THE ‘PURRFECT’ MUSIC FOR CALMING CATS _ Taking a cat to the vet can be a stressful experience, both for cat and owner. But a study found that playing cat-specific music during the visit can help. Researchers at Louisiana State University lined up 20 pet cats, who were played 20 minutes of cat-specific music (by David Teie), classical music (‘Élégie’ by Fauré) or no music in a random order. Cat stress scores, based on the behavior and body posture of the cats, and handling scale scores, based on the cats’ reactions to the handler, were assigned for each of the cats. The study found that the cats appeared to be less stressed during the examination when played the cat-specific music, compared with both classical music and no music.
SECRET WORLD OF FELINES _ How did paw prints end up on the TV? Why is there a dead mouse in the kitchen cabinet? The world may never know the answers to these perplexing questions but a study (from Friskies) shed some light on the situation. Using a bit of ingenious technology — mini kitty cams attached to collars — researchers infiltrated the secret world of our feline friends. According to the collar cam, our cats would rather be on the prowl for adventure than on our bed taking a nap. In fact, only 6 percent of the cats in the study spent the majority of their day snoozing, while double that number preferred to spend their time playing with other pets. 7 percent enjoyed climbing and playing with houseplants, and 5 percent preferred to play with toys. But their very favorite activity? Surveying their domain — 21 percent of our cats actually spend most of the day staring out the window.
YOUR PHONE IS PROBABLY RUINING YOUR DINNER OUT _ A study found your phone could be sapping the enjoyment out of mealtimes with family and friends. You already suspect your smartphone may be detracting from your mealtime experience, but researchers from the University of British Columbia confirmed your technology fears. The researchers recruited over 300 people who didn’t know the study was focused on smartphone usage. The participants went to a cafe with friends and family. They were randomly assigned to either hide their phones away or keep them out on the table during the meal. The diners later answered questions about the experience. People with phones out reported feeling more distracted and experienced less enjoyment of the time with family and friends than people with their phones hidden away. On a seven-point scale rating enjoyment, the phone users came in at about half a point less than their non-distracted peers.
