A prolonged length of stay (LOS) in a rehoming shelter can be detrimental to cat behaviour, health and welfare. Research shows LOS is impacted by animal signalment, behaviour and personality, whether or not previously owned or a stray, and considerations such as cage placement, cage design and the provision of enrichment. A retrospective study was undertaken at a charity organisation that rehomes surrendered and stray cats from three UK shelters. Records from 2011 to 2015, relating to 4460 rehomed cats aged between 1.0 year and 20.1 years old, were analysed to investigate factors that might affect LOS. Univariate and multivariate analysis determined the effects of name, adoption description (first person vs. third person), age and sex on LOS. The final multivariate model demonstrated that age, sex and adoption description, but not name, had a significant effect on LOS. Younger cats, male cats and cats with adoption profiles written in the third person had a significantly shorter mean LOS. Survival curves conducted using a log-rank test and time-to-event analysis, using the dates of relinquishment and rehoming, revealed that cats with a third person description had a shorter LOS. Shelters should consider writing adoption descriptions in the third person to minimise LOS.

IN April 1887 a client of mine, Mrs Phillips, Picton HOllse, Rayleigh, purchased a female goat, two years old. The animal was never put to the male, and in the spring of 1890 it commenced to give milk, the quantity averaging about a pint night and morning. This continued until the autumn of 1899, when the amount gradually diminished until she became dry. At the present time the animal is in good health but has no milk in her udder. OVARO-HYSTERECTOMY OF THE PREGNANT UTERUS.