Back to results

Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children With Autism (Feline Friends)

Primary Purpose

Social Skills, Anxiety

Status

Completed

Phase

Not Applicable

Locations

United States

Study Type

Interventional

Intervention

shelter cat

About this trial

This is an interventional other trial for Social Skills

Eligibility Criteria

6 Years - 17 Years (Child)All SexesAccepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

child with diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
no cat currently living with the family
willingness to adopt a shelter cat
English speaking
live within 125 miles of Columbia, Missouri

Exclusion Criteria:

child with Autism Spectrum Disorder having any history of animal aggression
children with cat allergies

Sites / Locations

University of Missouri

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

No Intervention

Experimental

Arm Label

Shelter cat adoption control group

shelter cat adoption

Arm Description

Families of children with autism will complete a control period with no intervention, then adopt a shelter cat after completion of the control period

Families of children with autism will adopt a shelter cat

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in Social Skills of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

Social skills measured using the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSiS-RS) with scores from 0-138.

Change in Anxiety of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

Anxiety measured using the Screen for Child Related Anxiety Disorders (SCARED) with scores from 0-82.

Secondary Outcome Measures

change in parent Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

bonding of parent and cat using Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale with scores from 0-54.

change in child Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

bonding of child with autism and cat using the Companion Animal Bonding Scale with scores from 8-40

Full Information

NCT ID

NCT03625297

First Posted

July 17, 2018

Last Updated

October 29, 2020

Sponsor

University of Missouri-Columbia

Collaborators

Winn Feline Foundation, Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)

1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number

NCT03625297

Brief Title

Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children With Autism (Feline Friends)

Official Title

Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children With Autism: Impact on Cat Stress and Children's Social Skills and Anxiety ("Feline Friends")

Study Type

Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date

October 2020

Overall Recruitment Status

Completed

Study Start Date

June 23, 2017 (Actual)

Primary Completion Date

October 1, 2019 (Actual)

Study Completion Date

October 1, 2019 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title

Principal Investigator

Name of the Sponsor

University of Missouri-Columbia

Collaborators

Winn Feline Foundation, Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product

Data Monitoring Committee

5. Study Description

Brief Summary

The overall purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the introduction of a shelter cat into the family of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder on the social skills and anxiety of the child, and to examine stress in the cat.

Detailed Description

Many families in the United States live with cats as companion animals, including families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One in 68 children are diagnosed with ASD. There is no cure for ASD, and no one treatment works for all children. Symptoms of ASD include a lack of social skills and anxiety. Companion animals have been helpful for children with ASD. However, no one has studied stress of cats living in families of children with ASD. This study will place 64 pre-screened shelter cats in pre-screened homes and monitor the stress of the cats. Cats ages 10 months to four years that have been screened for calm behavior using a temperament, test will be adopted by families in the study. Families will also be screened for pet issues. No cat will be placed in a home with a child who has a history of aggression to animals. The study will also examine the social skills and anxiety of the children with ASD, and bonding of the parents and children with their cats. Five to eight million dogs and cats are relinquished to animal shelters in the United States each year. Thirty-eight percent of cats are given up for behavioral reasons. Studying cat stress and the placement of cats, with calm and non-aggressive characteristics into homes of families of children with ASD may help shed light on the likely success of the relationships between shelter cats and these families.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study

Social Skills, Anxiety

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose

Other

Study Phase

Not Applicable

Interventional Study Model

Crossover Assignment

Model Description

This study uses a two-group randomized, repeated measures design with a delayed treatment control group.

Masking

None (Open Label)

Allocation

Randomized

Enrollment

11 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title

Shelter cat adoption control group

Arm Type

No Intervention

Arm Description

Families of children with autism will complete a control period with no intervention, then adopt a shelter cat after completion of the control period

Arm Title

shelter cat adoption

Arm Type

Experimental

Arm Description

Families of children with autism will adopt a shelter cat

Intervention Type

Other

Intervention Name(s)

shelter cat

Intervention Description

families will adopt a shelter cat

Primary Outcome Measure Information:

Title

Change in Social Skills of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

Description

Social skills measured using the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSiS-RS) with scores from 0-138.

Time Frame

Control: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

Title

Change in Anxiety of child with autism over time from baseline to 6, to 12 and to 18 weeks

Description

Anxiety measured using the Screen for Child Related Anxiety Disorders (SCARED) with scores from 0-82.

Time Frame

Control: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measure Information:

Title

change in parent Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

Description

bonding of parent and cat using Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale with scores from 0-54.

Time Frame

Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 2-3 days, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

Title

change in child Human-animal Bonding over time from 2-3 days, to 6, to 12 and 18 weeks

Description

bonding of child with autism and cat using the Companion Animal Bonding Scale with scores from 8-40

Time Frame

Baseline, 6, 12 and 18 weeks Treatment: Baseline, 2-3 days, 6, 12 and 18 weeks

10. Eligibility

Sex

All

Minimum Age & Unit of Time

6 Years

Maximum Age & Unit of Time

17 Years

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: child with diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder no cat currently living with the family willingness to adopt a shelter cat English speaking live within 125 miles of Columbia, Missouri Exclusion Criteria: child with Autism Spectrum Disorder having any history of animal aggression children with cat allergies

Overall Study Officials:

First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree

Gretchen K Carlisle, PhD

Organizational Affiliation

University of Missouri-Columbia

Official's Role

Principal Investigator

Facility Information:

Facility Name

University of Missouri

City

Columbia

State/Province

Missouri

ZIP/Postal Code

65211

Country

United States

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Learn more about this trial

Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children With Autism (Feline Friends)

We'll reach out to this number within 24 hrs