Sky News: Ukrainian viral cat sensation raises £7,000 for charity after fleeing shelling by Russian forces in Kharkiv. “A Ukrainian cat who went viral on TikTok has escaped to France and raised £7,000 for charities providing aid to animals caught up in the conflict.”
CNET: Stepan the Internet-Famous Cat Escapes Ukraine, Finds Safety. “Stepan is pure vibes. He’s a 13-year-old tabby cat with more than a million followers on TikTok who relish videos of him cooly leaning against a counter with a drink, while colored lights dance on the wall, looking like his night out at the club is winding down. Stepan is also Ukrainian, which means his life and the life of his favorite human, who goes by Anna on the app, have been utterly upended since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24.”
Drexel Now: What It’s Like Making Your Cat Famous on TikTok. “You watch an orange tabby cat tug on a tea bag string dangling over the side of a mug, almost pulling the drink off the counter. Then you see the cat sprawled on top of the refrigerator door, unwilling to move so it can be closed. Next thing you know, the cat is knocking a wine glass over, pushing a picture frame on the wall, and trying (and failing) to climb up a window. Sometimes that’s a day in the life for Herman the cat and Patricia Kraus, his owner.”
CNET: When can pets get the COVID vaccine?. “They’re man’s best friend (or good acquaintance, if you’re talking about a cat), and they might stick like glue to your side while you recover from the worst of illnesses, including COVID-19. But research throughout the pandemic has shown that pets and other animals can catch the coronavirus – according to the US Department of Agriculture more than 15 species of animals, including domestic pets and wild animals, have contracted COVID-19. So will your dog or cat be able to get a COVID vaccine?”
University of Missouri: Cats less stressed after adoption by families with children with autism, MU study finds. “While researchers have found that adding a shelter cat to the family can help lower stress and anxiety for children with autism, a new study at the University of Missouri shows that joining a family does wonders for the felines, too.”
NBC Bay Area: Cats and Dogs Top List of COVID-19 Infected Animals in U.S.. “Tests show more than 40% of infected animals in the U.S. are cats and about 36% are dogs. As COVID-19 infects animal populations across the world, veterinarians search for clues about how the virus impacts different animals and which animals might spread infection back to humans.”
PR Newswire: Petco Love Launches Game-Changing Centralized Solution To Help Reunite Lost Pets With Their Families (PRESS RELEASE). “Animal welfare organizations across the country are joining forces with Petco Love, formerly known as the Petco Foundation, a national non-profit working to lead and inspire change for animals, to change the outcome for missing dogs and cats. Starting today, approximately 1,000 shelters and rescues in both cities and rural areas across the U.S., will adopt the searchable database that uses facial recognition technology to help reunite lost pets with their families should they ever go missing.” The public can also search the database or upload images of animals they found.
Texas A&M Today: Texas A&M Research Uncovers First Known COVID-19 UK Variant In Animals. “The United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected for the first time in a dog and a cat from the same household in Brazos County, Texas, as part of a study led by researchers at Texas A&M University.”
BBC: Supermarkets warn pet boom causing food pouch shortages. “UK supermarkets have warned of a shortage of some dog and cat food products following an ‘unprecedented’ rise in pet ownership during lockdown. Sainsbury’s has apologised after running out of dog and cat food pouches due to a ‘national shortage’, although tinned and dry food are unaffected.”
Radio .com: A cat’s birthday party reportedly leads to 15 people contracting COVID. “An outbreak that led to 15 people testing positive for COVID-19 has been traced back to a birthday party thrown for a cat. Ten people who attended the feline fiesta contracted the deadly virus, along with 5 friends and family members of the cat’s owner, reported the Daily Mail.”
Stars and Stripes: It’s time to start preparing Fluffy and Fido for post-pandemic life. “It might seem too soon to think about preparing pets for the time humans will return to offices and schools. After all, a coronavirus vaccine isn’t expected to be widely available until spring at the earliest, which means that most Americans who were sent home to work or study remotely will remain there for at least several more months. But according to animal expert Zazie Todd, author of ‘Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy,’ the eventual separation will be easier for pets ‘if you make changes gradually, starting potentially a long time beforehand.’”
KING5: Former Amazon engineer creates app that reportedly translates your cat’s meows. “A former Amazon engineer who worked on Alexa has unveiled his latest pet project: an app that translates your cat’s meow. Javier Sanchez is now a project manager with Bellevue-based tech company Akvelon and has developed MeowTalk — an app that reportedly translates what your cat is vocalizing.” I dreamed several years ago that I got a potion from a wizard that let me understand what my cat was saying. After I drank it, my cat followed me around for the rest of the dream asking if I had Prince Albert in a can.
Sky News: Coronavirus: Pet cat becomes first animal to test positive for COVID-19 in UK. Please read the article before you flip out. It doesn’t appear to be a big deal. “Evidence suggests it contracted the virus from its owners, who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 – but both the animal and family have since made a ‘full recovery’, the government said.”
Reuters: Feline good: French cat survives coronavirus infection. “Papille purrs contentedly as her owner rubs the back of her head, her coat glossy and her eyes a piercing green – back to her old affection-seeking self after recovering from COVID-19.”
New York Times: Commissioner Resigns After He Threw a Cat During Zoom Meeting. “The city Planning Commission meeting in Vallejo, Calif., last week followed the same humdrum pattern of so many municipal meetings: There was the Pledge of Allegiance and a roll call, followed by various reports…. But things took an unexpected turn about two hours and 24 minutes into the session after one of the commissioners, Chris Platzer, was asked if he had any comments after reviewing a project application. ‘Yes, if I’m allowed to make them,’ he said, just after a cat could be heard loudly meowing offscreen, according to a video of the meeting.”
