Cats Inside-Only or Inside and Outside?; Cat Owners Prevention and Promotion Motivations

1. Cats Inside-Only or Inside and Outside?; Cat Owners Prevention and Promotion Motivations Jill Mosteller, Ph.D. Portland State University Karen Kraus Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

2. Cats In or Out? Agenda • Background/Community participants • Key research questions/approach • Results • Insights • Next steps

3. Background • Coalition of Three Organizations • Audubon Society of Portland • Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon • Portland State University • Key Issues driving study: • Cat overpopulation – leading cause of death for cats • 3.4 million cats are killed in shelters each year (HSUS) • In Oregon 15,000 /In Portland 4.300 cats are euthanized in shelters • 200 species of birds migrate/live in Portland Metro area. • 25% of species are experiencing significant population declines. • Each year, 40% of the 3,000 bird intake are attributed to attributed to domestic cats. Willamette Weekly, July 11, 2013 cover photo

4. Coalition Background/Synergies • The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon • Spays/neuters approx. 7,000 feral or stray cats/year • Altered 62,000 cats since inception in 1995. • Focus on prevention of future cats becoming feral or stray • Audubon Society of Portland • Common agenda; reducing the number of free roaming cats in Portland • Portland State University • Marketing professor studies consumers in relation to companion-animals

5. Exploratory Study Exemplifies Cat Advocates and Bird Advocates Working Together

6. Key research question/approach • What factors drive consumer decision-making with cats being let outside? • Secondary research conducted by students • Interdisciplinary searches and summaries • Online survey developed and distributed • Convenience snow-ball sample approach • University ‘identified’ as survey host • Students distributed survey via email and on social media sites

7. Theoretical Framework • Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins 1997, 1998) • Consumers are pursuing needs that they seek to fulfill and drives the color of their thoughts • Approach – promotion focus (+) • Avoidance – prevention focus (-) • Different motivations drive different types of thoughts associated with desired end states/goals.

8. Participant Profile • N=120 • Cat owners who live in the PNW • Young - 70% 18-32 • Educated – 90% some college or higher • Connected – internet survey • Female – (71%)

9. Survey Results In general, for you, how influential are the following reasons for keeping a cat inside? (4 point scale, 1- no influence, 4 – strong influence)

10. Allowing a cat go outside…

11. Survey Insights • Motivations to keep a cat inside • Prevention motives • ‘Avoid’ injury, disease, and loss • Motivations to let a cat outside • Promotion motives • ‘Promote’ an enriched life interacting with nature • Supporting cat’s disposition to want to go outside

12. Cat Caretakers with Inside and Outside Cats… • Messaging that promotes how a cat can lead an enriched life INSIDE OR SAFE OUTSIDE may be persuasive. • Messaging that promotes cat well-being may be well received. • Raising awareness of consequences for cat’s well-being by being outside may be elicit attention. • Further testing with a larger, more representative sample of targeted cat owner households is needed.

13. Next steps – future studies • Survey of targeted HH’s in Metro area • Attitudes – Behavior • Prevention/Promotion focus • Awareness of consequences - capture • Ascription of responsibility - capture • Importance of Cat, Bird, and Eco-system well-being • Testing of elements in messages to determine potential effectiveness in campaigns

14. Questions? Future Inquiries Jill Mosteller jillm@sba.pdx.edu Karen Kraus kkraus@feralcats.com