For The Union-Tribune
Cat’s meow
New research suggests some cats may actually have what it takes to serve as therapy animals.
Long the bastion of dogs, an international research team found that certain cats possess the same specific behavioral traits that make them suitable as therapeutic companions.
These cats tend to be more social with both humans and other cats, more attention-seeking and more tolerant of being handled — particularly when it comes to being picked up.
While some cat breeds, such as rag dolls or Maine coons, are considered more sociable, the researchers did not examine differences in behavior based on breed. Rather, they examined individual differences in behavioral traits within groups of cats rather than between species or breed.
Of course, not all cats are suited for the role, and unlike dogs, therapy cats (more common in Europe) are not typically trained for the job. Instead, certain cats appear to naturally possess the necessary personality traits. Whether they’re inclined to let you know, that is a different question.
Body of knowledge
A normal swallow takes eight to 12 seconds, from mouth to stomach.
Stories for the waiting room
A new study finds that eating one chili meal a month was associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes. The study was small and would need further validation, but researchers said the likely benefit was due to the greater consumption of beans and legumes, which have high fiber content.
Gestational diabetes is an increasing problem with prevalence rates rising from 6 percent in 2016 to 8.3 percent in 2021. If untreated, it can adversely affect the health of both mother and baby, and while it often goes away after pregnancy, it can put the mother at higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Doc talk
Perfed appy — When an infected appendix bursts (perforates) and spills into the gut
Phobia of the week
Cleithrophobia or cleisiophobia — Fear of being trapped or confined. The difference between these two phobias and claustrophobia is that the latter is a fear of enclosed spaces while the former pair focus on being trapped in general.
Never say diet
The Major League Eating speed-eating record for funnel cake is 5.9 pounds in 10 minutes, held by Joey Chestnut. One assumes going to the bathroom later was a lot less funnel.
Best medicine
Patient: “Doctor, I swallowed a bone!”
Doctor: “Are you choking?”
Patient: “No, I really did.”
Observation
“The operation was a complete success, but the patient died of something else.”
— English humorist John Chiene
Medical history
This week in 1897, Jell-O was introduced, 52 years after Peter Cooper (inventor of the Tom Thumb engine) held the first U.S. patent for a gelatin dessert. Pearl B. Wait, a carpenter and cough medicine manufacturer from LeRoy, N.Y., produced varieties in strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon flavors. It was dubbed Jell-O by his wife, May Davis Wait. It required many years and multiple efforts before Jell-O became a staple of young children and hospital patients.
Perishable publications
Many, if not most, published research papers have titles that defy comprehension. They use specialized jargon, complex words and opaque phrases like “nonlinear dynamics.” Sometimes they don’t, and yet they’re still hard to figure out. Here’s an actual title of actual published research study: “The effects of cocaine on honeybee dance behavior.”
The 2009 study analyzed how honeybees are affected by low doses of cocaine. Honeybees are known to perform dances when they locate an abundant food source. The researchers found that istering the drug prompted bees to circle about 25 percent quicker and dance more exuberantly longer. They also exaggerated the scale of their bounty — a behavior also typical of intoxicated humans.
Last words
“Too late for fruit, too soon for flowers.”
— English poet Walter De La Mare (1873-1956)
LaFee is vice president of communications for the Sanford Burnham Prebys research institute.
