Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

ICES20 logo

Use the "back" button of your browser to return to the list of abstracts.

PERCEPTION TOWARDS CATS IN MEKELLE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS [Abstract ID: 1208-04]

Yoko FURUSAKI, Mekelle University, Ethiopia

Humans in many parts of the world have a long history of living together with cats. In Mekelle many families choose to live with cats. The aim of this research is to identify how the cats are viewed by people in Mekelle and surrounding areas. Do people have emotional attachment to cats, or do they evaluate cats based merely on their usefulness to humans? Do people have a positive or negative image towards cats, and why? What kinds of words or phrases do people associate with cats? Is there a difference in perception of cats among the families who have lived mostly in Mekelle versus families from more rural places? To answer these questions, both cat owners and non-cat owners in Mekelle, Kwiha, and Debri were interviewed. Interviews were also conducted at a Church and a Mosque to understand some of the background of people's perception of cats.