cat stories

Mews and Nips: The Cats of Istanbul

Mews and Nips| 5 Comments

cat-istanbul

Cats have been a part of Istanbul’s history for thousands of years. They are given free reign in this city of 15 million humans. You may recall the 2016 film Kedi, beautifully-shot documentary that tracks the stories of seven cats that live on Istanbul’s streets and showcases the city’s love of cats. A recent article takes an in depth look at the fascinating history and lives of Istanbul’s cats. Visit Turkish Vibe to read Capital of the Cats: Istanbul.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Scientists Uncover the Secret To Fishing Cats’ Hunting Success

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

fishing-cat

Fishing cats are native to South and Southeast Asia. Unlike many cat species, fishing cats readily swim. Their front toes are partially webbed, and their claws protrude slightly even when retracted, an adaptation for fishing. To date ,very little was known about these mysterious cats’ behavior. A recently published study took a closer look at the hunting behavior of these elusive felines. For more about these fascinating cats, visit Science News.Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: “Talking” Cat Gives Scientists Insight Into How Cats Think

Mews and Nips| 6 Comments

talking-cat

A 13-year-old cat in Florida has a vocabulary of about 50 words, using an augmentative alternative communication (ACC) device. These devices have previously been used by dogs, but Billi appears to be the first cat using an ACC device. The creator of the device was skeptical about cats using the buttons, but is now intrigued by the way cats are using the device differently from dogs. For more about Billi and her skills, visit Salon.com.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

Carol_Singing_by_Louis_William_Wain,_watercolor

If you’re looking for a movie to watch this weekend, I highly recommend The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. The movie is based on the true story of the eccentric British artist whose playful pictures transformed the public’s perception of cats forever. Set in the early 1900s, the movie follows Wain as he seeks to unlock the “electrical” mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson. The movie is available on Amazon Prime (free for Prime members.)Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Your Cat May Be Tracking Your Every Move

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

cat-ear-tracking

Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan found that cats are mentally mapping their humans’ location based on audio clues in the environment, including the sound of the human’s voice. This is known as socio-spatial cognition, in which animals keep mental tabs on the inferred locations of other group members, even if they’re not visibly present. The researchers conducted the study with both house cats and cats in cat cafés and found that yes, cats are definitely tracking us! For more about this fascinating study, visit ScienceAlert.com.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Why Can’t House Cats Roar?

Cats, Mews and Nips| 4 Comments

cat-roar-meow

Have you ever wondered why your house cats can’t roar like some wild cats? It turns out that it has to do with the physiology of a cat’s voice box: cats can either purr or roar, but they can’t do both. In addition to our house cats, bobcats, ocelots, lynx, cougars and cheetahs can purr, but they don’t roar. Roaring is much rarer in cats and evolved in a particular lineage of large cats. For more about this fascinating topic, visit LiveScience.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap: Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Video Shows Cat Sensing Earthquake Before it Happened

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

white-cat

We’ve all heard stories of animals sensing earthquakes long before the first tremors are felt by humans. A Melbourne, Victoria woman happened to be taking video of her cat playing with a toy moments before an earthquake struck. The video shows the cat playing, pausing, and even going to stand underneath the doorway, which is said to be the safest place to be in a quake. For more about the kitty and the video, visit news.com.au.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: How Tabbies Get Their Stripes (In-Depth Study)

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

tabby-cat

Tabby cats with their pattern of distinctive stripes, lines, dots or swirling patterns and pencil like lines on their faces are not a breed. Almost all tabbies have markings shaped like the letter “M” on their foreheads. The tabby pattern is found in domestic cats as well as many purebred cats. A fascinating new study has identified the gene that plays a key role in creating the tabby stripe pattern. Visit the New York Times for an in depth look at the study.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Why Do Cats Like to Make Biscuits? Kneading Explained

Mews and Nips| 5 Comments

bengal kneading blanket

Okay, not those kinds of biscuits! But seriously, having a cat knead you with their paws, also known as “making biscuits,” is one of the sweetest feelings in the world, isn’t it? The Conversation explored this topic in depth, presenting several theories as to why cats do this. Click here to read Why do cats knead with their paws.

If you missed any of the stories featured on the Conscious Cat this week, here’s a recap:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: The Magic of Cats and Music

Mews and Nips| 8 Comments

kittens-piano

One of the wonderful things that came out of the pandemic was the creativity of artists from around the world collaborating virtually to create beautiful music. And because everything is better with cats, South African musician David Scott turned his cat’s meow into a lovely song:Continue Reading

About the author

Mews and Nips: Two Rescued Kittens Become Best Friends

Mews and Nips| 3 Comments

kittens-rescued-best-friends

Two kittens rescued separately ended up at the same shelter in New York, and became best friends when Jess Thoren, a fosterer from KittenBnB in New Jersey, took them home. Jess had come to the shelter to rescue another litter of kittens and just knew she had to take little Frankie home as well. Two weeks younger than the other kittens, he quickly became a part of the family, but became particularly close to Dracula, a little black kitten. For more about Frankie and his friends, visit LoveMeow.com.

Today’s video cracked me up. Visionary artist Jonathan created a short film after putting a camera on his model train to film the miniature town he created. In the process, he captured his cat Mittens wandering about, creating a vision of a world in which giant cats roam. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Photo via LoveMeow/KittenBnB

About the author