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.

Automated summary

Research indicates that the behavior of cats, such as friendliness or approachability, is important to potential adopters and owners. However, there is a lack of data linking a cat's degree of socialization with its length of stay in a shelter. Findings show that interactive and approachable cats had shorter lengths of stay compared to unapproachable cats, with age also playing a role in the length of stay.