Latest news with #Puss
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists unlock the hidden gene behind ginger cats' orange fur and what it means for their future
Source: BBC Ginger cats are an enduring fascination of the public, from Garfield to Puss in Boots to the much sought-after Toulouse from The Aristocats. Their orange coats and unique personalities have turned them into icons of popular culture. Scientists have now at last discovered a mystery that has lain hidden for decades regarding what makes these cats orange. Recent research by researchers in the United States and Japan has made major contributions to understanding the genetic processes that produce the distinctive fur color of ginger cats, specifically males. The discovery of the genetics of ginger cats is not only an intellectual victory—it's a tribute to the way science and enthusiasm for animals can merge. As scientists explore the genetics of domestic cats, it not only has the potential to reveal more about the health of our beloved pets but also to help us understand better the interplay between genetics, health, and behaviour. Scientists find the gene behind ginger cats' orange colour For decades, it was established that genes were responsible for ginger cats' orange coloration, but just what aspect of their genome was involved remained a mystery. Now, two teams of scientists—one at Kyushu University in Japan and the other at Stanford University in the United States—have simultaneously published their findings. Their research reveals a significant discovery: ginger cats are missing a specific section of their genetic code, which causes their cells to produce lighter pigments in their skin, eyes, and fur. This genetic anomaly impacts the melanocytes, the cells responsible for pigmentation. The secret to this finding is the ARHGAP36 gene, which is most active in the cells that influence skin, fur, and eye pigmentation. In their study, the researchers determined that ginger cats lack a portion in the DNA sequence of this gene. Under normal circumstances, this gene would inhibit activity, but without this DNA segment, the gene itself stays active, stimulating the production of light-colored pigments. In their study, the scientists compared the DNA of cats with ginger fur to those without. This comparison revealed that the missing DNA segment within the ARHGAP36 gene plays a crucial role in producing the distinctive orange color of ginger cats. This finding not only explains the phenomenon of ginger fur, but it also represents a major breakthrough in understanding feline genetics. Why are most ginger cat's male Yet another age-old observation regarding ginger cats is that they are predominantly males. The new research identifies a genetic explanation for this fact. The gene ARHGAP36, which is responsible for the ginger coat color, is on the X chromosome. Male cats, like all mammals, have one Y and one X chromosome, whereas females have two X chromosomes. For males, only one missing piece of DNA on the X chromosome is sufficient to create a complete orange coat. Female cats need to have the genetic mutation on both their X chromosomes in order to express the same extent of pigmentation and therefore fully orange female cats are much less common. Even more impressive about this finding is its beginnings. The lead researcher was Professor Hiroyuki Sasaki, a retired geneticist and dogged feline enthusiast. Even after retiring from his university position, Sasaki was determined to unlock the genetic code of the ginger cats. Funded by thousands of like-minded cat fans across the globe, Sasaki attracted more than 10 million yen (£55,109) through crowdfunding to carry out the research. The project touched the hearts of cat enthusiasts, some who even contributed their pocket money to help with the project. Understanding the ARHGAP36 gene and its connection to ginger cats and health Whereas the breakthrough centers on pigmentation, the ARHGAP36 gene also has an important function in other areas of the body, such as the brain and hormone glands. This leaves open the potential that the genetic mutation leading to ginger coloring might have implications for overall feline behavior and well-being. While there is no scientific research yet to connect coat color with personality, some scientists, such as Sasaki, are fascinated by the possibility of a link and intend to explore further. Besides its applicability to cats, the ARHGAP36 gene has also been associated with skin cancer and baldness in humans. This is a testament to the possibility of the study having applications to human health as well. The identification of the genetic basis of ginger cats' coat color is a major breakthrough in genetics. It not only answers a decades-old mystery but also creates new opportunities for researching the health and temperament of cats. The research will likely lead to more, and possibly feline- and human-beneficial, studies. As genetic research in animals keeps reaching new heights, researchers could also discover more surprises regarding the contribution of individual genes to physical features and health. Thanks to the cooperation of a committed worldwide network of cat enthusiasts, these advances might also lead to improved disease understanding and treatment in cats. Also Read | Witness the best stargazing events of summer 2025: Full moons, meteor showers, and eclipses you can't miss
Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Julie Jay: Is there ever a good time to have kids?
Recently, a friend was venting about the spiralling costs of rebuilding her dream home, west of Dingle town. As she talked me through their plans and how the amount of bureaucracy required to draw down the derelict-home grant was nothing short of scandalous, I nodded along, like a woman who could somehow empathise with her plight, despite my only experience of renovating a home starting and ending with my love of the show Property Ladder back in the noughties. It starred the inimitable Sarah Beeny - a property development icon and inventor of the beanie hat. Given that I am currently paying back the cost of a €50 coffee machine in instalments, it's safe to say this friend and I are in different seasons of our lives. But as her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed like Puss in Boots's, I tried to allay her fears as best I could that this was, as she feared, a terrible time to be taking on such a big project. 'Building a house is like having a child, there's never a right or a wrong time to do it,' I announced with a surprising level of confidence, and my friend positively purred in delight. No doubt the many, many property developers who read this article (I've heard I'm very big down the docks) would disagree with this statement and insist that there is indeed a good time to build a house (1954) and most certainly a bad time to seek planning permission (2025). Still, I believe my statement stands when it comes to the next generation of planning-permission seekers. I was born in 1983 (my worryingly receding hairline might suggest I am, in fact, a '70s child), and a few years back, I took great interest in watching the episode of Reeling In The Years that examined the year of my birth, up until the point that the final vox pop contributor asserted that anyone with sense would get out of this country as soon as physically possible. What on earth were my parents thinking, choosing to have not one, but two children in the middle of a dire economic depression? Surely, they could have waited until we were out of the recession, before deciding to procreate? As anyone alive in the 20th century will attest, the answer is no, because things didn't really pick up until 1995, which would have had my mother up there with Janet Jackson in terms of maternal miracles. I often fret about the world I have brought my children into. Between what is currently happening in Gaza, global instability, and a housing crisis that doesn't seem like it will be solved anytime soon, it is easy to feel despondent that the timing for adding two more people to the mix was wrong. Seeing the increasing number of weather-related disasters, I have, more than once, asked myself what kind of future lies ahead for my two boys. In a week where we have been enjoying higher temperatures than Barcelona, it occasionally does niggle at me that somehow this isn't right. As much as we love rubbing salt into the wound of anyone who went to Spain only to be without power for 18 hours and counting, global warming can no longer be denied. When I think of social media, I sometimes despair at how it will be nearly impossible to protect children from what is sure to be a space that will cause them some form of anxiety, be that social, emotional, or purely related to finding a TikTok sketch their father threw up circa 2020, where he is trying to teach their heavily pregnant mother the cha cha. In other words, a tape no child should have to see. When Bebo first landed on these shores at the turn of the millennium, I was so insecure about the social totem pole that I spent the majority of the time working in a West Kerry call centre, calling my best friend on loop and asking him to visit my page to get the hits up. I can only imagine the competition that my own two will have to deal with when some children are hitting transition year and have already amassed more followers than the population of their medium-sized town. Sometimes, I ask myself whether my timing for having children is selfish or ill-considered. But then I remember that I didn't meet their dad until 2018, so my hands were pretty much tied. Having children beforehand would have meant having different children completely, and given that some of my previous partners liked Joe Rogan, that just doesn't bear thinking about. There is never a good time or a bad time to have children. Just ask Madonna, whose pregnancy on the set of Evita had initially been seen as massively problematic by studio executives, only to have no impact on the film. Yes, terrible things are happening in the world right now, but there are also lots of good developments, such as cartoons on demand. In other words, there has never been a better time to bring forth children, but maybe hold off on the house-building if you can (apparently, bricks are expensive).
BBC News
22-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cat missing for a decade reunited with her owner
A cat has been reunited with her original owner, 10 years after going missing. The black cat had been living with an elderly man, who named her Puss, but after he died she was dropped off at Wisteria Cat Rescue in Rochester, Kent. A scan of her microchip showed she had originally been called Candi, and had been reported missing from Rainham in 2015, with the family now living in Faversham. Billy Devitt from the centre said it was "incredible" to reunite them, saying "things like that don't happen very often". He said: "Thankfully the owner had kept the phone number and everything was up to date. "She said 'I've never had a shower so quick, to get from Faversham to Rochester to collect Candi'. "Miracles do happen. Candi just looked at her and it was as if they'd never parted, their relationship is just like it was when Candi was a kitten." Since June 2024 all cats are required by law to be microchipped. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
