05/15/08

A behavioral scientist for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has come up with a test to best match a particular cat to a particular person or family.

The program is being adopted by some animal shelters.

The test rates the animals on confidence and sociability. The program then assesses those qualities to determine which of 9 personality categories the cat falls into, and how that can be best matched to a family's situation and desires.

A similar test is being developed for dogs. Both programs are designed to cut down on the number of pets that are brought back to animal shelters by people who feel they're mismatched with the dog or cat they chose.