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Cat and Mouse Cause Massive Albanian Blackout

May 16, 2008 6:42 PM CDT

Cat and Mouse Cause Massive Albanian Blackout

Cat-mouse battle leads to blackout in parts of Albanian capital

(Newser) - It’s an unlikely reason for a power outage: A cat and mouse engaged in a chase accidentally ran into high-voltage cables at the main power station in Tirana, frying themselves and causing a 72-hour blackout in some districts of the Albanian capital, Reuters reports. Outages are relatively common in...

To Animal Lovers,
He's the Cat's Meow

Apr 21, 2008 9:54 AM CDT

To Animal Lovers, He's the Cat's Meow

Longtime fondness for felines embraced by fellow Catholic cat fanciers

(Newser) - One group of Catholics who weren't surprised to see Pope Benedict XVI's "softer side" on his visit to the US are devout cat lovers. Benedict harbors a legendary fondness for felines; his house in Germany was filled with them, and in his former Vatican post he looked after cats...

Fertile
Felines May
Require New Laws

Apr 17, 2008 3:00 PM CDT

Fertile Felines May Require New Laws

Cat population could reach dangerous heights: researcher

(Newser) - America’s wandering cat population is growing—and if communities don’t address the issue, their numbers could spiral to alarming heights, LiveScience reports. As it stands, there’s a cat for every 3.5 Americans, and reproducing roamers contribute to the 5 million cats euthanized yearly. Cities may need...

Foreclosure Victims Also Furry

Mar 25, 2008 1:36 PM CDT

Foreclosure Victims Also Furry

As more people lose their homes, so do their pets

(Newser) - As foreclosure rates skyrocket around the country, animal shelters are feeling a heartbreaking byproduct: an influx of pets being surrendered, USA Today reports. Across the country, areas with high foreclosures are seeing increased rates of pet abandonment, and shelters worry that even more could be coming as unemployment rates rise...

Man Eats Man's Best Friend

opinion

Mar 24, 2008 1:10 PM CDT

Man Eats Man's Best Friend

Slate's Ted Kerasote protests animal cruelty in China

(Newser) - While you're busy worrying about human rights in China, author and journalist Ted Kerasote argues, add animal rights to the list. After a trip to a ski camp in China where he was befriended by a "dead ringer for Lassie," he was appalled to find his canine pal...

Researchers
Let the Cats
Out of the Bag

Mar 17, 2008 12:57 PM CDT

Researchers Let the Cats Out of the Bag

Feline genes reveal lessons of past, guidance for future

(Newser) - Cats don't talk, but their genes can tell a good story, and they're revealing plenty about the animal's 10,000-year history. DNA samples from more than 1,100 cats, from fancy show breeds to wild animals from around the world, are confirming earlier discoveries as well as refuting some claims,...

Stowaway Cat Headed Home After 3 Weeks

Feb 27, 2008 12:23 PM CST

Stowaway Cat Headed Home After 3 Weeks

Meatloaf survived trip from Florida to Phoenix without food, water

(Newser) - Being a bit on the chubby side probably saved Meatloaf the cat's life, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The year-old feline wandered into a man's moving container in Florida and was rescued three weeks later when an employee at a Phoenix warehouse heard meowing coming from a crate. Meatloaf, emaciated...

Purr-fect Kitty Survives Subway

Feb 18, 2008 4:18 AM CST

Purr-fect Kitty Survives Subway

Feisty feline survived 25 days in tunnel

(Newser) - A scared black kitten lost in the New York City Subway system more than three weeks ago has been found safe and well. Georgia escaped from a carrying case 25 days ago and scampered into a subway station to survive passing trains, the electrified third rail and some of Manhattan's...

Did You Pack This Cat Yourself, Sir?

Jan 23, 2008 12:38 PM CST

Did You Pack This Cat Yourself, Sir?

Feline stowaway jumps out of stranger's suitcase 4 states away

(Newser) - A Texas man got a shock after realizing he'd brought home the wrong suitcase from the airport—and found a cat in it. "I was going to close it, and a kitten jumped out and ran under the bed. I screamed like a little girl," the surprised traveler...

NYC Fines for Rat-Hunting Cats

Dec 22, 2007 2:32 PM CST

NYC Fines for Rat-Hunting Cats

Inspectors charge $300 and up for feline guardians

(Newser) - New York food shops and delis have a way to deal with rats, but health inspectors aren’t purring: Many NYC stores have a cat around to keep out rodents, the New York Times reports. Unfortunately, health inspectors frown on cats and rats with equal fervor. “Any animal around...

Genes Make Mouse That Roared

Dec 13, 2007 10:25 AM CST

Genes Make Mouse That Roared

Genetically altered Mickey has no fear of cats

(Newser) - Japanese scientists have modified mouse genes to make rodents unafraid of cats in a dramatic experiment that offers insight into the origins of terror. The breakthrough shows that fear is largely genetically hardwired rather than learned through painful experience, researchers say. Some of the mice, whose nasal cells were altered...

Cat Diabetes Becoming
a Weighty Problem

Dec 5, 2007 9:04 PM CST

Cat Diabetes Becoming a Weighty Problem

Some vets think dry, high-carb kibble is a major culprit

(Newser) - If your cat is fat, he might have an even bigger problem. The rate of type 2 diabetes among pets—particularly cats—is soaring, reports the Chicago Tribune. Experts aren't in total agreement about why, but in general they think that our furry feline companions are developing the disease for...

Cat Out of the Bag: Kitty's DNA Decoded

Nov 2, 2007 6:12 AM CDT

Cat Out of the Bag: Kitty's DNA Decoded

Deciphering feline genome could help with HIV, blindness research

(Newser) - A 4-year-old Abyssinian cat named Cinnamon has become the first of her species to have its DNA sequenced, the BBC reports. Cats now join dogs, chimps, rats, mice, cows and people as mammals with decoded genomes. Cinnamon’s sequence could shed light on hundreds of human illnesses; cats can suffer...

Fido-Friendly Vacation Spots

Oct 15, 2007 5:23 AM CDT

Fido-Friendly Vacation Spots

If vacation isn't vacation without Rover, consider one of these ten pet-friendly towns or your next trip

(Newser) - Man's best friend has become a member of the family, so why shouldn't he get a break, too? Make it fun and easy to travel with your pet by visiting one of these hound-hangout towns MSNBC recommends:

San Diego, CA
Long Beach, CA
Carmel, CA

Cats of Iraq Bring Solace
in War

Oct 14, 2007 1:10 PM CDT

Cats of Iraq Bring Solace in War

Stray felines find place in the heart (and home) of Times bureau chief

(Newser) - As bombs rocked the outside world, New York Times correspondent John Burns found one hopeful symbol within the newspaper’s Baghdad compound—the growing cat population. Keen survival instincts brought the cats over the blast walls to adoring humans who fed and counted the feline population. It was “one...

They're In UR Computer, Fuelin a Trend

Aug 26, 2007 10:00 AM CDT

They're In UR Computer, Fuelin a Trend

Animals + semiliterate captions = unstoppable online phenomenon

(Newser) - From humble origins—a photo of a hungry feline—the website "I Can Haz Cheezburger" has grown into a hot destination, seeding the Web with "LOLcats" and appalling grammar and spelling. The Journal tracks down founder Eric Nakagawa, who was out of work when inspiration struck and says...

'Fido,' 'Kitty' Fall Out of Favor

Aug 23, 2007 11:46 AM CDT

'Fido,' 'Kitty' Fall Out of Favor

'Molly'? 'Oliver'? The top dog and cat names would fit right in at preschool

(Newser) - Stumped about what to name the newest member of the family? The Tribune shares Veterinary Pet Insurance's list of its 450,000 clients' top dog and cat names. Top dog names:

Max
Molly
Buddy

Pet Owners Come in on Little Cat Feet

Aug 22, 2007 4:51 PM CDT

Pet Owners Come in on Little Cat Feet

Humans head back to school to get in touch with their feline side

(Newser) - Cat lovers have a new way to understand the feline mind: by training at the touring “Acatemy.” Students can partake in “cat-isthenics” to exercise like their favorite four-legged friends, noodle around with an oversized ball of yarn, or “cat-nap” on a bean bag. Animal behaviorists say...

Household Chemicals Sickening Cats

Aug 16, 2007 12:21 PM CDT

Household Chemicals Sickening Cats

Flame retardants used on furniture could be hurting humans, too

(Newser) - Cats are falling ill with thyroid disease caused by toxic flame retardants found in household dust and some pet food, says the EPA. Chemicals known as PBDEs—polybrominated diphenyl ethers—found in consumer products and furniture are mimicking hormones which send a cat's thyroid into overdrive. Since humans are the...

The End Is Near:
Hospice Cat Senses Death

Jul 26, 2007 5:40 AM CDT

The End Is Near: Hospice Cat Senses Death

Oscar picks patients just about to die with uncanny accuracy

(Newser) - An upscale nursing home in Rhode Island is home to a cat that can sense impending death, the Boston Globe reports. Oscar, whose domain is the dementia ward, shows little interest in patients who are ill but not dying. But when he curls up in a bed, the patient usually...