Scientists Want to See Videos of Your Cat for a New Study

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 Lin Chung, a PhD student in the lab, is also hoping to dispel some misconceptions about cats with this work.

“One of the things that motivates me the most is knowing that cats are one of the most misunderstood animals in a home. I think many people who are afraid of, or dislike cats, are that way because there is a layer of misunderstanding about their behavior. For example, I have trained my cat Memi to jump through hoops, and many people are surprised to hear that’s even possible with cats! I think increasing our knowledge about cat behavior will help clear those misunderstandings and help people interact with cats and understand their needs better,” she said. “So people participating in this research will know that they contributed to a field of science that eventually will be applied to help cats, and help people better understand cats!”