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 educational examine of human interactions with different animals (together with cats!).
The annual Worldwide Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) Convention was hosted this 12 months (27-30 June 2024) by Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, UK.
The convention programme included diverse and insightful displays from students and professionals from world wide who’re working within the subject of human-animal research. And though the sphere 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 assets and encourage new members to affix (see right here for extra details about SCAS membership, together with lowered charges for college kids).
Left to proper: Kris Hill, Vangelis Diamantakos, Liz Ormerod (SCAS Chair), and Christel Moons
A number of displays centered 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, offered analysis findings from a mission that studied fetching behaviours in cats: Prevalence and Traits of Fetching Conduct in Owned Home Cats (Felis Catus).
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2. Cat welfare
Dr Allison Andrukonis from Virginia Tech, USA, offered 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 House and Gentling on Urine Output in Shelter Cats.
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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 homeowners to implement measures that may cut back the influence of wildlife predation by their cats: Bells, Bibs, and Past: Investigating Elements that Affect UK Cat Homeowners’ Willingness to Mitigate Wildlife Predation.
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4. Scientific and social advantages to people
Héloïse Vesque-Annear from the Catholic College of Lille, France, offered 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 Properties.
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A key goal of SCAS is to lift consciousness of the significance of defending the human-animal bond. That is particularly so relating to older individuals getting into care services, as illustrated by the story of Edith and her cat Freddie.
Are you aware of a care house (wherever on this planet) that has gone above and past to assist maintain an older individual and their beloved cat collectively? If that’s the case, please contemplate 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 Superb’s lecture mentioned the function of animals in youngster psychology and counselling.
Animal-assisted providers (AAS) includes companion animal species being utilized in therapeutic or studying contexts, and analysis on this space additionally appears to be like 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 Follow: 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 shield each people and animals concerned in Animal Assisted Companies (AAS) (previously known as Animal Assisted Interventions, AAI).
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An replace on the standing of the revised SCAS Code of Follow will probably be offered 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) via 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 Pupil Journey Award this 12 months. 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 centered on cats!
There have been so many fascinating talks and a lot to absorb, so I apologise for something I missed! If you happen to 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.
Nevertheless, analysis into cat behaviour and cat-human relationships has a whole lot of 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 effectively price a learn for anybody taken with cats, however particularly college students contemplating making a profession out of learning cats (reasonably than simply learning with cats).
In an article lately revealed in Vet Report, SCAS member Dr. Sandra McCune shares how her profession developed from a shelter volunteer to veterinary nursing to changing into a number one researcher within the subject of human-animal interactions. A lot of Sandra’s educational profession has been centered on understanding and serving to our feline associates.
For anybody contemplating learning anthrozoology, there are a rising variety of universities and faculties world wide providing programs in Anthrozoology and associated topics.
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Observe us on FB and Twitter (@SCASuk), and you’ll want to retweet posts from us and our companions on #PetsInHousing
SCAS is the UK’s main human-companion animal bond organisation via funding analysis, offering schooling, elevating consciousness, encouraging finest follow, and influencing the event of insurance policies and practices that assist 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.