Judging Category
Basic or Experimental Research
Student Rank
Senior
College
Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Jerica J. J. Rich, jerich@astate.edu
Description
Felines have played an important role in the lives of humans for thousands of years. This study investigated perceptions of felines and feline demographics in Northeast Arkansas (NEA). For Study 1, data on phenotype and health conditions was collected from 2,305 patient files from three NEA veterinary clinics. For Study 2, an anonymous survey generated using Qualtrics was published through College of Agriculture social media accounts to gather opinions from cat owners on feline coat color and ownership trends. Study 1 identified up to 6 pattern-based and up to 18 color-based phenotypes per clinic and a total of 129 unique health conditions. From Study 1, the most predominant breed and phenotype in NEA was the domestic shorthair solid black cat. Study 2 revealed that most of the NEA population found black cats to be most attractive. However, most would avoid adopting a cat based on looks; most would choose based on personality. In conclusion, the NEA population prefers black cats aesthetically, but most would rely on temperament as the primary factor in choosing a pet. Although this study evaluated 2,305 patient files across three clinics, this is just a small percentage of the feline population that exists in NEA, therefore for a more conclusive answer more data is needed.
Disciplines
Animal Studies | Other Sociology
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Batchelor, Tiffany L., "Purr-Spectives: Connections Between Feline Coat Color and Human Preferences and Perceptions in Northeast Arkansas" (2026). Create@State. 30.
https://arch.astate.edu/evn-createstate/2026/posters/30
Included in
Purr-Spectives: Connections Between Feline Coat Color and Human Preferences and Perceptions in Northeast Arkansas
Felines have played an important role in the lives of humans for thousands of years. This study investigated perceptions of felines and feline demographics in Northeast Arkansas (NEA). For Study 1, data on phenotype and health conditions was collected from 2,305 patient files from three NEA veterinary clinics. For Study 2, an anonymous survey generated using Qualtrics was published through College of Agriculture social media accounts to gather opinions from cat owners on feline coat color and ownership trends. Study 1 identified up to 6 pattern-based and up to 18 color-based phenotypes per clinic and a total of 129 unique health conditions. From Study 1, the most predominant breed and phenotype in NEA was the domestic shorthair solid black cat. Study 2 revealed that most of the NEA population found black cats to be most attractive. However, most would avoid adopting a cat based on looks; most would choose based on personality. In conclusion, the NEA population prefers black cats aesthetically, but most would rely on temperament as the primary factor in choosing a pet. Although this study evaluated 2,305 patient files across three clinics, this is just a small percentage of the feline population that exists in NEA, therefore for a more conclusive answer more data is needed.
