While dogs and horses have been credited with benefitting kids with developmental disabilities, an Oregon State University researcher says cats can also lend a helping paw.
Cats are often seen as aloof and non-social, but that’s not accurate, says Monique Udell, director of OSU’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab.
“Cats are actually facultatively social,” she told KLCC. “This is the same social structure as dogs, and what that means is that cats can either live socially and form close social bonds, or they can live successfully independently.”
In a recent OSU study, children with developmental differences–including autism and ADHD–did six, 45-minute training sessions with their cats. The animals were coached to sit, come when called, and other basics. Udell says both kids and cats benefited.
“By having this experience together and becoming comfortable and familiar, they can really lean on each other in this process,” said Udell. “And you see this confidence develop and this enthusiasm develop.”
In its release, OSU stated that the study was co-led by Udell and Megan MacDonald, a professor of kinesiology at Oregon State, and “builds on growing interest in animal-assisted interventions to promote physical, psychological and social well-being of people. The interventions are increasingly recognized as a promising approach to help children, including those with physical or learning disabilities or social, emotional or behavioral challenges.”
Researchers evaluated their “cat-assisted training intervention” with 36 children who ranged from 8 to 17-years old, and their family’s cats. Half of the participants were assigned to the training group and completed weekly homework such as practicing training mechanics and teaching behaviors. The other half served as a control group and didn’t participate in the training activities.
Udell said children showed increased responsibility and attachment to their cats, who in turn demonstrated higher sociability.
“By having these higher expectations, we not only open up these opportunities for improved ways that we can interact with cats, but we also have the potential to improve the lives of cats by really giving them the credit for what they're capable of and providing for their needs in a more comprehensive way,” said Udell.
Other findings described in the OSU release said that children in the training group demonstrated a “significant” increase in a cat care responsibility survey while those in the control group reported a decrease. And those in the training group who reported teaching their cats new things increased from 44% before the training sessions to 94% post-training, and the proportion who walked their cats increased from 28% to 78%.
The complete study can be found in the journal, MDPI. Other co-authors of the paper are Delaney Frank, Saethra Darling, Kristin Moore of Oregon State, and Kristyn Vitale of Maueyes Cat Science and Education.
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