Scientists in California are looking for brave volunteers to undergo a grueling endeavor: playing with their cats. The researchers are hoping to better understand how owners interact with their cats, as well as what makes for a good play session. People participating in the study will also have a chance to nab a $50 gift card.
Researchers at the Animal Welfare Epidemiology Lab at University of California, Davis, are conducting the study. In past projects, they’ve asked people about their cats’ appetite for bugs, whether their cats can easily socialize with others, and if they trim their foster kittens’ nails.
This new study will come in two phases. In the first, people will simply be asked to send in a two-minute video of them playing with their cat the way they typically would (any videos shared with other researchers or the public will be edited to only show the cat and their toy if needed). In the second, the participants will be sent the same “standard” toy and they’ll be asked to move the toy in front of their cat with a specific motion.
The explicit goal of the project is to study how cat owners interact with their cat while playing normally, as well as to compare how playful different cats are with a specific moving toy. But researcher Hee Jin Chung, a PhD student in the lab, is also hoping to dispel some misconceptions about cats with this work.
Any American over the age of 18 with at least one adult cat is eligible for the study. Volunteers will be enrolled to win one of three $50 Amazon gift cards, and everyone will get to keep the study toy. Interested people can sign up via the link here.
