Tag: animals

Categories
Animal Welfare Pets Research

Wild behaviour: the science of why cats like boxes

Why cats like boxes
Why cats like boxes

Sandra McCune holds a PhD that examined the temperament and welfare of caged cats as well as qualifications in vet nursing and zoology. She knows the answer to why cats like boxes, and the science behind it.

In her current role as the Scientific Leader for Human-Animal Interaction at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, she manages a large portfolio of collaborative research projects.

These projects cover many aspects of human-animal interaction, in countries including US, UK, Austria, Germany, Sweden and Australia.

In addition to having written research papers and book chapters on several aspects of cat behaviour, cognition, welfare and nutrition, Sandra has lectured and advised many animal shelters, ethologists, animal welfarists, and groups of vets and vet nurses.

Sandra is sought out as a voice within industry and regularly speaks at international conferences on pet ownership issues and the bond between people and pets.

Today we’re talking to Sandra about pet cats, their incomplete domestication, our attachment to them and the behavioural links between wild big cats, and the cat in your home.

We also find out why cats like boxes!

Podcast

Books

Sandra McCune - why cats like boxes
Sandra McCune

McCune, S. (2010) Book chapter: ‘The domestic cat’. In: The UFAW handbook on the care and management of laboratory animals. 8th edition. Longman Scientific & Technical, Harlow.

McCardle, P, McCune, S, Griffin, J A and Maholmes, V (Eds.) (2011) How Animals Affect Us: Examining the Influence of Human-Animal Interaction on Child Development and Human Health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press. 2011

Kurt Kotrschal, Jon Day, Sandra McCune and Manuela Wedl (2013) Human and cat personalities: building the bond from both sides. Chapter 9 In: Dennis Turner and Pat Bateson (Editors) The domestic Cat: The biology of its behaviour. CUP, Cambridge

Publications

Sandra McCune, Katherine A. Kruger, James A. Griffin, Layla Esposito, Lisa S. Freund, Karyl J. Hurley, and Regina Bures. (2014) Evolution of research into the mutual benefits of human–animal interaction, Animal Frontiers vol. 4 no. 3 49-5

Carri Westgarth, Lynne M Boddy, Gareth Stratton, Alexander J German, Rosalind M Gaskell, Karen P Coyne, Peter Bundred, Sandra McCune and Susan Dawson. (2013) Pet ownership, dog types and attachment to pets in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK. BMC Veterinary Research, 9:102

Sandra McCune (1995) The impact of paternity and early socialisation on the development of cats’ behaviour to people and novel objects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 45(1–2): 111–126.

Links

Waltham Human-Animal Interaction Research

Waltham Science Publications & Resources

Video – Why cats like boxes

Why cats like boxes

Header image via Flickr:klengel

Categories
Psychology

Positive psychology: identifying how we thrive

What is anthrozoology
What is anthrozoology

Dr. Pauleen Bennett is Director of Regional Operations in the School of Psychological Science at La Trobe University.

Pauleen combines her academic work at La Trobe with a range of community activities designed to improve human-companion animal relationships.

She leads a highly productive team of researchers at the Anthrozoology Research Group and is director and chair of the Australian Anthrozoology Research Foundation, a non-profit foundation set up to raise money to support students investigating the potential benefits for human health of engaging with companion animals.

Pauleen has adjunct appointments at Monash University and The Ohio State University (USA) and enjoys spending her free time hanging out on her farm with her dogs, horses and goats.

In this episode (#19) we talk to Pauleen about the exciting but relatively new field of positive psychology.

Podcast

Publications

Dr Pauleen Bennett- What is anthrozoology - positive psychology in animals
Dr. Pauleen Bennett

Bennett, P. C. (2013) Why science can’t really tell us whether pets are good for health. The Conversation.

King, T., Marston, L.C., and Bennett, P.C. (2012). Breeding dogs for beauty and behaviour: why scientists need to do more to develop valid and reliable behaviour assessments for dogs kept as companions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 137, 1-12.

Bennett, P.C. (2010). Putting the pieces together: using science to improve relationships between people and their canine companions. Canine Science Forum, July 25-28, Vienna, Austria.

Bennett, P.C. (2010). People, pets and positive psychology (transcribed from Radio Australia). Second Australian Positive Psychology and Well-Being Conference, February 12-13, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.

McGreevy, P.M., & Bennett, P.C. (2010). Challenges and paradoxes in the companion-animal niche. Animal Welfare, 19, 11-16

Many more publications available via Pauleen’s LaTrobe University Profile

Links

Anthrozoology Research Group | ARG on Facebook | ARG  on Twitter | AARF on Twitter

Pauleen on YouTube for AARF

Dr. Pauleen Bennet on YouTube – What is Anthrozoology?

Header image: Flickr/bunchesandbits

Categories
Psychology

Sam Gosling: Animal personality

Animal personality
Animal personality

Sam Gosling is a psychologist based at the University of Texas at Austin in the USA.

His research interests include social perception, new methods of data collection online and cross-species work, where he examines how animals can inform theories of personality and social psychology.

We talked with Sam about how science can help us measure animal personality traits (non-human) across a number of species, including hyenas, dogs, and even invertebrates, like squid.

Podcast

Publications

Sam Gosling discusses animal personalities
Sam Gosling

Gosling, S. D., & John, O. P. (1999). Personality dimensions in nonhuman animals a cross-species review. Current Directions in Psychological Science,8(3), 69-75.

Gosling, S. D. (2001). From mice to men: what can we learn about personality from animal research?. Psychological bulletin, 127(1), 45.

Gosling, S. D., & Vazire, S. (2002). Are we barking up the right tree? Evaluating a comparative approach to personality. Journal of Research in Personality,36(6), 607-614.

Gosling, S. D. (2008). Personality in Non‐human Animals. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(2), 985-1001.

Sinn, D. L., Gosling, S. D., & Hilliard, S. (2010). Personality and performance in military working dogs: Reliability and predictive validity of behavioral tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 127(1), 51-65.

Links

Gosling Lab at the University of Texas, Austin

Top image via Flickr/malingering