A study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri has found that cats adopted by families with autistic kids acclimated well, showing decreasing signals of stress as time went on. The study built on the researchers’ previous research that found that adopting shelter cats helped lower stress and anxiety for children with autism.
After the adoptions, researchers visited the study cats at regular intervals, checking their cortisol levels, weighing them and assessing their stress behavior.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the welfare of cats adopted by families of children with autism spectrum disorder.
