🏆 Cat Person of the Month: Kristyn Vitale, PhD

Kwazi’s Cat Person of the Month for June is Kristyn Vitale, PhD, an educator and researcher. Her research explores the ways that cats think and behave, and how they interact with humans. Dr. Vitale’s important work promotes the health and well-being of cats by helping people to understand how cats behave and what they need to live quality lives. She  also teaches kitten training and cat socialization classes.

Dr. Vitale’s amazing work has been recognized by international media outlets. Science Magazine, The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, PBS, Scientific American, Time, The Times of London, and the Wall Street Journal have all featured her work, Today she is “speaking” to us!  

MY: Dr. Vitale, Welcome to our website! Tell us about your latest research!

KV: Much of my work examines the relationship between cats and humans. In my latest project, we examined whether the owner or the owner’s scent would reduce stress for cats in unfamiliar settings. What we found was surprising! Compared to when left alone in an unfamiliar room, cats showed less stress when their owner was present in the room. This supports the idea that owners can serve as a “secure base” from which cats can receive comfort and security. 

However, when presented with an object containing the owner’s scent (such as an old shoe, sweater, or blanket) cats did not display a reduction in stress. In fact, some cats even displayed more stress when left with the owner’s scent object compared to when they were alone! Being left alone with only one aspect of the owner, without the other components of that person (sight, sound, and interaction from the owner), does not produce the same stress-relieving effect as when the actual owner is present. This work does not support the recommendation that owners should leave objects smelling like them with their cats when they go to the veterinarian or travel. 

MY: And what topics do you cover on your CatSci blog and Podcasts?

KV: CatSci Podcast is a project I do with fellow cat trainer Tori Peterson of Space Cat Academy. We focus on subjects such as cat behavior, cat social cognition, and cat training. We also discuss how to apply these ideas to enrich the lives of cats. We’ve also had several guest speakers on the podcast including Tabitha Kucera who spoke to us about implementing Fear Free principles to help strengthen the cat-human bond. 

The CatSci Blog is a place where I share relevant research on cat behavior and cognition. I share newly published articles, interesting videos, or announce an upcoming event where I am speaking. I also have a Youtube page where I post training videos and I’ve compiled videos from other sources into multiple playlists that highlight cat behavior and cognition.