Modification of the Feline-Ality™ Assessment and the Ability to Predict Adopted Cats' Behaviors in Their New Homes

Simple Summary: While millions of cats enter animal shelters every year, only 11.5% of pet cats are obtained from a shelter in the United States. Previous research has indicated that unrealistic expectations set by adopters can increase the chances of an adopted cat returning to the shelter. The ASPCA (R)'s Meet Your Match (R) Feline-ality (TM) adoption program was designed to provide adopters with accurate information about an adult cat's future behavior in the home. This research explored the ability of the modified Feline-ality (TM) assessment when done one day after the cat entered the shelter. Our modified version was predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Abstract: It is estimated that 2.5 million cats enter animal shelters in the United States every year and as few as 20% leave the shelter alive. Of those adopted, the greatest risk to post-adoption human animal bond is unrealistic expectations set by the adopter. The ASPCA (R)'s Meet Your Match (R) Feline-ality (TM) adoption program was developed to provide adopters with an accurate assessment of an adult cat's future behavior in the home. However, the original Feline-ality (TM) required a three-day hold time to collect cat behaviors on a data card, which was challenging for some shelters. This research involved creating a survey to determine in-home feline behavior post adoption and explored the predictive ability of the in-shelter assessment without the data card. Our results show that the original Feline-ality (TM) assessment and our modified version were predictive of feline behavior post adoption. Our modified version also decreased hold time for cats to one day. Shelters interested in increasing cat adoptions, decreasing length of stay and improving the adoption experience can now implement the modified version for future feline adoption success.