Plenty of parents play peek-a-boo with their babies, but one grown-up thought it would be cute to get their cat involved in the game. They were right! In a hilarious video on social media, a small child burst into giggles when their cat magically appeared in the doorframe. Obviously, the kid had no idea there was an adult behind the wall holding the animal in their hands. Every time this baby saw the cat, they started laughing hysterically. Even though they didn’t quite know what was going on, the game seemed to delight them! Whenever the cat vanished for a moment, the baby looked a little confused. However, they went right back to laughing as soon as the animal returned to the doorway. Meanwhile, the pet was extremely patient while being repeatedly held out in the doorway and whisked behind the wall. This baby has yet to grasp the idea of object permanence. View this post on Instagram A post shared by It’s Meow Or Never (@meow_metric) You might be wondering why the baby in the video didn’t start crawling toward the door to investigate the cat’s disappearance. That’s because, when children are this young, they haven’t developed object permanence. This means they don’t understand that something can still be there even when you can’t see it. So, every time the grown-up hid the cat, the baby thought the animal had actually gone! They didn’t realize that, if they had just peeked around the corner, they would have easily found the feline. Screengrab from Instagram According to WebMD, playing peek-a-boo with an infant is an excellent way to start introducing them to the concept of object permanence. Who knew that such a silly game could be so educational? In the comments section of this adorable video, some users were concerned about the cat’s welfare while playing peek-a-boo with the baby. However, as one person pointed out, the animal didn’t seem too perturbed during the experience. “If the cat was hating this it would’ve been clawing out of the person’s grasp can people in the comments chill,” they wrote. As long as the cat doesn’t mind, getting them involved in a peek-a-boo session can be a really cute and creative way to teach your baby about object permanence! This child obviously had a blast playing the game. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Precious: Baby Can’t Stop Giggling When Cat “Plays” Peek-A-Boo appeared first on InspireMore.

The post How to Bandage a Cat Paw: 4 Vet-Approved Tips by Nicole Cosgrove appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Click to Skip Ahead A Few Words of Caution Before You Start Tips to Bandage a Cat Paw Cats are curious and playful creatures, which can lead to them getting injured. When a cat injures their paw or a limb, it is important to seek urgent veterinary care. Your veterinarian will take proper care of the wound and may recommend temporarily wrapping it up in a bandage. Depending on the extent of the injury, your vet may suggest hospitalizing your cat for a few days or discharge them for home care with clear instructions on managing the wound and the bandage, and regular checks to ensure there are no complications associated with bandaging or healing. It can be tricky to bandage your cat’s paw or leg because they can easily pull the bandage off, not cooperate, or chew on the wound. However, knowing how to manage a bandage on your cat’s paw or limb is a good skill to have in your arsenal of tricks for being a competent and loving pet owner. Here are some words of caution, followed by four useful tips for bandaging a cat’s paw. A Few Words of Caution Image Credit: Ermolaev Alexander, Shutterstock Your vet will very rarely ask you to place a bandage on your cat’s leg. There are a few reasons for this. Your cat may very easily chew on or remove the bandage, and young cats and kittens may be too curious and even ingest pieces of the bandage material. This can lead to digestive issues and even a gastrointestinal blockage in some cases, so cats with a bandage usually also have an Elizabethan collar (e-collar) or are supervised as best as possible to avoid these mishaps. Another reason why bandages should only be placed by veterinary professionals is the risk of things going wrong. For example, bandages can get wet, making them tight on your cat’s skin and underlying tissues. If they are not removed immediately, they will cause significant pain and discomfort to your cat, who will try their best to remove them by chewing, and they may cause the skin and tissue underneath to experience necrosis from a compromised blood supply. This may also lead to an infection, characterized by a very unpleasant odor coming from the bandaged area, with the presence of discharge, and even leading to skin peeling off. But it can get even worse than this. Sometimes, if the bandage is too tight for days, it can also lead to necrosis of the soft tissue and even fingers and toes. This means that they either have inadequate blood supply or lose it entirely, leading to the tissue dying off. This can also be very uncomfortable for your kitty and predispose them for sepsis, resistant bacterial infections due to prolonged antimicrobial treatment, and repeated surgeries if any affected tissue needs to be removed. When vets place a bandage on your cat’s paw or leg, they will want to get your cat back in for checks and rebandaging quite frequently, usually every 48 hours. There are only a few rare occasions when vets may place bandages on your cat’s paws or legs. This is usually after orthopedic surgery or to stabilize a fracture. Wounds are rarely bandaged, as they are likely to get worse under a bandage, and generally are left uncovered while the cat is treated systemically with antimicrobials and painkillers. The cat will also generally wear an Elizabethan collar. Finally, the rare instance you may be asked to place a bandage on your cat’s paw is in the case of a sudden trauma or bleeding. This will be instructed by your vet, as a very temporary measure to prevent ongoing blood loss while getting to the vet clinic. For this occasion, and to understand bandages in cats, in case your vet has placed one after surgery, let’s dive into more detail. Before You Start: Items Needed for First Aid Image Credit: absolutimages, Shutterstock As already discussed, if your cat has a bleeding wound, call your vet to let them know you’re coming, and place a temporary bandage on your cat’s wound, so you can get to the vet clinic with some more peace of mind. Ideally, you will need to keep a few essential items on hand in the home for cat first aid, or you can use some of the materials from your first aid kit: Sterile bandage Gauze Medical tape Scissors Antiseptic veterinary wound cleaning solution or saline Adhesive bandage A pair of gloves Wear gloves when managing a cat’s wound to keep it as clean as possible and minimize the risk to your own health, particularly if you have any cuts or abrasions on your hands. Make sure the antiseptic solution is a pet-grade vet-approved medicine in case your pet licks it or can ingest some of it. Otherwise use saline to rinse the wound before bandaging if possible, if you feel it’s contaminated with dirt or hair. If the wound is fairly clean, or just bleeding, do not waste time on rinsing. Bandage it as best as possible, and head to the vet. If your cat has a fractured leg, do not attempt to place a bandage, as your cat will be very painful and may try to bite you. Instead, get them to the vet immediately. Keep all of these bandaging materials in a clean, dry, and waterproof container to ensure you have them ready and easy to access in an emergency. The 4 Tips to Bandage a Cat Paw 1. Cleaning the Wound This is something your vet will do, oftentimes with your cat under an anesthetic, so they can be comfortable and pain-free, allowing the vet to do a thorough clean and rinse. Many wounds will also require suturing. In some instances, your vet may recommend for you to clean or rinse some wounds at home, if your cat allows it, but these wounds are likely to stay opened, rather than bandaged. In that case your vet will provide you with clear instructions on how to manage a wound, and when to expect your cat back for a recheck. Wound cleaning is usually done by gently rinsing or washing the area with a cloth soaked in a vet-approved diluted antiseptic solution provided by your vet or saline solution. Make sure to use a soft cloth or cotton ball and avoid scrubbing the wound. After cleaning the wound, in most cases you will not need to apply any topical treatment, as cats are notorious for trying to lick everything off. It will be very important that your cat is resting, usually in a crate depending on the type of their injury, or be restricted to a single room, with minimal exercise. They are likely to wear an Elizabethan collar if the wound is in an area they can reach for licking. Observe the wound at least twice daily, for any signs of inflammation, redness, discharge, swelling, malodor, or signs of opening up, in which case you will need to seek veterinary attention before your scheduled vet appointment. 2. Bandaging the Wound Image Credit: VGstockstudio, Shutterstock If your cat has a bleeding wound, this is really the only time for you to place a bandage. Otherwise this needs to be done by a veterinary professional, as the complications associated with inadequate bandaging may be very severe. Depending on the type of wound, you can use some sterile gauze to soak up any of the blood before placing a bandage e. You can secure this with a bit of medical tape. Then you will take the sterile bandage and gently but with moderate grip wrap the wound.  Take the bandage from the bottom of the paw, including the whole paw and not leaving any fingers or toes our, and wrap it around in a series of loops and keep moving up and around the paw until you end up above the wound . Then wrap back to the bottom and secure with tape. This creates a kind of solid cocoon around the paw that would be difficult to rub or easily unravel because it has a bit of friction holding the bandage in place. Make sure it’s not too tight so you can place at least one finger comfortably underneath the top of the bandage. If the bandage is too tight, this can cut off circulation and cause more harm than good. Use good-quality medical tape to keep the bandage strong. If the bleeding is coming through the bandage, add another layer and make it a little bit firmer, but get to your vet as soon as possible. They will be able to stop the bleeding. Speak To a Vet Online From the Comfort of Your Couch! If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price! Click to Speak With a Vet 3. Keep the Bandage Dry and Clean Now we get into the home care instructions, for the rare instances your vet may recommend sending your cat home with a bandage, usually after an orthopedic procedure. It is important to keep the bandage dry and clean. To do this, you can make sure your cat’s food and water bowls are slightly raised, so they cannot knock them over as easily, and it goes without saying, a cat with a bandage and/or with an Elizabethan collar is not allowed in any way to go  outside. The risk of them getting into life threatening trouble is high. If at any point, the bandage gets wet, it’s important to take your cat to the vet straight away, for the bandage to be replaced. It is also important to check the bandage regularly to make sure it is not too tight or loose, that there isn’t any discharge coming though it, or a bad smell associated with it. 4. Keep Up With Regular Bandage Change Appointments Image Credit: Motortion Films, Shutterstock Finally, it is important to remember to never miss your cat’s bandage change appointment. These are usually every 48 hours or could be a little bit longer.  During the bandage change, your vet will check the wound to make sure it is healing properly and that there are no signs of complications. This is often done under sedation. The vet may take samples for culture and sensitivity in order to choose the appropriate antimicrobial treatment, they may repeat your cat’s x-rays if they are monitoring bone healing after a fracture repair. Afterwards, they will give you clear information on how the wound is healing, and on any new home care instructions and further checkups. Conclusion Bandaging a cat’s paw during a bleeding injury can be a daunting and stressful task, but with the right knowledge and preparation, it can be done with ease. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to reduce the bleeding, while you get your cat to the vet. By following these four tips for managing a bandage in cats, you can ensure that your cat’s injury is monitored, allowing you to pick up any early signs of complications. However, if you feel unsure about anything regarding your cat’s injury or the bandage, do not hesitate to reach out to your vet. Also see: How to Treat a Burned Cat Paw Pad: Vet-Approved Tips Sources https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/care-of-open-wounds-in-cats   Featured Image Credit: Prostock-studio, Shutterstock The post How to Bandage a Cat Paw: 4 Vet-Approved Tips by Nicole Cosgrove appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Tony Milligan: The idea that aliens may have visited the Earth is becoming increasingly popular. Around a fifth of UK citizens believe Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials, and an estimated 7% believe that they have seen a UFO. The figures are even higher in the US – and rising. The number of people who believe UFO sightings offer likely proof of alien life increased from 20% in 1996 to 34% in 2022. Some 24% of Americans say they’ve seen a UFO. This belief is slightly paradoxical as we have zero evidence that aliens even exist. What’s more, given the vast distances between star systems, it seems odd we’d only learn about them from a visit. Evidence for aliens is more likely to come from signals from faraway planets. In a paper accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, I argue that the belief in alien visitors is no longer a quirk, but a widespread societal problem. The belief is now rising to the extent that politicians, at least in the US, feel they have to respond. The disclosure of information about claimed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs rather than UFOs) from the Pentagon has got a lot of bi-partisan attention in the country. Much of it plays upon familiar anti-elite tropes that both parties have been ready to use, such as the idea that the military and a secretive cabal of private commercial interests are keeping the deep truth about alien visitation hidden. That truth is believed to involve sightings, abductions and reverse-engineered alien technology. Belief in a cover-up is even higher than belief in alien visitation. In 2019, a Gallop poll found that a staggering 68% of Americans believed that “the US government knows more about UFOs than it is telling”. This political trend has been decades in the making. Jimmy Carter promised document disclosure during his presidential campaign in 1976, several years after his own reported UFO sighting. Like so many other sightings, the simplest explanation is that he saw Venus. (That happens a lot.) Hillary Clinton also suggested she wanted to “open [Pentagon] files as much as I can” during her presidential campaign against Donald Trump. As seen in the video below, Trump suggested he’d need to “think about” whether it was possible to declassify the so-called Roswell documentation (relating to the notorious claimed crash of a UFO and the recovery of alien bodies). Former president Bill Clinton claimed to have sent his chief of staff, John Podesta, down to Area 51, a highly classified US Air Force facility, just in case any of the rumors about alien technology at the site were true. It is worth nothing that Podesta is a long-time enthusiast for all things to do with UFOs. The most prominent current advocate of document disclosure is the Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer. His stripped back 2023 UAP disclosure bill for revealing some UAP records was co-sponsored by three Republican senators. Pentagon disclosure finally began during the early stages of Joe Biden’s term of office, but so far there has been nothing to see. Nothing looks like an encounter. Nothing looks close. Still, the background noise does not go away. Problems for society All this is ultimately encouraging conspiracy theories, which could undermine trust in democratic institutions. There have been humorous calls to storm Area 51. And after the storming of the Capitol in 2021, this now looks like an increasingly dangerous possibility. Too much background noise about UFOs and UAPs can also get in the way of legitimate science communication about the possibility of finding microbial extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology, the science dealing with such matters, has a far less effective publicity machine than UFOlogy. History, a YouTube channel part owned by Disney, regularly delivers shows about “ancient aliens”. The show is now in its 20th season and the channel has 13.8 million subscribers. The Nasa astrobiology channel has a hard won 20,000 subscribers. Actual science finds itself badly outnumbered by entertainment repackaged as factual. Alien visitation narratives have also repeatedly tried to hijack and overwrite the history and mythology of indigenous people. The first steps in this direction go back to Alexander Kazantsev’s science fiction tale Explosion: The Story of a Hypothesis (1946). It presents the 1908 Tunguska meteorite impact event as a Nagasaki-like explosion of an alien spacecraft engine. In Kazantsev’s tale, a single giant black female survivor has been left stranded, equipped with special healing powers. This lead to her adoption as a shaman by the indigenous Evenki people. Nasa and the space science community do support efforts such as the Native Skywatchers initiative set up by the indigenous Ojibwe and Lakota communities to ensure the survival of storytelling about the stars. There is a real and extensive network of indigenous scholarship about these matters. But UFOlogists promise a far higher profile for indigenous history in return for the mashing together of genuine indigenous stories about life arriving from the skies with fictional tales about UFOs, repackaged as suppressed history. The modern alien visitation narrative has not, after all, emerged out of indigenous communities. Quite the opposite. It emerged in part as a way for conspiracy-minded thinkers in a Europe torn apart by racism to “explain” how complex urban civilisations in places like South America could have existed prior to European settlement. Squeezed through a new age filter of 1960s counterculture, the narrative was flipped to value indigenous people as having once possessed advanced technology. Once upon a time, according to this view, every indigenous civilisation was Wakanda, a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. If all of this stayed in its own box, as entertaining fiction, then matters would be fine. But it doesn’t, and they aren’t. Visitation narratives tend to overwrite indigenous storytelling about sky and ground. This is a problem for everyone, not just indigenous peoples struggling to continue authentic traditions. It threatens our grasp of the past. When it comes to insight into our remote ancestors, the remnants of prehistoric storytelling are few and precious, such as within indigenous storytelling about the stars. Take the tales of the Pleiades, which date back in standard forms to at least 50,000 years ago. This may be why these tales in particular are heavily targeted by alien visitation enthusiasts, some of whom even claim to be “Pleiadeans”. No surprises, Pleiadeans do not look like the Lakota or Ojibwe, but are strikingly blond, blue-eyed and Nordic. It is increasingly clear that belief in alien visitation is no longer just a fun speculation, but something that has real and damaging consequences. Tony Milligan, Research Fellow in the Philosophy of Ethics, King’s College London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Philosopher Warns of the Dangers in Believing in Alien Visitations appeared first on Anomalien.com.

The September Humble Choice games are live, and there's a special surprise this month as an extra game has been made available via an alpha playtest. All of the standard eight games are, once again, great for the Steam Deck, and you'll save big versus buying each game individually. These games will be available to claim until Tuesday, October 2. Valve's Steam Deck became the best handheld gaming PC in large part because of how easy it makes playing games of all sizes and genres compared to buying and maintaining a gaming PC. Meanwhile, Humble Choice, the monthly games subscription service, has long offered a great way to collect games that work great on the Steam Deck, and this month is no different. Continue reading Grab eight Steam Deck games for $12, including Guardians of the Galaxy MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

I have a theory - or maybe it’s more of a personal belief - that videogames looked their best between 1996 and 2005. Now we have photorealism, immeasurable polygon counts, and cloth physics, but in the old days, games looked like games. They had their own aesthetic. They were unique. With that in mind, and also recalling the halcyon days of Ghost Recon - Desert Siege, Jungle Storm, and so on - meet Dagger Directive, a new tactical FPS just signed by simulation game legend MicroProse that looks like it comes from the year 2000 and plays like a mix of Arma, Operation Flashpoint, and Delta Force. This is the kind of shooter that the PC was made for. Continue reading New tactical FPS Dagger Directive feels just like classic Ghost Recon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best FPS games, Best strategy games, Best war games

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