Let’s talk about consent, what is it, why is it important for socialization, and how do we practice it?
What is consent?
By definition, consent is permission for something to happen or agreement to do something. Therefore, in a consent-based method, it is ensured that the cat is giving permission for every action the socializer makes.
Why is this important?
Cats are creatures of habit, ritual, and routine which is indicative of a being who needs to be in control to feel secure. Lack of control is stressful for cats and an unpredictable environment can be worrisome. Subsequently, they go into fight, flight, or freeze mode to cope as a survival instinct. A socializer can help a cat come out of this mode by providing predictably and giving control back to the cat. The scientifically proven way to do that is to earn the cat’s trust through maintaining consent. Respecting a cat’s “yes” versus “no” lets the cat know that they are in control of what happens to them and that the socializer will continue to let them remain in control. Thus trust is built.
How do we know if we have been given permission?
Since a cat will not verbally tell us in our native language “yes, you have my consent,” it is important that the we understand the ways in which a cat CAN communicate consent and non-consent to us. This occurs primarily through body language and actions. We’ll dive into this in a future post, but for now, view the picture for common body language indications.
How do we put this into practice?
In order to maintain consensual interactions, we should only proceed when the cat is providing YES signals. We leave when the cat provides NO signals, and we also leave, stop, or decrease the stimulus when the cat is proving neutral or a lack of signals. For husbandry & cooperative care, we can utilize learned consent skills such as station/mat training and chin rests. If the cat stays on the station or maintains a chin rest, they are giving consent to proceed. But if they want to stop, they simply leave the station/rest and we allow them to leave. By respecting the cat’s preference and boundaries to or to not participate, we begin to build the cats trust and confidence while simultaneously diminishing fear.