, remains to be seen

New Research

Cougars Survived the Pleistocene Extinction Because They’ll Eat Just About Anything Meaty

Eating everything that’s in front of you is key to eking by when times are tough

New Research

Scientists Confirm That Cats a) Are Pretty Smart, b) Don’t Really Care What You Want

Cats’ impressive individuality makes it hard to study their smarts

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