Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications

Abstract

Domestic cats are exposed to a variety of stressful stimuli, which may have a negative effect on the cats' welfare and trigger a number of behavioural changes. Some of the stressors most commonly encountered by cats include changes in environment, inter-cat conflict, a poor human-cat relationship and the cat's inability to perform highly motivated behaviour patterns. Stress is very likely to reduce feed intake, and stress-related anorexia may contribute to the development of potentially serious medical conditions. Stress also increases the risk of cats showing urine marking and some forms of aggression, including redirected aggression. A number of compulsive disorders such as over-grooming may also develop as a consequence of stressful environments. Some of the main strategies to prevent or reduce stress-related behavioural problems in cats are environmental enrichment, appropriate management techniques to introduce unfamiliar cats to each other and the use of the synthetic analogue of the feline facial pheromone. As the stress response in cats depends, to a large extent, on the temperament of the animal, breeding and husbandry strategies that contribute to the cat developing a well-balanced temperament are also very useful.

The association between infrared thermal imagery of core eye temperature, personality, age and housing in cats

“…The ability to accurately predict and understand individual differences in stress sensitivity and response may allow us to understand responses to pain and suboptimal welfare conditions (Ijichi et al, 2013b;Koolhaas et al, 2010). If used in cat rehoming centres, the FTP may indicate which cats could need intervention such as environmental enrichment or the use of pheromones (Amat, Camps and Manteca, 2015) to reduce their stress levels (Vainionpää et al, 2013). Improved welfare can also have an indirect benefit in rescue facilities by increasing the chances of adoption.…”

“…This environment may cause stress, especially for feral or older individuals who may be less flexible in response to this environmental change. Stress is associated with avoidance and aggressive behaviour (Amat, Camps and Manteca, 2015;Siegford et al, 2003) which are considered undesirable to potential new owners. This may impact on adoption rates if this behaviour is not resolved.…”

A Case of Tail Self-Mutilation in a Cat

“…When veterinarians examine a cat with a self-directed behaviour, all possible underlying causes should always be considered. In fact, because of the heterogeneous and potentially multifactorial origins of self-directed behaviours, the clinical evaluation should include a thorough general, dermatologic, and neurologic exam and appropriate laboratory testing (7,8).…”

Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Cats: An Assessment of Risks and Benefits

“…As discussed, outdoor access allows cats to demonstrate natural behaviors, and some have suggested that if these behaviors are prevented, it might lead to frustration, boredom, and the development of problematic behaviors, such as aggression, inappropriate urine marking or toileting, and furniture scratching [66]. Behavioral issues often indicate that welfare is negatively impacted, and the presence of these behavioral issues also puts cats at increased risk for other welfare issues like relinquishment or abandonment [67].…”