sometimes infodumping about cats happens

it IS a type of grooming! petting cats and other mammals smooths out their fur, removes shed hairs, and helps evenly spread natural skin oils throughout the fur to keep it healthy!

It’s Caturday! Meet the Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus)! Also known as the little tiger cat or tigrillo, it has a wide range across South America and parts of Central America, ranging from northern Costa Rica to northern Argentina. The wild feline is adaptable and lives in a variety of forest habitats. While it’s skilled at climbing trees, it prefers sticking to the ground. Its diet includes a variety of critters such as birds, lizards, and small mammals.

A rarely seen, highly endangered Andean mountain cat and her kitten in Santiago, Chile. Bottom right: older kittens following their mother through the snow. These small felines have long, thickly ringed tails and plush coats with a striking marbled pattern, handy for traversing the chilly, wind-swept ridges of the Andes.

One of South America's rarest felines, the Andean mountain cat is traditionally considered a sacred animal by indigenous Aymara and Quechua people.

you know, this delightful little guy? an image from 2017?

not only is it on the static cling page, it's also on the pages for static electricity, triboelectric effect, electric field, eletrostatics and electrostatic induction (and you can also find it on this user page captioned "my fav photo", which i thought was delightful, and way down on this user's page)!

it's full description on wikimedia also reads: "Styrofoam peanuts clinging to a cat's fur due to static electricity. The triboelectric effect causes an electrostatic charge to build up on the fur due to the cat's motions. The electric field of the charge causes polarization of the molecules of the styrofoam due to electrostatic induction, resulting in a slight attraction of the light plastic pieces to the charged fur. This effect is also the cause of static cling in clothes."

except, i left out the last bit. the last bit reads: "Image cropped losslessly from File:Cat and styrofoam – electrostatic charge (235112299).jpg using cropgtk"

now, this means this isn't the full image.... so what is the full image? it's this!

now, what i find really endearing about this photo, is that, while this file was uploaded to wikimedia in 2015 (as opposed to the cropped version being done in 2017), the original picture is actually from february 2006! you can see this in the summary!

the picture itself actually originates from flickr, and it has a DELIGHTFUL little description:

It’s time for Caturday! Here’s a feline that enjoys being around water: the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus). Found in parts of Southeast Asia, this critter prefers to inhabit areas near bodies of water, like mangroves, marshes, and swamps. As its name implies, this wild cat specializes in hunting fish, scooping prey out of the water with its paws or even dunking its head below the water’s surface to catch one with its mouth! It has a layer of short, densely packed hair close to its skin that helps keep it dry and warm by preventing water from seeping through.

Fishing cats are stocky, muscular nocturnal predators about twice the size of a domestic cat. Little studied and rarely seen, fishing cats lurk near the muddy shores oxbow lakes, mangrove swamps, and tidal creeks in South and South East Asia where they dine on fish and crabs (or, failing that, anything smaller than them). The fishing cat is a fast and powerful swimmer and even has webbed paws!

Sadly, fishing cats are now endangered and the global population may have declined by around 30% in the years 2010–2015. The destruction of wetlands and persecution by local farmers and fisherman have driven them to extinction in many regions.

😻 Hooray! Today, April 23, is the fluffiest day of the year — International Pallas's cat Day!

Together with the Siberian matriarch Lastochka, we congratulate all manulovers, as well as zoologists, veterinarians, zookeepers, scientists, and volunteers — everyone who loves manuls, cares for them, and dedicates themselves to their conservation, study, and raises public awareness about them. Thank you! ❤️

This grumpy yet endlessly charming solitary cat remains a mystery to scientists. But despite its secretive and unsociable nature, the manul has managed to unite thousands of people around the world and give them the chance to feel like part of something great, bright, and deeply meaningful—and that is truly something special. Thank you, great manul! 🧡

Support scientists, zoos, or simply tell your friends about manuls and their uniqueness — today is the perfect day to do it! 🙌🏻

Happy Caturday to all. Have you ever seen a jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)? A highly adaptable species, this low-slung feline inhabits a wide range of environments from southern North America through Central and South America. It’s also known as the “otter cat” for its uncanny resemblance to the animal. The jaguarundi is very vocal: This cat has up to 13 distinct calls ranging from purring to whistling and chattering. It dines on a variety of prey including small mammals like armadillos, reptiles, birds, and even fish.

Meow! This Caturday, let’s introduce the jungle cat (Felis chaus). Also known as the swamp cat or reed cat, this feline prefers wetland habitats with thick vegetation. It has a wide range that includes parts of North Africa and Asia. Depending on its locale, it may also live in grasslands, woodlands, or deserts. This wild cat preys on small animals, reptiles, birds, and fish, usually using a stalk-and-ambush hunting tactic. Though not strictly nocturnal, it’s most commonly spotted at night and can travel up to 3.7 mi (6 km) in a single evening.

PL*Forest Eyes l’Bond

🐱 Norwegian Forest Cat

📸 Dorota Biskupska [Forest Eyes*PL]