Effect of Visitor Perspective on Adoption Decisions at One Animal Shelter

Decision Factors Considered By Potential Dog Adopters During Shelter Visitation

The decision-making behavior of potential dog adopters remains a research gap that needs to be addressed to model the adoption decision-making process and understand how shelter and rescue strategies may increase adoption decisions. This study investigated decision considerations of potential adopters visiting eight Mid-Atlantic dog adoption sites. Surveys from potential adopters (N = 517) were examined for information about their search, adoption intent during visit, and the decision factor(s) under consideration. Findings showed dog behavior was the top decision factor that potential adopters considered (305; 58.9%), which was significantly greater than chance (χ2 = 16.729, p < .01). Behavior was followed by dog's age (χ2 = 17.456, p < .01), size (χ2 = 50.137, p < .01), and lifestyle fit (χ2 = 57.89, p < .01). Overall findings suggest potential adopters consider similar sets of decision factors when heading into adoption site visits, independent of age group, type of household, or prior experience having pets.

The influence of degree of socialization and age on length of stay of shelter cats

Surveys indicate that cat behaviors, such as degree of friendliness or playfulness, are important to potential adopters and cat owners. There are few data, however, relating the degree of socialization in cats with length of stay (LOS) in a shelter. Based on provided definitions, staff from 31 shelters in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States placed cats (n = 645) into one of three behavioral categories: interactive, approachable, and unapproachable. Age and LOS for each cat were also reported. Using a mixed model analysis that controlled for the effect of shelter, the LOS of interactive cats was 37 days, LOS of approachable cats was 51 days, and LOS of unapproachable cats was 119 days. LOS increased four days, on average, for each additional year of age and there was an interaction between age and behavioral categories. Importantly, LOS of interactive cats was not influenced by age. Future research should explore the effectiveness of cat behavioral modification programs on reducing LOS of shelter cats.

Black Cat Bias: Prevalence and Predictors

There is anecdotal and empirical evidence for black cat bias, the phenomenon where cats (Felis silvestris catus) with black coats are viewed more negatively, adopted less often, and euthanized more often than lighter colored cats. Despite the anecdotal claims, there is scarce empirical evidence for black cat bias. Using evaluations of cat photos, the researchers examined differences in people's attitudes toward black and non-black cats of various colorations on measures of perceived aggression, perceived friendliness, and willingness to adopt. The researchers also explored whether participants' levels of religiosity, superstitious beliefs, and prejudicial racial attitudes were related to black cat bias. Finally, the researchers explored whether black cat bias was related to difficulties people had in reading the emotions of black cats compared to non-black cats. This study provided evidence of black cat bias in the sample. People exhibiting higher degrees of black cat bias had higher levels of superstition, but not religiosity or racial prejudice. Additionally, people who had difficulty reading the emotions of black cats tended to exhibit a stronger bias against adopting black cats.

Perception of Cats: Assessing the Differences Between Videos and Still Pictures on Adoptability and Associated Characteristics

While animal shelters have made significant progress in reducing the number of euthanized dogs and cats, millions of unclaimed pets are still euthanized every year. Cats, in particular, face bleak prospects, with ~70% of those that enter animal shelters euthanized. Many factors influence potential cat adopters' decisions, including a cat's physical appearance and perceived personality. To explore elements related to the perception of cat personality, this study examined whether videos and pictures highlight different characteristics felt to potentially affect perceived cat adoptability. An online survey was used to assess perceptions regarding videos and pictures of cats. The survey consisted of three adult cats viewed in a short video and as a still picture. Participants were asked to view the media and rate how well these images depicted 12 separate characteristics (from extremely well to not well at all). Respondents were then asked how likely they would be to adopt this cat if they “were in the market to adopt a cat.” A total of 555 surveys were analyzed to answer two questions. The first question was whether cats were perceived as more adoptable when viewed in a still photo or in an action video. A statistically significant difference was found between median photo and video adoption scores for all three cats, with video scores consistently higher than photo scores. The next question was how video footage might alter perception of cats when compared to still photos. For all three cats, the traits “Playful,” “Aggressive,” “Active,” and “Curious” received higher scores when the cats were viewed in videos vs. photos. All of these traits can be associated with active behaviors, best demonstrated via motion. The cats, however, were seen as more “Loving,” “Shy,” “Quiet,” and “Likes to be held” in photos compared to videos. The results suggest that there is an advantage of videos over pictures in perceived adoptability, as determined by response to the question “how likely would you be to adopt this cat,” but this difference is small and likely does not justify additional resources. Exceptions might be for active, outgoing cats in order to highlight these attributes.