Cats rival dogs on many tests of social smarts. But is anyone brave enough to study them?

CORVALLIS, OREGON—Carl the cat was born to beat the odds. Abandoned on the side of the road in a Rubbermaid container, the scrawny black kitten—with white paws, white chest, and a white, skunklike stripe down his nose—was rescued by Kristyn Vitale, a postdoc at Oregon State University here who just happens to study the feline mind. Now, Vitale hopes Carl will pull off another coup, by performing a feat of social smarts researchers once thought was impossible.

10 Health Benefits of Owning a Pet: What Science Says

Whether you have a cat, dog, bird, gerbil, chameleon, or hedgehog as a pet, you already know all the joy and comfort that your companions bring you on a daily basis. But did you know that there are also many scientifically proven benefits of owning a pet? Discover the top 10 health benefits (and also the few drawbacks) that your warm- or cold-blooded animals can provide you.

Disorders of sexual development in the dog and cat

Normal sexual differentiation occurs in three sequential steps—establishment of chromosomal (genetic) sex, development of gonadal sex, and development of phenotypic sex. Errors in the establishment of chromosomal, gonadal, or phenotypic sex cause abnormal sexual differentiation. Affected individuals are identified with a wide variety of patterns from ambiguous genitalia, to apparently normal genitalia with sterility or infertility. When a patient is suspected of having a disorder of sexual development, analysis of the chromosomal constitution and complete gross and histopathologic description of the gonads, internal and external genitalia are required to correctly categorize the type of disorder.