Imagine being capable of surviving being frozen to almost absolute zero as well as being put in a kitchen oven on the highest setting; going without water and food for decades; being blasted with radiation; and even being exposed to the vacuum of space (and maybe spread to the Moon). No humans can do that‚ but there is an animal that can: the tardigrade. And their secrets might help with treatments for humans.When environmental conditions get tough‚ tardigrades get into a special type of suspended animation. They enter a state known as tun where their metabolism slows to 0.01 percent of its normal rate and they dehydrate themselves‚ losing up to 99 percent of their water. The proteins responsible for that transformation were introduced in human cells in the lab and started working in a way similar to how the tun state works.The proteins kept the volume of the cells constant as they experienced environmental changes‚ and they also massively slowed down the metabolism of the cell. The former didn’t seem to do much in terms of cellular survival but the latter was very important.“Amazingly‚ when we introduce these proteins into human cells‚ they gel and slow down metabolism‚ just like in tardigrades‚” lead author Dr Silvia Sanchez-Martinez‚ from the University of Wyoming‚ said in a statement. “Furthermore‚ just like tardigrades‚ when you put human cells that have these proteins into biostasis‚ they become more resistant to stresses‚ conferring some of the tardigrades’ abilities to the human cells.”The process was shown to be reversible‚ which is another excellent piece of news. The team is looking at how these proteins could be used in technologies or therapies that slow down the aging process. They also think it could be used for storing human cells over long periods of time‚ as well as making treatments available to people who don’t have access to refrigeration.“Our findings provide an avenue for pursuing technologies centered on the induction of biostasis in cells and even whole organisms to slow aging and enhance storage and stability‚” the researchers added.The team‚ also led by Assistant Professor Thomas Boothby‚ has shown in previous research that both natural and engineered versions of tardigrade proteins can stabilize the pharmaceutical Human Blood Clotting Factor VIII. This compound is used to treat hemophilia and other conditions and by using tardigrades proteins‚ it doesn’t need refrigeration.A paper describing the results is published in the journal Protein Science.

Songwriters may be Under Pressure‚ but they just don’t get Into The Groove like they did back in the 1980s. That’s the conclusion of a new study looking at the evolution of song lyrics from 1980 to 2020‚ which found that while the meaningful verses created by earlier artists could sound Like A Prayer‚ more recent efforts are often just a Careless Whisper.The researchers examined the lexical complexity of 12‚000 songs spanning genres such as rock‚ pop‚ rap‚ country‚ and R&;B – a task that one would Imagine took them All Night Long. The Message is that lyrical intricacy has been Free Fallin’ for over 40 years‚ with songs becoming increasingly simple and repetitive.Time After Time‚ their analyses revealed that the proportion of lines that are repeated in songs has been steadily growing across all five genres‚ with more chorus and less verse than in times gone by. A noticeable decline in “vocabulary richness” was also noted‚ meaning that while the stars of the 80s devised creative phrases to describe Two Hearts‚ modern singers are more likely to just Say You‚ Say Me.Seeking an explanation for this trend‚ the researchers say that “more repetitive music is perceived as more fluent and may drive market success.” In other words‚ modern artists may be trying to earn Money For Nothing.Not wanting to Push It without showing A Little Respect to modern listeners‚ the researchers note that not all of the music you might hear In The Air Tonight is quite so vapid. For instance‚ their data showed that‚ Against All Odds‚ people more frequently look up the lyrics of older rock songs than newer ones. This‚ they say‚ may reflect the genre’s tradition of “defeating capitalism”‚ bucking the trend of more “commercial” musical styles like pop.“Furthermore‚ our analysis shows that lyrics have become angrier across all genres‚ with rap showing the most profound increase in anger‚” write the study authors. Who knows why they’re So Emotional‚ perhaps they should just Relax.Putting it all together‚ the study authors conclude that “the lyric’s lexical component‚ structure‚ and rhyme‚ for all investigated genres‚ generally shows that lyrics are becoming simpler over time.”“This is shown by a decline in vocabulary richness for some specific genres‚ i. e.‚ rap and rock‚ and by a general increase in repetitiveness for all the evaluated musical styles‚” they Say‚ Say‚ Say.The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Five years ago‚ the idea that the whole world could be shut down for weeks on end would be unthinkable. But then‚ so would the notion of mass graves in New York City‚ a US Republican government issuing what looked similar to a universal basic income‚ and a few thousand people poisoning themselves with entirely useless horse dewormer to treat a virus.Today‚ however‚ all that seems not just plausible‚ but old news. We’ve been there‚ done that‚ caught the Covid – so what’s next on the pandemic cards? Where will the next pandemic come from?Here’s the thing: if we knew what the next pandemic was going to be‚ and when it was going to turn up – well‚ we would do something about it. As it is‚ though‚ the best we can do is hope for the best – and prepare for the worst.“Of course‚ there are some people who say‚ ‘oh this may create panic‚’” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus‚ Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)‚ in a January 2024 panel on the so-called “Disease X” – the placeholder name for the as-yet-unknown disease which will next sweep the planet.“No‚” he argued. “It’s better actually to anticipate something that may happen – because it has happened in our history‚ many times – and prepare for it. We shouldn’t face things unprepared.”So‚ what do the experts think Disease X is likely to be? Well‚ there are a few contenders in the mix: “We annually list the emerging diseases‚” Ghebreyesus explained‚ “and MERS could be one‚ Zika‚ Ebola […] You may even call Covid the first Disease X.”Potential scenarios for the birth of the next pandemic range from hypothetical doomsday scenarios in which global warming causes previously unknown viruses to be released from arctic ice – you know‚ like that Chris Pratt time travel movie made real – to worryingly plausible disease spillovers from the animal kingdom – you know‚ like that thing that happened just before the last pandemic.If you’ve spotted a recurring theme between those options‚ you’re not off-base: with climate change‚ deforestation in the Amazon and Africa‚ and human habitation encroaching ever further into the natural world‚ many experts think the next zoonotic disease pandemic is something of a foregone conclusion. “We're creating a situation that is rife for outbreaks‚” Nathalie MacDermott‚ clinical lecturer in infectious diseases at King's College London‚ told Sky News. “It might be two years‚ it could be 20 years‚ it could be longer – but we can't afford to let our guards down‚” she said. “We need to stay vigilant‚ prepared‚ and ready to make sacrifices again.”What can we do about it?If we don’t know what the next pandemic is going to be – or even when it will hit – how can we prepare for it? In fact‚ it’s easier than you might think: “We can prepare for some unknown things‚” said Ghebreyesus; “there are basic things you can do.”That could be the creation of an early warning system‚ he suggested‚ or work beefing up preparedness planning. “With Covid […] our hospitals were stretched beyond their capacity‚ both in terms of space and also workforce‚” he pointed out. It may be tightening holes in medical supply chains‚ he continued – and let’s face it‚ the Covid pandemic certainly revealed some shortcomings in those systems. Other experts have pointed to the rise of contact tracing apps designed to limit the spread of the pandemic: the UK’s NHS COVID app‚ for example‚ “had a lot of promise‚” Adam Kucharski‚ co-director of the Centre for Epidemic Preparedness and Response at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine‚ told Sky News.It would necessitate some “hard conversations” about the tradeoffs between public health and personal privacy‚ he admitted. “But with the digital contact tracing infrastructure that some Asian countries had‚ you can limit disruption to those people at higher risk in a particular outbreak rather than reverting to blanket measures.”To be honest‚ it all sounds eminently doable. So… are we doing it?Living through the next pandemicIf all that’s needed is a little logistics planning and some AI ethics classes‚ then surely we should sail through the next pandemic. Right?Unfortunately‚ that seems unlikely right now. “Despite everything we have learned‚ we are not ready for the next pandemic‚” wrote John Bell‚ a leading immunologist and a member of the UK’s Covid vaccine taskforce during the pandemic‚ in The Independent last year. “The next pandemic could be even more devastating than the last‚” he warned. “We must be in a constant state of readiness for the next big health crisis – if we do not act now‚ we will not be forgiven.”Over in the US‚ the creation of a new government agency focused directly on global health and pandemic prevention may seem like a step in the right direction. But many commenters have pointed out that much of the infrastructure for surviving a pandemic is virtually unheard of in the country: famously‚ there is no universal healthcare system‚ for example‚ and (European readers‚ you may want to sit down for this) neither is there a right to paid sick leave. Indeed‚ even amid the Covid pandemic‚ almost one in four Americans were forced to choose between working sick or losing a day’s wages.And despite suffering one of the worst impacts globally from the spread of Covid‚ the US as an institution seems loathe to learn very much at all from the pandemic. Analysis has shown that interventions such as social distancing and mask-wearing were enormously successful in lowering the spread of the pandemic; so too were vaccines‚ which saved nearly 20 million lives in the first year of their existence‚ according to recent modeling estimates. Nevertheless‚ anti-vaxx and anti-science movements are continuing to grow in the country‚ infiltrating politics and even influencing laws at local and state levels.In other words: it’s not looking good.The next lockdownsWe were caught off guard by Covid‚ and we may well be caught off guard again. So‚ what will that look like? A repeat of 2020 – or something completely different?In some ways‚ it’s undeniable that things have changed since 2019‚ before any of us had heard the phrase “novel coronavirus” or “Covid-19”. Regardless of how successful or widespread they ended up being‚ it’s true that many countries do now have pandemic infrastructure that did not exist before – the contact tracing apps‚ for example‚ or even just the option for more flexible home-working at their jobs.Vaccine rollouts – assuming those supply chain issues are resolved in time – should be quicker. “Most governments are working towards the 100-day challenge: that is‚ how to contain a virus spreading while a scientific response‚ such as a vaccine‚ diagnostic or treatment‚ can be approved‚ manufactured and delivered to the public‚” wrote Devi Sridhar‚ chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh and co-chair of the US National Academy of Sciences’ committee on advancing pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine preparedness and response in 2021‚ in The Guardian this week.“In the US‚ the suggested timeframe is 130 days from detecting a pathogen until the entire US population is offered a vaccine‚” she explained‚ “and 200 days until there’s enough of a supply for the entire world.” Depending on where you live‚ future lockdowns might be very different‚ too – or perhaps we won’t see lockdowns at all. “Shutdowns are an extreme policy response‚ and a lever that many governments used in 2020 when faced with healthcare collapse‚” Sridhar wrote. “We now have time to develop better ways of containment and examine how to safely keep schools and businesses open using more precise public health interventions‚ including on knowledge of transmission (such as more ventilation)‚ diagnostics (testing for infectiousness) and better data (surveillance on prevalence in the community).”Of course‚ that all depends on governments‚ as well as the private sector where appropriate‚ actually putting into action the preparedness protocols that public health bodies have been urging for years now. All of which means that – well‚ the next pandemic? Who knows what it’ll look like‚ really?All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

Isn’t it wonderful to make new friends? Picture this underwater scenario where Elora‚ fondly known as Elora Explora and a former diving instructor‚ finds joy in the aquatic realm. Her passion for the deep blue is not just a hobby. It’s a journey of exploration‚ bonding with the marine life‚ capturing mesmerizing photos‚ and cherishing... The post Tiny octopus melts hearts with adorable greeting for his diver best buddy appeared first on Animal Channel.

Men can’t breastfeed. End of story. A transgender woman‚ with the help of Duke University researchers‚ breastfed “her” grandchild. In plain English‚ researchers gave the biological man an experimental hormonal drug so that he could feed his grandkid through his hairy man boobies. Talk about a dystopian universe! The transgender woman had five children of his own and when his grandkids came around and he identified as a she‚ the individual had a strong desire to breastfeed since he couldn’t with his own kids‚ Daily Mail reported. Researchers‚ who published their study in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine‚ helped the patient accomplish his dream. “The patient first expressed the unique desire to breastfeed her expected grandchild at an appointment with her endocrinologist in the spring of 2022‚” researchers wrote‚ later adding‚ “Her primary motivation for inducing lactation was to experience the bond from breastfeeding that she had not been able to experience with her own five children.” Apparently‚ after taking galactagogue domperidone‚ the 50-year-old trans woman was able to produce 30mL of milk at a time after being on the hormonal treatment for four weeks. “The patient had modifications to her hormone therapy with estrogen and progesterone while remaining on antiandrogen therapy with spironolactone‚” the abstract of the study indicated. The patient breastfed her grandchild for two weeks.  “She was moved to tears by the experience‚” Daily Mail reported before adding that the experience “had the added benefit of affirming her female gender and making her breasts larger.” Apparently‚ he also developed a “special bond” with his grandchild after forcing the baby to suck from his man nipples.  This is freakin’ weird if you ask me. I mean‚ imagine being breastfed by your grandpa. Ew. Just ew. “Babies cannot consent to being participants in a study which sets aside biological reality to define treatment protocols relating to so-called ‘gender medicine‚’” Maya Forstater‚ executive director of campaign group Sex Matter‚ said. “Men should not be permitted‚ still less supported‚ to get between babies and their mothers‚ or to use babies as props to validate their beliefs that they are women.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. This is absolutely disgusting and is abusive to the baby all for the sake of affirming your delusion? How utterly sick.

Jennifer Ruziska resigned from Springfield High School in Ohio after being put on administrative leave when sexual content from her OnlyFans‚ Fansly and Instagram accounts were leaked. Guess you shouldn’t try to teach kids English and work as an online porn star at the same time. Ruziska‚ 50‚ was an English teacher for 9th graders at the school‚ as well as the cheerleading coach and yearbook advisor‚ local news station WTVG reported. She served nearly 30 years with the school and made $74‚720 annually. But apparently that wasn’t enough‚ so she supplemented her income with her online porn work. Her Instagram account was called “jenniferssecrets” and the profile picture was her kneeling down in the bathroom in a red undie/bra set. The bio on the social media account‚ which has a link to her page‚ read‚ “If you like what you see but want more of me‚ check me out on Fansly and be one of my best kept secrets." Superintendent Matt Geha sent a letter to Ruziscka when her images and accounts began to spread. He told Ruziscka in an email that “an online account which is open and available to the public for view that is maintained by you and includes sexualized images and videos of you.” Geha said that Ruziscka violated the Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators‚ Sections 1‚ 8 and 9 (h). As Daily Mail noted‚ “Section 9‚ which is labeled ‘Appropriate and Responsible Use of Technology’ stated: ‘While maintaining their constitutional rights‚ educators recognize that when using technology‚ the words they choose and the context of their statements can reflect negatively on the positions‚ schools and the profession.'” Yeah‚ I’d say Ruziscka’s posts are in violation of that… She was placed on administrative leave as of Monday‚ January 29 with her last day in the classroom being the Friday before‚ January 26. In a February 2 letter to the Ohio Board of Education‚ Geha said that he became aware of the poor conduct on January 26 when he got word that Ruziscka was operating a “pornographic/sexually explicit website.”  Ruziscka had a disciplinary hearing set for January 31‚ but ended up resigning before the hearing. Here’s what Ruziscka said in a statement she told WTOL 11‚ another local news station.  In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet‚ as Juliet laments Romeo being a Montague‚ the only son of her family's great enemy‚ she recognizes‚ "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Likewise‚ people can label me anything they want to; however‚ it doesn't change the commendable level of dedication and exemplary work ethic I execute as an educator.  Regardless of what I do in my private life for the sake of keeping a roof over my family's head and a car parked in the garage‚ I remain one of the greatest English teachers ever to serve in the Springfield Local School District. My students learn to value their personal and academic growth in my classroom‚ which is an environment where they are embraced for their individuality‚ they are engaged to apply their talents‚ and they are enlightened about their true potential. The numerous accolades and recognition I have earned over the 28 years I spent in SLS is evidence of that. The fact that this educator was acting in such a way is really disturbing considering the authority and influence she had over kids. But the fact that she seemed to express no guilt or remorse is even more troubling.

Renowned psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein blew the lid off the sheer power of leftist Big Tech giant Google and its ability to manipulate American voters without them even knowing it. “What this does is it makes a free and fair election into an illusion‚ into almost a joke‚” Epstein remarked during a March 29 West Virginia State Election Committee hearing on Big Tech election interference and campaign contributions. During this hearing‚ Epstein elucidated the scary amount of information that Big Tech collects on its users in order to make a fortune and even re-engineer American society from the shadows. “Democracy at the moment‚ in the United States of America‚ is an illusion.” The hearing came in the aftermath of MRC Free Speech America’s latest groundbreaking study documenting 41 instances of Google manipulating its algorithms to interfere in elections since 2008 to benefit leftist candidates. For example‚ Google was exposed actively suppressing the websites of President Joe Biden’s political opponents during the 2024 election cycle.  Epstein unveiled his own research that reportedly uncovered Google was giving biased search results that were catered around Google’s preferences rather than the users. Google did not recommend conservative content even in heavily conservative states like Montana‚ he said.  “In all 50 states‚ Google is sending liberally biased content‚” Epstein stated. “They’re not sending content based on people’s interests. They’re sending content based on their interest.”  Google uses its algorithm and an alarming amount of surveillance and data collection to selectively target voters to vote in manners that the Google social conditioners want. Epstein pointed out that Google sends vote reminders to liberal voters at a much higher rate than to conservative voters. “Imagine this‚ Google is sending register reminders to liberals at about two and a half times the rate at which they’re sending register-to-vote reminders to conservatives‚” Epstein remarked. He also highlighted that this strategy was used by Google against conservatives in the 2022 Florida midterms.  “On Election Day‚ in 2022‚ liberals were getting go vote reminders from Google all day long‚” Epstein noted. “100 percent of liberals were getting go vote reminders from Google. 59 percent of conservatives were getting those reminders.” According to Epstein‚ this strategy alone can shift the votes of millions of people. He suggested that just Google was able to flip the 2020 Election‚ prevent Kari Lake from winning the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race and prevented the Republicans from taking a larger majority in the House of Representatives in 2022.         Epstein asserted that Google is able to achieve all of this through a massive and intrusive spying network that it has created through its technologies and subsidiary companies. “Google alone—if you’ve been using the internet for the past 20 years‚ Google has more than three million pages of information about you‚” Epstein warned. “They’re not only monitoring everything you do if you use Gmail or if you’re foolish enough to use Chrome or Android‚ that’s all Google‚ or if you’re foolish enough to use YouTube‚” he said.  MRC Free Speech America Associate Editor Joseph Vazquez contributed to this report. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.   

The cast of NBC’s Today were in tears on Friday as they bid human interest reporter Harry Smith a fond farewell as he would be leaving the network to teach a college course and write books; essentially retiring from journalism. But we at NewsBusters know Smith as more than just the buttery smooth voice that shared tales of human experiences. Throughout the years‚ he’s used that voice to promote‚ sell‚ and spin the policy proposals of the Democratic Party to millions of Americans. “I have nothing but gratitude. Every time I would come on this show I was always welcomed so generously‚ so generously‚ I've had just this unbelievable array of phenomenal experiences since coming to NBC and so I'm really full of nothing but gratitude‚” Smith told the Today co-hosts. As for his plans for the future‚ he said he would be returning to his alma mater‚ Central College Iowa to teach a course on “curiosity.” But when it came to reporting on politics‚ Smith seemed to be exclusively curious about what was going on with Democrats. As NewsBusters reported during the run-up to the 2020 presidential election‚ specifically the Democratic primary‚ Smith helmed two complimentary and exhaustive series that were designed to present the policies of the Democratic candidates in a way that didn’t stoke contention between them‚ nor promote pushback or alternative Republican proposals: “My Big Idea” and “What Matters.” Smith used it as a way to make the wide Democratic field palpable to the audience and increase their chances of unseating then-President Trump. It was a concerted effort that was not repeated when a large Republican field was competing to unseat President Biden. NBC kicked off their Democratic campaigning in June of 2019 with their so-called “My Big Idea” series‚ giving themselves plenty of time to highlight and showcase the breadth of the Democratic field long before primary voters were cast. “And tonight‚ we're launching a series with our Harry Smith to let candidates tell you the idea they say separates them from the vast field of contenders. We're calling it ‘My Big Idea‚’” NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt boasted at the time. The network dedicated a segment to every major Democratic candidate in the race‚ even those who didn’t stand a chance. They started with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-NH)‚ then-California Senator Kamala Harris‚ Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)‚ Mayor Pete Buttigieg‚ former Housing Secretary Julian Castro‚ Governor Jay Inslee (WA)‚ Senator Cory Booker (NY)‚ former congressman Beto O’Rourke (TX)‚ Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA)‚ businessman Andrew Yang‚ Governor Steve Bullock (MT)‚ and Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN). Conveniently‚ Smith managed to cram all of those reports into a two-week time frame leading up to the first Democratic debate. And he pulled it off again with the partner series “What Matters‚” where Smith sat down with the remaining candidates to discuss “what matters” to Democratic voters ahead of the second Democratic Party debate; conveniently hosted by NBC News. Beyond his work for Democrats during the 2020 election cycle‚ Smith was one of the liberal media folks in 2007 who praised Al Gore’s global-warming-alarmist film An Inconvenient Truth; he even tried to pin a campaign button on Gore during an interview. In 2008‚ Smith was so excited that then-candidate Obama got the coveted endorsement from the Kennedy family that he called him “the heir of Camelot.” Smith moped when Obama left office‚ cited scripture to stick it to Republicans‚ decried “gun rights defenders‚” and bashed Americans as uncaring during the pandemic. While his NBC colleagues shed tears for his retirement‚ NewsBusters says good riddance.

YouTube has disclosed the company’s four new focus areas ahead of the 2024 presidential election. To many‚ these guidelines look like a policy of further censorship on the video-sharing platform.  As reported by Reclaim The Net on Thursday‚ YouTube has released a new video on its blog discussing its four new areas of focus with its new chief product officer‚ Johanna Voolich.  During the interview‚ published on Wednesday‚ Voolich noted that “responsibility” is one of the three areas she focuses on when developing products. She said‚ “We want to do this in a way to make sure that YouTube is a responsible actor in society.” Voolich’s remarks raise some serious questions about what the policy creators and moderators at YouTube believe being a responsible actor would look like‚ particularly in the lead-up to a presidential election. YouTube has defined what the term means for its policies in the past‚ Reclaim The Net reported.  According to a blog published on Sept. 3‚ 2019‚ YouTube has 4R’s of responsibility: “1. Remove content that violates our policy as quickly as possible.  2. Raise up authoritative voices when people are looking for breaking news and information.  3. Reward trusted‚ eligible creators and artists.  4. Reduce the spread of content that brushes right up against our policy line.” To some‚ this signals that YouTube’s policies advocate for censorship and that suppression of alternate views on the platform will likely continue or even escalate in this election year. Vice President of Free Speech America Dan Schneider believes this to be the case.   “The closer we get to the November elections‚ the more censorship and propagandizing we are going to see out of YouTube and Google‚” Schneider commented.  “We’ve predicted it‚ we know it‚ and we’re gonna see more of it.” YouTube’s parent company Google has also come under fire over the issue of censorship and election interference. A March 18 report by the MRC Free Speech America revealed 41 instances of Google using its gigantic influence and algorithms to influence elections to boost its preferred candidates and suppress unfavorable candidates. Relating to the 2024 election‚ Google was caught burying the campaign websites of former President Donald Trump and former Democrat candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. (now running as an Independent) and many others while prominently displaying the campaign websites of President Joe Biden and Democrat presidential primary candidate Marianne Williamson. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.     

Our cats try to speak to us in a myriad of ways. If you notice your cat trying to lick the air while you’re petting them‚ it might come off as a strange behavior. After all‚ what could they possibly be trying to accomplish with this? In this article‚ we will explore a few reasons why your cat might be licking the air every time you scratch their back. Let’s decode this feline oddity. The 5 Reasons Why Cats Lick When Their Back Is Scratched 1. Mutual Grooming Image Credit: congerdesign‚ Pixabay Even though they might not be doing the most fantastic job at it‚ your cat might be trying to groom you mutually. After all‚ those back scratches feel awfully good‚ and they just want to return the favor. Grooming is an essential part of cat socialization and can strengthen bonds. It’s no wonder that they want to groom their human counterparts. This is one way that they can express their love language. Isn’t it flattering? 2. Scratching an Itch You might just be really getting to a sweet spot your cat can’t reach. If that spot hasn’t been groomed in a while or is feeling particularly itchy‚ it could be very relaxing and satisfying for your cat to scratch that itch finally. If this is the case‚ your cat might show other signs in body language to say they love the attention. Some of these include purring‚ bunting‚ and spinning. If your cat just seems to be enjoying themselves‚ no intervention is necessary. 3. Skin Condition Image Credit: Eleanor McDonie‚ Shutterstock In some cases‚ your cat might have a skin condition. If the area is tender‚ itchy‚ or otherwise uncomfortable‚ it can cause them to lick the air in response. Common skin problems in cats include: Ringworm: Ringworm is an itchy infection on the skin that can cause hair loss and circular skin inflammation. Mange: Sarcoptic mange comes from mites and can cause extreme itchiness‚ rashes‚ and hair loss. It is highly contagious. Fleas: Fleas are a very pesky problem. If you still need to treat your kitty this year‚ they might be suffering a few bites. You should visit your vet if you notice any other signs like redness‚ hair loss‚ or excessive itching. They can examine the problem area and advise accordingly. If your cat has a skin issue‚ they might require antibiotics or other treatments. 4. Discomfort If your cat is licking the air‚ it could be due to discomfort. While it might not be outright pain or underlying disease‚ the spot might be tender for one reason or another. This sort of issue is particularly common on older cats. Once the body starts to wane in years‚ mobility becomes more of an issue. If your cat has any muscle or joint issues‚ like arthritis‚ they might feel uncomfortable when you pet them in certain spots. Such issues can cause outright pain if the issue is severe enough. So‚ if your cat is getting up there in years or has certain health conditions‚ it might feel not-so-great. If your cat doesn’t like it‚ they may vocalize‚ swat‚ or run away. 5. Pain Image Credit: Julia Cherk‚ Shutterstock If your cat seems bothered or vocalizes while licking the air‚ you might be causing a little bit of pain. This can happen for numerous reasons‚ depending on the location. Most of the time‚ your cat has likely hurt a muscle or has some other pain point on the body. If you think your cat is in pain‚ they should never be ignored. While really simple in most cases‚ it can be very problematic or even dangerous to let it go unnoticed. It’s not worth the risk. Some issues that could cause back pain include: Infection Inflammation Vertebral disk disorders Arthritis Injury A cat in pain might shy away from physical contact or avoid being pet. They might also run away or get aggressive when you touch them. When Concerned‚ Call the Vet If your cat just started this behavior‚ it would be a good idea for you to speak with your vet about it. While getting advice on the Internet is a good idea‚ the sound advice of a trained professional who personally knows your cat’s medical history is the best. If you suspect anything is wrong‚ they will likely schedule you an appointment to come in for evaluation. Conclusion If you feel like your cat is sick‚ don’t hesitate to get them to your veterinarian. If the behavior is new or just started‚ it can be alarming‚ to say the least. In this situation‚ your vet will take a look at potential problems to determine the underlying cause of the change. Sometimes‚ it might just be a fluke‚ and your cat is completely well. In other cases‚ your cat might have muscle pains‚ infections‚ or a physical injury of some sort. If you are petting your cat and they’re licking the air accompanied by any concerning signs‚ early examination and treatment are advised. Featured Image Credit: Denis Val‚ Shutterstock The post 5 Reasons Why Cats Lick When Their Back Is Scratched appeared first on Pet Keen.