Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods
Many companion kittens entering shelters are fostered by volunteer community members during the sensitive period for socialisation (~2 to 9 weeks of age) when early experiences are critical to behavioural development. Using a mixed-method survey, we explored current fostering practices relevant to k...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Animal Welfare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728624000459/type/journal_article |
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| author | Courtney Graham Katherine E Koralesky David L Pearl Lee Niel |
| author_facet | Courtney Graham Katherine E Koralesky David L Pearl Lee Niel |
| author_sort | Courtney Graham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many companion kittens entering shelters are fostered by volunteer community members during the sensitive period for socialisation (~2 to 9 weeks of age) when early experiences are critical to behavioural development. Using a mixed-method survey, we explored current fostering practices relevant to kitten behavioural development and welfare. Foster caretaker participants (n = 487) described their fostering practices and reported providing kittens with a majority of recommended socialisation experiences, such as handling and exposure to various toys and exploratory items. In open-ended text responses, foster caretakers described how they adapted socialisation practices for fearful kittens and the supports and challenges they perceived to impact their ability to properly socialise kittens. Some non-recommended techniques (e.g. flooding) were reported for socialising fearful kittens, with a decreased odds of reporting non-recommended techniques for participants with a higher level of agreeableness personality trait and an increased odds of reporting if fostering practices had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster caretakers reported feeling supported through shelter-supplied resources, personal knowledge, external support, and having access to socialisation opportunities; however, faced personal (e.g. time constraints), shelter-specific (e.g. lack of shelter support), and kitten-specific challenges (e.g. kitten illness). This study highlights the perspectives of foster caretakers as related to optimal socialisation, behavioural development, and welfare. To identify opportunities for improvement it is important to investigate the socialisation guidelines provided to foster caretakers, with the ultimate goal of enhancing kitten behavioural development for improved welfare, long-term adoption, and caretaker satisfaction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-33103046182e4a7eae741b60820982ed |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| series | Animal Welfare |
| spelling | doaj-art-33103046182e4a7eae741b60820982ed2025-08-20T02:13:58ZengCambridge University PressAnimal Welfare0962-72862054-15382024-01-013310.1017/awf.2024.45Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methodsCourtney Graham0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0484-8933Katherine E Koralesky1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7347-7745David L Pearl2Lee Niel3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0536-1003Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaAnimal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaDepartment of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaMany companion kittens entering shelters are fostered by volunteer community members during the sensitive period for socialisation (~2 to 9 weeks of age) when early experiences are critical to behavioural development. Using a mixed-method survey, we explored current fostering practices relevant to kitten behavioural development and welfare. Foster caretaker participants (n = 487) described their fostering practices and reported providing kittens with a majority of recommended socialisation experiences, such as handling and exposure to various toys and exploratory items. In open-ended text responses, foster caretakers described how they adapted socialisation practices for fearful kittens and the supports and challenges they perceived to impact their ability to properly socialise kittens. Some non-recommended techniques (e.g. flooding) were reported for socialising fearful kittens, with a decreased odds of reporting non-recommended techniques for participants with a higher level of agreeableness personality trait and an increased odds of reporting if fostering practices had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster caretakers reported feeling supported through shelter-supplied resources, personal knowledge, external support, and having access to socialisation opportunities; however, faced personal (e.g. time constraints), shelter-specific (e.g. lack of shelter support), and kitten-specific challenges (e.g. kitten illness). This study highlights the perspectives of foster caretakers as related to optimal socialisation, behavioural development, and welfare. To identify opportunities for improvement it is important to investigate the socialisation guidelines provided to foster caretakers, with the ultimate goal of enhancing kitten behavioural development for improved welfare, long-term adoption, and caretaker satisfaction.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728624000459/type/journal_articleadoptionanimal welfarecatqualitativesurveyvolunteer |
| spellingShingle | Courtney Graham Katherine E Koralesky David L Pearl Lee Niel Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods Animal Welfare adoption animal welfare cat qualitative survey volunteer |
| title | Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| title_full | Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| title_fullStr | Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| title_short | Understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| title_sort | understanding kitten fostering and socialisation practices using mixed methods |
| topic | adoption animal welfare cat qualitative survey volunteer |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0962728624000459/type/journal_article |
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