Abstract
The importance of animals' experiences and associated comfort during Human-Animal Interactions (HAI), and particularly Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI), are increasingly recognised. However, there remains a paucity of published research, particularly concerning less formal but frequent HAIs to which companion animals are typically exposed, such as stroking or petting. Additionally, few practical evidence-based guides to facilitate humans' optimal animal handling and interaction in these contexts exist. A simple set of Human-Cat Interaction (HCI) guidelines were therefore created, with the aim to enhance domestic cats' comfort during generic HCI contexts. Based around a “CAT” acronym, guidelines focused on providing the cat with choice and control (“C”), paying attention (“A”) to the cats' behaviour and body language and limiting touch (“T”), primarily to their temporal regions. Guidelines were presented to human participants during a brief training intervention, and guideline efficacy was subsequently assessed. Domestic cats available for rehoming at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, UK (n = 100) were filmed during interactions with novel members of the public (n = 120). Cats were exposed to a maximum of six, 5-min interaction sessions, balanced across “control” (interactions with humans pre-training) and “intervention” conditions (interactions with humans post-training). For each observation, cat behaviour and posture were coded and humans' cat-directed behaviour rated on the degree to which it reflected best practice principles. Data were extracted from a total of 535 observations and average human interaction ratings and cat behaviour values compared between control and intervention conditions via paired Wilcoxon tests. Compared to the control, humans' interaction styles were rated as significantly more closely aligned with best practice principles in the intervention condition. Cats also displayed significantly greater frequencies and/or durations of affiliative and positively-valenced behaviours in the intervention. In contrast, cats in the control displayed significantly greater frequencies of human-directed aggression, in addition to greater frequencies and/or durations of behaviours associated with conflict and negative valence. Results demonstrate the positive impact of practical interaction guidelines on cats' social behaviour and comfort during HCI, with the potential to improve cats' general experiences during interactions, reduce human-directed aggression and ultimately improve cat-human relationships.
Highlights
As scientific interest in the value of Human Animal Interactions (HAIs) grows, our understanding of their dynamics and associated impacts to both human and animal parties increases
Summary of Differences in Affiliative and Positive Affect-Linked Behaviours Compared to the control, on average, cats in the intervention condition waved their tails for significantly longer and more frequently, had their ears in a neutral or forwards position for longer, “treaded” or “kneaded” with their front paws for longer, sniffed the participant for longer and rubbed against them more frequently
There were no significant differences in the average frequencies with which cats approached and made contact with the participants between conditions, cats were in physical contact with participants for significantly longer average durations in the control
Summary
As scientific interest in the value of Human Animal Interactions (HAIs) grows, our understanding of their dynamics and associated impacts to both human and animal parties increases. Over the past several decades, pet ownership and various forms of HAI, including Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs), have been investigated for their potential benefits to humans’ physical and mental health, in addition to their support of children’s learning, literacy and the development of prosocial behaviour [see reviews by Barker and Wolen [1], Brelsford et al [2]] In this regard, the general body of literature remains largely anthropocentric, with considerations for animals’ perspectives in HAI contexts gaining traction comparatively recently [e.g., [3, 4]]. Few studies have sought to investigate the benefits of HAIs for animals or explored the impact of HAIs on companion populations Despite their limited representation within welfare-based HAI literature, companion animals’ social significance within human society [e.g., [8, 9]] means their interactions with humans likely represent a substantial portion of all HAIs taking place. In both home and rehoming centre contexts, cats may show preferences for human interaction over food and toys [13], suggesting the potential value of HCI to individuals
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