Impact of Living Environment on Attachment Behaviour in Domestic Cats from Private Homes and Shelters.

ABSTRACT: Since cats often struggle to acclimate to laboratory settings, a key requirement for effective testing, we adapted Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (SST) for use in environments familiar to the cats. We examined 82 cat-caregiver dyads from private households and animal shelters using a standardised five-phase video procedure comprising distinct phases of presence, separation, and reunion between the cats and their human caregivers. Seven attachment-related behaviours were recorded via focal animal sampling and analysed using mixed models. Significant differences were observed in exploratory behaviour, physical contact, play (social, object, and locomotor), passive behaviour, and vocalisation. Cats from private homes exhibited more exploratory and play behaviour, particularly after reunit

SUBMITTER: Kappel I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12729804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature