Evolution of the therapeutic cat profile: a generational comparison based on Fe-BARQ data

March 2026

Abstract
The aim of the study was to compare the behavioral profile of therapy cats used in felinotherapy in two time periods: up to 2022 and in 2022–2023. The analysis is based on the Fe-BARQ questionnaire domains and tracks changes in the cats' activity, sociability, regulatory strategies, and trainability. The results show a shift from a model of an extremely calm and tolerant animal to a profile of an actively cooperating partner with greater regulatory flexibility. This development likely reflects not only changes in the selection of cats, but above all a transformation in felinotherapy methodology, an emphasis on welfare, and the use of modern training and neuroregulatory approaches.

Introduction
Feline therapy has undergone a significant transformation since its systematic development in the early 21st century. While early approaches (since around 2002) emphasized primarily the calm presence of the cat and its ability to tolerate human contact, the current concept increasingly views the cat as an active participant in the interaction and a co-creator of the regulatory environment.
The current approach is based on knowledge of animal welfare, neuroregulation, polyvagal theory, and LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) principles. Operant conditioning, especially clicker training, has gradually been incorporated into practice, and interventions have been expanded to include play and art therapy elements.
This paradigm shift raises the question of whether the profile of the therapy cat itself is changing along with the methodology.

Methodology
Datasets
Two groups of therapy cats were compared:
Dataset A (≤2022) – therapy cats working before 2022

Dataset B (2022–2023) – therapy cats working within the current methodological framework

The evaluation was based on Fe-BARQ domains, including in particular:
Activity

People sociability

Vocalizations

Purring

Attention seeking

Fear of novelty

Trainability

Separation problems

Resistance to restraint

Location preferences

The domains of aggression towards people and owners showed a value of 0% in all cases.

Retrospective nature of the first dataset
The dataset up to 2022 was created retrospectively based on the memories of handlers, photographic and video documentation, and the long-term experience of those directly involved in the interventions. Therefore, a certain degree of retrospective bias cannot be ruled out.
The cats included in this group were also individuals who had proven themselves in practice over a long period of time, which may have led to an emphasis on stable and positively perceived characteristics.
In contrast, the 2022–2023 dataset was collected prospectively during active work with cats.

Results
A comparison of the average values shows several consistent trends:

1. Decline in extreme sociability towards humans
The older generation showed very high People sociability values. The newer dataset shows a slight decrease, not in sociability, but in greater variability in behavior.

2. Increase in activity
Newer therapy cats are more active and exploratory, which is related to greater choice and control over their environment.

3. Significant increase in trainability
After 2022, operant conditioning, clicker training, and LIMA principles are systematically used. Training is no longer used solely for controllability, but to strengthen agency and predictability of the environment for the cat.

4. Stable low aggression
Both generations show zero aggression towards humans, confirming the stable selection criteria of felinotherapy.

5. Higher regulatory flexibility
The newer dataset shows a higher combination of activity, vocalization, and attention seeking, which can be interpreted as more active involvement in social regulation.

Discussion
The changing role of the therapy cat
The results suggest a fundamental shift in the understanding of the therapeutic cat.
The earlier model preferred individuals with an exceptionally calm, stable temperament—cats that were difficult to upset and that made an impression primarily through their quiet presence.
The current model allows the cat to actively participate in the interaction. The cat is no longer the main object of attention but becomes part of a broader regulatory field that includes play, creative activity, and social sharing.
In this context, the cat functions as a neuroregulatory anchor — a stable but dynamic element of the environment.

Impact of the change in methodology
The increase in trainability and activity is likely related to:

• the use of operant conditioning,

• respecting the cat's choice,

• greater environmental control,

• the inclusion of play and art therapy activities,

• by reducing pressure on direct human-cat contact.

This changes the ecological niche of the therapy cat: a successful individual no longer needs to be merely passively tolerant, but can be regulatively flexible and actively communicative.

Development of the field of felinotherapy
The differences between the datasets probably do not only reflect a change in the characteristics of cats, but above all the development of the field itself.
Feline therapy has shifted
from a model of a "calm animal providing contact"

to a model of welfare-oriented, relational, and neuroregulatory intervention.

This shift corresponds to broader trends in animal-assisted interventions and current knowledge about the needs of animals.

Conclusion
A generational comparison of therapy cats shows the evolution of the profile of a suitable individual for felinotherapy. While earlier practice preferred extremely calm and highly tolerant cats, the current approach supports an active, trainable, and regulationally flexible personality.
The development of the therapeutic cat profile thus reflects not only a change in the selection of animals, but above all a deeper transformation in the philosophy of work—towards partnership, welfare, and shared regulation between humans and animals.