“One cat just leads to another.” – Ernest Hemingway

Happy Wednesday! Here's the scoop:

• How a popular kitten therapy program actually started on accident

• Have you heard of the Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae?

• The affect that owning a pet can have on our relationships with people

True or False...
Cats can dream.

(scroll to the bottom to find the answer!)

Foster Cats Inspire Kitten Therapy Program
The manager of an assisted living facility accidentally started an amazing cat therapy program.

Laury Irby was asked to foster a litter of abandoned young kittens for the local ASPCA, so she brought them into work in order to feed them frequently. Once a few residents found out about the tiny bundles of joy, everyone at the facility wanted to visit!

Irby realized that these tiny kittens made a big impact in the lives of seniors at her center, so she created “Kitty Therapy Day” every Wednesday. The program has been going strong for three years and the residents continue to find happiness and stress relief from these kitty therapy days. Over 200 residents have already benefited from this amazing program

The First Cat-Like Predator
A new sabre tooth ancient animal was discovered - but was it related to modern day cats?

The Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae is thought to be about 42 million years old, and one of the first sabre tooth cat-like predators. As well as resembling a cat, this predator ate a meat based diet, much like modern domestic cats today.

However, although they look alike and eat a similar diet, this newly discovered animal is not, in fact, related to cats of the mammal family felidae (which includes all species of cats, big and small). But this discovery does make scientists wonder if modern day big cats may evolve to be sabre toothed - since apparently leopards might be heading in that direction!

Read more about the discovery of this cat-like sabre-tooth predator here.

How Pets Build Trust Among People
Over 90 million households in America have at least one pet, and beyond the companionship and emotional support they offer, they can also help us strengthen our relationships with other people!

Apparently, the mere presence of an animal can make us seem more trustworthy and responsible - so your kitty sitting in the window helps your neighbors see you as a better neighbor. If there are any children in your family, they are developing empathy and compassion when spending time with their pets. Research also shows that teens who have strong attachments to their pets are more likely to have more empathy towards others and higher levels of social skills.

Having a cat or dog can even build trust among your community - by caring for neighbors’ pets, communities foster trust and strengthen their relationships. There is still more to research, but we love hearing about feel-good findings like these!

True or False...
Answer: True!

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