We are confused about how to think about grasshoppers. — While researching the historical and cultural significance of grasshoppers for a publication I have on Substack, I discovered a fascinating paradox. Grasshoppers are often associated with carefree times and good luck but are also culturally tied in with laziness, devastation, and bad luck. …

It’s not all about the stink. — Skunks have been around for at least 11 million years, and recent discoveries point to their ancestors having been around up to 40 million years ago. As for interactions with humans, we know that European trading with North American native people began in the 1500s and included skunk pelts. Skunk…

Plus More Fun Facts About Marmots — Did you know that groundhogs, AKA woodchucks, are marmots? It’s true! Groundhogs are just one of 15 (some sources say 14) species of marmot of the genus Marmota, family of Sciuridae, which are squirrels, order of Rodentia. That was a lot. Here’s the main thing — groundhogs are just one…

It’s tough to realize the truth. — I have come to accept the fact that my sweet Max is bullying our equally sweet Jasper. If you’ve been following my stories, you already know we’ve had some issues over the past few months or so. (For details see Helping Our Cats Solve Problems We Didn’t Know They Had.) …

No…and yes. — “Aren’t you a handsome boy?” “Look who’s cranky today.” “Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.” “Don’t be shy, sweetie.” Do any of these sound familiar? I think a majority of cat owners tend to think of their little furry ones in human terms, at least some of…

A lesson in observation and experimentation. — It’s emotionally scary and draining when your pets exhibit behavior that could be related to a serious health problem. Over the past three months both of our cats, Max and Jasper, have been doing just that. It’s been quite the puzzle to solve. It started with us finding random small…

A silly tale of my overly-curious cat. — This particular event happened a few years back but it is still a milestone we reference frequently. The day started pretty much the same as most days with my wife and I reluctantly waking up after hitting “Snooze” 2 or 3 times, throwing on some clothes, and heading downstairs for…

Cat lovers, does this sound familiar? — As any cat lover will know, cats can be very demanding and absurdly vocal. Though Max figured out how to meow early in life, it took Jasper a good three years to figure it out. He’d open his mouth, but only produced silent meows. We weren’t sure he was even…

Max and I had a truly intriguing experience! — Cats are a fantastic mystery. Sometimes I think I understand them but at others, they are a puzzle. We recently had something going on with one of our cats, Max, that seemed negative and potentially scary, but turned out to be the opposite. Several weeks ago we started finding that…