# Measuring Connections Between Children and Pets: Development of the Child–Dog Engagement Scale and Child–Cat Engagement Scale

## TL;DR

This study created new tools to measure how children interact with dogs and cats, focusing on emotional bonds, engagement, and challenges.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the development of species-specific scales for measuring child–pet relationships.

## Key findings

- The Child–Dog Engagement Scale (C-DES) and Child–Cat Engagement Scale (C-CES) each measure three components: Emotional Attachment, Engagement, and Challenges.
- The scales were developed using input from 319 parents/guardians and expert discussions.
- The tools allow for comparative analysis of children's relationships with dogs and cats.

## Abstract

Many parents acquire a pet specifically for their children, and yet, comparative to other types of human–animal relationships, specific interactions between children and pets remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to create contemporary measures of child–pet relationships that use caregiver reports to capture the nuances of how children interact with cats and dogs. We developed the Child–Cat Engagement Scale and Child–Dog Engagement Scale, which measure three components of child–pet relationships: Emotional Attachment, Engagement, and Challenges.

As more families expand to include pets, it is important to explore how children interact and engage with them. While the past literature has focused on children’s involvement in animal-assisted therapy or their relationships with assistance animals, their everyday relationships with pets remain understudied. Following expert discussion and focus groups, a sample of 319 parents/guardians completed a questionnaire on their child’s relationship with their pet. Analysis of the data resulted in the development of a 38-item Child–Dog Engagement Scale (C-DES) and a 29-item Child–Cat Engagement Scale (C-CES). Each of these measures three factors: Emotional Attachment, Engagement, and Challenges. The development of parallel child–dog and child–cat scales offers a way to measure children’s relationships across these species, while accounting for the different needs of these animals and the unique ways that children may interact and care for them. The scales therefore provide a foundation for future research exploring how children’s relationships with both cats and dogs may contribute to their development.