Towards the Creation of Interspecies Digital Games: An Observational Study on Cats' Interest in Interactive Technologies

Abstract

There is growing interest in developing playful experiences for animals within the field of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI). These digital games aim to improve animals' wellbeing and provide them with enriching activities. However, little research has been conducted to analyze the factors and stimuli that could lead animals to engage with a specific game. These factors could vary among different animal species, or even between individuals of the same species. Identifying the most appropriate artifacts to attract the attention of an animal species would help in the development of engaging playful activities for them. This paper describes early findings of an observational study on cats, which evaluated their interest in different kinds of technologically-based stimuli and interaction modalities. This study and further exploration of its results would inform the development of suitable and engaging playful experiences for cats.