Melbourne animal hospital trials iPads for cats to improve their behaviour

An animal hospital in Melbourne has found screen time for cats and kittens can help them to de-stress and socialise.

Lort Smith Animal Hospital ran a trial with 50 felines at its Campbellfield adoption centre, using iPads and TVs to help prepare them for adoption.

Prior to the trial, the animals that participated were quite withdrawn, according to the centre, and did not interact much with staff.

But after iPads and TVs were introduced to their enclosures, the cats became increasingly social and happy. 

Mandy Doolan has worked at Lort Smith for about 15 years and said she had noticed cats' increasing need for stimulation. 

“Over time we've realised more and more cats are going into apartment living and with cat curfews,” the adoption centre manager said.

“What cats like to do the most is watch birds and watch outside.

Not all cats react the same

Melbourne University researcher Sarah Webber specialises in animal-computer interaction, which looks at how technologies can be designed to be used by animals and whether it has any benefit for them. 

She said while cats often aren't as interested in screens as dogs are, the use of them could be an engaging intervention in a shelter-like environment. 

“I think in a home environment an iPad is not going to contribute much to a cat's daily experience and the stimulation they get from people moving around and things going on in their environment anyway,” Dr Webber said.

“But for cats in a rather small, boring environment, that might not even have access to a window, or if they do they might not be able to see much through it, it could just provide more variety, more movement in their space.”

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Founder and head vet at Calm Pet Vet Chantelle McGowan said screen time does provide benefits but it was dependent on the content being played. 

“Images and videos of cat prey moving around — like birds or fish — that can bring up their arousal levels … and that can be quite entertaining for them,” Dr McGowan said.

She said some may find it highly entertaining but others might find it frustrating and get bored if they cant ‘pounce' or ‘kill' their prey. 

Screen time could keep cats out of trouble

Ms Doolan said introducing iPads for the cats about six months ago had been a “huge success”.

“I'll be walking through one of the enclosures and they'll be absolutely fixated on cats and fish and birds,” she said. 

She said she noticed behavioural results particularly in cats who were stressed about being in an unfamiliar animal shelter.

The adoption centre also plays “cat music” for their feline inhabitants as well as apps with cat games. 

“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,” Ms Doolan said. 

With curfew laws implemented across many Victorian councils that require cats to be kept indoors during specific hours, there is a growing need to find enriching ways to stimulate pets indoors.  

Dr Webber said it was important not to replace all sensory experiences with a screen.

“Most pets really benefit from having their humans around … so we don't want [screens] to start to replace the interaction time, play time, time with just being with our pets,” she said.