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Michael Dunne: From KLCC Studios, this is Oregon on the Record. I'm Michael Dunne. I've been a dog and cat owner for most of my life. If you added up all the time I've spent training dogs, it would be countless hours. If you added up all the time I've spent training cats, it would probably be about eight seconds. I, like most people, believed that cats can't be trained, or at least can't be trained like dogs. It turns out a lot of us are wrong. Today on the show, you'll meet an Oregon State University professor and expert on animal and human interaction, and learn about her study, which shows not only that cats can be trained, but that such training is a real benefit to our feline friends. Perhaps even more important, her studies show that when children with disabilities are involved in that training, they gain incredible benefits, too. That's next on Oregon on the Record.
Monique Udell is a professor at Oregon State University who studies human-animal interactions. Professor Udell, thanks so much for coming on and talking with us.
Monique Udell: Thanks for having me.
Dunne: You led a very interesting study about the interaction between cats and kids. Tell us, at a high level, the 30,000-foot view: What did you find?
Udell: Well, what we found is that cats can make really capable partners. When we're working with cats, whether cats that live in our households or working toward common goals, we found in this study that when we teach children how to care for their cats, understand their cats' body language and engage in basic training, their cats can really rise to the occasion and engage in these joint activities with them. Not only are they enthusiastic in training, but they can teach their cats to go on walks with them and engage in other behaviors that are good not only for the cat and the relationship, but also for the child: teaching them responsibility and caretaking, increasing physical activity. We've discovered that along with animals like dogs and horses, cats can be therapeutic partners, and they can be really great partners in general in our lives and form really close bonds.
Dunne: I'm a cat owner, and probably like a lot of cat owners listening, I'm a little amazed. I didn't think cats were really trainable, and I know that's probably mythology. Talk a little more about that. We often find that cats tend, the stereotype is, to be aloof. They're not like dogs, anxious to please. But it sounds like that is just what I said: a myth.
Udell: Absolutely. I think one of the interesting things is that because of this myth circulating in our culture that cats aren't as interested in social interaction or aren't as capable at training, we tend to create what we call a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we don't give cats the opportunity to be social, we're not really initiating as much social engagement with them. We're not taking them to training classes or trying to train them at home. Then, of course, we're not going to see as much social behavior. We're not going to see their full training potential because we're not engaging in that partnership. But what we find is that, just like dogs, cats are individuals. Some are maybe more social than others, some more interested in certain kinds of learning or activities than others. But on average, cats have these capabilities. We've done a number of studies that show cats can be very social, and in fact, they're facultatively social, the same social structure as dogs. When given the choice, many cats actually prefer social interaction with their people over anything else, even food, toys or interesting scents. Our engagement with them, our desire to interact with them, is really rewarding to many cats and can really improve that bond. So for anyone thinking, well, maybe my cat can't do that, give it a try. See how your cat responds. I think a lot of people are surprised to find that with a little time and patience, many cats actually see it as a preferred activity.
Dunne: I know with dogs, people are more aware of the different behaviors among different breeds. A retriever is going to be just that: a dog that likes to retrieve. A shepherd or a border collie may have much more of a herding instinct. Is there differentiation among breeds of cats and how they might be more amenable to training, or is it cats in general?
Udell: For this study, and actually most of the studies we've done on training with cats to date, we've just looked at cats in general. Certainly it's true that if you start some of these practices with cats when they're young, that can make a difference. Cats that have early socialization to people, that have more experiences getting out of the house at a young age, maybe even start training at a young age, are going to find it much more typical in their day-to-day lives. They're not going to be as nervous or afraid of it, and they might be more enthusiastic just because they understand what's going on. But we've worked, even in this study, with older cats, and what we see is it maybe takes a little time and patience because they're not as used to it. Some of these cats may have never left home except to go to the vet, so it takes a while for them to learn that they're going to this place and getting treats and doing fun things. But we find that even older cats can do this, and in many cases enjoy it. We haven't done as much investigation into specific breeds. There are some stereotypes there as well, but I think we need a lot more research to understand how some of these factors weigh in for cats the way we've done those investigations with dogs. But there's definitely something about early life experience that can bolster receptiveness to things like social interaction and training. So that would be my advice: If people are thinking about it and have the opportunity to start early, that's a great thing to do, and I'd say try it with any breed. But if you have a cat that's older, or you want to adopt a cat that's older, these cats enjoy a lot of these interactions, too. It's not that you can't start at a later point in life.
Dunne: Take us through how you conducted the study. What did it look like? What did it entail?
Udell: This particular study, what we were interested in is seeing if we could find children who had developmental disabilities, as identified by their parents, who also had a cat in the home they wanted to engage in an activity with. So we recruited 36 cat-child partners, and we taught the kids how to train their cats, sort of like a basic kitten training class. We taught common behaviors like watch me, sit, go to mat and stay, and we also taught them how to put harnesses on their cats in a gentle way, and they could progress to walking their cats on the harness. The idea, more than making progress in this training class, was really just to provide the tools and experiences of how to engage with the cat in a way that respected their boundaries and was sensitive to their body language, and then to build these skills together to develop a partnership that would be good for both the cat and the person. We did that with a six-week training class, and then we measured behaviors of the child and the cat before and after to see how they did.
Dunne: If you're just joining us, we're talking with Professor Monique Udell. She teaches at Oregon State University, and she studies human and animal interactions. After you completed the study, take us through the findings. What did the study show you?
Udell: One of the things that was really interesting was that by engaging in this activity for just six weeks, we saw a shift in the child's behavior toward the cat, even in their home environment. Children were reporting more caretaking behavior and responsibility for the cat at home, whereas previous to the study, those responsibilities were more often attributed to parents or siblings. We also saw an increase in active training at home and reports of walking with their cat at home. On the cat side, we saw increases in sociability almost immediately after the intervention took place, so we could see the relationship was already starting to improve. A year later, we saw more secure attachments between the child and the cat from the cat's perspective, meaning the cat not only sought out their child more after this intervention, but the relationship quality itself improved. We know that's really important to long-term outcomes, not only for the cat and child's bond, but also to support that long-term partnership and some of those emotional gains as well.
Dunne: Going back to dogs a little, we're very familiar with the concept of therapy dogs. We're also familiar with therapy horses. Is it possible, based on your findings, or maybe we're seeing it and just don't know about it, that cats could be utilized in a therapy setting?
Udell: Yes, absolutely, and I think that's one of the promising things about this finding: It shows that these sorts of activities are possible. Cats have been used in therapy settings before, but often when we look at the difference between how cats are utilized in these therapy or intervention settings versus dogs and horses, cats have traditionally played a more passive role. Maybe somebody brings a cat into a hospital or school, and it sits or lies there, and somebody pets it, which is totally fine, and that is one method of human-animal interaction that can have potential benefits. But in this case, we identified that cats can play a more active role in these partnerships as well. Just like we have interventions where people walk their dog for not only comfort and emotional support, but also physical support or motivation to engage in healthy behaviors, cats can be active partners in those sorts of therapeutic relationships, too. We're actually seeing cats increasingly used in therapeutic settings.
Cats can actually be certified as therapy animals now through certain organizations, so this is definitely something we're noting as a possibility. It's really important because not everybody has access to dogs or horses, and not everybody feels comfortable around those other species. So the more species we identify as potential partners in these settings, the more opportunities a variety of people will have to get these benefits. And, hopefully, we're developing interventions that benefit the animals as well.
Dunne: I'm also wondering, one of the obvious differences between cats and dogs is size. Especially for kids who might have developmental disabilities, is there a benefit, in terms of comfort level, to interacting with something smaller and furrier, like a cat, versus a golden retriever?
Udell: That's one of the reasons we thought this was important. In addition to looking at a variety of species, it's going to be an individual preference in many cases as to whether people feel comfortable around cats or dogs, or both. Another consideration is size: Can you have this animal living with you in an apartment? For many people, they may not be able to have a dog in their space all the time, but they could have a cat that's bonded to them. Certainly for some populations, like children who would have challenges holding a golden retriever or larger dog and walking it outside, or elderly populations who might struggle to go on walks with a larger dog until they have very good leash control, this might be more feasible with a cat because they're smaller and lighter. They may have an easier time picking them up, getting them where they need to be, and walking them safely. Having this opportunity to engage in training and dog-walking-style activities, even if you don't have easy access to a dog or can't utilize a dog in that setting, is a really big deal for a lot of people.
Dunne: We're going to take a break. I'm Michael Dunne, host of Oregon on the Record. When we come back, more of our conversation with Professor Udell about cats and human interaction.
And we're back. I'm Michael Dunne, and you're listening to Oregon on the Record. Let's get back to our conversation about cat training and human interaction. I'm thinking about a colleague of mine who recently introduced a new cat to an existing cat, and there were real challenges in behavior. If you have a situation like that, a cat that for whatever reason isn't socializing, is engaging the cat in training, like you've done, a way to accelerate socialization with another cat, or even to intervene in bad behavior?
Udell: Certainly, training doesn't hurt. Sometimes animals get along better than others, and there are a number of factors there. Really, addressing what's going on, what might be the situation leading to that outcome, is important. Are there enough resources in the home? Are there enough litter boxes? Things like that. But that's part of what we teach in this intervention, too. We're not only training behaviors, we're teaching children how to recognize things like stress or unmet needs in their cat and provide for a wide range of needs. That's where the responsibility and caretaking piece comes in, because we often can't recognize and meet some of the needs that might be contributing to these challenges if we don't understand the cat is experiencing stress or that there's a need going unmet. And then, certainly, having the tools to train your cat in certain behaviors, like to wait, to go to mat and stay, or to come and look at you for a treat, gives you more tools to manage conflict. It can provide engagement and motivation in the home, enrichment that helps reduce overall stress and can help with those behaviors. So it's certainly not a fix-all, but it's definitely an important tool. We're used to using these tools with dogs, and I think we really need to take them more seriously in our interactions with cats to improve these relationships.
Dunne: I know a lot of people, and I think correctly, have been told that keeping cats indoors overall is a benefit for the environment. Cats can be amazing predators for birds and other wildlife, so a lot of us keep our cats indoors all the time. I'm wondering, does involving cats in this training provide the kind of stimulation they used to get decades ago, when they were often indoor-outdoor animals and got more stimulation by being outside, sometimes to the detriment of the environment through hunting birds? Does this training also provide a benefit for indoor-only cats?
Udell: Absolutely. I think one of the things we often do is look at cats as lower maintenance, maybe not needing as much engagement, and we're starting to realize we can't do that if we want cats to have the best possible lives and well-being. Especially if they're restricted indoors, they need things to do. They need ways to use their body and brain to be healthy, and training can be a way to do that. If we're training them to wear harnesses and go on walks, for cats that are receptive to that, or get outside in other protected ways like catios, it provides additional stimulation and enrichment. As we see the way we care for cats shift, we need to make sure we're recognizing and accommodating a whole suite of needs that, as you said, might sometimes have been met in other ways in the past. If we're changing that environment and lifestyle, we need to accommodate for those needs in other ways.
Dunne: Again, talking dogs versus cats: You've mentioned several times using a harness and taking a cat for a walk. I've never done that. I'd imagine, when I go out in my neighborhood, I see dog walkers all the time, but I have yet to see someone walking their cat. Talk a little about that, because it sounds like an important option, especially for indoor-only cats, with a lot of benefits.
Udell: For sure. Different cats are going to have different levels of receptiveness to this idea at first, especially if they're older and haven't had much experience with it previously. But we've seen great success in people training their cats to accept a harness and leash, then go on walks. Many cats become very enthusiastic walk-goers after they learn the ropes. I think a big part of it is starting slow, introducing them to the harness in a comfortable way where they get to opt into these activities, starting with lots of rewards. Once they can get outside, for many cats, including my own, going outside is its own reward. They're getting to sniff, engage and run around, so it can be just as rewarding for them as it is for our dogs. It's actually pretty fascinating: In our culture, walking dogs on a harness and leash is so commonplace we almost view it as a necessity. Yet we can look at cats in the same context and often don't think of that as a necessity or important thing for them, to be able to contact the outdoors. I think there's a cultural shift happening. We're seeing more people going on walks with their cats, doing the adventure cat movement, taking their cats camping, hiking, backpacking. So I think we're seeing a shift in that direction, but it's definitely doable. We just want to take it slow and make sure we're giving the cat options and consent as they adjust to this new activity. Once they do, many cats love it.
Dunne: Last couple of questions. Do your findings point to other avenues of cat interaction with humans? I'm thinking, for example, of people suffering from PTSD. I know dogs are sometimes very important in that kind of therapy. Do you think, from what you've seen, even though it wasn't specifically part of your study, that this kind of therapy between cats and humans, especially for those suffering from PTSD, might bear fruit?
Udell: As long as we're taking into consideration the cat's size and physical limitations, and we're talking about therapeutic or other types of behavioral intervention applications, I don't think we need to rule cats out until we've given it a try. Cats can be really successful, as we've talked about, in forming social bonds. They can be engaged in partnerships and training, as long as we're not asking them to do something physically inappropriate for a cat, like carrying heavy weights or things beyond their capacity. I think they're really capable, and they have been used in some of these other settings, again in that passive way. But I think where we're getting with this research is the idea that cats can do more, that they can be really aware of our emotional states and our behavior, and we could be looking to them for that kind of engagement. Returning a lot of that care and engagement can be therapeutic in itself; recognizing that our cats need us, and that there are things we can do to make their lives better, can actually be really healing for people, too. I think the more we emphasize this two-way interaction, and the more we give cats a chance in these other settings, we're going to see great things. I really believe cats are far more capable than we're giving them credit for. We'll see what comes in the years ahead.
Dunne: She is Professor Monique Udell, a professor at Oregon State University who studies human-animal interactions. Professor, thanks so much for coming on and talking with us.
Udell: Thanks. This is great.
Dunne: That's the show for today. All episodes of Oregon on the Record are available as a podcast at klcc.org. Tomorrow on the show, we'll move from house cats to big cats, as a new study shows a vibrant cougar population near roadways can actually reduce the number of car-versus-deer collisions and perhaps even save human lives. I'm Michael Dunne, host of Oregon on the Record. Thanks for listening.
