TY - JOUR
T1 - Putting cats on the spectrum
T2 - A scoping review of the role of cats in therapy and companionship for autistic adults and children
AU - Cleary, Michelle
AU - West, Sancia
AU - Thapa, Deependra K.
AU - Kornhaber, Rachel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - This scoping review brings together existing studies on the use of cats in animal-assisted interventions, as assistance animals and as companion animals for autistic people. A systematic search across PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus in September 2022 identified 13 articles from 12 studies meeting the selection criteria with analysis revealing two key findings, cat-assisted therapeutic interventions, and cats as companion animals. There were five themes that emerged: the characteristics and behaviours of cats that make them suitable for inclusion in homes with autistic people; the bond between the cat and the autistic person; the use of cats as human-substitutes; the multiple ways in which cats improved the lives and social functioning of autistic people; and, some noted drawbacks or considerations of cat ownership. The review generates a comprehensive knowledge base upon which to promote feline therapy in autism and to advocate for further targeted research.
AB - This scoping review brings together existing studies on the use of cats in animal-assisted interventions, as assistance animals and as companion animals for autistic people. A systematic search across PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus in September 2022 identified 13 articles from 12 studies meeting the selection criteria with analysis revealing two key findings, cat-assisted therapeutic interventions, and cats as companion animals. There were five themes that emerged: the characteristics and behaviours of cats that make them suitable for inclusion in homes with autistic people; the bond between the cat and the autistic person; the use of cats as human-substitutes; the multiple ways in which cats improved the lives and social functioning of autistic people; and, some noted drawbacks or considerations of cat ownership. The review generates a comprehensive knowledge base upon which to promote feline therapy in autism and to advocate for further targeted research.
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U2 - 10.1080/01612840.2023.2195509
DO - 10.1080/01612840.2023.2195509
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37075312
SN - 0161-2840
VL - 44
SP - 505
EP - 516
JO - Issues in Mental Health Nursing
JF - Issues in Mental Health Nursing
IS - 6
ER -