Every year millions of cats enter animal shelters in the U.S. alone. Interventions are greatly needed that have the potential to reduce cat stress and increase cat welfare while in the shelter environment. Although dog foster programs have become commonplace for many animal shelters, cat foster programs are relatively uncommon, potentially due to the belief that cats may be at risk of unnecessary stress from the fostering experience. In the study, researchers examined the social behavior and stress levels of cats that stayed in the shelter to cats that left the shelter for short-term foster, either for 1-night or 1-week. The results of the study indicate that shelter cats placed in foster care were not at a disadvantage. These findings can benefit both cats and animal shelters alike. Attendees will learn more about the study and how to apply the findings of the research to help reduce stress and promote welfare for cats living in animal shelters. The research discussed in this webinar was made possible by a grant from Maddie’s Fund®, #ThankstoMaddie.
This webinar will be recorded and has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.
This program has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval.
About the presenter
Kristyn Vitale, PhD
Dr. Vitale received a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Oregon State University and a Master’s in Environmental Science from Miami University. She holds a B.S. in Zoology and a B.A. in Social Geography from Kent State University. Her areas of specialization are animal behavior and human-animal interaction. Her research focuses specifically on domestic cat behavior, cat social cognition, and the cat-human relationship. She has worked professionally with cats for over 15 years. During her graduate career she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, a Visiting Research Fellow at Kyoto University in Japan, and Maddie’s Postdoctoral Scholar. Her research on cat behavior and human-animal interaction has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. Her innovative research has generated significant international attention from media outlets including Science, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Times of London. She has taught a variety of courses on animal behavior and welfare, including courses focused on enrichment, learning, and behavior modification. She is also a cat trainer who has taught kitten training classes and offered socialization opportunities to cats of all ages. She is an active public speaker and is frequently invited to present at professional associations and to the general public.
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