Preference assessment and reinforcer effectiveness in domestic cats

Understanding domestic cat (Felis catus) preferences is important for identifying effective reinforcers that can support training, enrichment, and welfare. We assessed preference across three stimulus categories (food, toys, and social interaction) using free-operant assessments with four adult cats in familiar home environments. The primary dependent measure was duration of quadrant engagement with concurrently available stimuli. Within-category assessments evaluated preference among multiple stimuli within each category to identify the most preferred item, and between-category assessments presented the highest ranked stimuli from each category concurrently to evaluate cross-category preference. A single-operant reinforcer assessment evaluated whether the most and least preferred stimuli identified in the between-category assessment differentially maintained operant responding, measured as a nose-poke response to access the target stimulus. Results showed that three of four cats responded at higher levels when the most preferred stimulus was available relative to the least preferred stimulus. This study is the first to combine within- and between-category free-operant preference assessments with a direct evaluation of reinforcer effectiveness in domestic cats using procedures that are feasible for home and applied settings, including shelters. These findings support the utility of systematic preference assessments for identifying candidate reinforcers in domestic cats.