If you've got a feline friend with energy to spare--or a tendency to attack your feet at 2 a.m.--you might want to introduce them to their new robotic sparring partner. The Cheerble Ball is a motion-activated, self-propelling toy designed to keep cats engaged without any human input. Once tapped, the Cheerble Ball springs into action, using an internal motor and sensor array to roll, bounce, and pivot in unpredictable directions. It runs in 10-minute bursts followed by 30-minute breaks, mimicking natural hunting rhythms. And it's built smart: obstacle-avoidance tech helps it dodge furniture legs, rug edges, and corners where lesser toys get stuck.

When it comes to curating a dating profile, singletons may spend countless hours deciding which photographs show their best angles. But experts now suggest that attraction really is just about the animals you're shot with, as 76 per cent of daters would be tempted to swipe right if a feline featured. Dating app, FindingTheOne, polled 2,000 of its users on their preferences and pet peeves when it comes to furry friends online. While dogs are usually deemed a man's best friend, results show they're certainly not the best wingmen, as just 41 per cent of users were tempted to date a pup's parent. Meanwhile, a startling 62 per cent wouldn't mind falling for a snake or lizard owner - and 23 per cent even find them'sexy'.

Your cat may not seem to be listening to you, but it's now believed that they recognize the names of their feline friends, and maybe your name as well, according to a recent study by Japanese researchers. Dogs have been known to follow human speech to some degree, but it had not been scientifically clear whether cats have a grasp of human languages. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software. Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.