Catnip, cat naps, and the history of house cats

This episode explores the fascinating history and behavior of domestic cats, blending historical insights with modern-day cat behavior.

1. Cats were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 10,000 years ago primarily to control pests.
2. Domestic cats today descend from two different lines of African wildcats.
3. Cat behavior, like their response to catnip, may have practical benefits, such as mosquito repellent.
4. Cats are not naturally nocturnal but crepuscular, being most active at dawn and dusk.
5. Modern domestic cats retain many traits of their wild ancestors despite thousands of years of domestication.

1: Meet Kitty the Cat Actor

Kitty the cat, featured in a film, shares her experiences on set, albeit causing some chaos in the studio.
Molly Bloom: "Your performance was perfect. You pulled off some serious stunts, Kitty, and you did them yourself, right?"

2: Visit to the Cat Cafe

The hosts visit a cat cafe, learning about cat adoption and engaging with multiple cats, discussing their traits and behaviors.
Molly Bloom: "A cat cafe is a cafe full of cats. Most are up for adoption."

3: Historical Insights

Exploration of the historical domestication of cats around 10,000 years ago and their role alongside humans in pest control.
Katarina: "Humans and cats started hanging out together at the end of the last ice age."

4: Cat Breeds and Traits

Discussion on the evolution of cat breeds and the minimal breeding compared to dogs, focusing on physical and behavioral traits.
Katarina: "Most cats were bred for their looks, and cat breeding wasn't a thing until the late 1800s."

5: Listener Questions

Answering listener questions about why cats lick themselves, their reactions to water, and the specifics of catnip's appeal.
Michael Delgado: "What's in catnip that cats like? It produces a specific chemical called nepetalactone."

1. Engage with your cat using toys and puzzles during the day to help them adapt to human sleep schedules.
2. Explore various plants like silver vine or Valerian to see if your cat prefers them over catnip.
3. Regular play sessions can improve pet health and strengthen the bond between you and your cat.
4. Consider adopting cats from shelters or cat cafes to give a home to those in need.
5. Learn about your cat's breed-specific traits to better cater to their health and behavioral needs.

Curious about cats? Us too! Join Molly and co-host Lynx as they sniff out the answers to some of your most pressing cat questions.

People

• Molly Bloom, Lynx, Kitty the Cat, Katarina, Michael Delgado

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Lynx
You're listening to Brainson, where we're serious about being curious. Brainson is supported in part by a grant from the National Science foundation.

Molly Bloom
Welcome to the brains on headquarters studio. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And I'm your co host, Lynx. We're here today with Kitty the cat, who is not only an adorable kitty, but also an accomplished cat actor. She's here to promote her starring role in the blockbuster hit how to train your kitty.

Hi, Kitty. First, I just want to say I loved the movie. Your performance was perfect. You pulled off some serious stunts, Kitty, and you did them yourself, right? No stunt, cat.

Oh, whoopsie daisy. You knocked over my coffee cup. It almost looked like you did that on purpose. I'll grab a paper towel. Thanks, Lynx.

Speaking of accidents, I heard there was a bit of a mishap during one of the stunts involving a truckload of kitty litter and twelve barrels of chocolate sauce. And you survived. Is the whole nine lives thing true? Ouch. Watch those claws, kitty.

Oop. Are you okay, Molly? Yeah, no problem. Kitties have claws and don't always mean it when they scratch. Isn't that right, Kitty?

Okay. So, Kitty, how was it wearing that hat in the cat in the hat heist scene? Oh, Kitty, let's not join the microphone wire. Okay, come. No, no.

The wire is not for eating. Ow. Okay, the wire is yours. Maybe we should wrap this up. What do you think, Lynx?

Lynx
Good idea, Molly. Kitty, any final thoughts you'd like to share about the filming process? Wait. No, Kitty, don't walk on the sound effects board. Kitty, come back.

Molly Bloom
You're listening to brains on from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom, and I'm here with Lynx from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Hi, Lynx. Hi, Molly. Our interview with Kitty the cat actor went a little haywire, but it was still really fun.

So we decided to go to a cat cafe to surround ourselves with even more cats. A cat cafe is a cafe full of cats. Most are up for adoption. It's a great way to find feline friends while you have a frappuccino. And at this cat cafe, there are cats everywhere.

Lynx
On the bookshelves, on the counter, all over the couches and tables, and rubbing. Up against my leg. Aw. Hi, kitten. Lynx, you sent us a question about cats.

Molly Bloom
What was it? I wanted to know when cats sleep. So I know you thought of this question several years ago. Do you still want to know the answer? I kind of already figured out the answer.

Ok, tell me what you think. Well, when I came up with a question, I noticed that my cats would. They didn't really seem to sleep deeply. Like they would be very easily woken up. So it was like, are they actually asleep, or are they just closing their eyes and resting?

What do you think now? I think they are sleeping, but just like evolution had them be able to wake up really easily so that they can survive. Smart. So you have cats. Can you please tell us how many you have?

Lynx
I have three of them. Their names are Lily, Kite, and stormy. And what do they look like? Kite is this tabby cat, but her stripes are more, like, wavy and splotchy. Lily is a tabby with, like, straight stripes, and stormy is black cat, who, in the sunlight, he actually looks like.

He's really dark brown. Cool. So what do you like about cats in general? I like how agile they are, and they're also really smart, so I like that. Nice.

Molly Bloom
So do you like to play with your cats? Yep. What's your favorite thing to do when you play with them? Drag a long string behind me as I run down the hallway. And they chase you.

Yeah, that's super fun. And how about relaxing with the cats? What's your favorite thing to do to relax with your cats? Probably read a book while they sit on me. Sometimes they end up sitting on the book, though.

That makes it hard to read. Yes. I feel like cats like to be right in the middle of the action. If you're on your computer, they're like, let me sit on the keyboard. It's like when you're reading, they're like, oh, don't read.

Lynx
Pay attention to me. Exactly. Well, you are not the only listener of brains on who loves our feline friends. We've received a lot of cat questions over the years. Hi, my name is Jonathan.

I live in Houston, Texas. My question is, why do we keep cats as pets? Hi. My name is Elodie from Halifax, and my question is, what's in catnip that cats lick? My name is May, and I'm from Thornton, Colorado.

And my question is, why do cats lick themselves? I wanna know why cats don't like water and dogs do. We'll answer those in a bit, but first. Aw, look at this little kitty coming up to me. Hello, Kitty.

Katarina
The cat's name is Reginald, and he does not appreciate being called a kitty when he is, in fact, a dignified, gentle cat. Oh. Hello, Reginald. I'm Katarina, the human who runs this place. I'm Molly.

Lynx
And I'm Lynx. We're here today to learn more about cats. That's too much espresso. Princess Meowser, if you thought herding cats was hard, try getting them to make lattes. What can I get for you?

Molly Bloom
We've got some cat questions that need answers. Like this one from Jonathan in Houston, Texas. Why do we keep cats as pets? This is a cat cafe, not a cat university. Do you want a coffee or not?

Oh, sure. Um, I'll have a decaf cat porcino. And I'll have the dandelion sun tea. Mister Nibbles, we need a decaf number four and a number eleven. Yes, I mean right away.

Katarina
Why is it so hard to find a cat that is both adorable and a good barista? Your drinks will be out in a minute or ten, and they may or may not be filled with cat hair. Caterina, do you think maybe you could tell us about why humans keep cats as pets? I mean, you do seem to know cats very well. I should think so.

I just did performance reviews with all of them. I've been running this cat cafe for the past 27 years and misses whiskers. Don't you dare lick that cappuccino. We just talked about this yesterday. Most cats are lactose intolerant, so they shouldnt have dairy.

But yeah, I can help answer your question. Humans and cats started hanging out together around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. And itll be the next ice age before Mister Meowser remembers to wash his paws before returning to work. Um, what? Nevermind.

Anyway, around that time, the earth was getting warmer and humans started farming for the first time in history. They were farming cats. What? No food and stuff? A lot of these farms were in a part of the world called the Fertile Crescent.

And speaking of crescents, Captain Caterwaul, I can smell the almond croissants in the oven. They're burning. Oh my gosh. La croissant aux deux monde. They're burning fine.

Il Brule. Do you need to go help with that? No, he's fine. He's just such a snob about his french pastries, so you would think he would remember to set a timer. Anyway, where was I?

Lynx
Around 10,000 years ago, people were farming in the fertile crescent, which is in the area we now call the Middle east. That includes countries like Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Iraq. Right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Anyway, these farms were growing lots of wheat, barley, and other grains.

Katarina
The farmers needed to store these grains so they could eat them later. But the mice living around these farms were like, wait, what if we ate all these grains now. So mice came to eat up all the wheat and stuff the farmers were growing. Uh huh. And the cats came to eat up all the mice.

But these cats weren't like the ones we know today. They were african wild cats. Solitary creatures, just a bit bigger and more muscular than pet cats are today. They're yellowish brown and striped, sort of like a tiger. So these wild cats hung around farms because they knew they were guaranteed to find mouse snacks.

You just had to say mouse snacks. Everybody just chill out. No, I don't have any mouse snacks for you today. But there are some burnt croissants in the kitchen. Hey, you can't all take your break at the same time.

Well, might be a longer wait for your beverages. That's okay. This history is fascinating. Anyway, after a while, farmers must have realized that these wild cats were great at catching rodents. So they probably invited them to stay.

Or at least didnt shoo them away. So thats when cats made the jump from farms to laps. Yes and no. Thats when cats started hanging out with humans more. But were they friendly with each other?

Or were cats and people more like coworkers who both wanted to get rid of mice? We dont know. But archaeologists did discover a grave in modern day Cyprus from about 10,000 years ago that contained a mandev and a cat. He must have loved the cat if he was buried with it. I suppose so.

And that's how we know at least some cats probably started becoming pets around that time. Archaeologists also found mummified pet cats in ancient Egypt from about 6000 years ago. Oh, yes. Did you know the ancient Egyptians domesticated african wildcats a second time? This was completely different from the fertile crescent cats.

Scientists analyzed cat ancestry and realized cats today come from two different african wild cat lines.

Lynx
Whoa. What was that? Probably Captain Caterwaul and his band of artistes getting creative again. If I find paw prints on the menus again, no one is getting promoted but the Egyptians. Yes, they loved their pet cats.

Katarina
Cats kept ancient Egyptians safe from animals like snakes and scorpions and were even mummified alongside their owners. Sometimes ancient Egyptians mummified mice too. To keep the kitties company in the afterlife. Doctor Zhivago, what is in your mouth? Is that a mouse?

A mouse in my cafe?

Molly Bloom
Shh. Shh. Doctor Dhivago outside. Now. Whoa.

Lynx
That mouse came to the wrong cafe. There's no way this place is up to health code. Can I get you to anything while I wait for your beverages? I dont know whats going on back there. No.

Molly Bloom
Were okay, right lynx. Yeah. So how did cats get from the fertile crescent to the rest of the world? Well, farmers and traders in the fertile crescent probably introduced cats to parts of Europe, and egyptian cats made their way to places like Germany on viking ships. Vikings loved cats because they helped control rat and mouse populations on their ships.

Katarina
These kitties sailed around the world and hopped off ships in Europe and beyond. Like pudding drop, his familys from Hawaii and his employee of the week. Arent you, my little puddy? Wow, pudding drop is gorgeous. Ive never seen an all white cat with blue eyes.

Molly Bloom
Neither have I. If all domesticated cats are descended from striped african wild cats, how did we get white cats like pudding drop? Mmm. Because of breeding. Breeding is when humans encourage animals with certain traits to have babies so their babies look or act a certain way.

So breeds are like different versions of animals? Yes, like dalmatians and bulldogs. Both dogs, very different breeds. There are lots of different dog breeds, but not so much with cats. Why?

Katarina
Because humans have done way more dog breeding than cat breeding. Dogs were bred to do jobs like herding sheep or helping firefighters. Cats, sadly, have not been, which is why they make such questionable baristas. Most cats were bred for their looks, and cat breeding also wasnt a thing until the late 18 hundreds. While dog breeding is much older, so cats havent had as much time to change.

Theyre still pretty similar to their wild ancestors. How many cat breeds are there? Around 45, maybe more. Did you just ask to hear my song about my favorite breeds? No.

Come join me around the piano. No, no, Petunia, no. Off the keys. You have to learn how to clean the espresso machine before you get promoted to accompanist. Okay, here we go.

My song about cat breeds. This is my happy place.

Kitties. They are perfect in every single way. Ones that like to be alone and ones that like to play. Purebreds. They are finicky, fancy and for show, but they are cats just the same and breeds are fun to know so here's a little titty to keep each type in mind.

Listen on to hear a list of all the breeds I find divine.

Bengals, they are spotted like a ladybug. Maine coons, they are gentle, good for a furry hug. Garfield is a Persian, an orange and lazy cat. Sphynxes, they are hairless. They look a bit like birds.

Ragamuffins can do tricks, go saggy in your arms siamese like to meow, sound off the alarm. These are breeds I like best. There are so many more. Scritchy scratch. What's that?

More kitties at my door. Bravo. Nice work. So wonderful. Thank you.

Four years at juilliard, and here I am, managing a coffee shop full of cats. Really putting my talents to use. Hey, do you hear that scratching sound? And that's squeaking. Is that another mouse?

A mouse? Definitely not. You must be mistaken. But I do need to visit the lavatory, if you'll excuse me. Ha ha.

Doctor Zhivago. Where is it? Where is the mouse? I know I just heard it. All right, well, speaking of sounds, it's time for the.

Mystery sound.

Molly Bloom
Alright, lynx, are you ready to hear it? Yeah. Great. Here it is.

What do you think? Sounds kind of like waves because it gets louder and then it gets softer and louder and softer. I guess it also made me think of an angry swarm of bees. Mmm. Okay.

Yes, I can hear both of those. I also have no idea what this is. So maybe it's an angry swarm of bees in the ocean playing in the waves. That seems unlikely. You're correct.

You're correct. You wanna hear it again? Yeah. Okay, let's hear it again.

What do you think? There's, like, the getting louder, softer, louder, softer sound, but then there's also a sound in the background that's steady all the time. Yeah. What could that be? I'm gonna guess someone blow drying their fancy cat's hair.

I think maybe your ocean guess is better. But, you know, we're gonna find out. Do you have anything? I guess it could also be that thing where you. Leaf blower.

Oh, yeah, totally. I could hear that. Like, someone just going outside and like. Oh, or a vacuum cleaner. Oh, vacuum cleaner.

Lynx
That's a really good guess because when you do a vacuum cleaner, you kind of move it forward, backward, forward, backward. So. And the angry bees are the ones doing the vacuuming? No, no. Okay, that's a totally different.

Yeah, that's separate. That's separate. Okay, I love that. Excellent guess. Well, we'll hear it again.

Molly Bloom
Have another chance to guess and hear the answer after the credits. So stick around, listeners. We love getting mail from you. Head to brainson.org contact to send us your mystery sounds, drawings and questions like this one. My question is, how do owls turn their heads 360 degrees?

You can find answers to questions like these on the moment of, um podcast. A short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find moment of um and more@brainson.org. Dot so keep listening.

Brains on universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of brains on, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. Entering brains on universe to find my favorite podcasts. Brains on.

Katarina
Smash. Boom. Best forever ago. Picking up signals. Smash.

Boom. Best the smart bunny debate show. Squeeze, squeeze. Skitter, scoo. Skitter, tail tails.

Molly Bloom
Tail turn, tail, turn. Skitter, skitter, skitter, skitter, tail, turn. Is that a rat noise I hear? That is a rat noise. You know, classic rat noise.

Lynx
Tell tale tale. Turn, turn, skitter, zorp. Where did the signal go? Must find signal. Smash.

Katarina
Boom. Best now.

Molly Bloom
Listen to smash. Boom. Best wherever you get your podcasts.

Lynx
Brain za sauce. You're listening to brains on. I'm Lynx. And I'm Molly, and we're back in the studio at brains on headquarters. That cat cafe was fun, but I am pretty sure there was cat hair all up in my drink, which took 20 minutes to make.

It was fun watching all the kitties, though. It was quite captivating. Yeah, those cats were very tail ended. Uh, yeah, sort of. The catmisphere.

Molly Bloom
There was perfect. Molly, the line between witty banter and dad jokes is a thin one. I think you mean kitty banter and cat jokes, Molly. Okay, you're right. You're right.

I can't resist a punitive. We have to focus. We have tons of listener questions about cats, and not a lot of time to answer them. Here to help is author, scientist, and cat behavior expert Michael Delgado. Michael, of course, is a cat person as well.

Michael Delgado
I have three cats. Their names are Ruby Coriander and Professor Scribbles. Professor Scribbles. I know such a great name. Okay, let's get right to it.

Molly Bloom
Here's our first question. Why do cats lick themselves? They're creating this identity through their scent. When they lick themselves all over their body, their breath has a distinct smell, and they're probably distributing that all over themselves so that other cats will recognize them. And they also are just doing it to stay clean.

Michael Delgado
And I think probably it's perhaps, like, a pleasant thing. Like, if you think about cats who really enjoy being brushed or petted, like, they like that touch, and so maybe it's, like, know, scratching an itch. It feels good. So cool. Also, fun fact, cat tongues are covered in tiny hooks made of the same stuff our fingernails are made out of.

Molly Bloom
So it's like they're scratching their own backs with lots of tiny fingernails. Okay, next question. What's in catnip that cats like? People always have questions about catnip and what it is that their cat is doing when they interact with catnip. It's a plant, but it produces a specific chemical called napedalactone.

Michael Delgado
They roll in it, they rub on it, they chew it, they sniff it. Now, the cool thing about catnip is you might think, like, why would they do this? Like, what would be the benefit of rubbing on a plant and sniffing it and chewing it? And research has also shown that the chemicals in catnip and other similar plants is that these chemicals repel mosquitoes. And so it's possible that one of the reasons that cats have this response to catnip is when they rub on it and roll in it, it's like putting mosquito repellent on themselves, making them less likely to get bitten by mosquitoes.

So not only does it feel good, but it protects them from mosquito bites. I think that's pretty cool. Cats also like to rub and roll in other plants. Silver vine is one of them. Tetarian honeysuckle is another.

Valerian is another one. So don't limit your cat's fun to just catnip. Yeah, not all cats are into catnip, but they might like one of these other plants. Give them a try. Do your cats like catnip?

Lynx
Lily does the others, not so much. So you gotta try the other ones, maybe. Here's our next listener question. I wanna know why cats don't like water and dogs do. First of all, I want to correct this assumption that all dogs like water.

Michael Delgado
That is not true. Likewise, not all cats like water. A few breeds seem to like water, but most cats don't like water. Being wet is uncomfortable for cats. They groom themselves so much, and, you know, the water is going to make their fur very heavy, and so then they're going to have to groom all that water off.

So that could be part of it is just doesn't feel good to them. However, what I will say is that a lot of cats do like to play with water. So it's not like they're, like, afraid of any interaction with water. I have these little fish toys that when I put them in water, they kind of wave around. My cats like to dunk their paws in and play with the fish.

And the other thing I think people need to know is, like, you should not need to bathe your cat. There's a few breeds that do need to be bathed. Those are usually the hairless breeds. They can get, like, cheesy stuff in their skin. It's kind of gross.

But your average short haired or long haired cat should never need a bath. I've never actually bathed any of my cats. They take very good care of themselves. They like to groom themselves and keep themselves very clean. So for most cats, there's just not a lot of reason for them to get in the water.

Molly Bloom
To be fair, I don't really like getting wet either. All right, our final question comes from you, Lynx. When do cats sleep? Cats sleep a lot. So cats are interesting.

Michael Delgado
I think a lot of people think that cats are naturally nocturnal and that they stay up all night, and that's not necessarily true. Cats are naturally crepuscular, and that word means that they're active at dawn and dusk, so that is when their prey is naturally active. So mice and birds tend to be more frisky at dawn and dusk. So cats are naturally just, their body says, like, oh, you should be alert and active right now because this is a hunting opportunity and that really hasn't changed. So you will notice that cats get the zoomies, you know, eight, nine pm, they're running around, and then maybe, you know, as the sun's coming up, they're, they're starting to stir and, and show interest in what's going on around them.

I personally like for cats to sleep at night because that's when their humans are usually sleeping. So I always encourage people to play with their cats a lot during the day. Make sure you're giving your cats things to do during the day, like toys to play with and, you know, problem solving opportunities, like a food puzzle where they have to interact with a little toy to get treats or kibble out. Things that will keep your cat awake during the day and that will help them sleep more overnight so they don't wake their human up. Playing with your cat is fun, and it helps them sleep better.

Lynx
Win win. So for all you kiddies listening out there, it's time to go night night. And our cat cafe friend Caterina has a little lullaby to whisker you off into a meowsing dreams. Kitties get the zoomies at bedtime and at dawn. Then they snooze through breakfast.

Katarina
Breakfast find lunchtime quite a yawn. Catnaps are their specialty. Cozy, short, and sweet curl up with your kitty for a snuggly treat.

Molly Bloom
Pet cats are descended from african wildcats. They were first domesticated around 10,000 years ago in the fertile crescenthenne, which is now the Middle east. Today there are over 45 special breeds. But cats haven't changed much over the years. They're still pretty similar to their wild ancestors.

Lynx
They lick their fur to stay clean and make themselves smell unique. Lots of cats love catnip, and it might help keep mosquitoes away, and they. Take lots of little naps, up to 20 hours a day. That's it for this episode of Brains on. This episode was written and produced by.

Molly Bloom
Molly Bloom and Rosie Dupont. Our editors are Sandin Totten and Shayla Farzan. Fact checking by Nico Gonzalez Whistler. We had engineering help from Derek Ramirez with sound design and original music by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez.

Lynx
We had production help from the rest of the brains on Universe team. Anna Goldfield, Ruby Guthrie, Lauren Humpert, Joshua. Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver, Anna Weigel, and Aron Woldesawasi. Beth Perlman is our executive producer, and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Juan Garzon, Clara Salgado, and Matthias.

Brainson is a nonprofit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show. Subscribe to Brains on Universe on YouTube, where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes, or head to brainson.org dot. While youre there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions. Okay, Lynx, are you ready to listen to that mystery sound again?

Yeah.

Molly Bloom
Okay, so last time you were like, leaf blower, vacuum ocean, angry bees. I was like, maybe a blow dryer. What do we think? I think vacuum cleaner cleaning cat fur from a rug. Yes.

I like that idea a lot. You can kind of hear this section disconnecting and then connecting. I love it. And it's also kind of recognizable because when my mom vacuums, it's so annoying. You're like, I am familiar.

All right, should we hear the answer, see if we got it right? Yes. Okay, here it is. Hi, my name is Rory. I'm from Erie, Colorado.

Lynx
The sound you just heard was the sound of a rowing machine. And what I like about that sound is it sounds like the wind. A rowing machine. Have you seen a rowing machine? Oh, yeah, my dad has one.

Oh, it does sound like that. So the wave guess was kind of similar because it has water. Totally. Okay, so you were right. You were, like, very close.

Yes. I'm giving it to you. Water. Water. A rowing machine.

Molly Bloom
So a rowing machine is like a piece of exercise equipment? Yeah. You, like, pretend you're rowing a boat? Basically. Basically.

Now it's time for the brains honor roll. These are the kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. Izzy, from Los Angeles. Josiah, from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Logan, from Vallejo, California.

Jeremy and Ezra, from Newtown, Pennsylvania. Emmett, from Parkville, Maryland. Aaliyah, from Oakland, California. Lucas and Eliana from Tulsa Rayanj from San Francisco Lilia from Thousand Oaks, California Sawyer from Lake Worth, Florida evelyn from Burnaby, British Columbia ruby from Vashon Island, Washington Thomas from Pacheco, California Emmett from Bolton, England Samson from Thornbury, Ontario Liam and Margot from New Orleans miles and Reed from Fairfax, Virginia Sawyer from Austin, Texas Ezra from Owings, Maryland Willow and piper from Chicago Cora from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Jack from Zeeland, Michigan Olivia from Silver Spring, Maryland Julian and Zoe from Pacifica, California William from Melbourne, Australia donvi from Plano, Texas Alina and Adam from Toronto ebby from New York Nate from Homewood, Illinois Maya and Isaac from Ithaca, New York Lucas and violet from Minneapolis Lola from south Portland, Maine Asa from Chicago anoush from Chicago Maria and Hazel from Falmouth, Massachusetts Eli from Denver Leah from Ojai, California Gabriel from Beverly Hills, Michigan Lin Yao from Newton, Massachusetts Sanka and Sadaf from Olympia, Washington Aline from Bangkok Jovana from Newtown, Connecticut Ana Sophia from Italy Elias from Zeeland, Michigan Quinn, Ella, and Simone from Kailua, Hawaii Julian from Lake Oswego, Oregon Mae from Lagrange, Illinois Nora from Atlanta miles from Kingsville, Ontario Freya from Humboldt, California Annika from Taylorsville, Utah Mason from Santa Cruz, California Zeno from Chicago Evett from Boulder City, Nevada Sean from Edmonton, Alberta Jonah from North Carolina Leo from Kenya Eloise and kit from Pittsburgh Eliana from Citrus Heights, California Eleanor from Columbus, Ohio Samuel from Trenton, New Jersey Ezra from Portland, Maine Pauline from Culver City, California Navi from Singapore Naomi from Abingdon, Pennsylvania and Nico from Anchorage, Alaska.

We'll be back next week with an episode all about singing. Thanks for listening.

Lynx
Thanks for listening.