Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2026
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Psychology
Advisor
Diana Reiss
Committee Members
Joshua Plotnik
Dan McCloskey
Alexandra Horowitz
Subject Categories
Animal Studies | Cognitive Psychology
Keywords
citizen science, Delphi method, feline, human-animal interaction, play, welfare
Abstract
The behavioral and environmental requirements of cats kept as human companions are not always adequately met, and improving their welfare is increasingly recognized as a priority. Despite domestication, cats retain strong predatory motivations, and opportunities for species-typical behavior may be constrained in owner-controlled environments. People can play a role in facilitating such behaviors, and providing cats with opportunities for play is widely recommended. However, current scholarship lacks a unified account of cat-human play recommendations, and there is limited direct evidence of how owners understand and enact play with their cats in everyday life. This dissertation comprised three studies: Study 1 identified areas of expert consensus on cat-human play, and Studies 2 and 3 examined the extent to which cat owner-report and owner-cat play practices aligned with expert consensus.
Study 1 used an online Delphi process to identify expert consensus statements on cat-human play that are considered important for cat owners to know. Across four survey rounds, an initial panel of eight feline experts evaluated 304 statements, 255 of which reached consensus. In accordance with existing scholarship, experts emphasized adapting play to the individual cat, respecting cat choice and control, attending to feline body language, facilitating pseudo-predatory play through prey-like toy movements, and allowing the cat to catch the toy at least some of the time. The panel also generally discouraged direct physical contact with the cat’s body—such as wrestling, rough handling, petting, or encouraging the cat to play with human body parts like hands or feet. The study also highlighted open questions, such as regarding the definition and boundaries of cat-human play.
Studies 2 and 3 used an online citizen science study to examine alignment between owner and cat play practices and expert recommendations. In Study 2, cat owners completed a questionnaire (N = 103) and reported frequent play with playful cats in enriched home environments, but owners also described practices not aligned with expert guidance, particularly play involving human body parts. Cat experience with human body part play was associated with higher owner-reported “behavior problems” and reports of biting or scratching directed toward people. Although these findings do not support causal conclusions, they suggest possible implications for feline welfare and human safety.
Study 3 analyzed owner-submitted videos of play with their cat (N = 98). Most submissions showed toy-directed pseudo-predatory play behavior broadly consistent with expert guidance. However, toy-movement techniques that did not mimic prey were common, and prey-like toy-movement techniques were less frequently observed. Cats commonly displayed close-contact behaviors toward toys, while behaviors characteristic of earlier stages of the predatory sequence were less frequent. During play with a toy, most owners did not initiate physical contact with cats, but touch did occur in nearly one-third of submissions and typically involved brief petting to body regions generally less preferred by cats. Owners often initiated touch while cats were engaging with a toy, suggesting a tendency of owners to incorporate social contact into an interaction that, from the cat’s perspective, might be primarily toy-focused.
This dissertation identifies cat-human play as a behaviorally complex and heterogeneous interaction that should not be left to intuition or assumed shared understanding. Recognizing the role and potential effects of the human within these dyadic interactions may support improvements in the welfare of cats kept as human companions. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of toy-movement techniques on cats’ play behavioral responses and engagement. More broadly, future research should continue to focus not only on whether people play with cats, but also on the details of how they do so and the implications for cat welfare.
Recommended Citation
Hecht, Julie, "A Cat in the House: An Expert Consensus, Owner Survey, and Ethological Inquiry into Cat-Human Play" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6700
