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Abstract

More than three million cats enter U.S. animal care and control facilities annually. Although many are adopted, others spend a prolonged amount of time at the animal shelter while facing a variety of stressors. The current project explored the possibility of creating an academia–community partnership aiming to establish a college-based foster program that will allow undergraduate students to socialize and train shelter cats as a part of an academic course. It was hypothesized that the program will positively impact the well-being of shelter cats, improve their adoption outcomes, and support students’ learning outcomes. Students enrolled in the Learning course at Saint Francis University trained a total of 12 shelter cats, fostered on campus premises, throughout two academic semesters. The course’s impact for the cats was evaluated using adoption ratios, latency to adoption, and collar-attached FitBark activity trackers. Students’ learning outcomes were assessed via self-evaluation surveys that measured confidence in cat-training skills, understanding of the scientific methodology, and belief in the emotional capabilities of cats. The surveys were delivered to students enrolled in the Learning course (n = 80) and in a comparably challenging Biopsychology (n = 48) course, taught within the same semesters by the same faculty instructor. Findings demonstrated that the cats were adopted immediately at the end of the semester and that they displayed an adequate activity level. In addition, in comparison to participation in the Biopsychology course, participation in the Learning course was found to enhance students’ confidence in acquired skills and elevate their beliefs in the emotional capabilities of cats. The construction, delivery, and implications of the program are discussed.

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