2022 Cat Festival Session Spotlight: No More Snuggle Struggles (Cat Petting Study)

At the 2022 virtual Edmonton Cat Festival, learn more about what’s behind why some cats enjoy being pet—and others don’t, and how some approaches to petting may improve petting tolerance level for some cats!
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Human-cat petting interactions are generally thought to provide a positive opportunity for human-cat bonding. However, not all cats enjoy petting and it can lead to negative outcomes such as petting-related aggression.

Some approaches to petting (e.g., touching preferred areas, respecting individual limits), can improve cat responses to petting in the moment.

But tolerance around petting varies!

Kristina O’Hanley, PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Guelph, and her team examined whether a 4-week training and education program incorporating cat petting approaches improves petting tolerance in cats with a hiss-tory of avoidance and threatening behaviour during petting. In this Cat Festival session, hear findings from the study! 
Cat Petting Study: No More Snuggle Struggles
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. MST 

See full festival schedule

Cat Petting Study Promo

About Kristina O’Hanley

Kristina O’Hanley is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Guelph. Her thesis is on companion animal behaviour and welfare, with a focus on feline behaviour concerns that arise during petting interactions. Kristina also has worked in the animal shelter industry for over 8 years in various capacities, and is currently employed at the Guelph Humane Society (Ontario). Additionally, Kristina provides behaviour consults to cat and dog owners for various behaviour concerns and she is working towards her Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist certification (CAAB).

Kristina OHanley Cat Research

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Your $20 festival ticket gets you access to this and MORE purr-gramming LIVE and as session replays! 
Join us for a weekend of CATivities & purr-gramming that celebrates cats, cat culture and cat people, while raising money for cat rescues!
100% proceeds from the 2022 festival will be donated to Community Cats Edmonton.
Thanks to our 2022 virtual festival sponsors:

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