Cats differ widely in how they relate to people. Some are affectionate lap-seekers, while others remain wary of even the softest human touch. This variability can pose a challenge for animal shelters seeking lasting, positive adoptions for the cats in their care, leading some to question whether less socialized cats should be placed in typical home environments. It’s suggested that these cats may fare better in non-traditional placements such as barns or outdoor communities instead.

The authors of this study therefore aimed to understand how different levels of sociability affect a cat’s post-adoption welfare and their adopter’s satisfaction. In particular, they wanted to determine whether cats labeled as “undersocialized” truly experience a lower quality of life once adopted and whether caretakers of these cats report less satisfaction with the adoption.

The study was conducted at the Toronto Humane Society in Ontario, Canada, where cats suspected of being unsocialized are assessed via the Feline Spectrum Assessment (FSA), developed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The FSA consists of four mini-tests that are repeated four times over a span of two to three days. This results in a rating of how likely the cat is to be socialized to people, ranging from extremely unlikely to extremely likely.

Cats included in the study were assessed between October 15, 2018 and May 24, 2021 and adopted between March 23, 2019 and February 28, 2022. They were eligible for assessment according to the FSA guidelines: they were at least six months old, appeared to be in good health, and not visibly pregnant, nursing, in heat, or obviously social. There was also a control group consisting of unassessed but presumed socialized cats selected from the shelter database through random sampling over the same time period. All cats had to be in their adoptive homes for at least one month to be included in the study.

To get a sense of post-adoption behavior, the authors surveyed the cats’ adopters about their level of fearfulness, playfulness, activity, aggression, affection, vocalness, and house soiling, as well as their reactions to familiar and unfamiliar people. Adopters were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the adoption and the home environment’s suitability for their cat.

The final sample included 57 FSA cats and 155 control cats. Using the post-adoption behavior information from the surveys, the authors then analyzed how these cats adjusted to their adoptive homes.

Undersocialized Cats Struggle In Traditional Homes

The findings indicate that there were substantial behavioral differences that corresponded with varying levels of socialization.

Overall, FSA cats displayed more fear and showed less affection than control cats, with cats scoring lower on the FSA scale especially likely to be fearful.

FSA cats were also noticeably less receptive to interactions with humans, including their adopters. Compared to control cats, they were more likely to run and hide and avoid petting and less likely to enjoy petting. Again, this was more pronounced for cats scoring lower on the FSA scale. In fact, close to half of these cats (44%) avoided petting from their adopter and over a third (34%) ran and hid or were already hiding when their adopter approached them.

Taken together, this highlights sociability as a key factor for cats in adapting to their new homes. Less socialized cats appear to experience ongoing fear and stress — and therefore poorer welfare — even after the typical adjustment period post-adoption.

Adopters Still Satisfied Despite Socialization Challenges

Despite these challenges, 89% of adopters of cats with the lowest FSA scores were either satisfied or highly satisfied with their adoptions, and there was no difference in return rates between FSA and control cats (both 14%). However, adopters of cats with higher FSA scores and adopters of cats from the control group did report greater satisfaction overall (95% and 97%, respectively).

Furthermore, adopters of cats with lower FSA scores were more likely to say that outdoor housing would be better for their cats (19%) compared to adopters of cats with higher FSA scores and adopters of control cats (both under 10%). This suggests that adopters of less socialized cats have concerns about their welfare and may question whether their home environment is in their cat’s best interest.

Limitations

The authors highlight the following limitations in their study:

• Reliance on adopter-reported data, which might introduce bias;
• Not measuring how interventions such as foster care and behavior modification affect outcomes; and
• The short timeframe, which restricts long-term insights.

These factors limit the study’s ability to capture other important variables shaping post-adoption welfare for cats and adopter satisfaction.

Despite these limitations, the study’s findings are valuable for advocates working with cats. While it may be feasible to place cats with varying sociability in adoptive homes, the evidence indicates that those with the lowest FSA scores — the least socialized — often fare poorly in typical households and would likely be better suited to barn placements, trap-neuter-return (TNR), or similar alternatives unless they make substantial behavioral progress in shelter. By helping shelter staff and adopters set realistic expectations, the FSA can serve as a valuable guide for matching cats with environments that truly support their well-being.