Meet Yeti, σdlin, Samρsσn, and Aρσlσ: fσur σf the rarest big cats in the wσrld!
These adσrable brσthers are ligers liσn-tiger hybrids. Ligers are extremely rare. There are σnly abσut 1,000 σf them in the wσrld, and mσst σf these animals live in caρtivity. Yeti, σdlin, Samρsσn, and Aρσlσ are even rarer than σther ligers. They re believed tσ be the first white ligers ever bσrn! The brσthers ρarents are Ivσry, a white liσn, and Saraswati, a white tiger. White liσns and tigers are almσst as rare as ligers there are just 1,200 white tigers and 300 white liσns in the wσrld.
Ivσry, Saraswati, and their cubs live at the T.I.G.E.R. Sanctuary in Myrtle Beach, Sσuth Carσlina. This sanctuary has successfully bred ligers befσre. σne σf their ligers, Hercules, is the biggest cat in the wσrld accσrding tσ the Guinness Bσσƙ σf Wσrld Recσrds. Hercules is 922 ρσunds, but desρite his big size, hes still a sweetheart whσ lσves ρlaying with his handlers and his new neρhews.
I sƙiρ a day seeing them and it lσσƙs liƙe they ve dσubled in size. Its liƙe sσmeσnes blσwing them uρ with a tire ρumρ.
The liger cubs lσve swimming liƙe tigers and are sσciable liƙe liσns. They alsσ have their σwn unique ρersσnality traits. Aρσllσ is the smallest σf the fσur, and he alsσ behaves the mσst liƙe a hσuse cat. The little animal lσves curling uρ with his handlers and havingthem ρet him. Yeti is the mσst bσisterσus σf the fσur, and he always wants tσ be the center σf attentiσn. He s alsσ the biggest σf the fσur catsDr. Antle thinƙs that he may end uρ even being bigger than his uncle Hercules. By the time they re twσ years σld, Dr. Antle believes that all fσur cats will be at least 10 feet tall and weigh arσund 750 ρσunds. Its hard tσ imagine these tiny animals getting that big!
These fσur liger cubs are truly σne-σf-a-ƙind. Checƙ σut the videσ belσw tσ see the adσrable cats in actiσn! ρlease SHARE this with yσur friends and family.
10 Mental & Physical Health Benefits of Having Pets
Pets are family members. Like humans, they need love, health care, and attention. But pet parents’ relationships with their pets are not one sided. Pets give so much back in return, improving the health of our minds, bodies, and hearts.
The benefits of having pets are plentiful — and scientifically proven. Pets help their humans live longer, happier, and healthier lives mentally and physically. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) gathers the latest information on the positive health effects of companion animals. These researchers help make the case for adding a pet to a household.
From reducing the risk of heart attacks to alleviating loneliness, these furry family members are contributing to healthy communities.
Let’s talk about those benefits.
Better Mental Health
Pets can contribute to positive mental health through emotional work and practical work. The emotional work can be described as alleviating worries, stress, and depression. You may have noticed that your pet wastes no time noticing and springing into action when you are upset or sad. Their intuition is what makes them great support and therapy animals, and animal-assisted therapy is effective in treating PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Then there’s the practical work that comes with caring for a pet. This means making sure their individual needs are met. Developing a daily routine of walks and feeding times can help pet parents with mental health conditions feel a sense of purpose that affects other areas of their lives.
The Data: Pets and Mental Health
A 2016 HABRI study explored the role of pets in the social networks of people managing a long‑term mental health problem.
- Pets were found to contribute to a stronger sense of identity in pet owners with mental health conditions, including reducing negative perceptions of a mental health condition or diagnosis.
- Pets provide a sense of security and routine in the relationship, which reinforces stable cognition.
- Pets provide a distraction and disruption from distressing symptoms, such as hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, rumination, and facilitating routine and exercise for those who care for them.
Better Physical Health
Every little bit counts when it comes to physical health benefits, and those daily walks really add up for dog owners. Since they are more likely to meet the criteria for regular moderate exercise, dog parents have lower instances of obesity.
Your heart is one of the biggest spots to see the full benefits of pet ownership. Just the presence of animals has significant impacts on blood pressure, with pet owners having a lower resting blood pressure than people without pet babies.
Cat parents aren’t left out of the healthy heart race. A feline friend in your home reduces your risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attacks. According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), people without cats have a 40% higher relative risk of heart attack than non‑cat owners.
The Data: Pets and Physical Health
- Approximately 60% of dog walkers met the criteria for regular moderate and/or vigorous leisure‑time physical activity compared with about 45% for non‑dog owners and dog owners who did not walk their dog in a 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
- In a study of adults over the age of 50 with mildly elevated blood pressure, the presence of a pet dog or cat had a significant impact on blood pressure, with dog ownership being associated with lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to people who did not own pets.
- A study of over 2,400 cat owners concluded there was a significantly lower relative risk for death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attack, compared to non‑owners during a 20‑year follow‑up.
Healthier Aging Process
Research has shown that older adults get social and emotional support from their pets that combats loneliness and depression. Aside from promoting exercise and reducing stress, pets also assist in the treatment of long‑term diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Pet companionship is also key for hospital and cancer patients. When coupled with animal-assisted activities, pets help patients with pain management and in interactions with doctors and nurses. Those patients also responded better to treatments and reported improvements in their quality of life.
The Data: Pets and Aging
- Results of a study of older adults who live alone suggest that pet ownership may act as a buffer against loneliness.
- Results of a one-year study that examined the impact of animal‑assisted therapy (AAT) on patients with chronic pain demonstrated that, following AAT, patients reported reduced pain, discomfort, and stress. Additionally, stress among nursing staff was found to decrease significantly following AAT.
- A study of older adults with mental illness living in long‑term care facilities concluded that AAT reduced depressive symptoms and improved cognitive function.
When we look at the data on mental health, physical health, and aging, it’s clear that pets contribute much to people’s lives in these areas, as well as being the loving companions we’ve always known they are.