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ScienceSpace & SpaceflightThe Secret History of the First Cat in Space
On October 18th, 1963, the Centre national d’études in France was set to send a small cat named Félix into space. After lagging behind its Soviet and American competitors, France was eager to stake its claim in the space race—with cats, for some reason. But on launch day, the mischievous little beast went missing—and an … Continued
By Rae Paoletta -
Tech NewsSploidCats Acting Out Scenes from Star Wars and Other Movies Is Really Fantastic
Man, cats are so dang smart that they can pretty much replace actors in movies these days. I’m watching this wonderful scene reenactment of The Empire Strikes Back and I’m not sure I even miss the real Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker. Okay, I guess Darth Vader is still way more badass than any cat … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsFreak Bird Flu Outbreak Prompts NYC to Quarantine All 500 Shelter Cats
It’s difficult to explain exactly how it happened, but 386 New York City shelter cats have contracted a rare avian flu that had never before been seen in cats, and had not been seen in any animals at all in over 10 years. In November, a gray-striped kitten at a Bronx animal shelter named Alfred … Continued
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Tech News
This Story About Feral Cats Eating KFC Only Gets Weirder
Australia has a kitty problem, and it’s not “the cat scratched up the couch.” It’s that feral cats roam 99.8 percent of the country—cats cover more Australian land than internet access does. To alleviate the problem, officials from Parks Victoria are, uh, feeding the cats KFC. But some don’t think the spending was justified. The … Continued
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Tech News
Neglected Cat Freed From Pounds of Matted Fur After Rescue
A Pittsburgh man discovered a neglected cat with two pounds of matted fur when he paid a visit to his 82-year-old relative last week. The man brought the poor creature—who he named Hidey because she like to hide—to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center. In a Facebook post, the shelter wrote, “She suffered from severe … Continued
By Eve Peyser -
io9
What Is Jones the Cat Thinking in These Incredible Aliens Promo Photos?
Lost in History, whose Twitter is the definition of “amazing internet rabbit hole” (and you can find ’em on Instagram, too) recently posted this incredible series of images from a promotional photo shoot for 1986’s Aliens. The subjects, of course, are a pair of kick-ass survivors named Ripley and Jones. Sigourney Weaver looks great in every … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
Tech News
Bored and Irrelevant, Julian Assange Plays Kitty Cat Dress-Up
After getting his internet privileges taken away by the Ecuadorian government in October, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is evidently bored. Currently in exile from the United States and facing rape charges in Europe, without internet, Assange has found a better way to pass the time: playing dress-up with his kitty cat. The cat in question … Continued
By Eve Peyser -
Tech NewsGadgets
Your Lonely Grandparents Can Now Get a Robot Retriever To Keep Them Company
Last year Hasbro wowed, and saddened us a little, with a new line of toys targeted at seniors in need of a companion, but without the need for all the mess that comes along with a pet. The first addition to its Joy For All line was a robotic cat, but it’s now being joined … Continued
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Tech NewsPedalling This Exercise Bike Gives Your Dog a Workout Too
You can probably think of countless reasons why you don’t want to take your dog for a walk. It’s too cold, you’re tired, your arch nemesis lives around the corner—the list goes on and on. But with this double-duty exercise bike and treadmill, you can give your pup a good run without ever stepping outside. … Continued
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io9Books & Comics
Valiant Comics Puts Cats in Cosplay, Creates the Greatest Variant Covers of All Time
Human cosplay on comic covers is so 2015. 2016’s comic covers belong to cats in costume. Announced through Comicbook.com this morning, Valiant’s December issues will feature various shots of cute kitties dressed up as characters from the publisher’s vast roster—with everyone from Ninjak, Archer and Armstrong, and the stars of Divinity getting some purrfect feline … Continued
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Tech NewsCats Are Happier and Healthier When You Make Them Work for Their Food
Many cats are kept indoors for various reasons, but because they’re natural foragers this can lead to a host of behavioral and health problems. New research shows that food puzzles are effective at staving off many of these problems. Cats aren’t too far removed from their evolutionary ancestor, the African wildcat, making indoor life a … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
iPhone Glitch Transforms Cats Into Caterpillars
Digital photography is reliable, consistent, and increasingly easy to use. But when it fucks up, boy does it fuck up. Panoramic shots on the iPhone in particular seem prone to some bizarre aberrations that squash or stretch objects. So a photographer who goes by Hanamomo on Twitter figured out a creative way to turn this … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
ReviewsCasper Made a New Mattress…For Dogs
I adore my 10-year-old pup. A lot. To the point where my mother dodges my calls on vet days so she doesn’t have to hear a breathless blow-by-blow of his every aspirated fatball. But my fixation is, admittedly, less about the dog, and more about the countless pet “gadgets” I’m offered on a daily basis. … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech NewsSploidWhy Do Cats Die Funny and Dogs Die Sad in Movies?
It always sucks when a pet dies in real life. But in movies? It depends on what kind of pet. When a dog dies, it’s a touching and deeply personal moment for the character. We feel their pain. When a cat dies, t’s a hilarious joke played for laughs. Jacob T. Swinney recaps dog deaths … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsSploid
Can You Find the Cat Taking a Nap on This Pile of Wood?
Let’s play a game. Can you find the orange tabby cat that’s supposedly taking a nap on this pile of wood without going crazy? I say supposedly because for a good few minutes as I was looking for the cute little guy, I swore that the cat didn’t exist or that the cat has transformed … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
Internet-Connected Pet Feeder Goes Offline, Pets Probably Very Hungry
Here lies Sir Meows-A-Lot, beloved pet of Sally, Ted, Nancy, and Job. He was a good cat who was stolen from us too early. Maybe if we hadn’t bought an internet connected pet feeder before our vacation to the Bahamas, Sir Meows-A-Lot would still be here today. But we did, and then a network outage … Continued
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Tech NewsEmbrace Your Inner Crazy Cat Person With This Kitty-Carrying Hoodie
Inspired by marsupials like kangaroos, Unihabitat’s new Summer Mewgaroo Hoodie comes with an oversized pocket on the front and dangling pom-poms for entertaining a kitty. It’s sure to take you one dangerous step closer to becoming the crazy cat person you’re always mocking. The hoodie’s sleeveless design is engineered to be cool and comfortable for … Continued
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Tech News
A Clip-on Motorized Cat Tail Is Your First Step to Becoming a Furry
For $35 ThinkGeek will now sell you an animatronic cat tail, powered by four AA batteries, that will contentedly swish back and forth as it hangs from the back of your pants. You can pretend you’re buying it for cosplay reasons, or maybe for a Halloween costume, but deep down you know it’s really your … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Video Shows Why You Shouldn’t Turn Your Back on a Big Cat
We’ve all seen the videos of people who keep tigers or panthers as pets in their homes, or of these animals playing, and it’s easy to forget that these large animals are some of the most deadly predators out there. Big Cat Rescue of Tampa Florida is an educational non-breeding sanctuary that takes in abused … Continued
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io9Movies
The Man Behind the Les Misérables Movie Is Bringing the Cats Musical to the Big Screen
Not content with the litany of accolades he received in 2012 for bringing the classically morbid musical Les Misérables to the silver screen, director Tom Hooper is now turning his eyes towards Cats as his latest movie. Be prepared to hear “Memory” an awful lot over the next few years. Based on T.S. Eliot’s cat-themed … Continued