research

The international Cat tracker project has finally published the results of a six-year study revealing the secret wanderings of 900 house cats. Their goal was simple - to find out where our furry friends go when they're outside. 

Researchers have tried to answer that question before, either by following cats on foot or by attaching radio-transmitters on collars around cats' necks. But this massive research is different in scale- it followed nearly a thousand cats across four countries for a week!  

Published in the journal Animal Conservation, the new report has one clear conclusion- for most cats, there's no place like home.

Check out the project's page for more info and introduction to some of the participant cats.  

Researchers in Alberta, Canada discovered new species of tyrannosaur - a 79-million-year-old tyrannosaur named Thanatotheristes degrootorum — which means "reaper of death". The fearsome predator lived 79 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.

We're going to live forever.

OK, maybe not forever, but a good long life -- filled with love and furbabies. 

A cheers to our pets. Not only do new studies suggest they've been linked to providing us with a longer, healthier life... they also bring so much love and happiness to our lives as well. 

Story via Modern Healthcare

Researchers at the University of Richmond in Virginia have managed to train rats to drive a tiny car with Froot Loops used as a reward, proving their brains are more flexible than previously thought.

At the beach and on the boardwalk, seagulls have a bad reputation for swooping down on unsuspecting people to steal their food. But scientists recently discovered there's a simple solution for deterring these avian thieves: Stare at them. Via: Live Science

A study published by science journal PNAS News makes the case that domesticated dogs have developed facial muscles over time to better communicate with humans and it makes perfect sense to us: dogs have a muscle that lets them make a face to melt a human's heart.

Apparently, there is one way to prevent mice from backing down in the face of a dangerous cat. According to new research presented at this year's Society for Experimental Biology meeting in Prague, if a baby mouse is exposed to the L-Felinine compound found in cat urine, they are less likely to run from cats when they're older. 

Dog parks are gaining popularity in city park systems across the country. In 2019, The TPL counted 810 of them in the nation's 100 largest cities—an increase of 37 parks since this time last year. Read 2019 Dog Parks report to find out which cities are leading the pack when it comes to building dog-friendly parks. Via: TPL

Dogs apparently do become like their owners — and now there's research to prove it. A new study by psychologists at Michigan State University (MSU) found that dog personalities change over time and their owners play a part. Via: Fox News

Have you ever wondered what your cat is saying? Cat sounds have a purpose, and they can carry important messages, whether for us or other cats. Susanne Schötz is a professor at Lund University in Sweden and in her new book "The Secret Language of Cats" Schötz offers a crash course in the phonetic study of cat sounds. A definite 'must read' if you want a better understanding of your cat. Via: The Purrington Post

It turns out that petting a dog impacts your brain in a pretty amazing way which can explain why so many people find it a calming experience and it's just one more way that dogs make our lives better. Via: Iheartdogs

The Ice Age rhinoceros, known as the "Siberian unicorn" due to its enormous single horn, was thought to have gone extinct up to 200,000 years ago. However, new research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution shows it survived until at least 39,000 years ago, meaning the giant lived alongside humans.

Apparently, dogs aren't the only domestic animals that can read our emotions. According to a new research, Not only can goats tell when people are happy, but they also prefer interacting with happy people. Via: ZME Science

Apparently, our aversion to scooping poop out of our cat's litter box could be preventing us from realizing our career potential, according to a new research linking parasite to entrepreneurial drive in humans. 

In a time of political polarity and extreme views, the world's biggest rivalry, cat lovers versus dog lovers, has raised its cute, furry head again. This time, with a new study by Denise Guastello. Via: Land of cats

Good news for animal lovers: having a dog can actually lower your risk of dying from certain diseases.