An Ethologist Looks at How We Raise Kittens with Karolina Westlund, PhD
This webinar session was broadcast as part of the All About Puppies and Kittens – May 2025
Member FREE Webinar for September 2026
Use the membership discount code you can find in your member area
On-Demand Webinar: Watch as soon as you register
Webinar Description
For those of us interested in animal welfare, it’s very useful to look at the animal’s situation from the ethological perspective. This angle helps generate ideas about how to best provide animals with an environment and context that create optimal conditions to help them thrive and be resilient and bounce back easily from unexpected and potentially scary events.
In this session, Karolina will discuss:
– What is ethology, and why is it a relevant subject for someone interested in cats?
– Basic and applied ethology and the three most important perspectives
– The social environment
– Time budget and foraging
– Fear and anxiety
Learning Objectives
After this session, you’ll be able to answer the following:
- Why is ethology relevant when it comes to captive animal welfare?
- Which three issues are the most important, from the ethological perspective?
- Give some practical examples from each of the three perspectives.
Your Presenter – Karolina Westlund, PhD
Karolina Westlund helps pet lovers and animal professionals get happier animals that thrive in the care of humans. She grew up pining for a kitten for several years, and pestering her parents until they gave up. The green-eyed black half-siamese cat that she got for her seventh birthday became a true friend who lived to be 21 years old, but an easily startled cat who often went into hiding when there were visitors.
Karolina had grand ideas about becoming a field biologist, but that never came about – the closest she got was working as a trekking travel guide in France and Madeira. Instead she majored in Ethology and developed a passionate interest in animal welfare seen through a multidisciplinary lens, including Behaviour Analysis and Affective Neuroscience. She is now an Associate Professor of Ethology at the University of Stockholm, mostly teaching how behaviour management can be used to improve animal welfare.
She offers live seminars, free online webinars and masterclasses in addition to more extensive online courses, as well as the occasional blog post or scientific publication on the topic of enrichment, animal training and wellbeing. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with her husband, two kids, and, hopefully soon, another cat.
PPG Members
PPG Members, use your Member Webinar discount coupon code at registration to access your membership rate. The code can be found in your membership area.
Not yet a member? Click here to join and begin receiving discounts on PPG member events.
Bookings
Log in if you already have an account with us.