Feline Anthrozoology and Cat Scientists!
Kris Hill from the Society for Companion Animal Research (SCAS) shares some feline highlights from the Worldwide Society of Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2024 Convention.
Anthrozoology is the tutorial examine of human interactions with different animals (together with cats!).
The annual Worldwide Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) Convention was hosted this yr (27-30 June 2024) by Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, UK.
The convention programme included diversified and insightful shows from students and professionals from world wide who’re working within the discipline of human-animal research. And though the sector is far broader, companion animals, together with cats, had been central to many themes and talks. A number of SCAS members had been in attendance, and presenting analysis funded by SCAS or associated to our mission and core goals.
We additionally had a stand to share our sources and encourage new members to affix (see right here for extra details about SCAS membership, together with lowered charges for college students).
Left to proper: Kris Hill, Vangelis Diamantakos, Liz Ormerod (SCAS Chair), and Christel Moons
A number of shows targeted totally on cats and cat-human relations. These included research on 1) cat behaviours, 2) cat welfare, 3) human attitudes to predation by cats, and 4) the medical and social advantages of the cat-human bond.
1. Cat behaviour
Dr. James Serpell from College of Pennsylvania, USA, introduced analysis findings from a mission that studied fetching behaviours in cats: Prevalence and Traits of Fetching Conduct in Owned Home Cats (Felis Catus).
Photograph taken by creator
2. Cat welfare
Dr Allison Andrukonis from Virginia Tech, USA, introduced analysis into the efficacy of potential measures that may be applied to scale back stress in shelter cats (lowered urination is an indication of stress): The Impact of Additional Area and Gentling on Urine Output in Shelter Cats.
Photograph taken by creator
3. Human attitudes to cat behaviours
Megan Barker from Merrist Wooden College Centre, UK, shared findings from their analysis on the attitudes and willingness of UK cat house owners to implement measures that may cut back the influence of wildlife predation by their cats: Bells, Bibs, and Past: Investigating Components that Affect UK Cat House owners’ Willingness to Mitigate Wildlife Predation.
Photograph taken by creator
4. Medical and social advantages to people
Héloïse Vesque-Annear from the Catholic College of Lille, France, introduced analysis on the advantages resident cats conferred on older adults with dementia: Impact of “Resident Cats” on the Well being and Social Community of Older Adults With Alzheimer’s or Disabilities in Nursing Houses.
Photograph taken by creator
A key goal of SCAS is to lift consciousness of the significance of defending the human-animal bond. That is particularly so with regards to older individuals coming into care amenities, as illustrated by the story of Edith and her cat Freddie.
Are you aware of a care residence (wherever on the earth) that has gone above and past to assist hold an older individual and their beloved cat collectively? If that’s the case, please take into account nominating them for the Bob Harvey Award to recognise and have a good time their good work.
Many talks engaged with analysis associated to companion animals, together with cats. For instance, Animal Hoarding Dysfunction is a psychological sickness that has devastating results on the people affected, their communities, and causes immense animal struggling. A wealth of analysis is being performed on the human-companion animal (pet) bond and the function of pets in human well being and wellbeing. A keynote presentation by Prof. Hal Herzog mentioned the science surrounding the so-called ‘Pet impact’ and Prof. Aubrey Nice’s lecture mentioned the function of animals in little one psychology and counselling.
Animal-assisted companies (AAS) includes companion animal species being utilized in therapeutic or studying contexts, and analysis on this space additionally seems on the welfare and wellbeing of the animals concerned in these actions.
On the ultimate day of the convention, SCAS held a workshop on the ‘SCAS Code of Observe: Shifting In the direction of a UK Consensus for Minimal Requirements in Animal Assisted Interventions.’
The SCAS code of follow is a dwelling doc that goals to function a gold normal for finest practices that defend each people and animals concerned in Animal Assisted Companies (AAS) (previously known as Animal Assisted Interventions, AAI).
Photograph by creator
An replace on the standing of the revised SCAS Code of Observe will probably be introduced on the Annual SCAS Convention on Sunday 20 October 2024. The SCAS Convention (On-line) brings collectively practitioners and researchers to assist form the way forward for secure and compassionate Animal Help Companies (AAS) by way of interdisciplinary innovation. Register right here to affix.
It was disappointing that there have been no candidates for the ISAZ Penny L. Bernstein Human-Cat Interplay Scholar Journey Award this yr. The award is given in honour of the late Dr Bernstein, an anthrozoologist and animal behaviourist, whose major curiosity was in relationships with home cats. Hopefully in 2025 there will probably be extra college students presenting analysis targeted on cats!
There have been so many attention-grabbing talks and a lot to soak up, so I apologise for something I missed! Should you take a look at the profiles of presenters on the ISAZ convention, you could discover they’re educated in a variety of disciplines, together with psychology, animal behaviour, anthropology, and sociology, all of which may contribute to our understanding of cats and the cat-human bond.
Nonetheless, analysis into cat behaviour and cat-human relationships has numerous catching as much as do, with many extra research on canine behaviour and dog-human relationships.
World-renowned cat behaviourist, Dr. Dennis Turner, has mirrored on the questions that stay unanswered. That is properly value a learn for anybody eager about cats, however particularly college students contemplating making a profession out of finding out cats (fairly than simply finding out with cats).
In an article just lately printed in Vet File, SCAS member Dr. Sandra McCune shares how her profession developed from a shelter volunteer to veterinary nursing to turning into a number one researcher within the discipline of human-animal interactions. A lot of Sandra’s educational profession has been targeted on understanding and serving to our feline associates.
For anybody contemplating finding out anthrozoology, there are a rising variety of universities and schools world wide providing programs in Anthrozoology and associated topics.
Pexel
Comply with us on FB and Twitter (@SCASuk), and you should definitely retweet posts from us and our companions on #PetsInHousing
SCAS is the UK’s main human-companion animal bond organisation by way of funding analysis, offering training, elevating consciousness, encouraging finest follow, and influencing the event of insurance policies and practices that help the human-companion animal bond. For extra particulars take a look at our web site at www.scas.org.uk
Kris Hill from the Society for Companion Animal Research (SCAS) shares some feline highlights from the Worldwide Society of Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2024 Convention.
