PetPace Collar Powers Breakthrough Study Showing Simple Lighting Changes Dramatically Reduce Stress in Shelter Cats

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PetPace is proud to announce the publication of a groundbreaking peer-reviewed study conducted at Michigan State University demonstrating how simple changes in indoor lighting can significantly reduce stress in shelter cats. The research, titled "Light quality and time in shelter modulate behavior and cortisol in the domestic cat (Felis catus)," was published in the June issue of iScience and highlights the critical role of the PetPace smart collar in delivering precise, continuous behavioral data. The study was a collaboration between the laboratories of Drs. Hanne Hoffmann and Jackie Jacobs and funded by the MSU Department of Animal Science.

As the only clinically validated smart collar designed specifically for pets, PetPace delivers continuous, AI-powered monitoring of vital signs, activity, and behavior providing researchers and veterinarians with objective health insights that traditional observation methods cannot capture.

In the study involving 101 cats in a shelter environment, researchers examined the effects of different lighting conditions--standard bright lights, dim lights, and dim blue-depleted "sunset-like" lights on stress indicators during the first five days after arrival. Key findings showed that cortisol levels (a primary stress hormone) decreased notably under dim, blue-depleted light by day 5 compared to standard lighting, while behavioral signs of stress, such as validated cat stress scores and inactivity levels, declined across all groups as cats adapted over time.

The PetPace collar was instrumental in this research, providing non-invasive, 24/7 monitoring of locomotor activity and circadian patterns without disturbing the animals. Fitted on cats as they were enrolled in the study, the collars captured objective, high-resolution data on movement intensity and daily rhythms revealing consistent peaks in activity at "lights on" across conditions. This continuous, hands-off tracking complemented urinary cortisol measurements and behavioral observations, enabling researchers to draw robust conclusions about how light quality influences both physiology and real-world behavior in a shelter setting.

Unlike consumer pet wearables that focus primarily on GPS or fitness tracking, PetPace is purpose-built for precision data collection, making it uniquely suited for clinical research, veterinary care, and animal welfare applications.

"The PetPace collar was an essential tool in our study, providing continuous, high-resolution activity data that allowed us to detect clear circadian patterns and helped validate the stress-modulating effects of the lighting interventions. Importantly, the collars were easily implemented by our undergraduate researchers, who were able to collect reliable, around-the-clock data with minimal disruption to the animals, enabling us to generate precise data that would have not been possible with spot-check methods," said Dr. Alexandra Yaw, the lead researcher on the project.

Dr. Asaf Dagan, Cofounder and Chief Veterinary Officer of PetPace, added: "We're thrilled to see the PetPace collar powering high-impact research like this, providing objective, real-time insights into animal stress and behavior that drive meaningful improvements in welfare. Studies such as this one underscore how our technology enables ethical, data-driven advancements that benefit shelter animals and the broader veterinary community."

With continuous remote monitoring, cloud-based analytics, and proactive health alerts, PetPace empowers shelters, researchers, and veterinarians to detect subtle changes earlier and make more informed, welfare-focused decisions.

By enabling ethical, low-burden monitoring in real-world environments, PetPace technology continues to advance animal welfare science. This study underscores the collar's value in producing quantifiable insights that support practical improvements for shelters, veterinarians, and pet health researchers worldwide.

For more information about PetPace and its applications in research visit: https://petpace.com/researchers/