Chris Hill from the Society of Companion Animal Science (SCAS) shares some feline highlights from the International Society of Animal Anthropology (ISAZ) 2024 conference.
Anthrozoology is the academic study of interactions between humans and other animals, including cats.
The annual International Society of Zooanthropology (ISAZ) This year’s conference (27-30 June 2024) was hosted by Hartpury College, Gloucestershire, UK.
of Conference Program There was a diverse and insightful range of presentations by scholars and experts from around the world involved in human and animal research. Although the field was broader, pet animals, including cats, were central to many of the themes and talks. Several members of SCAS attended, Presentation of SCAS-funded research or related to us Mission and Core Objectives.
We also had a booth to share our resources and encourage new members to join (more information here). SCAS Member(Student discount rates available).
From left: Chris Hill, Vangelis Diamantakos, Liz Ormerod (President of SCAS), and Christelle Moons.
Several presentations focused primarily on cats and the cat-human relationship, including research on 1) cat behavior, 2) cat welfare, 3) human attitudes toward feline predation, and 4) the clinical and social benefits of the cat-human bond.
1. Cat behavior
Dr. James Serpell Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States have published the results of a project that investigated ball-retrieving behavior in cats. The frequency and characteristics of fetching behavior in domestic cats (Feline).
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2. Cat welfare
Dr Alison Andrukonis from Virginia Tech in the US has published research into the effectiveness of potential measures that can be implemented to reduce stress in rescue cats (reduced urination is a sign of stress). The effects of extra space and gentle handling on urinary output in rescue cats.
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3. Human attitudes towards cat behavior
Megan Barker from the Meristwood University Centre in the UK shared the findings of a study into the attitudes and willingness of UK cat owners to implement measures that can reduce the impact of cat predation on wildlife. Bells, bibs and more: An investigation of factors influencing UK cat owners’ willingness to mitigate wildlife predation.
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4. Clinical and societal benefits to humans
Héloïse Vesc-Agnard of the Catholic University of Lille in France has published a study on the benefits that pet cats can bring to older people with dementia. The impact of pet cats on the health and social networks of elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease and disabilities residing in nursing homes.
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The main aim of SCAS is to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the human-animal bond, which is especially true when older people move into care homes, as seen in the story of Edith and her cat Freddie.
Do you know of any care homes (anywhere in the world) that are doing their best to help seniors and their cats live together? If so, please consider recommending them. Bob Harvey Award To recognize and congratulate them on their good work.
Many talks featured research on pets, including cats. For example, animal hoarding disorder is a mental illness that has a devastating impact on affected humans and their communities, and causes great suffering to animals. Much research has been done on the bond between humans and pets, and the role of pets in human health and well-being. Professor Hal Herzog’s keynote address discussed the science surrounding the so-called “pet effect,” while Professor Aubrey Fine’s talk discussed the role of animals in child psychology and counseling.
Animal-assisted services (AAS) include companion animals used in therapeutic and learning situations, and research in this field also considers the welfare and health of animals involved in these activities.
On the final day of the conference, SCASThe SCAS Code of Practice: Towards a UK agreement on minimum standards in animal-assisted interventions.
of SCAS Code of Practice It is a living document intended to be the gold standard of best practice for protecting both humans and animals involved in Animal Assisted Services (AAS) (formerly known as Animal Assisted Intervention, AAI).
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For the latest information on the revised SCAS Code of Conduct, SCAS Annual Conference to be held on Sunday, October 20, 2024The SCAS conference (online) brings together practitioners and researchers to collaborate to shape the future of safe and compassionate Animal Assisted Services (AAS) through interdisciplinary innovation. Register here participate.
It was a shame there were no applicants. ISAZ Penny L. Bernstein Human-Cat Interaction Student Travel Award This year’s award is given in honor of the late Dr. Bernstein, an animal anthropologist and ethologist whose main research focus was on relationships with domestic cats. In 2025, we hope to see more students publishing research focused on cats.
There were a lot of interesting talks, I’m sorry if I missed any! Presenter in ISAZ ConferenceYou’ll find that cat experts have training in a wide range of fields, including psychology, ethology, anthropology and sociology, which help them better understand cats and the cat-human bond.
However, there is a lot of catching up to do in research on cat behavior and cat-human relationships, and much more research needs to be done on dog behavior and dog-human relationships.
World-renowned cat behaviorist, Dr. Dennis Turner, Unanswered QuestionsThis book is worth a read for anyone with an interest in cats, and especially for students who are interested in studying cats as a career (rather than just studying alongside cats).
In a recently published article Veterinary RecordsSCAS member Dr Sandra McEuen talks about her career evolution from shelter volunteer to veterinary nurse to leading researcher in the field of human-animal interactions. Much of Sandra’s academic career has been focused on understanding and helping our feline friends.
For those considering studying anthropozoology, there are an increasing number of universities and colleges around the world that offer anthropozoology. Animal Anthropology Course and related subjects.
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SCAS is the UK’s leading organisation promoting the human-pet bond through funding research, providing education, raising awareness, encouraging best practice and influencing the development of policy and practice that supports this bond. For more information please visit our website. English
Chris Hill from the Society of Companion Animal Science (SCAS) shares some feline highlights from the International Society of Animal Anthropology (ISAZ) 2024 conference.
