Domestic cat news, features and articles
Latest about Domestic Cats
![Cat licking man's nose](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hKhuSTZZRTUPipwgJEBLRR-320-80.jpg)
Why do cats lick?
By Charles Q. Choi last updated
Here's the science behind why cats lick themselves, as well as other animals and even humans.
![Striped grey cat with green eyes sitting on a sofa](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KYEJp9vem3QQFGhi25SYx4-320-80.jpg)
How do cats get their stripes?
By Nicoletta Lanese last updated
Several key genes dictate whether a house cat will have stripes, spots or neither.
![Meeooow!](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yzV5i2F35i9RozwSeFLPJV-320-80.jpg)
Why do cats meow?
By Isobel Whitcomb last updated
Meowing is a tool to get you to do their bidding.
![A house cat and its puny, puny brain.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NfMkfdkg9mPvPDREy8Vse6-320-80.jpg)
Cat brains are shrinking, and it's all humans' fault
By Brandon Specktor last updated
Researchers compared the skulls of domesticated house cats to the skulls of their closest wild ancestor, and found that cat brains are definitely shrinking.
![Close up of the face of a black cat with big green eyes on a black background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UPBqg7M7MyBc3FM45CsFXe-320-80.jpg)
Can cats really see in the dark?
By Joe Phelan last updated
How do cats navigate around rooms in the dark?
![Even when they leave, they still are there.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sCpuEzjntNacXb7f8tzUHn-320-80.jpg)
You can't hide from your cat, so don't even try
By Mindy Weisberger last updated
Cats create "mental maps" using audio cues, scientists have discovered. This enables cats to spatially orient unseen companions, an ability that was previously unknown in felines.
![Cats can remember their buddies' names.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z7wuZCZwWZ7rMrFN4AZmVH-320-80.jpg)
Cats can memorize their friends' names, new study suggests
By Brandon Specktor last updated
Cats may be able to remember the names of cohabitating cats — but it depends where they live, new research suggests.
![A cat blissfully rubs its face on a catnip-covered scratching post.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v4vigiC2EvFTxntkHXkw9K-320-80.jpg)
Does Catnip Really Make Cats 'High'?
By Mindy Weisberger last updated
Cats that have an extreme response to catnip may look like they're experiencing euphoria.
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