Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series

This lecture will feature a conversation with Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, Research Scientist, Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI), University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, about her HABRI-funded project, “The Impact of Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder”. The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) occurs in about one in 54 children and pets are common in families of children with ASD. Despite evidence of pet ownership benefits for children with ASD, little is known specifically about cat ownership. The purpose of this first-of-its-kind study was to explore the impact of shelter cat adoption on children with ASD and their families.

Results from Dr. Carlisle’s project, also known as the Feline Friends study, were published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing and indicate that introduction of a temperament-screened shelter cat into the home may have a positive impact on children with ASD. Children with an adopted cat experienced an increase in Empathy and less Separation Anxiety, along with fewer problem behaviors including Externalizing, Bullying and Hyperactivity/Inattention. Additionally, the children and their parents reported close bonds with their new cats almost immediately after adoption, and despite the caretaking burden, the bond did not decrease overtime.

This lecture will include a discussion of these results and other findings from the Feline Friends study, including results from a second publication focused on the utilization of the Feline Temperament Profile (FTP) to screen the shelter cats for temperament before placement into the homes of participants. Dr. Carlisle will also discuss implications of these results on the practice of veterinary medicine and what veterinarians and animal health professionals can do to support pet owning families of children with ASD.

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