Effects of Human Presence and Voice on the Behaviour of Shelter Dogs and Cats: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Reading books to shelter animals combining auditory enrichment with human presence is increasingly used although its effects on animal welfare have not yet been investigated. This study compared the behaviour of single-housed shelter dogs and cats during a prerecorded reading condition in the absence or presence of an unfamiliar human (without direct physical contact). Fourteen dogs and twenty-one cats were observed in their enclosure in the two conditions in a counterbalanced order. Behaviours such as scratching the door, gaze direction and location in relation to the audio source/human were analysed from video recording for 10 min per condition. Dogs spent more time in their bed (p < 0.047) and looking at the auditory source (p < 0.004) when a human was present. Cats showed door scratching and rubbing when a human was present (p < 0.043), whereas they tended to spend more time in the vertical dimension (p = 0.051), where the hiding boxes were located, during auditory stimulation without a human present. These results show that the presence of a human induces greater interest compared to just audio stimulation in shelter dogs and cats but may induce frustration likely due to not being able to physically interact in some animals.

The Impact of Environmental Enrichment on the Cortisol Level of Shelter Cats

“…Enrichment, such as visual stimulation, may have some enriching potential for domestic cats in shelters [36]. However, in a pilot study by Tuozzi et al [37], cats that could see humans but did not have direct physical contact often vocalized and scratched intensively at the door. In Vitale & Shreve's research, cats preferred contact with humans over toys or scented enrichments [38].…”

Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Dog Behaviour: Pilot Study

“…There are reported benefits for dogs when provided with social contact, either conspecifics or humans [ 27 , 28 ]. Social contact EE activities are associated with decreased stereotypy, greater sociability, reduced periods of inactivity, decreased cortisol concentrations and increased relaxation [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ].…”

Hair cortisol levels in cats before and during their first month at a homeless animal shelter.

“…Environmental enrichment strate-gies can help improve the welfare of cats in animal shelters. Moreover, environmental enrichment is fundamental for the welfare of shelter animals (17). For example, even providing cats with simple cardboard boxes as hiding places reduces their stress level (19).…”