Tag Archives: Cat

A pet cat in Florida may have made scientific history by enabling the discovery of not one but two new strains of viruses. The cat in question, called Pepper, is like many cats, in that he likes to bestow affection on his human companion with thoughtful gifts of dead animals (surprisingly, orcas do this too). So Pepper’s owner, University of …

Last year, Pepper, a pet cat who roams the backyards of Gainesville, Florida, helped a scientist discover a new viral strain. Now, the furry feline is back at it again. In a new study, scientists have once again discovered an exotic virus infecting a dead rodent that had been caught by Pepper. This time around, Pepper’s furry hunting trophy helped …

To most cat lovers, the soothing sound of a purr is more than background noise—it’s a soft, rhythmic expression of trust, contentment and connection. But a new study suggests there may be something deeper behind your cat’s purring habits. In fact, the key to that comforting hum might be found in their genes. Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan, publishing …

A scientist’s cat shot to fame last year for his role in the discovery of the United States’ first-known jeilongvirus. Now, the feline has replicated his success by fetching yet another animal containing a never-before-seen bug. The newfound virus was found in a dead Everglades short-tailed shrew (Blarina peninsulae), which Pepper the cat brought home following a successful hunting trip …

Bertha was somehow found as a stray and taken to a local shelter, but how she’d survived as a stray remains a total mystery — because she weighed around 30 pounds. “I couldn’t even believe that she was a cat,” Jemma Omidian, Bertha’s mom, said in a video for The Dodo. “She couldn’t step into the litter box. She was …