Dear Austin,

I love a predictable schedule. Knowing when to eat, sleep and answer your questions keeps me chill.

That how the cells that make up our bodies work, too. They grow and die on a predictable schedule. Our bodies constantly make new cells to replace the ones that die. They grow for a set time and then die, too.

But sometimes cells grow out of control. They may grow faster or for a longer time than normal cells. They ignore the signals that tell a cell it’s time to die. They can even spread to other parts of the body and start growing … » More …

Dear Lily,

I love thinking about things I can’t see with just my eyes. Like the atoms that make up everything.

I asked my friend Fred Gittes how to figure out the number of atoms in a leaf. He’s a physicist at Washington State University.

He showed me a worksheet he gives his students. It included a question exactly like yours!

“It’s a question I assign college students for fun,” Gittes said.

So, you’re in great company when you ponder big questions like this.

We decided to use stoichiometry to find the answer. That’s a kind of math that scientists do to understand … » More …

Dear Malcolm,

I was surprised the first time I saw a human transform into a tickle monster. They curled up their fingers and rhythmically poked someone else’s armpits. That is something a cat would never do.

I asked my friend John Wright about it. He’s a retired psychology professor at Washington State University.

I learned that there are two kinds of tickling.

The first is the light tickle you feel when someone gently brushes your skin. Like when someone uses a feather to barely touch the inside of your arm. Scientists call that knismesis.

It turns out you can totally tickle yourself that … » More …

Dear Jeff,

The worst thing about being an anthropomorphic cat is that I have to scoop my own litter box. It’s a real drag.

I asked my friend Henry Mroch why we need to pee in the first place. He’s a doctor at Washington State University. He teaches medical students about the organs that make urine—called kidneys.

He told me that most people have two kidneys. Each one is about the size of your fist. They sit near your back, right under your ribcage.

Each kidney attaches to a tube called a ureter. Those tubes take urine to a storage pouch—called the … » More …

Dear Grant, William and Kate,

When I was a kitten, I liked to scratch tree trunks. I loved sinking my claws into their bark. Now I mostly hug trees—but I still love the way bark feels under my paws.

I asked my friend Henry Adams why trees have that tough outer layer. He’s a tree scientist at Washington State University.

He told me that bark protects trees.

“Bark is like our skin,” Adams said. “It protects trees from all kinds of attackers that might want to get in—like viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects or even non-living things like fire.”

Dear Kingston,

When we think about orbits, we usually picture the Earth zooming around the sun. But does the sun just sit there? Or is it on its own journey?

I asked my friend Guy Worthey. He’s a space scientist at Washington State University.

He told me that an orbit happens because the gravity from something big pulls on a moving object. The sun has lots of gravity because it’s ginormous compared to Earth. So, that gravity pulls on the Earth and holds us in orbit.

But our sun isn’t the only star. It’s one of many, many stars in the Milky … » More …

Dear Jalane,

I’ve always been a bookish cat. I spend most of my time in the lab rather than running, prowling and pouncing like most felines.

But I still have super strong muscles. They’re way bigger than when I was a kitten.

I asked my friend Edward Johnson how I got so buff. He teaches classes about the human body in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University.

He told me that muscles are made of muscle cells. They’re also called muscle fibers or myocytes.

We usually think cells are way too small to see with our eyes. But … » More …

Dear Seth,

Since I’m a fluffy cat, my fur protects me from the sun. But my hairless cat and human friends use sunscreen when they go outside.

I asked my friend Michael Smerdon how it works. He’s a biochemist at Washington State University.

He told me that the sun puts out different kinds of light. Some light is visible to humans. Some is invisible—like UV light.

Dear Fiona,

When I was a kitten, I loved chasing butterflies. It’s fun to run after them as they flit and flutter.

But I didn’t eat them.

I asked my friend Rich Zack if that was an oversight. He’s an insect scientist at Washington State University.

He told me that insects are animals with muscles just like other animals that people eat—like cows and chickens.

“Insect muscle tissue is almost exactly the same as mammalian muscle tissue,” Zack said. “So, if there were a way to get that muscle tissue and process it, you could eat an insect steak or an insect hamburger.”

Dear Lebron,

One of my favorite sights is when geese fly south in a “V” formation. As a cat, I’m pretty independent. So, I think it’s amazing to see birds fly together like that.

I talked about why birds migrate with my friend Heather Watts. She’s a biologist at Washington State University. She studies important animal behaviors like migration.

She told me that migration is a movement animals make that’s outside their normal day-to-day pattern. It’s usually a temporary movement. They leave for a little while and then come back.

Lots of animals migrate, but we usually think of birds doing it. The … » More …