8 Tips for Getting a Cat to Like You, According to Science

Let’s be honest, everyone wants to be on the cat’s good side…assuming they have one. If not, you might wanna stay on your guard in case that cat decides it’s your lucky day to get a scratch to the knee or hairball in your shoe.

Cats can be finicky about pretty much everything, so it’s a good thing you’ve got science on your side this time. Take a look!

#8. Play with them.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Cats are stealth predators and need to regularly vent that energy. A recent study found that cats prefer human interaction even over food…but only when that human came part and parcel with an interactive toy.

#7. Play hard to get.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In other words, let the cat make the first move as far as initiating the interaction, and don’t insist on continuing once they relay that they’re finished.

Every cat owner knows that’s a recipe for scratches!

#6. Keep your cat inside most of the time.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Cats are less domesticated than dogs and will revert quickly into a feral mindset if set loose on their own. A recent Italian study verified that cats who were indoors or supervised outdoors in an enclosed space were more in sync with their owners.

#5. Put yourself in a kitty mindset.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Friendly cats greet each other nose-to-nose. You don’t want to put your face in an unfamiliar cat’s face, but you can mimic their preferred greeting with a fingertip to the nose – you just might get a boop or a rub for your efforts.

#4. Socialize the cat when it’s young.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The more chances a cat has to interact with humans as a kitten, the more likely it is to grow up enjoying that sort of affection and interaction. This seems like a no-brainer, but there is plenty of science to back it up.

#3. Check your wandering hands.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Studies have confirmed what many cat owners know – stick to petting the head and cheeks for the best response. A majority of cats aren’t comfortable with scratches on the belly or hindquarters, and will not hesitate to let you know.

#2. Keep a watchful eye.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You should be able to read a cat’s mindset by observing it’s behavior – hissing and growling, of course, but also simple tail twitches, retreating, or a hunched posture will also communicate distrust. On the flip side, purring, rubbing, and sitting nearby are all positive signs. Don’t push them when they’re not comfortable and they’ll be more likely to come to you when they are.

#1. Food does not equal love.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A recent study of overweight cats showed that once the cats lost weight, they were more affectionate, purred more often, and enjoyed sitting in their owners’ laps again.

Don’t overfeed kitty if you want more love!

h/t: Mental_Floss

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Check out These 5 Fascinating Facts About Middle Children

Middle children definitely drew the short straw when it comes to siblings. Think about Jan Brady’s character in The Brady Bunch. Always being overlooked, always living in the shadow of her siblings (and then acting out and throwing hysterical fits).

Photo Credit: ABC

But scientific studies show that middle children don’t really have it all that bad after all. It turns out that they can be very creative, independent, and have great leadership qualities.

So turn that frown upside down Jan Brady (and all the other middle children out there). Here are 5 facts very interesting facts about the middle kids of the world.

1. Their lack of self-esteem might not be a bad thing

Middle children might not get a ton of attention at home and might get overlooked sometimes, but this can help keep their egos in check. Katrin Schumann says, “Having an accurate sense of your self-esteem is more important than having high self-esteem. Surprisingly, new studies show that high self-esteem does not correlate with better grades in school or greater success in life. It can actually lead to a lack of perseverance in the face of difficulties.”

2. They can be good negotiators

Photo Credit: iStock

One advantage of being stuck in the middle all the time? You can become a good negotiator. Katrin Schumann, co-author of The Secret Power of Middle Children, says, “Middles are used to not getting their own way, and so they become savvy, skillful manipulators. They can see all sides of a question and are empathetic and judge reactions well. They are more willing to compromise, and so they can argue successfully. Since they often have to wait around as kids, they’re more patient.”

3. They might be an endangered species

The numbers don’t lie: women used to have a lot more kids. But since the early 1970s, the numbers have declined. Today, 48% of American women have two children, as opposed to 3, 4, or 5 in years past. Society has changed, and people are going to school later and longer, getting married later in life, and the cost of raising kids has gone through the roof.

All this adds up to smaller families, which means fewer and fewer middle children out there. What a shame!

4. They’re faithful

Photo Credit: US Air Force

One study showed that 80% of middle children claimed they have never cheated in a relationship. In comparison, 65% of firstborn children and 53% of youngest children revealed they have been unfaithful to a partner or a spouse.

Studies also show that middle children are the happiest in their marriages…but not with each other because both people might tend to want to avoid conflict.

5. Middle children = Leaders

If we use the loose definition of middle children and include children who were not the oldest or youngest in their group of sibilngs, 52% of American Presidents fall into that category. That list includes Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy. Not bad company, eh?

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Check out this Middle School’s Creative Project to Inspire Students and Promote Mental Health

Being a teacher is a tough job, so it goes without saying that they are more than deserving of the time they get to take off each Summer. And that fact makes what these middle school teachers from Forney, Texas, are doing all the more special.

They teach at Warren Middle School. Middle school, y’all. Lord help them. As a teacher friend once said, “It’s the age when they need the most love, but also the age when they’re the hardest to love.”

Photo Credit: Facebook

On the flip side, it’s not at all easy being a middle schooler – and that goes double, I think, for middle school girls. Which is why some of the teachers volunteered their time this summer to transform the girls’ bathroom with uplifting, reaffirming messages of positivity and hope.

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

The messages painted on the doors are meant to inspire girls and help them get through those days that are particularly rough. The school district shared images of the project on their Facebook page.

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

They also put empowering messages above the mirrors, where girls sometimes need to see them the most.

Photo Credit: Facebook

Photo Credit: Facebook

What’s even cooler is that their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed by other school districts, some of which are looking to copy Warren’s inspiring artwork.

Photo Credit: Facebook

The hardworking teachers at Warren Middle School aren’t the first to tackle a project like this one – a North Carolina Middle School hired a local artist to do something similar last year, and a Girl Scout mom tweeted her emotional experience seeing affirming messages in a California high school bathroom awhile back.

I think it’s safe to say Warren won’t be the last school attempting to remind girls that they are seen, powerful, and full of promise, just the way they are.

Thank goodness.

Next up: Let’s do the same for the boys, hmm?

h/t: ScaryMommy

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According to a New Study, Millennials Actually Have It Harder Than Other Generations

Millennials are the butts of many jokes these days. From social media to their coveted avocado toast, older generations love to poke fun. As someone who lives on the fringe of this generation (I’m a Xennial), I’ve always been a bit affronted for them – because the world is not what it once was, no matter whether older generations want to believe that’s true or not.

But now that there’s this handy dandy chart basically proving that they’re not just a bunch of whiners, well…maybe people will believe them, even if they’re never going to say they’re sorry.

The charts come as a result of a study done by Axios, and the bottom line is this: even though the median income hasn’t changed since 1977, the cost of literally everything else has risen significantly.

Today’s 30-year-olds, Axios tweeted, are more likely to still be living at home and be saddled with significant college debt than any generation before them.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Here are how the rest of the charts break down:

Photo Credit: Twitter

Basically, Millennials are better educated but make less money, and consequently own fewer homes. They’re more in debt. Far fewer of them are getting married, and the birth rate has dropped by almost a whole child per couple.

Even though most people won’t take the study seriously because everyone knows Millennials are just whiners, the truth is that people in this age group don’t need a chart or survey to know they’re not as well off as their parents.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Photo Credit: Twitter

Photo Credit: Twitter

The good (?) news is that Millennials now make up 25% of the voting population, so they do have the power to change the way things are done if they take that responsibility seriously.

So get out there and do your civic duty, people!

h/t: ScaryMommy

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These 10 Facts about Astronauts Are Really out of This World

Not everyone is brave enough to venture out into the cold, dark depths of outer space. So, it only makes sense that astronauts are pretty badass. Here are 10 facts about astronauts that’ll make you appreciate how awesome they really are.

1. Don’t leave home without it

Photo Credit: did you know?

2. Beautiful

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3. Mars

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4. Walk of Fame

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5. Clever

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6. Ohio

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7. Gotta go

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8. Gravity

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9. Wow

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10. Here come the ladies!

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This Infographic Guide Will Help You through Your Baby’s First Year

Parents can never be too prepared. Heck, even when you do feel fully prepared, babies have a way of throwing curveballs that even the smartest people don’t know how to handle.

Photo Credit: Unsplash, Colin Maynard

And that’s why this infographic put together by Allstate is so valuable. It’s filled with helpful hints about what you can expect in that wonderful first year. Read through this and good luck raising those little ones!

Photo Credit: Allstate

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6 Adorable Animals That Are Surprisingly Violent

They say don’t judge a book by its cover… and the same goes for animals. Don’t trust an animal just because it’s got a cute, fluffy exterior. Beneath those big eyes and purrs is a ferorious creature just waiting to be unleashed. These six animals are way more violent than you’d expect.

1. Swans

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Similar to cows, most swans are beautiful, gentle creatures, but there are some that are natural born killers. For example, a swan in Wales named Hannibal killed 15 fellow swans in a particularly vicious manner: Hannibal bit his victims, beat them with his wings, and broke their toes before holding them underwater and drowning them.

So basically, Hannibal is a swan serial killer.

And then there was the swan that was constantly attacking rowers on a river in England, until he and his mate were relocated to avoid further carnage.

2. Beavers

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Beavers may look harmless, but they have huge, razor-sharp teeth that can chomp right through a femoral artery, which is what happened to a fisherman who died from his injuries in Belarus in 2013. They’ve also been known to attack swimmers and go after dogs. So it’s best to avoid these guys.

3. Cows

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Most cows are not violent, but a specific type known as Heck cattle are also called (this isn’t a joke) “Nazi Super Cows.” These cows were bred in Nazi Germany and still roam parts of that country today. A farmer in England bought some of the cows and brought them to the UK, but soon discovered his mistake. He said, “They would try to kill anyone.”

4. Dolphins

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Not Flipper!!! Yes, I’m sorry to report that dolphins are actually pretty deadly, especially to each other. It wasn’t until the 1990s when researchers discovered that male dolphins slaughtered other dolphins, including their own babies.

They’ve also been known to occasionally attack swimmers.

5. Prairie Dogs

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Prairie dogs are plant eaters, but that doesn’t mean they don’t murder other animals. Their main competition for resources on the prairie are squirrels, and they’ve been known to attack and bite them to death, though they don’t eat their bodies.

Prairie dogs that kill have offspring that live longer than non-killers, so scientists are curious whether this phenomenon is occurring in other animals as well.

6. Koalas

Photo Credit: iStock

Koalas mostly keep to themselves and spend 22 hours a day sleeping, but sometimes they can snap and go after dogs and humans. And their bite is quite nasty.

Be careful out there! The animals might be taking over!

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How to Get Your Mosquito Bites to Finally Stop Itching

Mosquitoes are the worst, huh? I can pretty much get behind every insect, animal, and living creature that walks this earth, except mosquitoes. Not to mention the fact that they spread disease, including ones that can be pretty scary if you’re at risk or pregnant.

The process they use to extract your blood (to make other bloodsuckers, blech), is pretty gross, btw: the mosquito injects saliva to numb the area, then that same saliva expands your blood vessel and prevents it from clotting while the little bugger feeds.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The itch, it turns out, is a reaction the histamines in your own body produce in response to the saliva and not anything the mosquito leaves behind – it’s an immune response, essentially.

Sure, you can try sprays and candles and essential oils, but chances are, a couple enterprising pests are going to find your bloodstream and leave with a full belly – so, what’s the best way for you to cope with the fallout?

First off, here are some common tricks that definitely do not work:

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A hot bath: heating up your skin makes it itchier, so just say no.

Alcohol (the kind you rub, not the kind you drink): it will dry out your skin and bring on more itching.

Honey: it is a good antibacterial, but it doesn’t have any proven effects on immune response.

Here are some that could work…

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Lemon (or other plant-based oils): there is some research that says lemon or lemon juice could work, but as far as other plant-based materials, make sure you’re not going to have an allergic reaction and make the initial response worse.

A cold compress: Cold will reduce swelling andblood floww, so it could temporarily relieve the itch and puffiness associated with a fresh bite.

But the best option? A steroid cream.

Photo Credit: Amazon

A simple cortisone cream will constrict the blood vessels and reduce the inflammation that’s causing the itchiness – something essential oils can’t do, and something cold can only do temporarily – and they’re easy enough to find at your local drug store.

You’re all set – go forth and enjoy the rest of your summer!

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Anxiety Might Be an Inherited Condition, According to Science

If you suffer from anxiety, you’re probably not the only person in your family who has. Scientists and doctors have long been aware of that fact, but new research shows that is might be directly passed down from generation to generation. In other words, if you have anxiety, your parents might be the cause.

The new study comes from the University of Wisconsin and focused on the heritability of anxiety and which parts of the brain are involved. The researchers conducted anxiety-inducing experiments on 378 rhesus monkeys and monitored their brain activity.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The results showed increased activity in two parts of the amygdala, where the brain processes fear and anxiety, in the monkeys who expressed the most anxiety. The scientists then looked at those monkeys’ lineage and discovered that their ancestors going back eight generations also elicited the same type of brain response. This led the researchers to determine that the anxiety may have been inherited.

Photo Credit: Unsplash,Niklas Hamann

The researchers believe that their study could eventually help with treatment for children who suffer from extreme anxious temperament (AT), which often leads to anxiety disorders later in life.

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Who Owns the Moon?

Can you believe that no one has set foot on the moon since the United States last landed way back in 1972? It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Now, several countries like Japan, India, and China are all planning to send up crewed moon missions in the near future, and the question of who has a claim to the moon is cropping up all over again – this time, for space lawyers.

Really.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In a recent post for Real Clear Science, an attorney and professor of space law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law, Frans von der Dunk, looks at the question of moon ownership in light of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty between the U.S. and Soviet Union. The treaty solidified the moon as a “global commons,” which basically means it can belong to no single nation.

Any secrets, resources, and other untapped potential should be used for the betterment of global society, and the U.S. even shared its soil and rock samples with Russia during the Cold War.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Von der Dunk does say that even though no one can own the land on the moon, the treaty is less clear about cultivated resources from the moon and asteroids – if one country mines assets, can they own them, or must they be distributed?

Which is why, I suppose, there is space law and space lawyers floating (heh) about these days, and why they’re probably going to be more in demand than ever as various nations plan to explore the moon face-to-face once again. Some believe that mining on the moon or on asteroids will be a lot like commercial fishing – you have to be licensed, and there will be guidelines, but you keep what you catch – while others, particularly in Russia, believe the previous treaty requires communal benefits on anything extracted from space.

Photo Credit: Touchstone Pictures

So, the answer is that no one owns the moon, but the stuff in and on the moon? Well, that’s complicated, Cold War-era treaty or no.

Nothing much is clear, really, so perhaps space remains the last great frontier – for explorers and lawyers. What a time to be alive.

h/t: Mental_Floss

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