Researchers unlock new secrets to improving cat health using crochet hats

Researchers from the University of Montreal have developed little crochet beanies for cats, but they’re more than just a fashion statement. The hats are lined with electrodes to measure brain activity, allowing scientists to study feline behavior in a new way.

The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods. This research marks the first time EEG brain scans have been done on cats while they’re awake.

With regular cat behavior, the team had to get creative to keep the electrodes in place. Thanks to YouTube, they had the idea to crochet hats for cats.

These tiny wool hats allowed scientists to measure brain activity in felines without having to sedate them. This breakthrough could pave the way for even more advanced research into what cats experience, including chronic pain.

Over 25% of adult cats live with osteo-arthritis worldwide, and the research aimed to see how cats dealt with that daily pain.

Previous studies had to rely on heavily sedated cats for these tests, but now with these innovative hats, researchers can monitor their brain activity while they’re awake. These electrode-filled beanies are already in use to help researchers figure out how cats respond to pleasant smell and sounds.

This is part of a broader effort to ease discomfort these animals feel in their experience of chronic pain. While the study is still in its early stages, new doors are already being opened in ways we can study other animals, potentially through the use of these hats.