Online Training Using an Educational Video Improves Human Ability To Identify and Rate Kitten Fear Behavior

Introduction: Fear is a negative emotional state that can influence early behavioral development and lead to impairments in animal welfare. For young kittens, excessive fear early in life can instill lasting fearfulness leading to behavioral issues such as aggression, negative impacts on the human–animal bond, potential mistreatment, relinquishment to shelters, and/or euthanasia. Therefore, it is crucial that caretakers can accurately identify when their kittens might be experiencing fear in order to respond appropriately. Methods: We used an online survey to determine: (1) whether members of the general public (n = 761) can accurately identify and rate different severities of fear behavior in young kittens in short video clips (i.e. no fear requiring no intervention, mild fear requiring awareness of possible intervention, and moderate fear requiring immediate intervention); and (2) whether an educational video offering specialized training on identifying kitten behavior can improve human ability to correctly rate kitten behavior in comparison to a general kitten care video. Results: Using mixed logistic regression models, we found no difference at baseline in correct ratings between the two video groups across all fear categories. However, participants who received the specialized behavior training had significantly greater odds of being correct after video training for all three categories compared to participants who received the general kitten care video. Additionally, previous experience with cats and participant personality impacted ratings. Conclusions: Overall, the current study demonstrates that concise and specialized training in identifying kitten behavior is a useful tool for improving human ability to identify and rate fear levels in kittens. This training approach can help strengthen caretaker understanding of kitten behavior to ensure interactions with potentially fear-provoking stimuli are properly mitigated to reduce related welfare impacts. Thus, these types of educational resources are encouraged within shelters, veterinary clinics, research settings, and foster and adoptive homes to improve the welfare of kittens.