Hello Furiends,
I do apologize that I’m a day late with my feature but I did manage to obtain a little gift for you all as an apology for this (more on that in a bit).

We are in the full throes of autumn here in our neck of the woods and that means much cooler weather, even in the house. The Human keeps meowing about the budget and she has installed a thing called a “nest”. Although we’ve combed the hou8se searching for said “nest” we still haven’t found one but we understand it is to blame for keeping the temperature a frosty 64 during the day. Oh the horrible circumstances we are forced to live under! The temperature situation has forced us to put aside our differences and cuddle up.

Oliver felt a certain way about Halloween. Lily and I hung out in the bedroom but Ollie insisted on staying in the living room and running under the table every time the door bell rang.

And now for the little surprise. My regular readers have followed Oliver’s quest to keep the fall leaves under control but alas, we were having a sunny, non-windy fall and there was no leaf danger. That has changed and, in order to immortalize Oliver’s brave defense of our home, The Human put together this video. We hope you enjoy.

That’s it for us, I hope you enjoy this week’s news items.

Cats May Be Harboring Crime Scene DNA, Scientists Say

You may be wondering why I’ve included this in my news report but I was intrigued and so was The Human as she’s about three chapters away from finishing a cozy mystery she’s writing that includes Oliver and myself in the story and she is considering adding this twist to the story,

Evidently new research has recognized that we felines can be sources of evidence in crimes. How is that you ask? Well the fur of a cat can retain enough DNA shed by  a human who has been in their vicinity that it can serve as evidence. So, even though we felines can’t point our paw at the perpetrator and say, “He did it!”, we have other ways of helping to catch the bad guys,

This study is the first to examine how household pets can contribute to DNA transfer and there’s a lot more work to be done but it presents another opportunity to help in crime solving.

“Collection of human DNA needs to become very important in crime scene investigations, but there is a lack of data on companion animals such as cats and dogs in their relationship to human DNA transfer,” says forensic scientist Heidi Monkman of Flinders University in Australia.

“These companion animals can be highly relevant in assessing the presence and activities of the inhabitants of the household, or any recent visitors to the scene.”

In recent years, DNA analysis technology has become so sophisticated that even the most minute traces of genetic material can be relevant for a crime scene investigation. And we messy humans leave our DNA everywhere. Even just brief contact with an object can transfer traces of our genetic material.

Touch DNA obtained from a surface doesn’t even require that the human to touch that surface.  It can be transported by a number of means, in skin cells or hairs that drift from a passing body, for example. Which is where we felines may play a role.

Monkman and her Flinders University colleague Mariya Goray, an experienced crime scene investigator, teamed up with forensic scientist Roland van Oorschot of the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department in Australia to see if they could extract traces of readable human DNA from pet cats.

Their study was conducted on 20 cats from 15 households. At the homes of the study participants, the researchers swabbed the fur on the right side of each cat twice, and collected DNA samples from the study participants. The humans also filled out questionnaires about the daily behavior of the felines in their homes.

Detectable levels of DNA were found in 80 percent of the cat swab samples. For all cats, there was no significant difference between the amount of DNA present, and the time since last contacted by a human, or length of hair on the cat.

The team was able to generate DNA profiles from 70 percent of the cats in the study that could be interpreted well enough to be linked to a human. Most of the DNA was from people in the cat’s own household, but on six of the felines, only unknown human DNA was detected (makes me wonder what strangers were touching those cats!)

One case was cited as being particularly interesting from a two-cat, two-person household. One of the cats, a hairless sphynx, carried the DNA of an unknown third human. The other cat, a short-haired ragdoll, did not. Both cats had interacted equally with the humans in their household.

Possible sources could include direct transport of the DNA from a human, such as by patting, or by the cat brushing against a contaminated surface. The DNA could also have been lingering since the last time the cat had contact with a visitor.

Further research is needed and will be done but in the meantime, if you are planning on committing any crimes…STAY AWAY FROM THE CAT! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Cats Photoshopped being offended by salad

Those of you who follow this blog know what delight The Human takes in photoshopping our Tribe so why should other humans be any different? These images of cat’s “reactions” to salad are pretty hilarious.

Pet owners believe that cats have five different personality types

I have a tendency to get a bit “hissy” when humans attempt to put felines and their behavior in a box.

Solid Gold commissioned a study about feline purrsonaities which was conducted by OnePoll. Participants were asked to define the personality types their cat’s exhibited.

Over half (53%) said their cats were true “revenge seekers” when they hunt down their toys or hiss at the outside world. Nearly as many (52%) said their cats were “tornadoes” infamous for knocking items off of counters and causing a mess of mischief wherever they go.

Cat owners also have a near 50/50 shot of ending up with a “climber (51%) clawing their way up to the highest points of the home, or a “cuddler” (49%) who shamelessly lay across keyboards or piles of clean laundry to get some affection.

The study also found 65% swear their cats act like they’re from a completely different planet. A good portion of that sentiment comes from the strange things owners have caught their cats in the middle of.

Nearly four in five “cuddlers” (78%) are seen as complete angels by their owners when they’re not causing any trouble and 71% of “graffiti artists” are anything but angels when the havoc they bring has to be repaired or replaced by distressed owners.Solid Gold / SWNS / OnePoll

Many shared the wildest behaviors they’ve witnessed from their felines: gifting owners with their “kills” in the form of cat toys and pinecones, begging for bananas or learning to turn door knobs to get into rooms.

“We love our cats because of how unique their personalities can be,” said Steve Ball, CEO at Solid Gold. “No matter what kinds of chaos they bring, there’s no denying the things we would do for our furry friends. At the end of the day, pet parents want to make sure their cats are able to be their unique selves for as long as possible.”

Despite all the drama they cause, 70% of cat owners said there’s “nothing” they would change about their cat. 

It seems all the frustration caused can be cured when cats turn cute, which according to those polled, is wherever they’re playing (50%), eating (40%), purring (37%) or sleeping (37%).

More than three in five (63%) said nothing is more exciting to them than mealtime for their cat. At feeding time, cats are most likely to let their humans know they’re ready when they meow (49%), paw (37%) or headbutt (34%).

“Mealtime is a universal ‘stop-destroying-the-home-and-come-eat’ moment for cats,” continued Ball. “It’s so important to make sure your cat is getting the proper holistic nutrition they need in order to get back to doing what they do best.”

While I find all this interesting, I still believe each feline is unique and trying to paint us all with the same brush is just wrong.

Beautiful Video Proves Adopting Two Cats Is Better Than One

My brother Oliver and I are thankful that we were adopted together and this rescue story is great!

TikTok user @ZeroandOllie are a perfect illustration of why sometimes two cats are better than one. Adopted cats can be nervous in their new home and having a litter mate with them can help a feline adjust so much faster. 

Sometimes the cats look like brothers. Sometimes they are like Oliver and I, nothing alike but bonded by love nonetheless. I can’t recommend enough that you consider giving two siblings a furever home!

Scientists working on new experimental cat allergy shot that may provide longer-lasting relief

There may be a cure for humans who get sneezy around felines.

Scientists at UCLA say they’ve tested a new form of treatment that might allow people to tolerate symptoms of cat allergies.

After a year, researchers found that those who received a combined therapy of tezepelumab and regular cat allergy shots had maintained resistance against allergic reactions. 

Now I don’t know about you, but I am no fan of the Stabby place and getting stabbed and The Human feels the same way.