Reclaiming the “crazy cat lady” trope on International Women’s Day!

8 March 2024 is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity and inclusion.

Kris Hill from the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) celebrates women and their cats on International Women’s Day!

Kris playing with some cat friends!
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SCAS-funded research on “Young adults’ views on the mechanisms underpinning the impact of pets on symptoms of anxiety and depression” published in Frontiers in Psychiatry

Roxanne Hawkins, Chih-Hsin Kuo, and Charlotte Robinson have just published findings from their SCAS-funded research in Frontiers in Psychiatry. The peer-reviewed manuscript, “Young adults’ views on the mechanisms underpinning the impact of pets on symptoms of anxiety and depression” is open access and can be downloaded here.

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Love me? Love my pets! Avoid toxic bouquets this Valentine’s Day

Kris Hill from the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) advises suitors this Valentine’s Day (and any day!) to be mindful of their love’s beloved pets.

(Roses are safe for cats & dogs!!)

Avoid heartache this Valentine’s Day by ensuring the flowers you send your loved one are not dangerous to any of their companion animals.

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Pandemic Puppies: The Pawfect Storm

Dr. Rowena Packer from the Royal Veterinary College recently appeared as a guest on BBC Breakfast (link to broadcast) to share the most recent findings from their ‘Pandemic Puppies’ research programme. The Pandemic Puppies ‘The Pawfect Storm’ study, funded by Battersea, found high levels of problem behaviours and punishment-based training in the UK problem behaviours in a UK cohort of Pandemic Puppies aged 21 month.

Rowena’s study into Pandemic Puppies and children was funded by SCAS: ‘Pandemic Pals? Exploring the impact of puppy acquisition during the COVID-19 Pandemic upon the mental wellbeing of families with children‘.

Read what the Student Bursary recipients had to say about the SCAS2023 annual conference!

In 2023 we awarded three Student Bursaries (fee waivers) to attend the SCAS2023 annual conference!

The 2023 annual Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) conference took place on Sunday 17 September 2023. The theme was ‘Are Pets Really Good For Us? The role of pets in mental and physical health’ and focused on the evidence-based research demonstrating how human-animal interactions support our physical and mental health.

Well done to Hindolii Gope, Praise Akobo, and Hallie Shean

Read their conference reports here:

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PADA Cat: Personality Assessment of Cats

By Dennis C. Turner and Christine Olsen

Finally there is now a reliable and validated method to determine the personality and temperament of domestic cats. This will be useful for different purposes, including: increasing our understanding of the behaviour of our companion cats and our interactions with them (and of course for their welfare); for breeding programs; and especially to determine the suitability of individual animals for animal-assisted interventions.

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Upcoming Conferences 2024

SAVE THE DATE for the Annual SCAS Conference #SCAS2024: Online, 22 September 2024. Click here for details.

Mar 26-28, 2024My Dog Is My Home’s Co-Sheltering Conference 2024: Together We Thrive. Register here. Online
June 18-22, 202418th Horses in Education Therapy (HEIT) International Congress: From Science to Practice. Register hereBudapest, Hungary
June 27-30, 2024International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) 2024
Register here.
Hartpury, UK
Sept 7-8, 2024IAHAIO Annual Conference.
Register here.
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Sept 22, 2023The Annual SCAS Conference: Are pets really good for us? The role of pets in mental and physical health. #SCAS2023
http://www.scas.org.uk/home/scas-annual-conference/
Online
Nov TBC, 2023Anthrozoology as International Practice (AIP): A student conference in Human-Animal Studies. Register here.Online

Street Paws founder recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours List

The New Year Honours List recognises the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK.

SCAS member Michelle Southern, founder of Street Paws, has been awarded the OBE in the New year Honours List. Founded in Newcastle in 2016, the charity provides free accessible veterinary care and support to homeless people and their pets across the UK. The charity helps both people and their pets by enabling them to stay together, protecting the human animal bond and ensuring the companion animals receive essential care. SCAS recognises the important of human-animal bond, especially for vulnerable persons. Furthermore, animal shelters are overwhelmed and many of the older animals would not be easily rehomed.

We are delighted that Michelle’s dedication and the important work of Street Paws is being recognised with this much deserved award.

Michelle Southern BCAv – Founder & Director of Street Paws (Photo taken from website)