http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/cats/ Cat news. Read about household contaminants affecting cats, allergies to cats and more. Also find stories on lions, tigers and leopards. en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT Fri, 16 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/cats/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425151819.htm Shape matters, even in hearing. Specifically, it is the shape of the cochlea -- the snail-shell-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve impulses that the brain deciphers -- which proves to be surprisingly important. A direct link was found between the cochlea's curvature and the low-frequency hearing limit of more than a dozen different mammals. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425151819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130601.htm Tigers held in captivity around the world -- including those in zoos, circuses and private homes -- may hold considerable conservation value for the rapidly dwindling wild populations around the world. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415075640.htm A survey gauging Ohioans' attitudes about free-roaming cats suggests that no single statewide measure would be sufficient in managing cat overpopulation because public opinion about outdoor cats varies widely across the state. In particular, perceptions about the need to regulate cat overpopulation in Ohio tend to differ among rural and urban dwellers and among cat owners and people who do not own pets. Compounding the problem is that a quarter of Ohio households are feeding free-roaming cats, but most of those residents aren't ensuring that the outdoor cats they feed are spayed or neutered. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415075640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314160226.htm Using a systems biological analysis of genome-scale data from the model plant Arabidopsis, researchers have identified that the master gene controlling the biological clock is sensitive to nutrient status. This hypothesis derived from multi-network analysis of Arabidopsis genomic data, and validated experimentally, has shed light on how nutrients affect the molecular networks controlling plant growth and development in response to nutrient sensing. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314160226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200908.htm A new drug, soon to enter clinical trials for malaria treatment, also appears to be 10 times more effective than the key medicine used to toxoplasmosis, which infects nearly one-third of all humans. The drug is extremely effective in mice against Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, without toxicity. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229163035.htm Results from a new national survey demonstrate that elevated allergen levels in the home are associated with asthma symptoms in allergic individuals. The study suggests that asthmatics that have allergies may alleviate symptoms by reducing allergen exposures inside their homes. Asthma is one of the most common chronic ailments in the United States, affecting more than 22 million people. Asthma has been shown to be triggered by a wide range of substances called allergens. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229163035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219132149.htm If you're a land owner and animals such as coyotes or wild pigs are driving you hog wild, help may soon be on the way to control their numbers in a humane way -- in the form of a birth control pill for animals. The need is apparent: According to the American Humane Society, about 7 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year at animal shelters. One female cat can lead to the production of 420,000 offspring in her lifetime. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219132149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215103256.htm Researchers have genetically dissected the way Apicomplexa divides and multiplies within its host cell. This approach should be broadly applicable, allowing unbiased genetic analysis of any part of parasite biology for which a screen can be devised using this model. The specific organism used in the study was Toxoplasma gondii, a parasitic protozoan whose main host is the cat but which can be carried in most warm-blooded animals. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215103256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213124702.htm The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation announced plans to establish a 5,000 mile-long "genetic corridor" from Bhutan to Burma that would allow tiger populations to roam freely across landscapes. Rabinowitz said corridors did not have to be pristine parkland but could in fact include agricultural areas, ranches, and other multi-use landscapes -- just as long as tigers could use them to travel between wilderness areas. Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213124702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212085845.htm When voters in Washington state banned hound hunting with an eye to protecting cougars, they unwittingly triggered a chain of events that wildlife biologists are still trying to understand. Cougars have been under siege in the United States since the arrival of European settlers, victims of extirpation campaigns and habitat destruction as inhabitants converted wilderness to farmland and pasture. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212085845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213090513.htm Laws protecting the critically endangered Sumatran tiger have failed to prevent tiger body parts being openly sold in Indonesia, according to a new TRAFFIC report launched. Tiger body parts, including canine teeth, claws, skin pieces, whiskers and bones, were on sale in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets surveyed during 2006 in 28 cities and towns across Sumatra. Outlets included goldsmiths, souvenir and traditional Chinese medicine shops, and shops selling antique and precious stones. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213090513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212855.htm Parts of feline immunodeficiency virus isolated from wild lions have undergone substantial genetic recombination. The sequencing of the two full FIV genomes of different lion subtypes shows the importance of whole-genome analysis in understanding complex genetic events. These findings will be relevant to big cat conservation and developing more effective animal models for HIV. Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125500.htm The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East has long been identified as a "cradle of civilization" for humans. In a new genetic study, researchers have concluded that all ancestral roads for the modern day domestic cat also lead back to the same locale. The study involving more than 11,000 cats. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122102221.htm A parasitic infection common in China and Southeast Asia could be effectively reduced by controlling snail populations, according to research. Infection with schistosomes of various species affects some 200 million people worldwide, and can cause serious chronic illnesses, including liver failure. Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122102221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117093444.htm Monkeys living on an island without big cat predators do not show any particular alarm when recorded tiger growls are played to them, according to new research. The pig-tailed langurs do, however, flee in a hurry from the sound of human voices. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117093444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117093440.htm Pound for pound, Australia's extinct marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) would have made mince meat of today's African lion (Panthera leo) had the two big hyper-carnivores ever squared off in a fight to the death, according to an Australian scientist. Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117093440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109173734.htm One of the most common human parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, uses a hormone lifted from the plant world to decide when to increase its numbers and when to remain dormant, researchers have found. Scientists report that they successfully blocked production of the molecule, known as abscisic acid, with a plant herbicide. Low herbicide doses prevented fatal T. gondii infection in mice. Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109173734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093430.htm Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces of infected cats or eating undercooked meat. Their so-called "golden bullet" could provide a safer, more effective alternative for treating the disease than conventional drug therapy, they say. Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes the disease, infects more than 60 million people in the United States alone. Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071230093430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110324.htm Thailand's Western Forest Complex -- a 6,900 square mile (18,000 square kilometers) network of parks and wildlife reserves -- can potentially support some 2,000 tigers, making it one of the world's strongholds for these emblematic big cats, according to a new study. Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203203820.htm A survey, commissioned by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians has found that more than 300 dogs and cats may have died earlier this year as a result of eating contaminated pet food. In addition, the survey also determined that the cause of death may have been related to two food contaminants which, separately, are relatively harmless, but together can be deadly. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203203820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203164728.htm The causes of diabetes mellitus in cats remain unknown although there has been a strong debate about whether a dry food diet puts cats at greater risk for diabetes. A new study suggests that weight gain, not the type of diet, is more important when trying to prevent diabetes in cats. Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203164728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129094756.htm Call him El Conquistador! An endangered Brazilian ocelot kitten was born at the Louisville Zoo Sept. 23. This was the first offspring for mom Miguela and second for father Itirapua. The birth is very significant and important for the species. There are only 26 Brazilian ocelots in American Zoo and Aquarium Association institutions nationwide. The birth is also notable because of the passing on of Itirapua's vital founder stock genetic diversity. When Itirapua's mother, who lived in the wild, was hit by a car, she was taken to a local animal hospital where Itirapua was born. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129094756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071105162902.htm Researchers declare that improvements in management of existing protected areas in South Asia could double the number of tigers currently existing in the region. Improvements in existing protected areas could produce big gains. Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071105162902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031172826.htm The domestic cat genome has now been sequenced. The genome was of a 4-year-old Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon, who has a well-documented lineage that can be traced back several generations to Sweden. Cinnamon is one of several mammals that are currently being analyzed using "light" (two-fold) genome sequence coverage. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071031172826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023163901.htm Spanish authorities have announced they have discovered a previously unknown population of Iberian lynx, triggering hope for one of the world's most endangered cat species. At present, the exact numbers and location of the newly discovered population are being kept confidential, but the population is thought to be made up of both adults and cubs. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023163901.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024112138.htm A research team have found that people living closer to the Waza National Park enjoy better access to pastures and water points, but bear the heaviest losses when it comes to lion predation. Although loss of human life is rarely reported, lion predation can cost the herders close to $1000 US per family each year. Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024112138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023081613.htm A rare Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), one of only an estimated 30 left in the wild has been captured and health-checked by experts from a consortium of conservation organizations, before being released. Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023081613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010111828.htm Researchers will spend the next two years testing their theories about just how an AIDS-like virus in cats is able to resist the powerful medicines that are thrown against it. It's one of the latest efforts at understanding one of the leading problem areas in medicine today -- antimicrobial drug resistance. When bacteria or viruses become resistant to drugs, they become more difficult, or even impossible, to treat. Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010111828.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001172812.htm In public imagination, the sabre-toothed cat Smilodon ranks alongside Tyrannosaurus rex as the ultimate killing machine. Powerfully built, with upper canines like knives, Smilodon was a fearsome predator of Ice-Age America's lost giants. For more than 150 years, scientists have debated how this iconic predator used its ferocious fangs to kill its prey. Results will certainly put in dent in Smilodon's reputation. The innovative computer modeling shows it had a decidedly wimpy bite. Tue, 02 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001172812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927143302.htm Researchers have found that more than 50 percent of the current asthma cases in the country can be attributed to allergies, with approximately 30 percent of those cases attributed to cat allergy. Other common allergens were the fungus Alternaria and white oak, which accounted for approximately 21 percent each. Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070927143302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912155750.htm Examination of Egyptian mummies has shown that animals such as cats and crocodiles were given a far more careful and expensive trip to the afterlife than previously thought. Mummification was crucial to the ancient Egyptians because they believed that if their bodies survived they could become immortal. Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912155750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070831123420.htm It has been in the news for years about how secondhand smoke is a health threat to nonsmokers. Secondhand smoke is attributed with killing thousands of adult nonsmokers annually. If smoking is that harmful to human beings, it would make sense that secondhand smoke would have an adverse effect on pets that live in the homes of smokers. Researchers note that, "one reason cats are so susceptible to secondhand smoke is because of their grooming habits." Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070831123420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824215618.htm New research at the University of Glasgow has found that arthritis in cats is far more common than previously thought. Professor David Bennett in the University's Vet School, has found that as many as 30 per cent of all cats over the age of eight may be suffering in pain and a reduced quality of life due to arthritis. It has been supposed cats do not suffer from this disease because their symptoms are less prominent than in other species. Cats suffer with arthritis as a result of increasing 'wear and tear' due to age or as a consequence of previous injury to the skeleton or due to some developmental abnormality of the skeleton which they may have been born with. This eventually results in chronic pain and a significant reduction in the quality of life of the cat. Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070824215618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823122441.htm A biologist is analyzing the "bite force" and feeding mechanics of great white sharks. Earlier this summer he traveled to Australia to dissect a rare 8-foot great white shark, and help create the first high-res 3-D computer model of its bite. Huber's research may lead to advances in protective swimwear, shark-proofing equipment and a better understanding of flexible cartilage -- which forms the sharks' whole skeletons. Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823122441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823181304.htm Scientists have demonstrated an important biological feature of the deadly Nipah virus that can infect and kill both animals and humans. They reported the first experimental evidence that Nipah virus can be vertically transmitted in cats, a naturally infected animal host which also consistently exhibits characteristic disease pathology caused by Nipah virus. Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823181304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820120717.htm When a cat steps over an obstacle with its front legs, how do its hind legs know what to do? A new study reveals that it is the foreleg stepping movement itself that leaves a lasting impression. By comparison, feline memories of having just seen an obstacle proved rather fleeting. Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820120717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070815122354.htm A mysterious epidemic of thyroid disease among pet cats in the United States may be linked to exposure to dust shed from flame retardants in household carpeting, furniture, fabrics and pet food, scientists are reporting. They report evidence linking the disease to exposure to environmental contaminants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which the researchers found to be elevated in blood samples of hyperthyroid cats. Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070815122354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070705093850.htm A camera trap set up in an Indonesian national park has photographed an endangered Sumatran tiger that appears to have escaped from a snare. Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070705093850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070704144900.htm The ancient gray wolves of Alaska became extinct some 12,000 years ago, and the wolves in Alaska today are not their descendents but a different subspecies, an international team of scientists reports. Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070704144900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070701094151.htm Researchers in the United Kingdom have found that increased exposure to cat allergen is associated with greater bronchial responsiveness (BR) in people with certain common allergies, even if they are not specifically allergic to cats. This suggests that reduced exposure to cats may be beneficial for allergic individuals, regardless of their specific allergies. Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070701094151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625091213.htm The pharmaceutical industry is going to the dogs -- and the cats -- as people in the United States and other countries devote more income to keeping beloved pets healthy and comfortable, according to a recent article. Just as drug companies are shifting some human health focus to geriatric medications, their animal health divisions are working on products to treat cancer, heart disease and other age-related conditions in companion animals. Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625091213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070611090616.htm Following more than a decade of study and advocacy by World Wildlife Fund, the Russian Government recently created the 200,000 acre Zov Tigra National Park, the first national park for the Siberian tiger. Four thousand miles east of Moscow, Zov Tigra National Park, translating to "Roar of the Tiger," became the first protected area of its kind in the Russian Far East. Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070611090616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605120929.htm In the cover story of this month's BioScience journal, leading tiger experts warn that if tigers are to survive, governments must stop all trade in tiger products from wild and captive-bred sources, as well as ramp up efforts to conserve the species and their habitats. Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605120929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070606235253.htm A close cousin of the bacterium that debilitated thousands of World War I soldiers has been isolated at UCSF from a patient who had been on an international vacation. The woman, who has since recovered, suffered from symptoms similar to malaria or typhoid fever, two infections that can occur in returning travelers. Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070606235253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070601072450.htm The wild tiger's population trajectory is "catastrophic" and its continued existence cannot be assured without improved conservation efforts, according to a new assessment. The area occupied by the animal has declined by 41 percent over the past decade and now amounts to just 7 percent of its historic range. Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070601072450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070531145604.htm While promiscuity in the animal kingdom is generally a male thing, researchers have found that, in cheetah society, it's the female with the wandering eye. Researchers found that about 43 percent of cheetah litters with more than one cub were fathered by more than one male, revealing a mating system that deviates from those used by other carnivores, most of which consist of single or sibling males monopolizing many females. Fri, 01 Jun 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070531145604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522175213.htm The first assessment of all European mammals, commissioned by the European Commission and carried out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), shows that nearly one in every six mammal species is now threatened with extinction. The population trends are equally alarming: a quarter (27%) of all mammals has declining populations and a further 33% had an unknown population trend. Only 8% were identified as increasing, including the European bison, thanks to successful conservation measures. Wed, 23 May 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522175213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510110538.htm Scientists have provided new insight into how the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis invades human cells. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, primarily carried by cats. It is transmitted to humans by eating undercooked meat or through contact with cat faeces. Sat, 12 May 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510110538.htm