Neuroscience
I posed this question to Brain Boost last week, and I can't stop thinking about the (possible) answer. It's not really current news, but it's so interesting I'm posting it anyway:
"A purring cat is not necessarily a happy one; many species-including cheetahs and some lions-also purr when wounded or anxious. Some researchers speculate that this lovely rumble may serve a function: to heal fractures and strengthen bones. In an as yet unpublished study from the Fauna Communications Research Institute in Hillsborough, N.C., investigators determined that the frequency at which many cats purr, between 27 and 44 hertz for house cats, matches the frequency that seems to help human bones strengthen and grow. If correct, the theory may explain why cats heal so quickly after injury." -Scientific American; June2001, Vol. 284 Issue 6, p32.
I can't find the study (I think it's still unpublished), but you can read more about it in this Scientific American article (Hampshire only at that URL).
- The Purring Center In Cats
Large black spots show points from which stimulation elicited purring. Small black spots show points in these sections which were stimulated without eliciting purring. Numerous other points in other sections were stimulated with negative results so far...
- Confluence Of Cats & Science
YouTube says: "Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats." In this case, three cats. The video is narrated by engineer and "guy who has all those cats", who talks about food (especially tuna), cat hobbies (such...
- Felis Silvestris Lybica: 10,000 Million Years Old
Just as language has been tied to the growth of agriculture (see British & Irish genes: not that far apart, in which I discuss how the Celts may have brought agricultural tools and language to Ireland), so the origin of house cats may be tied to the...
- Animal Planet Podcast
Heard a fun podcast from Discovery's Animal Planet called Ultimate Guide: House Cats (mp3 file; full list of Animal Planet podcasts ). Covered some scientific studies (did you know that cats can measure speed with their paw pads?) and some human-cat...
- Interspecies Communication?!
Boomer has adopted a new vocalization to tell me he wants to be picked up, placed on the bathroom counter, and have the water turned on for him. This has prompted me to search for cat vocalization articles for my e-friend Eliot. Found something different,...
Neuroscience
Why do cats purr?
I posed this question to Brain Boost last week, and I can't stop thinking about the (possible) answer. It's not really current news, but it's so interesting I'm posting it anyway:
"A purring cat is not necessarily a happy one; many species-including cheetahs and some lions-also purr when wounded or anxious. Some researchers speculate that this lovely rumble may serve a function: to heal fractures and strengthen bones. In an as yet unpublished study from the Fauna Communications Research Institute in Hillsborough, N.C., investigators determined that the frequency at which many cats purr, between 27 and 44 hertz for house cats, matches the frequency that seems to help human bones strengthen and grow. If correct, the theory may explain why cats heal so quickly after injury." -Scientific American; June2001, Vol. 284 Issue 6, p32.
I can't find the study (I think it's still unpublished), but you can read more about it in this Scientific American article (Hampshire only at that URL).
- The Purring Center In Cats
Large black spots show points from which stimulation elicited purring. Small black spots show points in these sections which were stimulated without eliciting purring. Numerous other points in other sections were stimulated with negative results so far...
- Confluence Of Cats & Science
YouTube says: "Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats." In this case, three cats. The video is narrated by engineer and "guy who has all those cats", who talks about food (especially tuna), cat hobbies (such...
- Felis Silvestris Lybica: 10,000 Million Years Old
Just as language has been tied to the growth of agriculture (see British & Irish genes: not that far apart, in which I discuss how the Celts may have brought agricultural tools and language to Ireland), so the origin of house cats may be tied to the...
- Animal Planet Podcast
Heard a fun podcast from Discovery's Animal Planet called Ultimate Guide: House Cats (mp3 file; full list of Animal Planet podcasts ). Covered some scientific studies (did you know that cats can measure speed with their paw pads?) and some human-cat...
- Interspecies Communication?!
Boomer has adopted a new vocalization to tell me he wants to be picked up, placed on the bathroom counter, and have the water turned on for him. This has prompted me to search for cat vocalization articles for my e-friend Eliot. Found something different,...