Latest news with #cats
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Video: Owner Proves Life With a Cat Is Chaotic At Best
Pets are often viewed as the easier, low-maintenance alternative to raising kids. However, ask any cat owner, and they'll tell you it's not that simple. Cats may not need diaper changes or daily walks, but they bring a special kind of chaos all their own. Their quiet independence can be misleading because when they decide to cause trouble, they do it with full commitment. A now-viral Instagram video captures this perfectly, offering a hilarious glimpse into the unpredictable, messy, and entertaining reality of life with a cat. The montage begins with a sarcastic text overlay that reads, 'Kids are a lot of work. I'll just get a cat — they're easy!' What follows immediately after proves how wrong that assumption can be. Loki, the cat in the video, has a serious talent for causing trouble and making his owner's life quite chaotic. Within seconds, viewers are treated to a montage of Loki's 'crazy' behavior, starting with him stealing a slice of pizza from a box left on the kitchen counter. From there, Loki's antics only intensify. He is next seen trotting off with a breadstick clamped in his teeth. Then, he climbs into a kitchen cabinet, yanks out a bag of bread, and gets himself stuck trying to escape. The madness continues as he rummages through the trash, swipes at a Pepsi bottle like he's trying to knock it over, and caps it all off by confidently strolling away with a full bag of potato chips dangling from his mouth. Each scene is more ridiculous than the last, showing that while cats may not need babysitting, they're far from 'easy.' If you're living with a curious feline like Loki, it's a good idea to take some precautions around the house. Start by securing food items in closed cabinets or sealed containers. You can also use childproof locks on cupboards and trash bins to prevent snooping. In addition, you'll want to remove small or breakable items from ledges and make sure any potentially dangerous areas (like under sinks or behind appliances) are blocked off. Giving your kitty plenty of toys and safe spaces to explore can help redirect their energy. However, as Loki proves in this video, some mischief just becomes a part of life when you bring home a cat. The post Video: Owner Proves Life With a Cat Is Chaotic At Best appeared first on CatTime.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Video: Cat Wakes Up Only To ‘Make His Point' & Go Back To Sleep
Generate Key Takeaways Cats are full of personalities. Sometimes it is hard to predict their mood and behavior. Ask any cat owner, and they will vouch for it. Take this cat, Taco the ginger, for instance. The viral video shows a brown-white feline sleeping only to wake up to 'make his point' before going back to sleep again! The pet's behavior in the clip not only amused the cat mom but also netizens. The adorable viral cat video by @tacothegingerr has fetched more than 3 million likes at the time of writing. Cat tries 'making his point' and falls back asleep in viral video Going back to sleep immediately after waking up is not that easy for everyone. But it does not seem to be a problem for this ginger cat, Taco. This feline immediately falls back to sleep after waking up in the middle of his nap to share his thoughts or dreams. He makes it look like an effortless task. In the hilarious yet adorable clip posted by @tacothegingerr, the pet cat is seen taking a nap on top of a wardrobe, of all places. But what he does next leaves the cat's mom laughing. Taco simply lifts his head, expresses his thoughts with those half-open eyes, and immediately goes back to sleep without any trouble. Even the pet parent talked about her feline's funny action in the post, saying, 'He woke up, made his point and went back to sleep.' The cat's Instagram video soon went viral on the Internet as many were smitten by Taco's antics. Some of the netizens even spoke for the pet in the comment section with one saying, 'can ya'll really just be quiet, thanks.' Another commented, 'I've mad my peace with the situation.' Other social media users adored Taco for his behavior. One user mentioned, 'He's like that one drunk buddy who's half unconscious and half conscious.' While another commented, 'He's the most dude looking, dude sounding cat.'
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Why cats prefer sleeping on their left side
Cats prefer to sleep on their left side to protect themselves from predators, a study has found. The pets sleep for up to 16 hours a day and often curl up or stretch out for a snooze in opportune places. But the way the animal settles down is not random, and there is an evolutionarily hard-wired logic underpinning it, according to a study from the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. Scientists found cats lie on their left side around two-thirds of the time, which shows that it was done deliberately. They looked at clips on YouTube of more than 400 sleeping cats and logged which side they were sleeping on. Data revealed that 266 of the cats (66.5 per cent) were on their left side, leaving scientists to conclude this was a survival trait from their history in the wild. Sleeping on their left side means when they wake, their left eye is able to see the local area unobstructed by the cat's own body. This visual information is then processed by the right side of the brain. This hemisphere is what processes threats and is responsible for escaping danger as well as knowing an individual animal's position. This puts the cat at an advantage compared to if it was to sleep on its right side – when the information is processed by the left side of the brain, which is less specialised to aid a swift escape. Anti-predator vigilance This leftward preference is just one of the many ways in which cats protect themselves. 'Sleep is one of the most vulnerable states for an animal, as anti-predator vigilance is drastically reduced, especially in deep sleeping phases,' according to the study. 'Domestic cats are both predators and prey (e.g. for coyotes) and sleep an average of 12–16 hours a day. 'Therefore, they spend almost 60-65% of their lifetime in a highly vulnerable state. To reduce predation risks, cats prefer to rest in elevated positions so that predators are more visible to them and the cats, in turn, are more visually concealed from predators. 'In such a spot, predators can access cats only from below. Thus, their preference for resting in an elevated position can provide comfort, safety, and a clear vantage point for monitoring their environments. 'We hypothesised that a lateralised sleeping position further increases the chances of quickly detecting predators (or to identify careless prey) when awoken.' Threat-processing leftward bias Pregnant cows are known to prefer their left side while sleeping for a similar reason, experts believe. The scientists also found that the pawedness of a cat, whether it preferred its left or right side, is likely not to blame for the sleeping preference. A 2017 study found that male cats tend to prefer their left paws and females are more right-paw dominant. 'We are inclined to believe that the significant leftward bias in sleeping position in cats may have been evolutionarily driven by hemispheric asymmetries of threat processing,' the scientists add in their paper, published in the journal Current Biology.
BBC News
a day ago
- Science
- BBC News
The answer to a cat's loud meow might be buried in its genes
Some cats are quiet, while others meow loudly for attention. What makes the difference may be buried deep in their genes. If you've ever shared your home with more than one cat, you'll know how different their personalities can be. One might chirp for food, purr loudly on your lap and greet visitors at the door. Another might prefer quiet observation from a distance. So why do some cats become chatty companions while others seem more reserved? A recent study led by wildlife researcher Yume Okamoto and his colleagues at Kyoto University in Japan suggests that part of the answer may lie in cat genes. Cat owners from across Japan were asked to complete a questionnaire about their cat (the Feline Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire), and to take a cheek swab from their pet to provide a DNA sample. The survey included questions about a range of cat behaviour, including purring and vocalisations directed at people. The researchers in the recent Japanese study focused on the cats' androgen receptor (AR) gene, located on the X chromosome. This gene helps regulate the body's response to hormones such as testosterone and contains a section where a DNA sequence is repeated. AR is an essential part of vertebrate biology. The most ancient form of AR appeared in the common ancestor of all jawed vertebrates, over 450 million years ago. AR controls the formation of male reproductive organs, secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive behaviour. The number of these sequences alters how responsive the gene is. Shorter repeats make the receptor more sensitive to androgens. In other species, including humans and dogs, shorter repeats in the AR gene have been linked with increased aggression and extraversion. Among 280 spayed or neutered cats, those with the short AR gene variant purred more often. Males with the variant also scored higher for directed vocalisations such as meowing to be fed or let out. Females with the same genotype, however, were more aggressive towards strangers. Meanwhile, cats with the longer, less active version of the gene tended to be quieter. This variant was more common in pedigree breeds, which are typically bred for docility. Domestication is generally thought to have increased vocal behaviour in cats, so it may seem odd that the version of the gene linked to increased communication and assertiveness is the one also found in wild species such as lynx. But this study doesn't tell a straightforward narrative about how cat domestication selects for sociable traits. Instead, it points to a more complex picture. One where certain ancestral traits like aggression may still be useful, especially in high-stress or resource-scarce domestic environments. Some animals spend a lot of time around humans because they are attracted by our resources rather than bred as companion animals or farmed. Urban gulls offer an interesting example of how close proximity to humans doesn't always make animals more docile. In cities, herring and lesser black-backed gulls (both often referred to as seagulls) have become bolder and more aggressive. Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University found that urban gulls were less fearful of humans and more prone to squabbling compared to their rural counterparts. In urban areas, where food is highly contested, being assertive gets results. Gulls are often vilified in the UK press during breeding season as urban villains, swooping down to snatch your lunch or chase pedestrians. This suggests that life alongside humans can sometimes favour more confrontational behaviour. More like this:• Three ways cats can control our minds• Why do we think cats are unfriendly?• The complicated truth about a cat's purr The parallels with cats raise broader questions about how environment and genes shape behaviour. Okamoto and colleagues' findings may reflect a trade-off. Traits linked to the short AR variant, such as greater vocalisation or assertiveness, might offer advantages in gaining human attention in uncertain or competitive settings. But these same traits may also manifest as aggression, suggesting that domestication can produce a mix of desirable and challenging traits. It's worth bearing in mind that this kind of variation between individuals is fundamental to the evolution of species. Without variation in behaviour, species would struggle to adapt to changing environments. For cats, this means there may be no single ideal temperament, but rather a range of traits that prove useful under different domestic conditions. From cats to gulls, life alongside humans doesn't always produce gentler animals. Sometimes, a little pushiness pays off.* This article is adapted from a piece that originally appeared on The Conversation, and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. -- For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Android Authority
Easier not being green: Why I ditched Bissell for the Tineco CARPET ONE Cruiser
Ryan Haines / Android Authority I'll admit it — I'm pretty new to the carpet life. Having spent most of my adulthood in apartment buildings, I just accepted laminate and tile as ways of life. Now that I live in a house, though, I have a couple of new surfaces to worry about. I have rugs from room to room and carpet throughout my living area, and I've quickly learned that a weekly pass with a vacuum is like trying to fight a fire with a teacup. So, I decided it was time to venture into the wide world of carpet cleaners. I started where everyone does, with a Bissell Big Green. After all, it was a name I grew up knowing and always seemed like the best in the business. At least, it was until I got to try Tineco's CARPET ONE Cruiser and learned how much more I could get out of a carpet cleaner. Here's how I put the two to the test. Heavy? Or heavy duty? Ryan Haines / Android Authority I'll be honest — if I lived entirely alone, I don't know if I ever would have ditched my Bissell Big Green. It's a perfectly fine carpet cleaner that gets the job done, so I probably would have just rolled along none the wiser. However, as a proud dad of two cats, I tend to shy away from anything that stresses out my kids. And, when I'm fumbling to pull a 40-pound carpet cleaner out of my closet, it tends to send them scurrying. So, when I first saw Tineco's cleaning lineup back at CES 2025, I was intrigued by the idea of something a little more portable. At just 9.98 kilograms, the CARPET ONE Cruiser weighs about half of the Big Green, and I don't feel like I'm stumbling to get it out and set up nearly as much. I realized how much of a difference a little careful design can make as I unboxed the two cleaners and found myself straining to pull out the Big Green compared to the CARPET ONE Cruiser. Sure, the Big Green is a little easier to put together since it only has one removable part — the hose — but I'm not sure simplicity is always best. I greatly appreciate that I can pop the CARPET ONE Cruiser into pieces, making it much easier to clean or unjam if something goes through the brushes and the filters. Power and precision in one Ryan Haines / Android Authority Not only is the CARPET ONE Cruiser far lighter than the Big Green, but I also feel it's easier to control. Whereas the Big Green is somewhat of a brute-force, on-or-off cleaning tool, the CARPET ONE Cruiser has three cleaning modes you can easily toggle between right from the handle. I'll admit that I've spent most of my cleaning sessions in Auto mode, trusting the iLoop sensor to figure out how dirty my various carpets and rugs are. However, it's nice to have the option for Max power and Accessory support without jumping through too many hoops. When you're done with the various cleaning modes, you can flip the CARPET ONE Cruiser into Drying mode with a quick press of the Power Dry button. Sure, the Bissell Big Green tries to flip around and dry my rugs and carpets, too, but it's not quite the same. Where the CARPET ONE Cruiser has 167-degree Power Dry technology, the Big Green is more comfortable leaving my carpets just slightly damp so that they finish air drying. I might not mind the temporary dampness without my pets, but nothing attracts cat hair as efficiently as a slightly damp surface. Yes, there's even a Tineco app Ryan Haines / Android Authority And, as if multiple cleaning settings weren't enough, the Tineco app is surprisingly helpful too. I'm only surprised because I never expected a carpet cleaner to need smart capabilities, but now that I have them, I'm beginning to see the light. Essentially, the Tineco app pairs my CARPET ONE Cruiser to my phone, letting me check how long I have spent cleaning and drying my carpet, and it gives me a quick overview of the cleaning modes, should I need to swap between them. Of course, if the Tineco app only gave me insights into my cleaning habits, I probably wouldn't use it a ton — it would mostly remind me that I should clean more. However, it also lets me flip a few quick settings on my CARPET ONE Cruiser without ever touching the device, and that's a convenience I can't say no to. Whether I need to flip my cleaning method from Clean Water to Solution or tweak the speed at which the wheels turn, I can do it right from the palm of my hand for the next time I need to clean. Bissell's app? Well, there isn't one — at least not one that lets me change how the Big Green runs. It's either on or off, and any cleaning is left to me and my own devices. A good set of wheels goes a long way Bissell Big Green wheels Tineco CARPET ONE Cruiser wheels If my current apartment were covered in just a single layer of rugs or carpets, I might never have given my carpet cleaning setup a second thought. I mean, it's easy enough to roll a vacuum from laminate flooring to carpet, and you'd hope something like the Bissell Big Green would be the same way. However, I have multiple layers of carpets and rugs, making life tough. Instead of gliding seamlessly from one level to the next, I've found that the Bissell tends to hit the edge of my fringed oriental rug and stop, or worse, fold it over on itself. Without any propulsion or assistance, I have to muscle it backward and lift it over the edge to start cleaning — and again, it's a heavy piece of equipment. Tineco's CARPET ONE Cruiser, on the other hand, has just enough oomph in its studded wheels that I can change surfaces without issue. That oomph comes from its SmoothPower Tech wheels, which have bidirectional assist, making it easier to push or pull with less effort. The CARPET ONE Cruiser also lets you swap between High, Medium, and Low assistance so you're not flying too quickly across low-pile surfaces. Self-cleaning makes my job easier Ryan Haines / Android Authority Unfortunately, as I quickly learned after setting up my Big Green, carpet cleaning doesn't stop when your floors are finished. Yes, your floors look great, but then you have to take on the more challenging task of cleaning your carpet cleaner. At least, you do with the Bissell. Pretty much as soon as you're finished with the Big Green and you drain off its hefty 1.75-gallon tank, you're then left to clean the rest of the carpet bits out of the brushes and filters, making two jobs for the price of one. The process is decently simple thanks to Bissell's large components, but I won't say I love getting messy as soon as I've cleaned. With the CARPET ONE Cruiser, on the other hand, cleaning is as easy as pushing a button. Yes, you still have to empty the dirty water, but a quick tap on the handle sends the Cruiser into a two-minute self-cleaning mode. It shoots water through the brush roller, suction opening, and brush cover, making sure that they don't hold onto any remaining mess from your floors. When finished, the carpet cleaner shifts seamlessly into a three-minute drying cycle, pushing 131-degree air over the brush to dry it and prevent mustiness. You don't have to worry about making a mess of the self-cleaning process either, since the CARPET ONE Cruiser comes with its own docking station that pushes the sprayed water right back into the dirty water tank for easy disposal. The cleaner also comes with a simple hair removal tool that slices through tangles so you can easily remove whatever gets caught, perhaps the only part of the cleaning process that involves getting a little dirty. Cleaning shootout Ryan Haines / Android Authority It's easy to sit here and point out different specs that put the CARPET ONE Cruiser ahead of Bissell's Big Green, but let's face it — nothing beats a real-world test. So, I let my living room carpet and rug take the brunt of a stormy week here in Baltimore, and then set the two cleaners up head-to-head. Here's how they handled my home: Water capacity I'm nothing if not patient in my day-to-day life, and I'd like to think that extends to cleaning, too. In reality, though, if I have to fill and empty a tank of any kind more than once, I'm probably going to call it a day. So, in this sense, the Bissell Big Green actually comes out on top. Its 1.75-gallon capacity is massive, ensuring that I never really have to return to the sink once I've started my task. It does require a lot more solution during the setup process — two large caps (about 5oz.) to the CARPET ONE Cruiser's two small caps — but I have to remember that I'm adding them to a lot more water. The Cruiser's smaller 2-liter capacity means I get much closer to needing a refill in the middle of the process, which isn't my favorite. That said, it's much easier to heft a 2-liter tank than over a gallon, and I'm thoroughly convinced that I can stretch the included cleaning solution much further. Cleaning speeds Ryan Haines / Android Authority I also mentioned it above, but the Bissell Big Green is a very set-and-forget tool. It's either on or off, and it approaches every carpet the same way. It'll use plenty of power, but sometimes that's more than you need. I guess it does take some of the thought out of the job, though I'd much rather be mindful of the health of my hand-me-down oriental rugs. To that end, the CARPET ONE Cruiser's Max and Auto cleaning modes offer much more peace of mind, and I'll admit I've stuck with the Auto setting more times than not. I trust it to approach my surfaces with care and pick out the difference between relatively new carpet and a much older, more delicate rug. It doesn't hurt that the Cruiser shows the active soil level with an easy-to-read red-to-blue ring, either, where red indicates more debris and blue indicates a nice, clean surface. Solution application Ryan Haines / Android Authority Along the same lines of manual vs automatic, I appreciate that the CARPET ONE Cruiser takes all the guesswork out of applying its cleaning solution. I can simply push it forward and pull it back and know that it's sending out suds, usually because I can still see them after a first pass. To me, it feels like a more consistent application of cleaning power, which is just what I need as a fledgling carpet cleaner. By comparison, Big Green's approach to cleaning solution feels just a little dated. Any time I need to apply solution, I have to pull a hardware trigger on the handle. According to Bissell, it's best to spray as you push forward and a spray as you pull back, followed by another pass without applying more solution. It's not a hard technique to get used to; it just requires more manual thought than I'd usually like. Upholstery brushes Ryan Haines / Android Authority I've also mostly focused on the cleaning techniques for my floors so far, but both the Bissell Big Green and Tineco CARPET ONE Cruiser come with spot cleaners and hoses to clean areas like your couch or carpeted steps. I don't currently have steps to worry about, but I've taken both cleaners to task on my couch and come away decently impressed both times. The Big Green's Tough Stain tool is slightly larger than the Cruiser's at six inches, but I sometimes find it a bit too big for the tighter creases on my couch. Tineco also added a clever touch of putting brushes on the sides of its spot cleaner, so I've been able to use it in corners without feeling like I'm missing a spot or needing a second pass. Which carpet cleaner is right for you? Ryan Haines / Android Authority I spent a long time assuming that Bissell was just the best in the business when it came to carpet cleaning. It's like trusting Nike for running shoes or Goodyear for tires — you go with the name you know. Now, though, I'm coming around to the idea that Tineco might have a better idea of what it takes to make a modern carpet cleaner. Sure, the Big Green and the CARPET ONE Cruiser do the job well — they offer multiple cleaning attachments, convenient tank capacities, and long cables so you're not stretching from one outlet through your house. I also appreciate how easy they both are to set up and start running, and the Big Green's foldable handle makes it just a little bit easier to store out of sight. However, all of the finer points favor the CARPET ONE Cruiser. I don't feel like I want to hide its modern design away in a closet, and the Tineco app makes it much easier to monitor my cleaning habits from one week to the next. Mix in helpful features like the self-cleaning mode and propelled wheels with multiple speeds, and I'll probably keep coming back to the Cruiser as I keep making messes throughout my apartment. Right now, the Tineco CARPET ONE Cruiser is the more expensive of the two cleaners, retailing at $699, but I think the extra power and flexibility are worth the cost. Also, the CARPET ONE Cruiser will be available for 30% off during Amazon's Prime Day event, dropping its final price to $489 from July 8 to July 11, but you can use the code TIN25PDPR for an extra 5% off to get it all the way down to $454. The Bissell Big Green currently costs $411. Tineco CARPET ONE Cruiser Propelled wheels • Self-cleaning setting • Convenient, portable design MSRP: $699.99 A smooth, modern carpet cleaner. The CARPET ONE Cruiser from Tineco is a modern take on carpet cleaning, pairing a lightweight, ergonomic design with efficient suction and a powerful drying mode that's much better than the usual steam-cleaning technique. See price at AmazonSee price at Tineco Positives Propelled wheels Propelled wheels Self-cleaning setting Self-cleaning setting Convenient, portable design Cons Can be pricey Can be pricey Small water tank
