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s senior animal welfare inspector at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Lidewei de Boer is a Master's student at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. They met online to discuss their shared passion for animal behaviour. 

So why are you both so fascinated by behaviour? 
 

Van der Laan: "As a child, I already used to wonder what my cats meant by certain behaviours. Animals can convey so much information through the way they behave, and I wanted to figure out what was going on in their heads. Behaviour is an important indicator in that sense. I used to want to be an animal psychologist.'

De Boer: "I suppose I was already unconsciously observing animal behaviour as a child, but I didn't become really passionate about it until I started volunteering at a big cat sanctuary here in the Netherlands where they kept lions and tigers. You needed to be able to recognise unusual behaviour, and I wanted to learn how to deal with it."

If it works on lions, it probably works on calves too.

So how do you apply your expertise to your own pets and other animals you interact with? 
 

De Boer: "I was really inspired by my volunteer work and decided to start training cows. After all, if it works on lions, it probably works on calves too. It sounds more exciting than it was, though: I mainly focused on domesticating calves. I also observe my own cat, which is lying on my lap right now, as closely as possible. She's been through a lot of trauma, and she really lets you know what she does and doesn't like. She's easier to read in that sense. You need to observe her closely and listen carefully." 

Van der Laan: "I also really enjoy training animals. That also involves taking care of animals that are anxious or haven't been properly socialised. I used to live near the dunes and take in local shelter kittens to socialise them. You really need to observe them closely so you can adjust your own behaviour. For example, let's say a cat is displaying fear-based behaviour. If you respond by distancing yourself, that anxiety will decrease." 

The stray dog who didn't really connect with us much, but he became so excited and enthusiastic the second he saw his former owner again. That was an emotional moment for me.

Could you share an experience that's really stuck with you?
 

Van der Laan: "I did my PhD research project on the welfare of shelter dogs. My time at the shelter really taught me how strong the connection between people and dogs can be. For example, there was a shy stray dog who didn't really connect with us much. Still, the moment he saw his former owner again, he became so excited and enthusiastic. That was an emotional moment for me."

De Boer: "During my internships, we had an anxious dog in the clinic whose owners told us he was hard to examine. They told us it took six people to take the first blood sample, and there was blood on the ceiling by the end. We made the dog more comfortable by doing all the examinations on the floor instead of the examination table and taking lots of breaks. The fact that we handled the dog so calmly allowed the vet to carry out the examination without any problems. It's amazing to see how much difference those things make."

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