Environmental factors that affect the behavior and welfare of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed in cages

Stella, Judi; Croney, Candace; Buffington, Tony

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2014.08.006

Cited by 68 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Overall, acute, and chronic stressors might lead to loss of body weight and poor coat and skin condition. We found, in agreement with many other studies, that aspects of the shelter environment such as places to hide or rest (Gourkow and Fraser, 2006;Kry and Casey, 2007;Stella et al, 2014;Vinke et al, 2014), are essential factors in stress reduction. Not only the presence of appropriate numbers of resting places but also their positioning and thus the possibility to maintain a distance from other cats seem to be important (Barry and Crowell-Davis, 1999;Rochlitz, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Fear of humans is a likely cause of stress and poor welfare in shelter cats and might be used as an indicator of welfare. In addition to other factors, the fearfulness of a cat toward a person seems to depend on environmental factors: Caged cats in a predictable environment with minimal disturbances approached humans with reduced latency, interacted for longer with them, and displayed a higher frequency of affiliative behaviors (Stella et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare

Arhant

Wogritsch

Troxler

2015

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare

Arhant

Wogritsch

Troxler

2015

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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“…In a shelter study, cats with the highest stress scores during the first week in the shelter were more likely to develop upper respiratory infection (URI) . Unfamiliar handlers and environments, altered feeding schedules or husbandry activities, kennel confinement, impoverished or nonstimulating environments, aversive stimuli such as noise, odors, uncomfortable temperatures, and lack of hiding resources all can cause stress in cats . Furthermore, changing housing from group housing to kennels also has been shown to trigger FHV‐1‐associated disease .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of a Pheromone on Stress‐Associated Reactivation of Feline Herpesvirus‐1 in Experimentally Inoculated Kittens

Contreras

Hodgkins²,

Tynes³

et al. 2017

Veterinary Internal Medicne

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BackgroundStress contributes to reactivation of feline herpesvirus‐1 (FHV‐1). The usage of pheromones to decrease stress in FHV‐1 experimentally inoculated kittens has not previously been investigated.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo determine whether a feline pheromone would lessen stress, resulting in decreased recurrence of FHV‐1‐associated illness in kittens.AnimalsTwelve 5‐month‐old, purpose‐bred kittens.MethodsRandomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial. Kittens previously infected with the same dose of FHV‐1 were randomized into 2 separate but identical group rooms. After a 2‐week equilibration period, a diffuser containing either the pheromone or placebo was placed in each of the rooms, and the kittens acclimated for an additional 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks thereafter, for the 8‐week study period, housing was alternated between kennel‐ and group housing. Blinded observers applied a standardized clinical and behavioral scoring rubric daily. After each 2‐week period, serum cortisol concentrations and quantitative PCR for FHV‐1 and glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) ratios were evaluated. Clinical, behavioral, and laboratory test results were compared between groups within individual and combined study periods.ResultsSneezing occurred more frequently in the placebo group during individual (P = 0.006) and combined study periods (P = 0.001). Sleep at the end of observation periods occurred more frequently in the pheromone group during individual (P = 0.006) and combined study periods (P < 0.001).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe findings suggest that the pheromone decreased stress, and the decrease in stress response may have resulted in decreased sneezing associated with FHV‐1.

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“…This is in contrast to studies of cats housed in laboratories and in housing mimicking shelter environments, where decreased appetite was the most common abnormal behavior reported [10, 22, 23]. One explanation is that free-fed cats living in multicat households may have decreased appetite that goes unnoticed if changes in food intake are of short duration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…This data was collected as part of a larger project assessing cats' responses to environmental factors where cats were temporarily housed in cages for two or three days to simulate conditions and acclimation that might be experienced at a shelter [10]. The studies were conducted at The Ohio State University (OSU) and Purdue University (PU) Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Management Practices of Cats Owned by Faculty, Staff, and Students at Two Midwest Veterinary Schools

Stella

Croney

2016

The Scientific World Journal

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Understanding cat owners' housing, care, and management practices is important for promoting cat welfare. A survey study was conducted on the housing and management practices used for cats by students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University and Purdue University veterinary colleges. Subjects were 138 cat-owner dyads. Most cats (74%) were housed strictly indoors in keeping with common US veterinary recommendations. However, many did not implement best practices outlined for behavior and other welfare needs of indoor cats. The percentage of respondents placing resources where cats could be disrupted while using them was 31%, 53%, and 30% for resting areas, food/water dishes, and litter boxes, respectively. Many cats were not provided a litter box in a private area (35%), in multiple areas of the house (51%), or that was regularly washed (73%). Horizontal scratching opportunities were not provided to 38% of cats; 32% were not provided toys that mimic prey and 91% of cats were fed a diet consisting of >75% dry food. These findings suggest a need for more concerted efforts to educate owners about meeting their cats' welfare needs so as to attenuate risks and improve cat physical and behavioral welfare outcomes.

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Environmental factors that affect the behavior and welfare of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed in cages

Cited by 68 publications

References 40 publications

Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare

Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare

Effect of a Pheromone on Stress‐Associated Reactivation of Feline Herpesvirus‐1 in Experimentally Inoculated Kittens

Management Practices of Cats Owned by Faculty, Staff, and Students at Two Midwest Veterinary Schools

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