In conjunction with the release of its new Feline-ality cat/owner pet-matching program, the ASPCA asked cat-owning visitors to the organization’s website last month to answer questions about their feline friends. The survey was designed to find out how cat owners get along with their pets and identify challenges cat owners face.
“We were able to discover through this fun survey that many times people bring an animal into their home — especially cats — but then the animal’s true personality surprises them in both positive and negative ways,” says Emily Weiss, senior director of the ASPCA’s shelter behavior programs. “If pet parents are able to meet any potential challenges head-on, and live happily ever after with their cats, then that’s fantastic. With the introduction of the Feline-ality adoption program, we hope to give potential adopters a much clearer idea of how a cat is likely to behave in its new home.”
Results of the informal, non-scientific survey included these findings:
- Cats will come when you call their name, according to 50 percent of survey respondents.
- Cats are very affectionate and loving, with 32 percent of respondents saying that their cats like to cuddle whenever they are picked up. Another 38 percent reported that their “cat’s best trick is to drape themselves across whatever their pet parent is working on or reading.”
- Many cats are shy, with 40 percent of survey respondents indicating that their pets will hide when visitors come to the house.
The survey included two open-ended questions. The first asked, “If you could change one thing about your cat, what would it be?” Answers included:
- No more love bites/scratches
- Let me hold her more
- Play with me more
- Be more of a lap cat
- Nothing!
The second open-ended question asked, “When I first got my cat, I had no idea he/she would be so…” Responses included:
- Shy and timid
- Bossy and mean
- Important to me
- Much like my child
- Capable of bringing me such happiness and joy
For more information about the informal survey, or to learn more about the ASPCA’s Feline-ality adoption program, visit the group’s website.