Celebrity
The surprising gadget an animal shelter is using to make cats more adoptable – and it’s working
Hundreds of millions of iPads have been sold since its invention, but the product now has a brand new fan base.
A trial of 50 cats and kittens has shown that felines who spend time watching their favourite shows on the device are more likely to be adopted and socialised.
Lort Smith’s Adoption Centre has completed a heartwarming trial using iPads and TV to socialise cats and kittens in order to get them ready for adoption.
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The adoption centre has been using the devices to help socialise some of their more nervous cats and kittens, many of whom were shut down and hesitant to be around people.
Their shyness often heartbreakingly becomes a significant barrier to adoption, but something unexpected happened once the screens were introduced.
The cats spent time enjoying their favourite viewing options, which included squirrels, fish and tennis games.
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A Lort Smith Animal Hospital spokesperson, Suzana Talevski, said, ”Following the introduction of iPads and TV in their enclosures, the cats and kittens become increasingly social and happy.
”The program will now be rolled out across the Lort Smith adoption centre as a tool for enrichment and positive mental health well-being.”
”Cats are naturally drawn to movement, so anything with colour and action on screen is sure to interest our feline friends,” Talevski added.
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”Many of the animals arriving at shelters tend to suffer some sort of separation anxiety, so this type of enrichment has shown to alleviate that greatly.
“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,” Talevski said.
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Two of Lort Smith Animal Hospital’s star participants, Pumpkin and Pepper, were photographed adorably watching squirrels play on their iPads.
If you’re looking for a tech-savvy cat, consider visiting Lort Smith’s Adoption Centres to find your purr-fect match.
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