Ever wondered what it's like to be a cat, wandering wherever your kitty senses dictate, taking in the sights and sounds of the world from less than a foot off the ground? If so, these viral videos of a cat going about his day can give you a little taste of feline freedom.

The owner of a cat named Snowy put a first-person POV camera on his collar to record footage of Snowy's outdoor adventures. You can follow along as Snowy explores the neighborhood, chases birds, meets other cats, encounters random humans and more.

Watch:

Day in the life of a outdoor cat 📷🐈#cats #meow

"Of all the women in the world…" Well, now we all want to know what that woman was talking about. Darn.

Also, did you see how we just climbed a tree? Isn't that something? Snowy's little paws moving along the ground are so darn cute, but his effortlessly navigating the tops of narrow fences is really freaking impressive.

Cats have agility and abilities that humans simply don't, so watching the world through a cat's perspective is wild. For instance, watch Snowy effortlessly jump from ledge to ledge high above the ground in pursuit of a taunting magpie.

Day in the life of snowy being teased by a magpie bird 🐦 🐈 WATCH TILL THE END!!#cats #meow

Making friends as a cat seems to be a complicated matter. You never know if you're going to get a growl and hiss, a come-hither stare or a casual roll-about from the neighborhood cats.

I put a camera on Snowy and found this 🐈 📷 #cats #meow

Nevertheless, Snowy seems quite determined—and quite vocal about it.

I finally know where my cat goes 🐈 #cat #catsoftiktok

Snowy's videos have millions of views as people seem to adore following in the feline's footsteps (literally).

"Nah cos I would quit my job lay in bed all day with snacks and watch cat cam."

"I wanna see everything from a cat pov now idc."

"It's my first time being a cat."

"I can’t believe I just watched bro climb a tree."

"Did anyone else watch this and get jealous they aren't a cat or am I super weird?"

"Ur cat should get paid. He's a reality TV full-time actor"

"This is totally better than ANYTHING on Netflix…."

"Best thing I’ve seen on the internet today. I need to watch every cat pov out there 👀🖤"

"Do I have a cat? No. Do I like cats? No. Did I watch the whole video? Yes."

"I’m jealous of cats they are just born with the best parkour skills."

Some people in the comments complained about cat owners letting their cats roam around outside, while others defended the practice, saying that being outside supports cats' natural instincts.

via GIPHY

Those natural instincts are actually part of the reason wildlife advocates advise cat owners to keep them indoors. Domestic cats are considered a non-native predators and they kill billions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year, according to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Cats are, unfortunately, incredibly efficient killers. But it's not just their hunting instincts that are the problem; their presence, especially during nesting season, can put stress on wildlife and cause animals to leave their young for unnaturally long periods of time.

Veterinarians also recommend keeping cats indoors for their own safety. As the American Veterinary Medical Association writes, "Free-roaming cats may have a reduced life span and be exposed to injury, suffering, and death from vehicles; attacks from other animals; euthanasia; human cruelty; poisons; traps; and weather extremes," and also, "Free-roaming increases the cat’s exposure to infectious, parasitic, and zoonotic disease."

(Of course, people make different choices with their cats based on different philosophies and circumstances, so we needn't judge anyone harshly. It's just good to have all the information.)

However people feel about outdoor cats, there's no question that seeing the world through Snowy's eyes is pretty darn delightful. Cats are curious creatures, so getting to follow them around from their perspective is really something.

You can follow more of Snowy's adventures on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Imagine being a 12-year-old girl in a small town who’s interested in computers. You’ve learned a bit of programming online, but you don’t know anyone who works in the tech field and your school district doesn’t have the kinds of classes you need to explore further.

How likely would you be to keep and pursue that interest?

Since the internet changed everyone’s lives in the 1990s, there’s been a push for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Universal reliance on technology has made STEM careers not just desirable but vital, and the speed at which those fields are moving means we need young people to stay interested in them.

Research indicates that we’ve largely succeeded in reaching kids when they’re young—children demonstrate a deep fascination with STEM subjects up to age 11. But something shifts during adolescence. Past age 11, interest in STEM starts to wane, often dissipating by age 15.

The question is why.

To get to the bottom of this STEM age/interest gap mystery, wireless carrier UScellular partnered with developmental psychologist and researcher Richard Rende, Ph.D. Through a state-of-the-art analysis of the research, Dr. Rende helped uncover the barriers that prevent youth—particularly girls and those living in rural communities—from maintaining and nurturing their interest in STEM.

Students taking a STEM field tripPhoto courtesy of UScellular

Dr. Rende found that keeping kids from losing STEM interest as they become teens requires programs that are equitable, relatable, relevant and supportive.

Here’s what those four drivers look like in practice:

Equitable

- Bringing STEM programs to rural areas that don’t have access to advanced courses or school-based curriculum
- Countering the notion that STEM isn’t for everyone and offering buffers for when kids are confronted with stereotypes or biases

Relatable

- Exposing girls to women in STEM professions who share similar backgrounds in smaller and rural communities
- Having STEM professionals share their experiences growing up so youth don’t see them as “superheroes” doing something unattainable

Relevant

- Programs and field trips that demonstrate how STEM is applied, especially in ways that connect to the local environment or technology kids already use
- Incorporating kids’ voices to help guide the elements of a program

Supportive

- Provide supportive mentorship, especially when projects become more complicated and require emotion regulation and resilience
- Teach cognitive skills that will help kids believe they have the capacity to succeed in STEM subjects

Kids learning about cell towers from Cheryl Dennard, Senior Manager of Core Services Engineering at UScellularPhoto courtesy of UScellular

To test out his findings before sharing them with the world, Dr. Rende worked with UScellular’s non-profit partner, YWCA, which has an after-school and summer program called TechGYRLS, designed to inspire girls in grades 3 to 8 to consider future careers in STEM fields. Together they created a refreshed STEM program guide incorporating Dr. Rende’s research and worked with focus groups at various YWCA locations to get feedback.

“What we see to date is that programming and mentoring to ‘train’ kids to be STEM people is not always enough to sustain and encourage interest during the transition to adolescence, especially for underserved youth,” says Dr. Rende. “We need to help them see the opportunities in STEM that spark their curiosity and gain belief that they can confidently explore all the possibilities available to them in STEM, including those that go beyond the traditional STEM careers like mathematician or scientist. It could be a vet, a nurse, wireless network engineer, arborist, audio engineer, turf scientist, or mechanical engineer and may not be a career that requires years and years of higher education.”

After-school enrichment programs like YWCA’s TechGYRLS can be found in communities all over the country, and parents, guardians and teachers can help the kids in their communities by identifying similar programs and encouraging them to participate. If teachers or youth-focused non-profits want to create their own STEM program, Dr. Rende’s whitepaper can help inform their approach and design to keep kids interested.

UScellular and YWCA are working on a digital version of the program guide to increase access for even more youth and help educators improve their STEM programming. Longer term, the perceptions and attitudes of the TechGYRLS participants will be measured to evaluate if the current decline in STEM interest is being reduced or averted. Advancing innovation requires people who pursue careers in........

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