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Exploring the Cat-Human Bond

So many of us share our lives with cats, yet there remains such mystery surrounding this remarkable species that has long been underrepresented in research about the human-animal bond. Thanks to the generous support of Cat Person, this gap in our appreciation of the cat-human bond is now being addressed.

Download the white paper

Cover of Exploring the Human-Cat Bond white paper.
Cover of Exploring the Human-Cat Bond white paper.

A therapy cat receives some pets from a client during a visit.Though so many of us share our lives with them, cats are notoriously underrepresented in the literature on human-animal interaction. This gap in the research is especially notable in the world of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) where only a few existing studies mention cats as therapy animals.

Thanks to the generous support of Cat Person, this gap in our appreciation of the cat-human bond is being addressed. By funding the most comprehensive study ever to take place on therapy cats, we’ve uncovered many complex truths:

  • Pet cats are protective in aiding mental health and well-being of their owners.
  • There are many misconceptions and inappropriate stereotypes about the feline species and what it means to be a “cat person.”
  • Sharing in volunteer activities such as AAI has been found to strengthen the relationship between a person and their cat.
  • Therapy cat teams make a huge impact on the people with whom they visit.
  • There is a significant need for more therapy cat teams.

Take a deeper look at the findings of this mixed methods research project by downloading the project white paper today.