If you’ve ever been owned by a cat, scientists want to hear from you

Scientists in California are seeking we Volunteers who live with cats To participate in the new Research project. The The study will examine a pet owner’s survey of their pets’ behavior and knowledge of training methods. The team’s biggest goal is to help cats – especially cats – and humans better form healthy relationships with each other.

the work It is performed by scientists from the Animal Welfare Epidemiology Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. Last fall, the team recruits Volunteers who own exactly two cats Watch videos of cats online, as part of a project to study how owners can read cats’ body language well. They were particularly interested in seeing if the owners could find out when were cats About to criticize their furry roommates.

This project is still ongoing, but the lab is now beginning a new study. this timeThey want to explore the socialization of cats seen through the lens of their owners, as well as to what extent Importance Owner’s place on me Various aspects of cat socialization.

Socialization here refers to introducing the animal to new people, places, and things. This includes everything from cat socialization programs (often called “cat playpen”) to adult cats having adventures with their owner, project researcher Jennifer Link, a doctoral student in the lab, told Gizmodo.

Link notes that newly adopted dogs and their owners routinely participate in ad hoc socialization programs. But the same cannot be said for cat-owning families. Some of the reasons for this discrepancy may include cat owners’ lack of interest in these programs; that they cannot afford or access it; Or they simply don’t know them exist in the first place. Another major focus of the project will include trying to find out why so few families attend kindergarten.

“Once we collect all the responses, we can share our findings with shelters, cat behaviors, the public, and the public. We hope to make the socialization of cats and kittens more accessible to all those who wish to have access to it.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, studying cats and their interaction with people is not as easy to do as it is with dogs. For example, cats can become very anxious when outside their natural environment, which means that their behavior in the laboratory is likely to be significantly different from the way they normally would.. So polls and Citizen science projects that can be made at home can fill in these gaps in research. This study in particular may help scientists like Link find the best ways to improve the bond between cats and humans from an early age.

In short: a well-A social kitten becomes a wellAdult Modifiers, and we would like to do everything we can to ensure that more-Cats are socialized. We hope our study will be a good first step in this process,” Link said.

The team is looking to get about 2,500 answers in total, with an eye toward having something to show to the public within the next 12 to 18 months. Qualified volunteers (current US cat owners) can register over hereFilling out the survey will take no more than 10 to 15 minutes.