#j&catu

[noperopesaredope]

I’ve been working on the write-out for the first “episode” of Jacob & Coco Across the Universe (Post Canon Collector AU), and god damn do I love writing Jacob (or at least my version of him). He’s such an asshole and an absolute loser and I love it. He’s a genius prodigy and an absolute idiot at the exact same time. He’s just mean to everyone around him and he doesn’t get why people don’t like him. He sucks so much and I’m obsessed with writing his scenes. He’s so cringefail.

I turned him into a poor little meow meow and I can’t stop.

[juniorsailmakermattcruse]

I got tagged to do a song for every letter of my URL which will be fun because mine is so long lol. thanks @dreamtrek

I’m just going to go on Spotify and see what pops up first. putting my awful music taste on blast

J - Jolene - Dolly Parton

U - Us Against the Universe - Phineas and Ferb Candace Against the Universe Soundtrack

N - New Blue Moon - Traveling Wilburys

I - I Feel Fine - The Beatles

O - Oil and Water - Lights

R - Reflection - Christina Aguilera

S - Same Sea - Lights

A - Arrival - ABBA

I - I’m a Loser - The Beatles

L - Lost Girls - Lights

M - My Nemesis - Danny Jacob (lmao)

A - Almost Had Me - Lights

K - Knowing Me, Knowing You - ABBA

E - Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles

R - Robot Riot - Love Händel

M - Magnetic Field - Lights (my fave song ❤️)

A - Adulting - CATU soundtrack again

T - Too Much of Heaven - Eiffel 65

T - Temporary Secretary - Paul McCartney (banger)

C - Chop Away at My Heart - The Lumberzacks

R - Rent - Lights

U - Uptown Girl - Billy Joel

S - SuperMelt - i_o and Lights

E - Easy Money - Lights

I tag @adhdoofenshmirtz but I think it would be funny if you just did PnF songs

[scp-torment]

SCP-529: Josie the Half-Cat

SCP-529 is a small house cat (Felis catus) with grey tabby markings. Parts of the animal to the rear of the end of the ribcage appear to be missing. The body terminates sharply as if sliced in two.

SCP-PL-KOT-J: It's a social experiment (Context)

This has no description. It is a picture of a cat.

[pftones3482]

THIS IS SO OBVIOUS BUT I JUST SAW UR ASK GAME. AND UH. YOU CAN JUST PICK ONE IF UD RATHER BUT CANDACE JEREMY AND STACY? BC HEHEHEH FAVORITISM AND ALSO BC I FEEL LIKE ITS ME AGAINST THE WORLD IN "OH YEAH THE TEENS ARE MY FAVORITE PART OF PNF" (LIKE BARELY BUT STILL)

*cracks knuckles* oh no I'm doing all three

How I Feel About This Character:

Candace: P obvious but I love her to pieces. I think she's been misunderstood by a lot of the fandom and if you don't like her, you're wrong. I really relate to her as an older sister, and as someone who genuinely feels at times like she's not good enough for the people around her.

Jeremy: Only blonde boy I respect /j. No but as a character he's such a sweetheart, and I really believe he loves Candace with all his heart. Also Mitchell Musso as his VA? Could not have done better tbh.

Stacy: My underrated fav, I would die for her. She is my favorite recurring side character, I love her dynamics with literally every single character, and I will forever be salty at the fact that she was not utilized more in the show overall.

Romantic Ships:

Candace: Canderemy is the number one, but Candace/Stacy and Candace/Vanessa are close second and thirds. Also am fond of Candace/Stacy/Jeremy where Jeremy and Stacy are for the most part platonic but just both dating Candace and very chill with it.

Jeremy: I really only ship him with Candace tbh. We don't really see enough of his friends to see any potential chemistry between them.

Stacy: Actually love her and Coltrane together, I think they're cute. And obviously as a secondary I ship her and Candace. I also think she and Jenny would be a cute couple, but like...a casual relationship.

Brotp:

Candace: Candace and Stacy, full stop. But if we're not talking the other teens, I love??? Her and Buford's relationship, I think it's hilarious. She def considers him a little brother but like. Significantly more obnoxious than her own (in a loving way)

Jeremy: Jeremy and Stacy, brotp for life. I LOVE their stupid little scene in CATU in the fuckin Slushy Dawg truck like come on

Stacy: See above lol (but also her relationship with Phineas and Ferb, 10/10)

Unpopular Opinion:

Candace: I like the idea of her becoming a lawyer. I know a lot of people rejected it because it came from AYA (ew), but it just makes??? So much sense for her character. Like trying to prove people wrong, finding evidence, research??? It's just right up her alley, it WORKS.

Jeremy: I like Jeremy and Candace together. I'm like...stunned that's an unpopular opinion in parts of the fandom, but I genuinely think he's a great boyfriend and that he and Candace have the healthiest relationship in the whole show (and one of the healthiest across all media tbh). I don't understand the people who don't like him, I really don't.

Stacy: Stacy is a more fleshed out and well rounded than almost any other recurring character in the show and the people who think she isn't haven't paid attention.

One Thing I Wish Had Happened:

Candace: I kind of wish, just once, she had been able to show her mom something the boys did (and not have it backfire on any of the kids). It's something that I think would have brought a little bit of closure to the show as a whole, and I really think Candace deserved to be believed after all that time. She also deserved an apology from her mom for all the things she said about her tbh.

Jeremy: I wish we could have seen his relationship with his band members more. I know he's obviously not one of the main characters, so we got to see him through Candace more often than not, but it still would have been fun to have a Jeremy-centric episode in a similar way we did to Stacy.

Stacy: I mean.....we've heard me rant about the Perry and Stacy plot more than I'm sure anyone wants to admit, so I'll pick a different one lol. But I wish we had gotten to see more of her heritage in the show. There were small little bits thrown in, like her eating with chopsticks, but it would have been nice to see Stacy take Candace and the boys to like...idk a cultural Japanese event in town or something. Very plausible within the realm of the show. And it would have made up for the.....hmm. the song in SBTY that like...looking back on is p cringe.

Okay that was all very longwinded and took forever but here we are. Thanks for the ask!!!!

[rabbitcruiser]

National Cat Day

Felis Silvestrus Catus is a small furry ball of cute that will utterly destroy any human being’s ability to act like a mature adult – a phenomenon which has been shown to become stronger with proximity. Intelligence of the subject seems to be inversely proportional to the distance between it and the nearest member of this species.

People who love cats know what they’re like. They rule human lives as furry little gods, and have been cherished members of the family since long before the days of the Pyramids.

National Cat Day is just the right time to learn about, embrace and celebrate everything to do with cats. Although most cats, if they could talk, would probably say that humans should have this attitude every day of the year and not just on National Cat Day!

History of National Cat Day

National Cat Day was first created by Colleen Paige, who has been a strong animal welfare advocate over the years. She created the day to bring attention to the plight of the domestic cat, particularly those who don’t live in happy homes. Paige is also responsible for creating other important animal related days, such as National Dog Day in October 2004, and National Puppy Day in March 2006.

Cats are closely tied to humans, whether as pets or as feral animals ranging about throughout the cities and towns of almost every continent on the planet. As pets, these feline creatures are dearly loved and have brought joy and laughter to millions of people around the world. Not only that, but they have also been the source of some of the most ridiculous memes on the internet!

National Cat Day was first celebrated in 2005. Shortly after its inception, National Cat Day was adopted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, an organization also centered on getting people to adopt pets into forever families. The organization works hard to bring attention to the number of animals that have to be rescued each year and particularly to the growing problem and possible solutions to feral cat colonies.

National Cat Day Timeline

1233 Black cats are considered bad luck

An official church document, called the Vox in Rama, is released by Pope Gregory IX stating that black cats are declared an incarnation of Satan.

1600s Public image of cats rallies

Often considered to be connected with demonic activities, eventually the superstition around cats diminishes and cats begin to take their cherished place in society again.

1888 Cat tombs are found in Egypt

In an unexpected turn of events, archaeologists discover at least 80,000 mummified cats and kittens dating back as far as 2000 BC in a place called Beni Hassan.

1969 First Morris the Cat commercial airs

An icon in American pop culture, Morris the Cat is featured in 9 Lives cat food commercials for 9 years, starring in 58 commercials, and making one of the most successful advertising campaigns in television history.

1973 Burt Reynolds shares the screen with a Cat

During his golden years, Morris the Cat finds himself on the silver screen playing the role of a feral cat who hangs out with private detective McCoy in the movie Shamus.

How to Celebrate National Cat Day

Hug and pet your furry overlord if you have one, that’s the easiest way to start your celebration of National Cat Day. Other ideas for enjoying and observing the day might include some of these:

Adopt a Cat

If you don’t have one (or hey! Don’t have enough) then go out and get a new fuzzy little cat to dominate your family and home with their cuteness. Of course, pets are for life, so be sure when bringing it home that it is a good fit–to keep from perpetuating the cycle of cats and kittens without homes.

If it becomes clear that it is time to get yourself a new feline loveball in your life, make sure to go down to the local shelter to adopt a cat. Remember, kittens are easy to get adopted, so go for an older cat or one who doesn’t have a perfect health markup if possible. These cats can be adoring and loving partners, they just aren’t always the prettiest or simplest to care for, but this kind of activity will help to reduce the number of homeless felines in the world.

Learn and Share Some Facts About Cats

This is the perfect day to not only learn a few things about the plight of cats, but also to let others know as well. Start with some of these important pieces of information:

More than 3 million cats are given to animal shelters each year in the US alone.

It is estimated that at least 58 million homeless cats can be found roaming the cities, towns and countryside in America.

Each year, approximately 530,000 cats in animal shelters in the United States are euthanized.

Approximately 2.1 million cats each year are adopted each year from US animal shelters.

Take Care of Your Cat

Take your cat out to get a professional grooming or just used this day as a reminder to schedule a trip to the veterinarian if it’s been a while. Of course, there’s no such thing as taking TOO good care of a pet. Maybe this means buying that cat a new scratching post, upgrading his or her pet food or simply offering a little extra scratching behind the ears. Let National Cat Day be an important reminder of whatever your particular cat likes or needs in order to be well cared for.

Make a Donation to a Pet Shelter or Charity

For those who don’t have a cat, or who want to take things a step further and broaden their reach, making a donation to a local or national charity that helps cats can be a nice way to feel good about the activities of the day. In addition to your local pet shelter, here are some of the top cat charities to consider:

Alley Cat Allies. This nonprofit group works throughout the globe to advocate for the humane treatment of cats and protect their lives. The have a strong focus on Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs.

EveryCat Health Foundation. This worldwide charitable organization is the only one that is specifically about feline medicine and research, making sure cats are healthy and happy.

National Cat Protection Society. For more than 50 years, this society has been taking care of cats through shelters, advocacy and educational resources.

International Cat Care. This worldwide nonprofit organization works to offer tons of different resources and help for cat owners and those who are trying to protect them. They initiate many campaigns on behalf of their feline friends.

Watch a Movie About a Cat

Sure, cats can be illusive. But as much as they may try to stay out of the limelight, cats have often been the topics of stories in books and movies. This is the perfect day to curl up on the couch with your cat and watching one of these interesting cat stories:

A Street Cat Named Bob (2016). Based on a true story, this biographical British film was based on a book of the same name, authored by James Bowen. The most important “actor” in the story is the cat, Bob, who plays himself who, sadly, died in June 2020.

Cats (2019). Featured as the longest running musical show (18 years) in Broadway’s history, this show is mostly about the music and costumes. After its final New York performance in 2018, a film was made starring Idris Elba and Dame Judi Dench.

Puss in Boots (2011). Based on an Italian fairy tale character originating as far back as the 1500s, this film retelling is a computer animated comedy and is a prequel spinoff of the Shrek franchise.

Kedi (2016). While thousands of cats roam freely in the ancient Turkish city of Istanbul, this unique documentary film showcases the story of seven different cats and received wide critical acclaim and was listed as one of the Top Ten Films of 2017 by Time Magazine.

Help Take Care of Feral Cats

Finally, celebrating National Cat Day might just be the motivation needed to start an important community program. Help to organize a Trap-Neuter-Release program in your area, which helps to reduce the number of homeless cats by capturing cats and removing their ability to make new colonies. Many times these kinds of drives can be organized in conjunction with local pet shelters or veterinarians who will volunteer their services as a good deed for the community and the feline population.

Spaying and neutering helps to slowly reduce the number of homeless cats while still letting them live out their full lives. Too many feral cats go to shelters only to be euthanized when they don’t get adopted, so this reduction in population is a super start to help eliminate the problem.

Volunteer at a Pet Shelter

One great way to share an ongoing love of cats and make a difference all throughout the year, and not just on National Cat Day, is by volunteering to help at a local pet shelter. Whether filling out paperwork, cleaning, feeding pets, or assisting with the rehabilitation of traumatized animals, important tasks are waiting to be accomplished.

Some shelters require an ongoing commitment of two to four hours per month of volunteer time. Typically, there is a small training process to be accomplished before beginning as a volunteer. But it’s a kindness that the animals will appreciate, even if they can’t thank you personally.

National Cat Day FAQs

How long do cats live?

While domestic cats can live for up to twenty years, the typical lifespan of a house cat is around 10-15 years.

How long are cats pregnant?

Expecting some little kitties?! Cats have a relatively short gestational period and pregnancies last approximately around two months, or 63-65 days.

How often do you take a cat to the vet?

It is best to take a cat to the vet at least one time per year, or more often for those who are older or who have health problems.

Do cats have 9 lives?

Just like all other mortals, cats have just one life. This rumor of cats having nine lives has roots in Ancient Egyptian beliefs that were attached to a god called Atum-Ra who was said to take the form of a cat.

Should cats play with lasers?

If used properly, cats can find a great deal of enjoyment from lasers, as long as they are not overworked and they are allowed to “catch” them occasionally. Of course, never shine the laser directly in the cat’s eyes.

Source

[arcex]

ALSO. I had to do research on quantum mechanics and entangled superpositions, schrödingers cat mainly, and:

"So far, it appears that our inability to make macroscopic “cats” is due just to technical, not fundamental, limitations." -David j. Wineland

AND I JUST??? IM LOSING IT.

Out of context its just so funny, like "yeah, we cant make "cats" visible to the eye, because were only limited by the technology we have."

Like im aware of what theyre talking about, but all i can imagine is that cats (like felis catus, not schrödingers) are enigmas and defy all grounding of logic because we cant make them bigger so theyre stuck at tiny fuck off scales or something lmao

[444names]

Names generated from Old Irish given names, Norwegian fjords and Brythonic deities, excluding the letter "J"

Abanden Abaratsta Abardenus Abardreit Abbeit Abnorden Abnoslo Abund Abuxen Adainnacán Agria Aillo Ainnus Airioval Alaus Alhus Ammen Ancammelán Andamarmac Andangerit Andhemo Andsul Aneklen Angen Angus Anius Anoboid Anotad Antia Arangerden Arden Arios Armaunsta Artre Aruaid Arvel Atepord Atissingen Auddentir Auden Audia Aunnus Auste Avangen Avarne Avesell Avetinna...

Bairomre Bakeucius Baksen Barmerden Batia Bechus Befsnius Beirinden Belen Belluireir Belán Berinán Berios Bernus Bisunn Bokna Borden Bretn Breviu Bricure Bridtgull Brind Bringus Brios Britasvit Brius Bunnvæna Bustadre Buxen Bøksongen Bømlankord Bømlaudden Camain Camos Camulestad Cangen Canis Canorden Cassen Catis Catus Celte Cerechac Cetnacán Cicorden Cicure Cidtgus Clíad Clíal Cochara Cocidma Cocissedal Coldamul Condius Congen Conlán Conna Conos Contucell Conus Covden Covis Cíale Cóegankord Cóegomonus Dacán Dalaverill Daldsegai Dalen Dallos Damnachus Dannyll Darabbán Datnán Dicord Dinoba Docintio Domres Domretiste Donae Draid Drandathu Dreten Dubth Dúinn Dúncadal Dúnch Eccán Echacán Echad Echer Echtna Eidlen Eidrí Eirasgus Eirius Eitsørudia Eklen Eochranord Erden Ergunne Erguns Ergus Eselaus Esternus Eteporden Etiae Etnáed Fagusio Fanchobord Fangen Fankoutia Fanos Fanus Fernae Findal Findssis Finnus Finth Fintis Finus Fisuns Flatatis Flatucelen Fogmidtgus Fognetnáed Folden Foldvestre Follus Folláedall Forden Fordenete Fotarusios Fotna Fotnán Fressingus Frita Fritiomard Fræna Frøyanta Fáedamaus Fáell Fættempel Fætternus Fíacán Fíadg Fíarid Førden Førnus Førnusta Førum Gairin Gairisulle Ganandaire Gandicoch Gangen Garasteriu Grabunden Gramal Granden Grassus Grastou Grateid Graus Gridre Grillestre Grithu Grius Grostre Grotn Gráin Grífíalis Guleucis Gullis Hacán Hadán Halausterd Hamaus Harudia Harus Harvo Hemen Hemgen Herden Herill Heris Herta Hetarus Hetercann Hetinnus Hidlen Huetinden Huetio Håsegaid Håsegan Håsten Idiae Inden Indrangen Innus Inord Intis Ináed Isterden Kalacán Kalan Kalen Kilsørne Koborden Korden Kromagull Kromorden Krongeir Kudal Kuden Kudene Kufangen Kvetall Kvåsed Kånemna Lachadraus Lachaid Lachu Lacán Lakeullán Langen Lania Latergull Latus Latuta Laufangen Leucarabel Levisanden Lisamard Lomarma Lugna Lugne Lugullis Lugunus Luináed Luiran Lusulen Luxen Luxenus Luxovden Lyngus Lysagulen Lyssuns Líalis Lídna Lídnal Lóegoma Lóemgen Macán Magrigit Maidia Marvegus Mefden Melten Meláed Miomo Miomos Moldven Morden Muluis Neklen Nextio Noden Norden Nosasgul Notutia Næramac Níach Níarunnia Núadán Ofollíarum Ognete Orden Oíngen Pombinden Ponus Pudia Rangerden Rantreccán Rassen Revinán Ricksen Ritachara Robangen Robard Robinus Robius Romach Romresus Ronlán Ronos Ruaidaran Rudinán Rúadg Rúadsulen Rúadven Sagdangen Sagrius Saken Salen Sammen Sangen Sanius Sankorvos Sanus Segangvo Segus Skuda Skuramo Skånemna Smerden Snilis Snius Sogna Sonae Sonaerina Sontis Staveris Stona Sucel Sulangvos Sullangen Sullatal Sullíac Suluxen Sunna Sunnus Sunus Sykkyllo Syvden Søyangeris Tangen Tatara Teponch Teponna Tomborden Tonorden Torden Trangen Tratia Trebis Tresta Trester Trete Tretia Træna Trænamuis Tysefden Tyseganus Tyssogus Uleullen Uluinán Vanae Vanchus Vangen Vangens Vangerd Vannillen Varancan Varnus Varum Vergus Vervingen Vesen Vessolláed Vetachus Vetanallen Veten Vetlen Vinden Vindongere Vinnach Vinnus Vintad Vintis Vinus Vithus Vitiae Vollaksen Vollomna Væraus Wahle Wahlen Wooden Yrken Ytris Áedal Áelán Åkrona Åkrontis Ården Øksen

[petnews2day]

Zoonotic parasites associated with predation by dogs and cats - Parasites & Vectors

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/2rJEP

Zoonotic parasites associated with predation by dogs and cats - Parasites & Vectors

Cecchetti M, Crowley SL, Goodwin CED, McDonald RA. Provision of high meat content food and object play reduce predation of wild animals by domestic cats Felis catus. Curr Biol. 2021;31:1107–11. CAS  Google Scholar  Cecchetti M, Crowley SL, McDonald J, McDonald RA. Owner-ascribed personality profiles distinguish domestic cats that capture and bring home wild animal prey. […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/2rJEP #CatsNews

[shapeshiftersanonymous]

My honest reaction/j

This is a wonderful image of a Felis catus, Timothy. Like and subscribe!!

[therukurals]

look i am a strong proponent of unions, despite how challenging working with mainstream labor movement (states wise) at least can be but this is blatant amazon/fascist propaganda booooo

[aqua-murphys-law]

in defense of jeremy johnson

after CATU, i kept seeing posts saying that jeremy “finally has a personality” because it was revealed that he likes to LARP. and i’m sure most of them are just joking, BUT i happened to be starting my PNF rewatch so i decided i’d jot down all the things we learn about jeremy because i’m positive that LARPing was not his first personality trait, even if a lot of them are one-off’s. (note: i’m not even a jeremy stan and i don’t mind if people dislike his character LOL i just feel it’s not entirely fair to claim CATU was the first time he had a personality)

- he’s VERY sporty. we see him surfboard, skateboard, rollerskate, ski, play football, horseback ride, and participate in extreme watersports. he’s also a racing and hockey enthusiast, and we know he likes camping and used to collect baseball cards.

- he’s big on community involvement. he worked as a lifeguard at lake nose, hosts a bookclub, built houses for charity, judged a sandcastle building contest, and once saved a tree from being cut down by chaining himself to it.

- he’s musically inclined. he plays the guitar, sings, and writes songs for his band, plays the drums, and teaches music lessons.

- he’s really family oriented. he adores his little sister suzie and spends a lot of time with her, and we see him involved in family events quite often (his grandma’s roller derby rematch, his mom’s charity pet wash and endangered animal gala, the johnson family reunion).

- he’s an anglophile (likes british culture) possibly on account of his vaguely referenced british heritage.

- he’s very supportive of candace, viewing her busting habits with fondness. he doesn’t mind her ditching their dates to pursue it and he’s even put off whenever she tries to withhold for his sake.

- he’s an animal lover and baby-talks to them (or maybe that’s just perry).

- he has a sense of humor, and makes plenty of subtle quips, puns, and sarcastic comments. when candace was trying to take cute pictures of him, he posed with a bunch of stacked up slushy dog food, and when she was self-conscious about wearing the brick costume for her toy store job he joked about the weenie on his head.

- he’s pretty social and friendly, hangs out with foreign-exchange students, likes to give people nicknames (but not candace because he really likes her name).

- we see several instances where he’s just as nervous as candace is regarding their relationship, and is excited when she agrees to a date. he worried about letting her down at the dancing contest and was waiting for her to ask him to the girls’ choice cotillion.

- he’s a really thoughtful, sentimental guy?? he gave candace a mt.rushmore bobblehead for her bday because she was looking at it in the gift shop, pointed out the “C+J” fossil as his favorite in the museum, made her name out of gelatin, keeps a picture candace sent him of her in his guitar case, made her a bracelet with her name on it, has written songs for her, saved a pencil she loaned him in gradeschool, and had his uncle name a sandwich at his shop after her (grilled cheese, her favorite).

- and yes, he secretly likes to LARP.

i feel like just because he’s more of a chill, mellow person, he’s easily overlooked next to all the really big characters in the PNF universe. but they’ve steadily been developing him from day one to make sure he was his own character instead of a totally flat, hollow love interest for candace. in conclusion, all my homies respect jeremy johnson.

[noperopesaredope]

Whilst this series is called “Jacob & Coco”, they will gradually gain a few friends over the course of the series (not all of whom will consistently travel with them, but will become a part of their found family). This is the final endgame space family (not including the BI Fam).

Every Friend Group Should Include:

A bimbo: Crystal Funk

A mean bisexual: Jacob

An even meaner lesbian: String

She/theys: Lacta

He/theys: The Collector

A token straight that’s on thin ice: Worm

An astrology bitch who has everyone’s birth charts memorized: Zoolu

And a short king: Hanratuve

[sciencespies]

Natural history and conservation importance of Chinese mountain cat

https://sciencespies.com/nature/natural-history-and-conservation-importance-of-chinese-mountain-cat/

Natural history and conservation importance of Chinese mountain cat

We know that the domestic cat has distant relatives that roam the earth — lions, tigers, cheetahs and mountain lions. Less familiar are the 38 distinct species in the Family Felidae, many with strange names like pampas cat, kodkod and rusty spotted cat. The new field of genomics — the unravelling of DNA genomes of separate species — is resolving old conundrums and revealing new secrets across the history of evolutionarily related species among cats, dogs, bears and ourselves.

In the largest-ever study undertaken of Chinese cats, genetic detectives highlight the evolutionary uniqueness and premier conservation importance of the elusive Chinese mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti), found only in the Tibetan plateau of China. Also called Chinese desert cat or Steppe cat, the Chinese mountain cat has a distinctive appearance of sand colored fur, with faint dark stripes a thick tail and light blue pupils.

The research is published in Science Advances.

This new study compared three different felines living in China: the Chinese mountain cat, Felis silvestris bieti, the Asiatic wildcat Felis silvestris ornata, and feral domestic cats Felis silvestris catus. The Asiatic wildcat has distinguishing spotted coat pattern across a wide range extending from the Caspian Sea in the East through western India and southern Mongolia to parts of western China. Approximately 600 million domestic cats are found across the world.

The study was led by the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at Peking University in Beijing and supported by an international team including lead genetic researchers at Nova Southeastern University, USA and in Malaysia. The genomic data resolves a taxonomic classification uncertainty, reveals the timing of evolutionary divergence and pinpoints the prospects for survival of an important endangered species.

Using 270 individual samples, the molecular genetic study finds that the Chinese mountain cat is a unique subspecies of the wide-ranging Wildcat, Felis silvestris. The wildcat species is found throughout Europe, Africa, and much of Western Asia. The Felis silvestris bieti subspecies, however, is found only in China, being adapted to the prey and alpine climate of the Tibetan plateau.

Applying the molecular clock hypotheses, the date of evolutionary split between F. s. bieti and F. s. ornata was a estimated at ~1.5 million years ago while the genetic distance from both to the closest Felis species relative, the black footed cat, Felis nigripes is twice that at 3.0 MY ago. These different times support the classification of F. s. ornata and F. s. bieti as subspecies of Felis silvestris. A closely related subspecies from Central Asia and north Africa, Felis silvestris lybica , is the clear predecessor of the world’s domestic cats, including those throughout China. The cat domestication process happened 10-12,000 years ago in the Near East at around the same time and locale, when humankind ancestors morphed from peripatetic hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers in the Fertile Crescent region.

The Chinese mountain cat faces several major threats, one from modern agricultural practices that divert precious habitat. A second, more existential threat, is from interbreeding with domestic cats brought by the growing human population in the cat’s limited habitat. And finally, climate change, that may be expanding the range of neighboring wildcats into the mountain cat’s core homeland.

“This study will help conservation scientists to identify threats and decide the best ways to conserve this special cat in its native range,” said Stephen J. O’Brien, Ph.D., a geneticist and research scientist at NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences.

The study solidifies the taxonomic status of the mountain cat, Felis silvestris lybica, through an analysis of the cat’s genome, placing the cat in an evolutionary context relative to other species and subspecies of cats. These arcane taxonomic distinctions are important for conservation because scientists have to be sure they are all talking about the same animal when discussing strategies, and no less important, because legal protections have to be specific to the group in question. Without an agreed-upon taxonomy, legal protections and conservation come to a stop.

Another important result of this study is the finding that domestic cats in China are derived from the same common stock and origin as domestic cats throughout the world, and that there was not an independent origin of domesticity in China. Previous studies have hinted at close associations between early Chinese farming communities and local wild animals, including Asian mountain cats, and that some of these animals may have begun the crossing from the wild to living with people in settled communities.

What the current study shows is that this did not happen with domestic cats; now the focus of research can move to determining — why? Why were some species domesticated in some place but not in others? Why did these processes happen when they did, and what were the conditions obtaining that allowed, maybe even promoted, the integration of wild animals into human societies? Answering these related questions will help us understand the history of early China, indeed helps us understand the history of the ancient anthropocentric world, in more detail.

#Nature

[water-mellie-seeds]

Me now that i can watch catu/j

[worldwilde]

TNR and free-roaming cats: is it effective?

I got a message asking for resources on TNR and I thought I’d make a post with some scientific papers I’ve read that cover TNR & feral cats. Some of these don’t have links to PDFs available for free online so let me know if you want to read them as I have access to them. 

1. Andersen, M. C., B. J. Martin, and G. W. Roemer. 2004. Use of matrix population models to estimate the efficacy of euthanasia versus trap‐neuter‐return for management of free‐roaming cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225:1871–1876

2. Lohr, C. A., Cox, L. J., Lepczyk, C. A. (2013). Costs and benefits of trap-neuterrelease and euthanasia for removal of urban cats in oahu, hawaii. Conservation Biology, 27(1), 64-73. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2012.01935.x

 3. Guttilla, D. A., & Stapp, P. (2010). Effects of sterilization on movements of feral cats at a wildland–urban interface. Journal of Mammalogy, 91(2), 482-489. doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-A-111.1

4. Crawford, H. M., Calver, M. C., & Fleming, P. A. (2019). A case of letting the cat out of the bag-why trap-neuter-return is not an ethical solution for stray cat ( felis catus ) management. Animals : An Open Access Journal from MDPI, 9(4), 171. doi:10.3390/ani9040171

5. Trap/Neuter/Release Methods Ineffective in Controlling Domestic Cat "Colonies" on PubIic Lands 

6. (A piece that goes over different feral cat management techniques) Robertson, S. A. (2008). A review of feral cat control. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 10(4), 366-375. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2007.08.003

7. Jessup, D. A. (2004). The welfare of feral cats and wildlife. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 225(9), 1377-1383. doi:10.2460/javma.2004.225.1377

8. Foley, Patrick & Foley, Janet & Levy, Julie & Paik, Terry. (2006). Analysis of the impact of trap-neuter-return programs on populations of feral cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 227. 1775-81. 10.2460/javma.2005.227.1775.

[it-isnt-easy-being-purrrfect]

Who are they?

Two weeks ago, we talked about the little furballs many of us call friends, Felis catus. We also asked ourselves about the relatives of these, who we will be talking about in-depth in the coming weeks, but importantly we questioned how these are classified. As we know, there are seven major levels of classification. The point of these isn’t to make a first-year zoology students’ life more difficult, it’s, in fact, to group plants and animals into universal categories which establish their presumed natural relationships (Rees, 2003). So, in the case of our little friends, we can see in the image below that they belong to the family Felidae (including all big and small cats), and the genus Felis, telling us that it’s a small-to-medium sized cat (catus).

(CABI, 2020)

Classifying members of the Felidae family may be easy when we have the living, breathing specimens in front of us. But what happens when all we have are dust and bones? Ordinarily, an animal expert may be able to identify different species from a fossil or preserved remains, but despite an agreement that there are 37 species of cats within the Felidae family, classification schemes become difficult beyond that due to structural similarities, often only finding obvious differences in size (O’Brien and Johnson, 2007).

Body mass is a key element in understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and ecological role of organisms (Field et.al, 2013). A study on the reconstruction of body size evolution in living and extinct Felidae demonstrated a considerable range of body masses among these groups. The study worked on the theory that there are two stable optimum forms for mammals (large/small body size). Although not true for all animal taxa, it is an especially important analysis in the Felidae family given they are keystone species or apex predators in a variety of ecosystems (Cuff et.al, 2015). Understanding evolutionary successful body types through the reconstruction of these macroevolutionary patterns help us paint a past of the ancestral roots of our feline friends.

In our next blog, we’ll be seeing where it all began. Dangerous, captivating, wild. Who were these ancient beasts and how do we know about them?

CABI. 2020. Invasive Species Compendium - Felis Catus. [online] Available at: <https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/82598> 

Cuff, A., Randau, M., Head, J., Hutchinson, J., Pierce, S. and Goswami, A., 2015. Big cat, small cat: reconstructing body size evolution in living and extinct Felidae. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 28(8), pp.1516-1525.

Field, D., Lynner, C., Brown, C. and Darroch, S., 2013. Skeletal Correlates for Body Mass Estimation in Modern and Fossil Flying Birds. PLoS ONE, 8(11).

O’Brien, Stephen J., and Warren E. Johnson. The Evolution of CATS. Scientific American, vol. 297, no. 1, 2007, pp. 68–75

Rees, R., 2003. CLARITY IN THE USAGE OF THE TERMS ONTOLOGY, TAXONOMY AND CLASSIFICATION. Netherlands: Delft University of Technology, p.2.