Medical conditions and outcomes in 371 hoarded cats from 14 sources: a retrospective study (2011–2014)

Abstract

Objectives The aims of this study were to: (1) describe the source, route of surrender and signalment of hoarded cats relinquished to the Toronto Humane Society (THS); (2) document the prevalence of medical conditions by group (place of origin); (3) compare medical conditions between institutional hoarding (IH) and non-institutional hoarding (NIH) environments; and (4) report length of stay (LOS) and outcomes in hoarded and non-hoarded cats. Methods A retrospective, descriptive epidemiological study was performed using THS records from between July 2011 and June 2014. The prevalence of medical conditions was calculated for the different groups. Univariable logistic regression with a random intercept to account for autocorrelation among animals from the same group was used to examine the influence of IH and NIH environments on selected medical conditions. LOS and outcomes were calculated for hoarded and non-hoarded cats. Results Three hundred and seventy-one hoarded cats from 14 sources were included. The majority (n = 352/371) were surrendered voluntarily, many with the assistance of a community intermediary. Upper respiratory infection (URI) was the most common medical condition (38% of cats), followed by dermatological disease (30%). The prevalence of medical conditions varied substantially between groups. The odds of URI at intake (odds ratio [OR] 4.35, P = 0.044) and chronic URI (OR 23.70, P <0.0001) were significantly greater for IH compared with NIH. Adoption rates, euthanasia rates and LOS were similar for hoarded and non-hoarded cats. Conclusions and relevance The different prevalence of medical conditions in groups of hoarded cats indicates a continuum of harm and severity in animal hoarding. Hoarded cats can have LOS and live release rates comparable with non-hoarded cats. Cats from IH were significantly more likely to have chronic URI. This study highlights the need for a greater focus on IH, as well as the role of community intermediaries and the potential for a harm reduction approach to animal hoarding.

Spatial serosurvey of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in individuals with animal hoarding disorder and their dogs in Southern Brazil

“…Animals in hoarding situations reportedly lack proper food, water, veterinary care, and live in crowded and unsanitary spaces with feces and urine accumulation [7]. Although several clinical conditions and injuries may be commonly observed in hoarded animals [10][11][12][13], few studies have specifically addressed the problem [14][15][16]. Although the risk of zoonotic disease transmission has been a particular concern in animal hoarding situations [2,12], only a single study has focused on potential zoonotic nematodes in cats under hoarding situations [15].…”

Behavior and adoptability of hoarded cats admitted to an animal shelter

“…The original study group 12 contained 371 cats. One hundred and sixty-two were excluded from the current study because they were <6 months old at intake, and 14 were excluded owing to missing data.…”

“…The study examined case records from hoarded cats relinquished to Toronto Humane Society (THS) between 26 July 2011 and 11 June 2014. 12 Information was retrieved from paper and electronic records (PetPoint Data Management System) and post-adoption survey responses. Cats <6 months old at the time of intake were excluded, to remove confounding effects of young age on behavior and socialization.…”

“… 3 , 11 Sources include unplanned litters, previous pets, unsocialized community cats and deliberate breeding. 3 , 4 , 11 , 12 Therefore, the ability of individual hoarded animals to adapt to a conventional home environment can be expected to vary.…”

New Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Analysis as a Potential Target for Identification of Trichophyton verrucosum in Different Culture Conditions

“…However, its need for adequate selection of reference genes is a limitation, which is associated with a strong dependence on the stability of the transcription level of these genes when in incubation conditions [26]. In many studies, normalized genes are regarded as those with stable expression in previously defined conditions; thus, they are appropriate to quantify the gene expression level of specific targets [15,26,[36][37][38]. In agreement with our results, these studies reveal that no single gene is stably expressed in all microorganisms and in various growth conditions.…”