Muriel (canine subject 1.098.01) is a four year-old fawn pug that has been cohabitating with two cats (feline subjects 1.987.07- grey and 1.765.85 – calico) for one year. Within that time period, Muriel has slowly progressed from exhibiting aggressive behavior towards the
felines to accepting a passive coexistence.While this peaceful cohabitation may be typical of animals that are around each other everyday, Muriel has begun to display traces of feline behavior. The most startling of her new activities is the rejection of doggy treats and passion for kitty treats.
The following series of images showcases Muriel’s atypical behavior when presented with the controlled items Schnuck’s Snack Biscuits for Dogs and Purina Whisker Lickens Chicken and Liver Flavor (controlled items 2.364.09 and 2.127.98).
images a.1 and a.2Image a.1 shows generalized non-interest in food item that arouses normative excitement in most canines. Muriel instead chooses to ignore a large box of treats for a full, unsupervised hour. Further disregard produces surprising results. Image a.2 reveals that Muriel has no enthusiasm for treats even as they’re placed on her back.
On the flipside of this behavior is what happens when Purina Whisker Lickens are produced three full rooms away. After a slight shake of the container, Images b.1-b.2 reveal that all three subjects sprint into the room. Even after feline subjects have lost interest in the treats, Muriel continues to be excited by container contents.
images b.1 and b.2
Despite food interest focusing on cat treats, hers is typical canine enthusiasm. While the felines display general apathy, Muriel looks hopeful for a full 23 minutes after the Whisker Lickens have been put away.
Based on the continued interest, this test was unable to prove that Muriel has completely switched behavior from canine to feline. However future tests involving bath time, squeaky toys and walks are planned to further examine catdog tendencies in feline socialized pugs.
