f e l i n e
Choosing Choice Andrea Carne examines a new study that reveals the benefits of allowing cats choice in interaction
© Can Stock Photo / Eillen1981
For cats who share their home with other cats, choice of resources is important so competition is reduced and antagonistic behaviors such as resource guarding are less able to be carried out effectively
C
hoice. Such a small word. Only six letters. And yet I can think of no other word that has more power when it comes to modifying and managing cat behavior. I speak to clients (and anyone else who’ll listen) A LOT about this lit tle word and how it can have so many positive effects on a cat’s well being, including their physical health and their bond with their humans. Cats that have choice are happy cats and happy cats are healthy cats. It’s a phrase I use often and I back it up with anecdotal evidence from the many cats I have helped over my time as a behavior consultant.
By providing a large variety of resources throughout the home, cats have more choice in where they carry out their essential routines of eating, drinking, toileting and sleeping. If they share their home with other cats, choice of resources becomes even more important.
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BARKS from the Guild/November 2021
But it’s always gratifying to hear of some new scientific evidence that supports your belief in a particular aspect of this work, as it helps convince owners that there is real relevance to what you are saying. Imagine how thrilled I was, then, to read a new study by Haywood et al. (2021), which adds some scientific weight to my love of this word, ‘choice.’ Carried out by a team of researchers at Nottingham Trent Uni versity in the UK, the study found that giving cats choice about being petted not only resulted in less aggression but actually made cats more affectionate. It also concluded that being in tune with a cat’s behavior and body language, and taking care as to where a cat likes to be stroked, improved the relationship between human and feline. The team worked with 100 feline residents of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London and a group of human volunteers to test the effi cacy of a simple set of guidelines for petting cats. Using the acronym ‘CAT,’ the guidelines encourage people to provide Choice and Control for the cat, pay Attention to their behavior and body language, and con sider where best to Touch the cat when they get to that point. To break that down a little:
