Modification of the Feline-Ality™ Assessment and the Ability to Predict Adopted Cats' Behaviors in Their New Homes.

Emily Weiss,Emily Dolan,Margaret Slater,Natasha Drain,Shannon Gramann

doi:10.3390/ani5010071

Emily Weiss, Emily Dolan + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5010071

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Abstract

Simple SummaryWhile millions of cats enter animal shelters every year, only 11.5% of pet cats are obtained from a shelter in the United States. Previous research has indicated that unrealistic expectations set by adopters can increase the chances of an adopted cat returning to the shelter. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ adoption program was designed to provide adopters with accurate information about an adult cat’s future behavior in the home. This research explored the ability of the modified Feline-ality™ assessment when done one day after the cat entered the shelter. Our modified version was predictive of feline behavior post adoption.It is estimated that 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters in the United States every year and as few as 20% leave the shelter alive. Of those adopted, the greatest risk to post-adoption human animal bond is unrealistic expectations set by the adopter. The ASPCA®’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ adoption program was developed to provide adopters with an accurate assessment of an adult cat’s future behavior in the home. However, the original Feline-ality™ required a three-day hold time to collect cat behaviors on a data card, which was challenging for some shelters. This research involved creating a survey to determine in-home feline behavior post adoption and explored the predictive ability of the in-shelter assessment without the data card. Our results show that the original Feline-ality™ assessment and our modified version were predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Our modified version also decreased hold time for cats to one day. Shelters interested in increasing cat adoptions, decreasing length of stay and improving the adoption experience can now implement the modified version for future feline adoption success.

Highlights

It is estimated that at least 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters nationwide each year [1]
11.5% of pet cats in the US are acquired from animal shelters, which means adoption opportunities are limited for adult cats that enter the sheltering system [3,4]
While exploring the validity of our OA group and the strength of our MA group, we found that both assessments identified behaviors in cats that remained stable once the cat was adopted and placed in the home

Summary

Introduction

It is estimated that at least 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters nationwide each year [1]. Only 20% of cats leave the sheltering system alive [1,2] Many of these cats that fail to leave the shelter alive are friendly, socialized adult cats that either never have the opportunity to make it to the adoption floor, or are never adopted. 11.5% of pet cats in the US are acquired from animal shelters, which means adoption opportunities are limited for adult cats that enter the sheltering system [3,4]. Many shelters have over 100 cats available for adoption at any one time, making choosing a cat a daunting task for many potential adopters. A cat which catches the adopter’s eye by displaying a certain behavior may, not behave as the potential adopter expects when he/she settles in the home. By providing adopters with more accurate information about the cat’s behavior and how that cat may behave in the home, adoptions may increase, and returns may decrease

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