Companion Animal Psychology

Science – and science blogging – can help animal welfare in important ways. Photo: Christian Mueller/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We wish our companion animals to lead a charmed life and always be happy. We want our dogs and cats to have a wonderful relationship with us. But we can’t achieve this if we don’t know what they need and how we should interact with them. Last year, some readers took part in a survey of who reads science blogs. The preliminary results are out, and it’s got me thinking about why science – and science blogging – matters for our companion animals. One of the findings of Dr. Paige Jarreau's study is that in general (and regardless of level of education, gender, age and consumption of other online science info) people who consistently read science blogs were better able to answer the knowledge questions about science that were inc

Cats have a moderately-enriched life, but people need more knowledge about their felines in order to do better, according to a new study. Photo: Oksana Bystritskaya (Shutterstock.com) By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. There are many ways we can improve our cats ’ lives: toys that let the cat simulate stalking prey, social interaction with people, providing spaces high-up for cats to go . This is called environmental enrichment, and is especially important for indoor cats. A new study by Ana Margarida Alho et al (University of Lisbon) finds that although most cats do quite well, there are some things many people are missing. Here are some of the highlights. Food toys   “Taking into account their low cost, the fact that they also can be homemade and free, the ease of assembly, and the inherent advantages promoting locomotion and decreasing inactive behaviour, we find it reg

Four essential questions and a checklist of tips to help you choose the perfect puppy for you. Dachshund puppies. Photo: Liliya Kulianionak/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you You’ve decided it’s the right time to add a puppy to your life: you’ve got the time and energy and you can afford the bills (approximately $1,580 in the first year of a medium-size dog’s life, according to the ASPCA ). And now it’s time to choose your puppy. But most guides to getting a puppy miss some vital questions. Read on to find out how to get it right and pick the perfect puppy for you. 1. Which breed of dog should I get? This is the question most people focus on, and it’s true it’s an important one. You need to think about the energy requirements you want, because it’s no good getting a working dog if you really want a couch potato (and vice versa, of course). Even within a breed, like L

Does your dog hate going to the vet? Does your cat refuse to go in her carrier? Here are some essential tips for better visits to the vet - less stressful for your pet and easier for you. Photo: flywish/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. You stealthily trapped your cat in the lounge, but at the first sight of the carrier she ran to hide under the sofa – and she’s not coming out. You move the sofa and grab her as she flees, then get scratched in the process of forcing her into the carrier. Or you’re in the waiting room at the vet’s and your dog keeps getting up and trying to leave. When you are called to the consulting room, he parks his rear end on the floor and refuses to move. It doesn’t have to be this way.  30% of dogs are highly stressed in the vet’s waiting room (Mariti et al 2015) and cats – just like people – experience the white coat effec