cats

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It's an Island With 1M People—and at Least 1M Cats

Cyprus' existing sterilization program has an inadequate budget, critics say

(Newser) - 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...

Fluffy and Fido Are Going to College

Some colleges and universities are allowing pets in dorms, and students are taking advantage

(Newser) - Crossing paths with dogs, cats, and other animals is part of campus life for students at Florida's Eckerd College, which allows pets to live in dormitories. Sophia Nocera, an Eckerd senior, said she probably knows the names of pets better than her fellow students. "When I'm walking...

The Best and Worst Cities for Pet Owners

Arizona city of Scottsdale ranks No. 1 on WalletHub's list of most pet-friendly US cities

(Newser) - If you can't imagine moving somewhere where your beloved pet wasn't part of the equation, check out the US cities that WalletHub has deemed the best for those who own cats, dogs, and other nonhuman companions. The site looked at the 100 most populated cities in America, examining...

In a Dark Corner of the Web, Cat Torture Is All the Rage

Activist who penetrated the online groups describes them as the 'depths of evil'

(Newser) - In a horrifying case of animal torture, two teenagers in the UK admitted in May to mutilating and killing kittens, reportedly using rope, a blowtorch, a knife, and scissors. As bad as that is, police are now investigating cat torture as a much larger issue, the BBC reports, pointing to...

Meet Leonardo da Pinchy, the Thieving Cat

Feline with sticky paws swipes laundry from all over his New Zealand neighborhood

(Newser) - Most cat owners dread their pets bringing home mice or birds. But for the owners of one felonious feline in New Zealand, there's a worse shame—being the unwitting accomplice to an unstoppable one-cat crime wave. His prolific laundry-pinching from clotheslines and bedrooms in the beachside neighborhood of Mairangi...

12-Year-Old's Venture Soothes Stressed Animals With Music

Wild Tunes, founded by Yuvi Agarwal, recruits musicians to play for cats, dogs at animal shelters

(Newser) - It's often said music is the universal language of humanity. Now, a 12-year-old Houston boy is putting that to the test for an unlikely audience—man's best friend. Yuvi Agarwal started playing keyboard when he was 4 and several years ago noticed his playing soothed his family's...

Why Cats Prefer a Left-Side Snooze
Why Cats Prefer
a Left-Side Snooze
NEW STUDY
Jun 28, 2025 5:30 AM CDT

Why Cats Prefer a Left-Side Snooze

Study links position to faster threat response

(Newser) - Ever wondered why your cat curls up on its left side? New research suggests this sleepy preference could be a clever survival tactic honed by evolution—giving felines a quick edge the moment they wake. An international team analyzed more than 400 YouTube videos and found that two-thirds of...

You May Not Want Your Pet Catching Z's With You

It may be worth it to you, but experts say that pets sleeping in your bed could disrupt your sleep

(Newser) - Our furry best friend might be our worst sleep enemy. Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it's worth it, and researchers don't necessarily disagree. Melissa Milanak, a sleep health professor at Medical University...

Scientists Decode Mystery of Orange Cats
Scientists
Decode
Mystery of
Orange Cats
in case you missed it
May 18, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

Scientists Decode Mystery of Orange Cats

The felines are missing a particular section of genetic code that affects coloring

(Newser) - Scientists have unraveled why orange cats are orange—it turns out they're mutants, reports Scientific American . More specifically, they have a particular genetic mutation that has been identified for the first time. As the BBC explains, orange felines have a section of code missing within a gene known as...

Spanish Cops Bust Exotic Cat Smuggling Ring

2 arrested on Mallorca are accused of breeding, selling tigers, leopards, lynxes, etc.

(Newser) - Spanish police have arrested two people in connection with the sale of exotic felines on the internet. The authorities seized 19 animals, including a caracal and two servals, in an operation in Manacor, on the Balearic island of Mallorca, the Civil Guard said in a statement on Thursday. More than...

Fire Kills Cat Sanctuary Owner, Dozens of Cats

At least 59 cats reportedly died in Long Island fire along with Christopher Arsenault

(Newser) - "His life was about the cats." So too was his death. Authorities say a fire at the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford, Long Island, on Monday morning claimed the life of founder Christopher Arsenault and at least 59 cats; the 65-year-old's body was located in a back...

Amid More Cat Deaths, Another Pet Food Recall

California's Savage Pet is latest company to pull raw meat products as bird flu keeps circulating

(Newser) - A California pet food maker has recalled raw chicken products after they were linked to bird flu infections in two cats and suspected in a third in New York City. Savage Pet of El Cajon, California, this week recalled one lot of large and small chicken boxes because they may...

Doctor in Hot Water for Operating on His Cat

Italian prosecutors are looking into his actions

(Newser) - An Italian doctor saved Athena's life after performing a CAT scan and pneumothorax surgery on her at Umberto Parini hospital in Aosta. It could run him afoul of prosecutors, who are looking into the incident—because Athena is a cat. As the Guardian reports, Gianluca Fanelli's pet fell...

Scotland: No, We're Not Going to Ban Cats

Study that suggested 'containment' measures raised concerns about 'madcap scheme'

(Newser) - The Scottish government wants everyone to know it does not plan to ban cats. First Minister John Swinney was forced to issue the statement after a report by independent experts branded felines a threat to Scotland's wildlife and suggested "containment" measures be considered to reduce the damage, the AP reports....

Cat Left in Cargo Hold Racks Up Air Miles

Mittens made 3 flights in 24 hours

(Newser) - A Maine coon cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold and she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia. Mittens, 8, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand, to...

Big Cats Drop Dead of H5N1 at Sanctuary

20 succumb at Washington's Wild Felid Advocacy Center; meanwhile, a house cat dies in Oregon

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared an emergency in California over bird flu spreading in cattle there. Now, in a different West Coast state, nearly two dozen big cats have died at a sanctuary of H5N1. At least 20 animals at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington—...

Construction Workers Save Blind Cat From Frozen Pond

They came to the rescue after 20-year-old cat fell through ice in Massachusetts

(Newser) - Tiki, a 20-year-old blind black-and-white cat, likes to roam about outdoors. But this time he caused a scare after he was seen on ice floating in a Massachusetts pond and then fell in. He has an alert passerby and a couple of nearby construction workers to thank for his rescue...

2024's Most Notable Quotes
2024's Most
Notable Quotes
Dec 7, 2024 8:00 AM CST

2024's Most Notable Quotes

There are a couple that have to do with cats, and a lot that have to do with politics

(Newser) - Well, 2024 is almost behind us, and it turns out humanity didn't take the year off from opening their pieholes and saying things that went viral or just broke people's brains. Yale University compiled a list of the year's most notable quotations, and perhaps unsurprisingly for an...

'She Looked Into His Eyes, and He Was Sold'

Southwest pilot Matt Prebish adopts kitten he was flying on hurricane rescue flight with 145 animals

(Newser) - What's part of Matthew Prebish's job as a volunteer pilot after natural disasters: evacuating displaced animals. What's not necessarily part of the job: adopting one of those uprooted cuties. But that's exactly what Prebish ended up doing after a weather delay earlier this month in Milwaukee,...

Cat Was Missing for 2 Months. Then, 'a Little Paw Shot Out'

Tabby named Drifter expected to make full recovery after getting trapped in sewer in Duluth, Minnesota

(Newser) - A cat aptly named Drifter is safe at home after sneaking outside and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly eight weeks. The 3-year-old tabby—an indoor feline who had aspirations of being an outdoor cat—went missing from the home of Clifton Nesseth and Ashley Comstock in the northeastern...

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