Cat pawrents know our favourite felines have many quirks, including their love of boxes! But did you know cats love sitting in IMAGINARY boxes as much as the real ones?
There’s impurrrtant new cat research that examines cats visual perceptions and love of boxes (real and imaginary)—“If I fits I sits: A citizen science investigation into illusory contour susceptibility in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus).”
And we are THRILLED that the study’s Lead Author, Gabriella Smith, will be joining virtual Cat Festival to talk about the findings of the study!
‘If I Fits, I Sits’ Research Session
Caturday, May 29, 2021
1 to 1:30 p.m. MST
In this session, hear from Gabriella Smith, the lead author of the study If I fits I sits: A citizen science investigation into illusory contour susceptibility in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus), about why she wanted to do this impurrtant research, what she found (and what that might mean about your cat!)
This session is included with your virtual festival ticket ($20) which gets you access to online CATivities and PURR-gramming all weekend long (May 29 & 30, 2021) plus access recordings for up to 3 weeks (Binge Your Own Cat Fest!)
ABOUT GABRIELLA
Gabriella Smith received her MA from the Hunter College (CUNY) Animal Behavior and Conservation program in May 2020 studying contrafreeloading in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Since then, she performed a citizen science study with the Hunter College Thinking Dog Center into illusory contour susceptibility in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) via their natural behavior to sit in enclosed spaces. She found that the cats were as likely to sit in the illusory, Kanizsa square as they were in the real square. Gabriella is currently the manager of the Pepperberg lab of avian cognition, and looks forward to developing more citizen science studies of illusion susceptibility in both dogs and cats.
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