More “Mews in the News” curated cat news stories:
Pressing Need for More Cat Therapy Animals
Important, new research has found that cats make the purr-fest therapy animal, providing comfort that dogs and other animals often cannot. As a result, the animal-assisted therapy organization Pet Partners is offering special incentives to help cat-human therapy teams receive training.
Across the U.S., libraries, schools, hospitals, and assisted living facilities need therapy animals to visit and provide comfort to their students, residents, patients, and customers. Cats are especially needed to visit groups such as veterans with PTSD, seniors in facilities, students with literacy challenges, patients in recovery, and people with intellectual disabilities. In addition to cats, horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mini pigs, birds, and even llamas and alpacas are eligible to be therapy animals.
Do you have a strong trust bond with your cat? Does your cat have a calm temperament? If you and your pet are interested, contact Pet Partners now. Read more at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pet-partners-looking-special-animals
To learn more about animal-assisted-therapy and how to prepare your cat to be a therapy animal, go to https://mewlayoung.com/the-doctor-is-in/
Veteran Repays Cats by Opening Cat Sanctuary
A veteran with 19 years of military service remembered how cats helped comfort him during difficult times. To repay cats, he and his siblings have opened 9 Whiskers Lounge, a cat sanctuary located in Katy, Texas. The sanctuary offers a home for rescued cats “where feline serenity meets human connection, uniting cat lovers and rescues in a tranquil, adoption-centered haven.” Cat lovers can visit and relax with the cats and even find their next best friend.
The 9 Whiskey Lounge offers cat adoptions and is located at 510 S Mason Rd Suite 1, Katy, TX.
Read more at https://cw39.com/news/local/veteran-owned-cat-sanctuary-helps-provide-therapy-to-community/
Human Catches the Plague from Outdoor Pet Cat
Last week, someone in Oregon was diagnosed with the plague that they probably contracted from their pet cat. This is the first case since 2015. Luckily, the human’s case was caught early and treated with antibiotics, an effective treatment for the plague.
Sadly, the cat became ill and died before it could be treated.
Plague is caused by a bacteria. The disease killed about 25 million people during the 14th century. Today, cases usually occur in rural areas in the Southwest USA, California, southern Oregon, and western Nevada. Humans can become infected via flea bites or by touching contaminated animal. Symptoms typically include fever, weakness, headaches, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. The disease is easily treated if caught early.
Cats are at risk because they’re more likely to pick up rodents. To prevent pets from spreading plague, keep pets indoors, on a leash when outdoors, and prevent them from hunting.
Animals that carry the disease include rats, squirrels and chipmunks.
Read the story at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oregon-resident-catches-rare-case-of-plague-likely-from-their-cat-180983785/
Paleontologists Discover New Cat Species from 15.5 Million Years Ago
Paleontologists in Spain have discovered a new genus and species of ancient feline, after its partial jaw bone was found in Madrid. The new cat species lived about 15.5 million years ago during the Middle Miocene epoch.
The feline, named Magerifelis peignei, belonged to a subfamily of small cats having a bony hyoid. This puts them in the category of cats who are able to purr but not roar.
The Magerifelis peignei is estimated to have weighed 7.61 kg (about 17 pounds) and be about the size of a serval. Because of the cat’s large jaw and strong bite, it would have been able to kill large prey.
Read the story at: https://www.sci.news/paleontology/magerifelis-peignei-12614.html
Cats Win Hardened Hearts in One of Chili's Worst Prisons
If you ask some prisoners, they’ll tell you that the cats wandered in on their own. Others will tell you that they were brought in to kill the rats. However, a gang of feral cats are have taken over and are bringing comfort to those in Chili’s most overcrowded prison. And the prisoners have fallen in love. Read more at NYT.com