Evaluation of Factors Impacting Shelter Cats’ Personalities

Behavior-related factors represent a major cause of cat relinquishment to shelters, highlighting the need for reliable tools to support appropriate matching between cats and adopters. The present study applied the ASPCA® Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ assessment to evaluate personality profiles of shelter cats and to examine factors associated with variation in personality expression across shelters. A total of 113 cats housed in six shelters in the south of France were assessed using a standardized behavioral protocol. Differences between shelters were evaluated using one-way ANOVA for behavioral scale scores, while associations between personality type and shelter affiliation, sex, coat color, and age were analyzed using χ2 tests of independence. Significant differences between shelters were observed for the majority of behavioral assessment items, as well as for composite valiance and independent–gregarious scale scores. Shelter affiliation was significantly associated with the distribution of Feline-ality™ personality types, indicating that personality profiles were not uniformly distributed across shelters. No statistically detectable association was found between personality type and sex. In contrast, significant associations were observed between personality type and both coat color category and age category, suggesting non-random variation in personality distribution across these factors. These findings indicate that shelter-related and individual factors are associated with variation in feline personality expression. While causal relationships cannot be inferred, the results underscore the importance of considering environmental context and population characteristics when interpreting shelter-based behavioral assessments. The Feline-ality™ framework appears to be a useful tool for characterizing personality variation in shelter cats and may support improved adoption matching when applied with appropriate caution.