Students train shelter cats for adoption success

Not long ago, Delilah wouldn't go near her cat carrier. Now the young calico tabby jumps into it on cue, earning treats and praise from student handlers Tucker Bugaj and Roya Cranford.

That kind of progress is exactly what Shelter Cat Behavior and Welfare is designed to produce. The new course in Virginia Tech's School of Animal Sciences gives students hands-on experience in feline behavior and welfare, while helping shelter cats find homes.

"It's crazy because after a lot of training and socialization through the class, she loves the carrier now," said Cranford, a senior in animal and poultry sciences, as she rewarded Delilah with a treat. "When she gets adopted out, she'll be able to just get into the carrier with no stress and go home, which I think is really cool."

Throughout the semester, nearly 30 students have worked with 14 cats housed in a Blacksburg campus cattery, using evidence-based techniques to reduce stress and build behaviors that make cats more adoptable.

"As far as we know, this is one of very few courses in the country that has cats coming in from animal shelters, living on campus, being trained by students, and being adopted out," said Lisa Gunter, assistant professor of animal behavior and welfare in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who leads the course with Associate Professor Erica Feuerbacher.

Cats get their due

Gunter said animal shelter enrichment programs tend to focus on dogs, even though cats make up a significant proportion of shelter populations.

“The idea that cats can’t be trained or don’t like to hang out with people — these are all myths, and ways in which they don't receive the same sort of treatment as dogs," Gunter said. “We saw an opportunity to help cats in need of homes and provide students with a course that offered more hands-on learning that could benefit them should they go into the field."

The cats come from the Lynchburg Humane Society. Its executive director, Jill Mollohan '10, is a School of Animal Sciences alumna who met Gunter through their shared work on the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies board.

“Our field needs more professionals with this expertise,” Mollohan said. “The cats benefit from individualized attention, enrichment, and behavior support. This partnership introduces our cats to a broader audience, increasing their visibility and adoption opportunities.”

Training cats — yes, cats

Students teach cats to nose-target a wand, sit on cue, spin in a circle, load into a carrier, sit on a mat for cooperative care, and bump a fist with their paw, using food rewards paired with clickers for positive reinforcement. The students start early on with carrier training to prepare them for their adoption.

"It's not as difficult as one would think," said Bugaj, a junior who has worked in veterinary settings for six years and hopes to become a veterinarian. “You give them a stimulus, and they respond in a way that produces the desired behavior.”

Not every cat is as ready for college as Delilah. Sophomore Keriana Robertson was working with Dublin, a tuxedo cat, who retreated to a ledge in his condo midway through class.

"He'll tolerate the activities for a while, but he's really independent and likes his down time," she said, laughing. "But cats can be trained. They learn the same way as dogs. They're really smart and some truly enjoy the interaction."

Life in the cattery

Eva Giguere, a master's student in companion animal behavior, manages the cattery day to day — overseeing the cats' daily care, coordinating cat interactions, and running an enrichment program where students support cats outside of class.

"New environments can be stressful, and enrichment helps reduce that,” Giguere said. "Cats tend to take longer to acclimate than dogs. It's important that we give them different outlets to meet their species-specific needs.”

Enrichment sessions are scheduled daily, designed to engage all of a cat's senses through music, scents, and rotating objects and toys.

Ph.D. student Yasmeen Gomez coordinates the adoption program, managing events, promoting available cats, and working with the shelter and prospective adopters.

“It’s been amazing to connect more deeply with shelters, get to know the cats on an individual level, and find them the homes they deserve,” she said.

New career paths for animal lovers

Many students come into companion animal classes intent on becoming a veterinarian. The course aims to broaden that perspective to additional ways of working with companion animals.

"Courses in behavior and welfare benefit veterinarians," Gunter said. "But we also want to expose students to careers outside of veterinary medicine — in animal sheltering, behavior consulting, research, and the pet industry."

Cranford came to Virginia Tech planning to become a veterinarian. She's now earning an accelerated master's in applied animal behavior and welfare through the Online Master’s Degree in Agricultural and Life Sciences program and hopes to focus her career on cat behavior research.

“As I started getting involved in research, I realized I was getting more hands-on time with the animals — getting to know their personalities and building bonds with them,” she said. “I fell in love with it. Now I want to go the behavior route. Seeing the animal grow means a lot to me.”

Bugaj remains on the veterinary track but finds the course just as valuable.

"It's not conceptual," he said. "You're in there working with the cats and seeing them grow. From where they are in week one to where they are at the end — that's one of the best feelings.”

Learn more about cats available for adoption — including Delilah — here.