Understanding Australian Cat Caregiver Motivations and Reactions to Behaviour-Change Messaging on Cat Containment: Insights for Campaign Design

Domestic cat containment has become an increasing focus of companion animal management in Australia, yet uptake among caregivers who allow their cats to roam remains limited. This study explored how caregivers with established outdoor routines but no strong opposition to containment perceive their cats, interpret risk, and respond to different campaign framings. Four online focus groups were conducted in New South Wales with 22 cat caregivers who allowed their cats outdoor access. Thematic analysis indicated that containment decisions, as interpreted through the analytic process, were shaped by how cats were acquired, prior outdoor experience, beliefs about how cats exercise agency, and beliefs about what factors contribute to feline welfare. Caregivers frequently minimised risk and believed their cats could manage themselves outdoors, reinforcing resistance to change. Reactions to the two tested campaign concepts indicated that messages perceived as moralising or fear-based elicited guilt and avoidance. In contrast, caregivers preferred solution-focused messages showing how cats could thrive safely at home. The findings suggest that once roaming behaviours are established, emotional and habitual barriers make voluntary change difficult. Effective interventions should combine motivational framing with clear, achievable actions and target owners at early decision points, particularly adoption, when new habits and expectations about cat management are more readily established.