In Melbourne, Australia, an animal hospital introduced iPads and TVs into cats’ enclosures to help make them more adoption-ready — and it appears to have worked, according to ABC News.
The experiment occurred at Lort Smith Animal Hospital’s adoption center and involved 50 withdrawn cats exposed to cat-friendly games, videos, and music. Cats were shown and interacted with birds, fish, squirrels, and other felines on-screen.
“It’s not unusual to walk past a kitten room and see four or five kittens huddled around an iPad and there’ll be a little fish going through and they’ll tap it with their foot… it’s just amazing what there is for cats,” adoption center Manager Mandy Doolan said.
Following the introduction of the screens, the cats became more social, less stressed, and happier — especially those struggling to adjust to the shelter setting.
Cats are highly intelligent animals who require regular stimulation to thrive. Beyond supporting shelter felines, these tools could potentially benefit any cat living in a stressful or dull environment — and may even help reduce separation anxiety.
Still, screens shouldn’t completely supplant real-world interaction and stimulation for cats.
“It should be noted, however, that cats and kittens need a variety of sensory experiences and watching TV should not solely replace all other exercise routines such as scratching post and ball games,” Lort Smith Animal Hospital Spokesperson Suzana Talevski said.
This initiative is a promising example of how technology can be used to improve animal well-being and will hopefully inspire more people to explore creative ways to nurture animals in the future.
