kitties

Cat Cloner Still Not Fully Operational

Scientists at UCLA’s Center for Cat Genetics have announced another delay in their cat cloning project.  The decade-old initiative has become a black spot on the university after years of delays.  Over $250 million in federal grant money and alumni donations have been sunk into the research without a fully operational cloning machine.

“The machine still has some major kinks,” said Dr. Winslow Bommer, who has run the project since 2009.  "We’re maybe 85 or 90% there.  But unfortunately, the clones we’re creating aren’t exact copies.“

The current bugaboo perplexing the team is one of appearance transcription coding, according to Bommer.  "Basically, we can make a second cat, but instead of an exact copy, we get an exact opposite.  Markings are reversed, opposite eye colors, etc.  One cat will be mild mannered and sleepy, the clone will be off the wall and rambunctious,” he explained.

Bommer seemed optimistic that the bugs will be solved, but stressed that their current June 2013 target date for a commercially viable cloner is no longer a likelihood.

Via _tialynn_.

Chiropractor: Better Napping Position Can Cure Cat Backaches

According to Dr. Rick Bennett, D.C., 75% of all feline back pain is caused by poor sleeping practices.  Cats have a tendency to nap in hyperextended positions, explained Bennett, which can cause pain in the lower lumbar region.

“It’s an easily correctable problem,” said Bennett.  He often prescribes a sleeping brace to cats complaining of backache, which helps ease them into a more healthy napping position.

“They don’t like it at first,” Bennett conceded, “but the results are remarkable.”

Via bonstance. 

PHOTO OP: Hey, You Awake?

Via Terry Bain.

Kitten Declares Cute Studies as College Major

When Pon the cat was accepted to NYU’s prestigious Gallatin School of Individualized Studies, his first task was to design a course of study.  After some deliberation, Pon has decided to pursue a degree in Cute Studies.

“Cute studies is an emerging field,” said associate professor Ali Boppanna, who is serving as Pon’s faculty adviser.  "The Internet has highlighted the power of cute photos and videos to become cultural touchstones, but there has not yet been much inquiry into the concept. What makes something cute? What causes a cute photo to have cultural resonance?  Can cute be quantified and measured objectively?  These are the things Pon will be exploring while at Gallatin.“

Via lastquest.