Feline temperament assessment could be used to find homes for rescue cats: study

A tool used to assess cats’ temperaments could be used by animal rescue groups to find homes for the animals, a new study shows.

The study, funded by the Human Animal Research Bond Institute and the Winn Feline Foundation, showed that the Feline Temperament Assessment is effective in evaluating the behavioral responses of cats in different situations. Rescuers can also shorten the evaluation to speed up the process.

The study was published in the Animal Studies Journal.

“Cat temperament assessments can help shelters and rescue organizations better place cats into the right homes and are especially important for families with special needs who may fare better with a more social and calm cat,” said Gretchen Carlisle, a research scientist at the University of Missouri and the principal investigator in the study. “With this study, we conclude that the shorter FTP can be deployed to increase the possibility of successful adoptions by matching cats with adopting families’ expectations and improving shelter staff’s accuracy to easily and objectively assess behavior.”

Millions of cats are estimated to be adopted and then relinquished each year, and researchers said behavior is often a reason for relinquishment. Traditional tests to assess cat behavior may take as long as three days, which could create a backlog in shelters.