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1
Bradshaw, John. "Normal feline behaviour: … and why problem behaviours develop." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 20, no. 5 (April 30, 2018): 411–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x18771203.
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Practical relevance: Cats are descended from a solitary, territorial ancestor, and while domestication has reduced their inherited tendency to be antagonistic towards all animals larger than their typical prey, they still place more reliance on the security of their territory than on psychological attachments to people or other cats, the exact opposite to dogs. Many feline problem behaviours stem from perceived threats to this security, often due to conflicts with other cats. Others are more developmental in origin, often caused by inadequate exposure to crucial stimuli, especially people, during the socialisation period. Strongly aversive events experienced at any age can also contribute. A third category comprises normal behaviour that owners deem unacceptable, such as scratching of furniture. Evidence base: This review identifies three areas in which basic research is inadequate to support widely employed concepts and practices in feline behavioural medicine. First, classification of cats’ problem behaviours relies heavily on approaches derived from studies of their behavioural ecology and, to some extent, extrapolation from canine studies. Few studies have focused on cats in the home, the environment in which most behavioural disorders are expressed. Secondly, cats’ chemical senses (olfactory and vomeronasal) are far more sensitive than our own, making it difficult for owners or clinicians to fully comprehend the sensory information upon which they base their behaviour. Thirdly, although the concept of psychological distress is widely invoked as an intervening variable in behavioural disorders, there are still no reliable measures of distress for pet cats in the home. Global importance: Psychological distress of some kind is the primary cause of many of the behavioural problems presented to clinicians, but surveys indicate that many more cats display the same clinical signs without their owners ever seeking help. The welfare of this ‘invisible’ group could be improved by veterinarians taking a more proactive approach to educating their clients about the behavioural needs of pet cats.
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Taylor, H. "Drinking behaviour in cats." Veterinary Record 136, no. 14 (April 8, 1995): 372. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.136.14.372-a.
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BLACKSHAW, JK. "Abnormal behaviour in cats." Australian Veterinary Journal 65, no. 12 (December 1988): 395–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1988.tb14282.x.
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Trevorrow, Nicky. "The implications of social living in cats." Companion Animal 24, no. 5 (May 2, 2019): 257–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.12968/coan.2019.24.5.257.
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Feline social behaviour is frequently misunderstood by owners, which can lead to people not meeting the species-specific needs of their cats (Felis sylvestris catus). Despite the fact that cats are adaptable and can at times form social bonds with other cats, it should not be forgotten that cats are not obligate social animals and as a result, regularly suffer from chronic stress associated with close, often forced, proximity to other cats. Cats are predators, but are also, being relatively small, preyed upon and thus are adept at hiding signs of stress. Therefore, subtle signs of conflict with other cats, both within the same household and in the local neighbourhood, are easily and frequently missed by the cat's owner. Veterinary practices are ideally placed to provide education on cats' needs, improve cat welfare and, where necessary, to refer to a Clinical Animal Behaviourist registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC).
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Neville, Peter. "Treatment of behaviour problems in cats." In Practice 13, no. 2 (March 1991): 43–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/inpract.13.2.43.
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Gültiken, Nilgün, Selim Aslan, Serhan Serhat Ay, Mustafa Yavuz Gülbahar, Julianna Thuróczy, Ece Koldaş, Duygu Kaya, Murat Fındık, and Sabine Schäfer-Somi. "Effect of deslorelin on testicular function, serum dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol concentrations during and after suppression of sexual activity in tom cats." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 19, no. 2 (July 10, 2016): 123–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x15615381.
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Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant in tom cats. Methods Nine mature male cats were included in the deslorelin group and five cats in the control group. Before the study started, all cats were confirmed to have distinct sexually dimorphic behaviour. Blood samples were taken on the implantation day, at day 7 and at day 15, then monthly, in order to measure serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 17beta(β)-oestradiol concentrations. The deslorelin group (n = 9) was divided into two subgroups: five cats (cats 1–5) were neutered in the postimplantation period during suppression of sexually dimorphic behaviour, and four cats (cats 6–9) were neutered after re-expression of sexually dimorphic behaviour. The control group cats (n = 5) were castrated without administration of the implant. Results Sexually dimorphic behaviours ceased within a mean ± SD of 13–58 days (23.30 ± 14.17) after implantation. DHT concentration decreased within 30 days. The mean duration of suppression was 26.5 ± 7.42 months and reactivation coincided with increased DHT values reaching preimplantation concentrations within 1 month. 17β-oestradiol concentrations significantly correlated with DHT concentrations ( P <0.01). For cats castrated during suppression of sexual behaviour, the length of the long axes of the nuclei of Leydig cells, the diameter of seminiferous tubules and the height of the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules did not change until 3–6 months after implantation, whereas at 12 and 32 months the measured values were even lower than in the control group. For cats castrasted after reactivation, the length of long axes of the nuclei of Leydig cells and the diameter of seminiferous tubules approached the values of the control group between 4 and 6 months after reactivation. Conclusions and relevance A deslorelin implant (4.7 mg) suppresses sexually dimorphic behaviour in tom cats without any side effects and with full reversibility; however, duration of suppression is highly individual.
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Roetman, Philip, Hayley Tindle, and Carla Litchfield. "Management of Pet Cats: The Impact of the Cat Tracker Citizen Science Project in South Australia." Animals 8, no. 11 (October 24, 2018): 190. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani8110190.
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Domestic cats (Felis catus) are popular pets worldwide and play an important role in the lives of many of their owners; however, there is growing awareness of the potential negative impacts of cats. Accordingly, there is increasing interest in pet cat management, including changing the attitudes and behaviours of cat owners. The Cat Tracker citizen science project was conducted in South Australia to better understand domestic cats, their movement, and related community views. The project was deliberately designed to engage cat owners and assist them to make informed decisions about the management of their pet cats. The project collected data through an online social survey (n = 3192) and GPS tracking of pet cats (n = 428), conducted between February 2015 and September 2016. A public report was published in February 2017 and an evaluation survey (n = 410) was conducted between March and May 2017. This study evaluates the project and examines its impact on participant knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. We found that participation in the tracking activity had a statistically significant influence on participant-reported learning. For participant cat owners, we recorded statistically significant increases in the level of importance placed on containing cats (both during the day and at night). Participants reported that they changed their behaviour with existing pet cats and reported intentions to change behaviour with future pet cats. We discuss impacts beyond what we set out to measure, including impacts on project onlookers, profound impacts on participants, and how the rebound effect (which can generate negative impacts) may be avoided. We describe social science applied to citizen science and advocate for further research in this area to understand how projects can drive positive changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours.
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Bolton, Victoria. "About cats, mice and behaviour-changing parasites." Biochemist 40, no. 4 (August 1, 2018): 32–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bio04004032.
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The Science Communication Competition is now in its eighth year. As in previous years, it aims to find young talented science writers and give them the opportunity to have their work published in The Biochemist. In 2015, a new branch of the competition was launched to include video entries. Overall this year's competition attracted 74 entries and these were reviewed by our external panel of expert judges. The first prize in the written category was awarded to Victoria Bolton from the University of Glasgow, whose article is presented here; the winner of the video category was Jirayu Tanprasertsuk from Tufts University. Jirayu's winning video can be viewed at bit.ly/scicommvid2018.
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Rauschecker, Josef P., and Ulla Kniepert. "Auditory Localization Behaviour in Visually Deprived Cats." European Journal of Neuroscience 6, no. 1 (January 1994): 149–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.1994.tb00256.x.
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Stavisky, Jenny. "Behaviour of cats and dogs in shelters." Veterinary Record 178, no. 18 (April 28, 2016): 452.1–452. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.i2069.
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Smith, D. F. E., and J. W. S. Bradshaw. "Social behaviour and stress in rescued cats." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 31, no. 3-4 (August 1991): 291–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(91)90019-t.
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Kim, Hee S., Jin S. Hong, Chang W. Park, Kyung H. Cho, and Yoo Y. Kim. "Evaluation of grooming behaviour and apparent digestibility method in cats." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21, no. 4 (July 13, 2018): 373–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x18783837.
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Objectives This experiment was conducted to evaluate the behavioural time budget for grooming and grooming patterns for shorthair and longhair cats, and to assess the effect of grooming behaviour on apparent digestibility of nutrients in domestic cats ( Felis catus) by comparing hair-included faeces and hair-removed faeces. Methods A total of 10 adult domestic cats, with a mean ± SD body weight of 4.3 ± 0.89 kg and a mean ± SD age of 3.5 ± 1.38 years, were used for behavioural observation. Cats were housed individually in stainless steel cages at the animal hospital. The cats’ behaviour was recorded on a webcam videotaping system for one 24 h period; then, faecal samples were collected and analysed to measure apparent digestibility. Results There was no significant difference between longhair and shorthair cats in behavioural time budget for grooming and grooming patterns. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of hair-removed faeces was significantly higher than that of hair-included faeces: about 6% ( P <0.01), 7% ( P <0.01), 14% ( P <0.01), 12% ( P = 0.01) and 10% ( P <0.01), respectively. Conclusions and relevance There was no difference in grooming patterns between longhair cats and shorthair cats. Also, the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, ADF and NDF has been underestimated by approximately 6%, 7%, 14%, 12%, and 10%, respectively, when they have been calculated using the conventional digestibility method for domestic cats.
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Kmecová, N., T. Weissová, and K. Vdoviaková. "Behaviour Problems of Cats Reared Individually or in Coexistence with other Animals (Cats, Dog)." Folia Veterinaria 60, no. 4 (December 1, 2016): 58–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/fv-2016-0039.
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Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether behaviour problems in indoor cats depend on the number of cats in a household or rearing one or more cats in a household together with a dog. The study was carried out on animals which were divided for the purpose of this study into 4 groups: (1) households with one cat; (2) households with two cats; (3) households with three or more cats; (4) households with one or more cats and a dog. Altogether 91 cats were included in the study. The practical part of this investigation was based on a questionnaire. It was observed that the probability of behaviour problems was not related unambiguously to the number of cats in a household or the company of a dog. The percentage of the occurrence of changed behaviour did not differ significantly between the groups.
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Martínez-Byer, Sandra, Andrea Urrutia, Péter Szenczi, Robyn Hudson, and Oxána Bánszegi. "Evidence for Individual Differences in Behaviour and for Behavioural Syndromes in Adult Shelter Cats." Animals 10, no. 6 (June 1, 2020): 962. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10060962.
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Consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour have been previously reported in adult shelter cats. In this study, we aimed to assess whether repeatable individual differences in behaviours exhibited by shelter cats in different situations were interrelated, forming behavioural syndromes. We tested 31 adult cats in five different behavioural tests, repeated three times each: a struggle test where an experimenter restrained the cat, a separation/confinement test where the cat spent 2 min in a pet carrier, a mouse test where the cat was presented with a live mouse in a jar, and two tests where the cat reacted to an unfamiliar human who remained either passive or actively approached the cat. Individual differences in behaviour were consistent (repeatable) across repeated trials for each of the tests. We also found associations between some of the behaviours shown in the different tests, several of which appeared to be due to differences in human-oriented behaviours. This study is the first to assess the presence of behavioural syndromes using repeated behavioural tests in different situations common in the daily life of a cat, and which may prove useful in improving the match between prospective owner and cat in shelter adoption programmes.
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Wichert, Brigitta, Julia Trossen, Daniel Uebelhart, Marcel Wanner, and Sonja Hartnack. "Energy Requirement and Food Intake Behaviour in Young Adult Intact Male Cats with and without Predisposition to Overweight." Scientific World Journal 2012 (2012): 1–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/509854.
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Obesity is a common problem in cats. In the experimental cat family of the institute of animal nutrition besides a “normal” lean phenotype, cats with predisposition to an overweight phenotype are present. To investigate energy requirements and food intake behaviour of intact male cats of different phenotypes, six “normal” lean cats (GL) and six cats disposed to overweight (GO) were used. At the beginning of the experiment, all cats had an ideal body condition score of 5. To reach this the GO cats had to pass a weight-loss program. Energy requirements of the cats were determined using respiration chambers, whereas the amount and frequency of food intake was measured with a feeding station recording the data automatically. Energy requirement at weight constancy of the GO cats was even on fat-free mass (FFM) significantly (P=0.02) lower (162.6 kJ/kg FFM/d) than that of the “normal” lean cats (246 kJ/kg FFM/d). The GO cats also showed a higher food intake34.5±1.5 g dry matter/kg body weight0.67compared to the GL cats (24.0±2.1 g dry matter/kg body weight0.67)(P=0.001). In conclusion quantifiable differences in food intake and behaviour in cats predisposed to overweight compared to “normal” lean cats were found.
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Poucet, Bruno. "Spatial Behaviour of Cats in Cue-Controlled Environments." Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section B 37, no. 2b (May 1985): 155–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14640748508402092.
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Two groups of six cats were subjected to a spatial learning task in cross-mazes that differed only in the spatial relationship between the goal and the single available visual cue. When this cue was remote from the goal (“mapping situation”), the cats did not need more testing days to reach the learning criterion than when it was above the goal (“guidance situation”). Additional behavioural data gave evidence of two information-gathering strategies within each group: the first consisted of taking the relevant information from the starting point; the second was to choose the correct path from the central choice-point. These strategies were discussed in the light of O'Keefe and Nadel's theory (1978) concerning two spatial behaviours, mapping and route-following. The results of a second experiment showed that the cats subjected to the mapping situation were markedly less affected than those subjected to the guidance situation by a delay introduced between the moment when the relevant cue was still available and the moment when the subjects were allowed to run to the goal. In a third experiment, it was shown that only cats that were seen as choosing their path from the starting point during learning (Experiment 1) succeeded in using short-cuts: subjects that chose from the central choicepoint needed to pass through this place when a shorter path was available. These results show that the processes involved in spatial behaviours may be characterized by taking into account some of the behavioural components. Furthermore, the properties of these processes can be assessed with additional experiments, such as delayed-reaction tasks and short-cutting tests.
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MacDonald, Edith, Taciano Milfont, and Michael Gavin. "What drives cat-owner behaviour? First steps towards limiting domestic-cat impacts on native wildlife." Wildlife Research 42, no. 3 (2015): 257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14164.
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Context Cats can have substantial negative impacts on native wildlife. To harness the collective conservation impact of owners keeping cats inside, advocacy campaigns need to be based on empirical evidence regarding potential drivers to change cat-owner behaviour. Aims We assessed the degree to which different socio-psychological factors (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control), past cat owner behaviour, demographics and group membership explained intentions of zoo visitors to bring cats inside. Methods A self-report questionnaire was distributed to zoo visitors based on the theory of planned behaviour. Visitors rated 24 belief statements and four behavioural-intention questions on a scale of one to seven. We adopted an information-theoretic approach to make inferences about the drivers of intention to bring cats inside. Key results Attitude and normative beliefs were strong predictors of intention. Specifically, attitudinal beliefs focussed on the benefits to the cat of being inside or the positive impact on the owner were correlated with intention. Bringing cats inside for the benefit of native species was weakly correlated with intention. We found an interaction between normative beliefs (injunctive and descriptive) and past behaviour. For respondents who were intermittently bringing their cat inside, veterinarians were a key injunctive normative influence. In contrast, respondents who kept their cat outside exclusively rated descriptive norms as influential on their own behaviour. Conclusions Our results indicated a way forward for future advocacy campaigns. To increase the frequency of visitors bringing cats inside, future research should look at campaigns using veterinarians to advocate messages that emphasise the benefits to the cat of being inside or the positive impact on the owner. To target visitors who keep their cat outside exclusively, a normative campaign highlighting the actions of others bringing their cats inside at night may prove successful. Implications Given the impacts cats have on wildlife, conservation campaigns need to properly design communication campaigns to have the best chance at altering cat-owner behaviour. Our results can help guide this process.
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Ellis, Sarah LH. "Recognising and assessing feline emotions during the consultation: History, body language and behaviour." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 20, no. 5 (April 30, 2018): 445–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x18771206.
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Practical relevance: Crucial to successful treatment of problem behaviour and optimising the welfare of the individual cat is determining which underpinning emotion(s) are involved in the presentation of the behaviour. Feline emotions are not feelings per se, but motivational-emotional systems that are responsible for instinctual emotional arousal. Often different interventions are required to alleviate different negative emotional motivations. Clinical challenges: Identifying different emotional motivations and the arousal level associated with them solely from observations of behaviour and body language is a difficult task because, as with any species, the behavioural repertoire of the domestic cat is finite and the same behaviour may occur with the activation of different emotional systems. In addition, cats, like people, may experience more than one emotion at the same time or switch quickly between emotional motivations, and this further complicates identification. The behavioural assessment of pain is also notoriously difficult in cats. Evidence base: This review draws on the published literature where available and, where there is a paucity of research, on hypotheses derived from observations of professionals in the field. Global importance: Being able to recognise and assess feline emotional motivations in order to address problem behaviours and improve welfare is important for all veterinarians who see cats.
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Taggart, Patrick L., David E. Peacock, and Bronwyn A. Fancourt. "Camera trap flash-type does not influence the behaviour of feral cats (Felis catus)." Australian Mammalogy 42, no. 2 (2020): 220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am18056.
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Camera traps are now the most commonly used technique for indexing feral cat (Felis catus) and predator populations. Camera flash-type has been suggested to influence an animal's behaviour and their redetection by similar cameras, with white-flash cameras being shown to reduce the probability of redetecting some species. We investigated the influence of camera flash-type on the behaviour of feral cats by categorising their behavioural response to white-flash and infrared-flash cameras and assessing the frequency with which individual cats were redetected by the same white-flash camera or a different white-flash camera at the same site following their initial detection. We found no evidence that flash type had any influence on the cats’ observed behavioural responses towards cameras, or that cats captured by white-flash cameras avoided redetection. Our findings suggest that white-flash cameras are suitable for the detection and redetection of cats, and provide better-quality images from which to identify individual cats.
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Baranyiová, E., A. Holub, M. Tyrlík, and M. Volfová. "Cats in Czech Rural and Urban Households." Acta Veterinaria Brno 75, no. 3 (2006): 411–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.2754/avb200675030411.
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The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of rural and urban environments on the coexistence of humans and their cats. From the obtained questionnaire data we selected the rural cats (R, n = 54) and compared them with urban cats (U, n = 144). The R group cats lived predominantly in family houses, U cats in urban apartments. The pressures of physical and social factors in the small niches of urban apartments (dwellings in Czech urban high-density living settings, though comfortable, are smaller than in numerous European countries; they prevailed in our U group) resulted in statistically significant differences in only 31 (51.7%) out of 60 traits under study. Among them, 15 (68.2%) out of 22 concerned the conduct of household members, and 16 (42.1%) out of 38 concerned the behaviour of their cats. Thus the conduct of people in U households showed relatively higher proportion of changes than the behaviour of their cats. U onwers more frequently purchased their cats (R = 24.1%, U = 48.6%, chi-square = 10.648, df = 4, p < 0.05), they kept the cat pedigrees (R = 37.0%, U = 75.4%, chisquare = 24.661, df = 1, p < 0.001), paid more attention to their cats ((R = 93.0%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 8.950, df = 1, p < 0.005), talked to them daily (R = 87.0%, U = 98.6%, chi-square = 12.024, df = 1, p < 0.001), allowed them to use furniture (R = 77.8%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 33.839, df = 1, p < 0.001), sleep in beds of family members (R = 61.1%, U = 95.1%, chi-square = 37.149, df = 1, p < 0.001), and celebrated their birthdays (R = 25.9%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 7.014, df = 2, p < 0.05). Their cats were more destructive than R cats, hunted less and were less aggressive when stroked. However, they showed a slightly larger scope of aggressive behaviours and were more frequently described as nervous and restless. The nature of the significant differences found in this study indicates that the co-existence of cats with people in the urbanized world is becoming more intimate. More interactions occur between the two species. The relationships between people and their cats deserve further study not only in order to gain more insight but also for a practical application of this knowledge.
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Ligout, Séverine, Xuemei Si, Hanne Vlaeminck, and Sandra Lyn. "Cats reorganise their feeding behaviours when moving from ad libitum to restricted feeding." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 22, no. 10 (March 9, 2020): 953–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x19900387.
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Objectives One identified solution to prevent obesity in cats is to control and limit their calorie intake. The objective of the present work was to better elucidate the impact of calorie cut-off on the feeding behaviour of cats. Methods A control (n = 31) and a test group of cats (n = 38) were included in the present study. Both groups received the same food variety during the study. A period of ad libitum feeding was initially set (T0), followed by a 9-month mild calorie restriction period for the test group only (T9; average calorie restriction = 6%), and a final period of ad libitum feeding (T10). The individual cat feeding behaviours were measured via an electronic feeding system, and agonistic interactions between cats during food anticipation via video observations. Generalised linear mixed models were fitted to compare all feeding parameters between periods by group. No statistical analyses could be performed on the agonistic interactions data owing to their structure. Results The feeding behaviour of the control group remained stable during the entire study, while the test group showed fewer but larger meals taken at shorter time intervals and a faster eating rate in response to calorie restriction. The average total number of agonistic interactions per cat increased during the calorie cut-off period in the test group only. One month after returning to ad libitum feeding, all behaviours were largely restored to baseline values. Conclusions and relevance Behavioural changes expressed by cats under calorie restriction can explain some of the difficulties obtaining cat owners’ compliance with dietary restriction, especially in multi-cat households. Feeding strategies should be utilised to help cats be less impulsive and maintain normal feeding patterns when moving away from ad libitum feeding.
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Asproni, Pietro, Alessandro Cozzi, Ranieri Verin, Céline Lafont-Lecuelle, Cécile Bienboire-Frosini, Alessandro Poli, and Patrick Pageat. "Pathology and behaviour in feline medicine: investigating the link between vomeronasalitis and aggression." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 18, no. 12 (July 10, 2016): 997–1002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x15606493.
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Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate if the feline vomeronasal organ (VNO) can be affected by inflammatory lesions and if these changes are associated with behavioural alterations. Methods VNOs from 20 cats were sampled during necropsy, submitted for routine tissue processing and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histopathological evaluation. For the 20 cats, data on the presence of aggressive behaviours towards cats or humans were collected by questionnaire survey at the point of death. Inflammatory lesions were classified depending on the duration of the process as acute or chronic, both in vomeronasal sensory epithelium (VNSE) and in non-sensory epithelium (NSE). Fisher’s exact test was used to compare VNO inflammation with behavioural data. Results The VNSE was inflamed in 11/20 VNOs (55%) while the NSE was inflamed in 13/20 (65%). Overall, the VNO was affected by inflammation in 14/20 (70%) cats, and all the lesions were classified as chronic. Five out of 20 cats (25%) had documented intraspecific aggressive behaviours and 8/20 (40%) had shown aggression towards humans. Fisher’s exact test showed a statistically significant correlation between inflammation of the VNSE and intraspecific aggression ( P = 0.038). No statistically correlations were observed between VNSE inflammation and aggression towards humans and between NSE inflammation and aggression towards cats or humans. Conclusions and relevance Our results show, for the first time, the existence of vomeronasalitis in animals and its possible association with intraspecific aggressive behaviours. The inflammatory microenvironment could impair VNSE functionality, causing intraspecific communication alterations, probably through a reduction in chemical communication action and perception. Owing to the pivotal role of the VNO in the social life of cats and other species, this report provides a rationale to further investigate this disease in relation to a variety of behavioural disorders.
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FOREMAN, GAIL E. "Breeding and maternal behaviour in Geoffroy's cats Oncifelis geoffroyi." International Zoo Yearbook 35, no. 1 (January 1997): 104–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1090.1997.tb01198.x.
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Brown, S. L., and J. W. S. Bradshaw. "Classification of social behaviour patterns in feral domestic cats." Applied Animal Behaviour Science 35, no. 3 (January 1993): 294. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(93)90148-i.
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Distler, C., W. Fischer, K. P. Hoffmann, and R. Nikel. "Cortical physiology and behaviour in cats with congenital microstrabismus." Behavioural Brain Research 16, no. 2-3 (August 1985): 199–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0166-4328(85)90110-x.
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Lamontagne, Angélique, Rebecca Johnson, Gretchen Carlisle, Leslie Lyons, Jessica Bibbo, Colleen Koch, and Steven Osterlind. "Efficacy of the Feline Temperament Profile in evaluating sheltered cats for adoption into families of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder." Animal Studies Journal 9, no. 2 (December 2020): 21–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.14453/asj/v9.i2.3.
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This project was part of the Feline Friends Study, which matches shelter cats with families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to study children’s social behaviour and cats’ stress. Cats were screened for calm temperament using the Feline Temperament Profile (FTP). The FTP consists of ten phases, with a list of ‘acceptable’ and ‘questionable’ behaviours under each phase. Our aim was to answer the following research questions: What items of the FTP best predict temperament in shelter cats? What are similarities and differences in temperament between cats who qualified or did not qualify for placement? Forty-four shelter cats were rejected for placement in a home with a child with ASD and twenty-six cats qualified. There was no difference according to sex; however, there was a significant difference in FTP scores across animal shelters. Principal Component Analysis showed that ‘vocalizations’ and ‘watches with no approach’ were most predictive of acceptable temperament. The findings show that the FTP can be shortened with no loss of reliability, facilitating shelter efforts to rehome cats successfully. The implementation of FTP could effectively reduce the amount of time cats spend in the shelter as well as the number returned to the shelter after adoption, resulting in improved welfare both at the shelter (shorter stay) and in their new home (decreased return).
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Arhant, Christine, and Josef Troxler. "Is there a relationship between attitudes of shelter staff to cats and the cats’ approach behaviour?" Applied Animal Behaviour Science 187 (February 2017): 60–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2016.11.014.
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Roberts, Claire, Tim Gruffydd-Jones, Jessica L. Williams, and Jane K. Murray. "Influence of living in a multicat household on health and behaviour in a cohort of cats from the United Kingdom." Veterinary Record 187, no. 1 (January 2, 2020): 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.104801.
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BackgroundLiving in a multicat household has been implicated as a risk factor for various feline issues, but evidence is often anecdotal or based on retrospective studies.MethodsData from the Bristol Cats Study, a UK longitudinal study of pet cats, were used. Cats were included if they had remained in either a single cat or multicat household between questionnaires 1 (two months old to four months old) and 5 (two-and-a-half years old). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyse associations between single cat/multicat households and measures of health and behaviour (overweight/obesity, abscesses/cat bites, negative interactions with owner and periuria). Multicat households were also subcategorised according to whether owners had reported agonistic behaviour between household cats.ResultsThere was no evidence of association between household type and the likelihood of obesity, abscesses or periuria. The likelihood of negative interactions with the owner (eg, growling or hissing) was influenced by the cats’ relationships; cats in non-agonistic multicat households had decreased odds of negative interactions with the owner, compared with single and agonistic multicat households (P<0.001).ConclusionLiving in a multicat households per se was not a risk factor for the health and behaviour issues investigated, but the intercat relationship is important.
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Bradshaw, J. W. S., and R. E. Lovett. "Dominance hierarchies in domestic cats: useful construct or bad habit?" Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science 2003 (2003): 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1752756200011753.
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In the diagnosis and treatment of behavioural disorders in multi-cat households, it is often assumed that a dominance hierarchy exists between the cats (e.g. Crowell-Davis, 2002). While such hierarchies are probably commonplace among dogs, what evidence there is to support the existence of social hierarchies in groups of domestic cats has mainly been gathered from reproductively entire animals, such as single sex laboratory colonies, and free-ranging aggregations of ferals. For example, Natoli et al. (2001) used receipt of “submissive” (defensive) behaviour to construct a weakly linear hierarchy in a group of 14 farm cats, but this did not correspond to the hierarchy derived from receipt of affiliative behaviour. We have investigated the alternative hypotheses that apparent dominance hierarchies in multi-cat households may actually be based upon territorial behaviour, or some other undetermined social system.
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Cafazzo, Simona, Roberto Bonanni, and Eugenia Natoli. "Neutering Effects on Social Behaviour of Urban Unowned Free-Roaming Domestic Cats." Animals 9, no. 12 (December 9, 2019): 1105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9121105.
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The “trap, spay/neuter, and release” programs to manage unowned free-roaming cat populations are diffused worldwide and they are largely advised even in countries where the suppression of unowned cats is enforced by law. Despite the massive neutering campaigns in the world, there is little information on the influence of neutering on individual cat behaviour, as well as on the social structure of cat colonies. The aim of this study is to verify such effects. Before neutering, the group consisted of 17 free-roaming domestic cats, who were totally unrestrained. After neutering it consisted of 16 individuals. Data on the outcomes of aggressive, submissive, affiliative, and territorial behaviour were collected, using classic ethological methods (“focal animal”, “all occurrences”, and “1/0” sampling methods) (735 h of observation before and 537 h after neutering). The dominance hierarchy did not change after neutering. On the other hand, the frequency of aggressive, territorial behaviour as well as proximity among individuals decreased significantly. Affiliative behaviour has been observed among neutered adult males that never performed it before neutering. The results of this study suggest that, after neutering: (i) The group of free-ranging cats was stable over time; (ii) the hierarchical structure of the cat social group did not change; (iii) the general level of activity, decreased; (iv) urine spraying marking behaviour almost disappeared; (v) the level of social proximity among group members decreased, although it tended to increase in some male–male dyads. The most obvious effect of neutering, detected on individual behaviour, was that cats were less active.
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Appel, Angie, and Shomita Mukherjee. "Foreword to the third special issue on small wild cats." Journal of Threatened Taxa 12, no. 16 (December 14, 2020): 17171–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.6886.12.16.17171-17172.
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We are delighted to present the third special issue on small wild cats. The authors of this special issue worked on seven small wild cats in eight countries and provide important updates on their distribution, behaviour and their plights.
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Tuozzi, Adele, Christine Arhant, Kristina Anderle, Jessica Backes, Catherine Cords, Viola Magierski, Jean-Loup Rault, and Ines Windschnurer. "Effects of Human Presence and Voice on the Behaviour of Shelter Dogs and Cats: A Preliminary Study." Animals 11, no. 2 (February 5, 2021): 406. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11020406.
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Reading books to shelter animals combining auditory enrichment with human presence is increasingly used although its effects on animal welfare have not yet been investigated. This study compared the behaviour of single-housed shelter dogs and cats during a prerecorded reading condition in the absence or presence of an unfamiliar human (without direct physical contact). Fourteen dogs and twenty-one cats were observed in their enclosure in the two conditions in a counterbalanced order. Behaviours such as scratching the door, gaze direction and location in relation to the audio source/human were analysed from video recording for 10 min per condition. Dogs spent more time in their bed (p < 0.047) and looking at the auditory source (p < 0.004) when a human was present. Cats showed door scratching and rubbing when a human was present (p < 0.043), whereas they tended to spend more time in the vertical dimension (p = 0.051), where the hiding boxes were located, during auditory stimulation without a human present. These results show that the presence of a human induces greater interest compared to just audio stimulation in shelter dogs and cats but may induce frustration likely due to not being able to physically interact in some animals.
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McLeod, Lynette J., Di Evans, Bidda Jones, Mandy Paterson, and Sarah Zito. "Understanding the Relationship between Intention and Cat Containment Behaviour: A Case Study of Kitten and Cat Adopters from RSPCA Queensland." Animals 10, no. 7 (July 16, 2020): 1214. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10071214.
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In Australia, cat owners are encouraged to keep their pet cats contained on their property at all times. This study explores the relationship between the intentions and behaviours of 72 kitten and cat adopters from a RSPCA Queensland animal shelter, to provide a more in-depth understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of cat containment behaviours. At the time of adoption, 64 participants (89%) indicated they were intending to keep their cat fully contained. Eight weeks after adoption, 63 participants (87%) reported they were doing so (59 who had stated their intention at the time of adoption, and 4 who had not). We found cat owner containment behaviour was moderately correlated with containment intentions. For some of the participants when it came to enacting this behaviour, their intentions and the provided education information was not enough to overcome the more compelling capability, opportunity and motivational factors which presented themselves once they got home. We were able to identify these factors and suggest additional behaviour change strategies that would assist. Although it is important to provide cat adopters with advice about how to contain their cats properly, these results also highlight the importance of focusing attention on other behaviour change strategies that address the particular barriers faced by some cat-owners who are unsuccessful in keeping their cat contained on their property.
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McDonald and Clements. "Engaging with Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Communities and Their Cats: Human Behaviour Change for Animal and Human Benefit." Animals 9, no. 4 (April 17, 2019): 175. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9040175.
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The overpopulation of free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) is fuelled by uncontrolled breeding of both owned and unowned populations and has been identified as a particular problem in socio-economically deprived areas. Consequently, for sustainable change, it is recommended that Trap-Neuter-Return activities are linked with community engagement to encourage positive behaviours towards cats. This paper assesses the acceptability and impact of a community-partnership program called “Bulwell Cat Watch” (BCW), set-up to control cat numbers in Bulwell, UK. The data are based on a (1) cross-sectional survey (n = 478); (2) pre-post analysis (n = 21); and (3) targeted survey of people known to engage with BCW (n = 34). We found significant associations between awareness of BCW and an increased likelihood of reporting unowned cats now compared to previous years. Respondents reported increased self-efficacy and confidence to help cats. Our pre-post study corroborated these findings with residents significantly more likely to report unowned cats compared to when surveyed pre-BCW. An indirect benefit to residents engaged with the program was the positive impact on confidence and self-esteem. Taken in combination these results show community partnerships can effectively engage often hard-to-reach populations and foster sustainable management by overcoming barriers to helping cats, alongside the potential for wider community benefits.
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Humphrey, Tasmin, Faye Stringer, Leanne Proops, and Karen McComb. "Slow Blink Eye Closure in Shelter Cats Is Related to Quicker Adoption." Animals 10, no. 12 (November 30, 2020): 2256. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10122256.
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The process of domestication is likely to have led to the development of adaptive interspecific social abilities in animals. Such abilities are particularly interesting in less gregarious animals, such as cats. One notable social behaviour that cats exhibit in relation to humans is the slow blink sequence, which our previous research suggests can function as a form of positive communication between cats and humans. This behaviour involves the production of successive half blinks followed by either a prolonged narrowing of the eye or an eye closure. The present study investigates how cat (n = 18) slow blink sequences might affect human preferences during the adoption of shelter cats. Our study specifically tested (1) whether cats’ propensity to respond to human-initiated slow blinking was associated with their speed of rehoming from a shelter environment, and (2) whether cats’ anxiety around humans was related to their tendency to slow blink. Our experiments demonstrated that cats that showed an increased number of and longer eye closures in response to human slow blinks were rehomed faster, and that nervous cats, who had been identified as needing desensitisation to humans, tended to spend more time producing slow blink sequences in response to human slow blinks than a non-desensitisation group. Collectively, these results suggest that the cat slow blink sequence is perceived as positive by humans and may have a dual function—occurring in both affiliative and submissive contexts.
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Van Cleven, Alexia, Steven Sarrazin, Hilde de Rooster, Dominique Paepe, Sofie Van der Meeren, and Jeroen Dewulf. "Antimicrobial prescribing behaviour in dogs and cats by Belgian veterinarians." Veterinary Record 182, no. 11 (December 1, 2017): 324. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.104316.
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The objective of this study is to survey general prescribing behaviour by Belgian companion animal veterinarians and to assess agreement of these practices with current treatment guidelines. Therefore an online survey was administered with five realistic and frequently occurring first-line cases to primary-care veterinary practitioners. For each case a predefined pattern of questions were asked about whether or not they would prescribe antimicrobials, if they would prescribe a non-antimicrobial treatment and if they would perform additional diagnostic steps. The responses were compared with recommendations in national guidelines and recent literature. The overall most prescribed antimicrobials were potentiated amoxicillin (43.0 per cent), fluoroquinolones (14.7 per cent), third-generation and fourth-generation cephalosporins (10.9 per cent) and tetracyclines (10.9 per cent). Only 48.3 per cent of the veterinarians complied with the guidelines in nearly all of the clinical scenarios (ie, prescribing antimicrobials when indicated, not prescribing antimicrobials when it is not indicated). Moreover, when prescribing highest priority critically important antimicrobials, susceptibility testing on bacterial cultures was performed in only 12.4 per cent of the prescriptions. The results showed that the prescribing behaviour of antimicrobial compounds by primary-care veterinary practitioners in dogs and cats is often not in agreement with national guidelines. Focus in improvement of this prescribing behaviour should be on performing the appropriate diagnostic steps and decreasing the use of highest priority critically important antimicrobials.
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HOUSTON, D. C. "Digestive efficiency and hunting behaviour in cats, dogs and vultures." Journal of Zoology 216, no. 4 (December 1988): 603–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1988.tb02459.x.
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Plitman, Liran, Petra Černá, Mark J. Farnworth, Rowena M. A. Packer, and Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore. "Motivation of Owners to Purchase Pedigree Cats, with Specific Focus on the Acquisition of Brachycephalic Cats." Animals 9, no. 7 (June 27, 2019): 394. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9070394.
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Background: Cats are globally popular pets and pedigree cats are increasingly prevalent, with brachycephalic breeds being the most registered breeds. How owners decide upon and acquire their cats is poorly understood. Moreover, there are growing concerns about the health and welfare of brachycephalic (BC) dogs and recent studies are raising the awareness of health and welfare problems in BC cats. Methods: An online survey investigated owners’ motivations, perceptions and behaviours prior to, during and following acquisition of non-pedigree (NP), extreme brachycephalic pedigree (BC; i.e., Persian and Exotic Shorthair) and mild to non-BC pedigree (P) cats. Results: The survey received 1367 valid responses (NP n = 882, P n = 400, BC n = 85 (6.2%)). There were marked differences between NP, P and BC owners’ perception of their cats’ health and welfare, reason(s) for acquisition and its process. Owners of NP were less influenced by appearance, behaviour and other features than P or BC owners. In contrast, P and BC owners were highly influenced by appearance, with P owners also placing greater importance on good breed health than BC owners. BC owners were less likely to recommend their breeds to prospective cat owners, apparently concerned by high maintenance requirements. Conclusion: Further research is needed to determine how decision-making is constructed and how it may be improved, especially in respect of welfare outcomes for extreme BC cats given the increased weighting given to appearance over health.
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Rix, Chloe, Mark Westman, Louise Allum, Evelyn Hall, Jessica Pockett, Camilla Pegram, and Ruth Serlin. "The Effect of Name and Narrative Voice in Online Adoption Profiles on the Length of Stay of Sheltered Cats in the UK." Animals 11, no. 1 (December 31, 2020): 62. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11010062.
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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.
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Pereira, Joana Soares, Sara Fragoso, Alexandra Beck, Stephane Lavigne, Artur Severo Varejão, and Gonçalo da Graça Pereira. "Improving the feline veterinary consultation: the usefulness of Feliway spray in reducing cats’ stress." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 18, no. 12 (July 10, 2016): 959–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x15599420.
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Objectives Going to the veterinary clinic is a stressful experience for most cats as they feel threatened when entering a new and confined environment. The aim of this research was to investigate if Feliway spray, when used on the table in the consultation room, can decrease cats’ stress and ease their handling. Methods A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was developed, using a total sample of 87 cats of both sexes, castrated or intact, of any breed, aged >26 weeks. A Feliway spray and a placebo solution spray were tested in two different consultation rooms. During the first phase, Feliway spray was applied to the examination table of one room and the placebo spray in the other. After a washout period of 15 days the spray allocation was switched. After the first 15 mins of general questioning and physical examination carried out by the veterinarian, the observer assessed the stress levels of the cats based on a seven-level ‘cat stress score’, and the ease of handling based on a five-point ‘scale of handling’ developed by the authors. Results The study demonstrated that the use of Feliway spray leads to significant ( P = 0.01) differences in cats’ usual behaviour, according to their owners. With regard to stress, animals exposed to Feliway spray showed significantly lower stress levels than those treated with placebo ( P = 0.02). Regarding the scale of handling, the scoring did not differ significantly between cats under the effect of Feliway spray and cats receiving placebo ( P = 0.01). Conclusions and relevance This research shows that the use of Feliway spray on the examination table improves the welfare of cats by reducing their stress during veterinary consultations. Feliway spray significantly changed the behaviour of the cats in this study, and offers a simple and effective way to help decrease stress in cats during the consultation.
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Cannon, Martha. "Hair Balls in Cats." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 15, no. 1 (December 19, 2012): 21–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x12470342.
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Practical relevance: Vomiting of hair balls is a common problem in domestic cats, to the extent that it is considered by many owners and veterinarians to be a normal feline behaviour. Whether this is ever the case remains unclear but in most shorthaired cats the frequent elimination of hair balls is an indicator of an underlying chronic disease that is causing increased ingestion of fur or altered gastrointestinal motility. Pruritic skin disease, flea infestation and/or an underlying dietary intolerance are common contributing factors that should not be overlooked. Evidence base: Studies concerning this common problem are lacking and there are no previously published data regarding the incidence of hair balls in pet cats or potential predisposing causes. Although a range of commercial hair ball control diets are available there is no objective information in the public domain regarding their efficacy. Similarly, no studies have evaluated the success of other commonly recommended preventive strategies. Clinical challenges: Despite the lack of evidence-based information, veterinarians are faced with the day-to-day challenge of helping owners to limit the extent to which their cats produce hair balls. The problem is at best an unpleasant nuisance for both cat and owner, and at worst may be a cause of significant morbidity and even, in rare cases, mortality.
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Anyonge, William. "Locomotor behaviour in Plio-Pleistocene sabre-tooth cats: a biomechanical analysis." Journal of Zoology 238, no. 3 (March 1996): 395–413. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05402.x.
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Antonenko, T. V., J. E. Medvedeva, and K. A. Panchuk. "Влияние ольфакторного обогащения на благополучие крупных кошачьих в неволе." Ukrainian Journal of Ecology 7, no. 4 (November 30, 2017): 134–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.15421/2017_96.
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<p>Olfactory enrichment has been demonstrated to enhance welfare in a range of captive species through increasing behavioural diversity or decreasing frequencies of abnormal behaviours. This study investigated the effects of olfactory stimulation on the behaviour of three big cats (one male of African lion, one male one and female of Amur tigers) in response to ten individual odour treatments: ylang-ylang, orange, neroli, jasmine, cinnamon, mint, clove, lavender, fir, balm and a no-odour control. This research had demonstrated the potential for the application of various odours to enhance captive animal welfare by increasing behavioural diversity, encouraging species-typical patterns of behaviour or decreasing frequencies of abnormal behaviours.</p>
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Ozgunay, Sezan, Jane K. Murray, Elizabeth Rowe, Nancy R. Gee, Marije Bartholomeus, and Rachel Casey. "Cognitive and Composite Behavioural Welfare Assessments of Pet Cats between the Ages of 9–22 Months, Living in Single and Multi-Cat Households." Animals 11, no. 6 (June 16, 2021): 1793. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11061793.
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Although agonistic interactions between cats are often regarded clinically as a source of stress, there is currently limited research evidence regarding the welfare impact of keeping multiple cats as pets. The aim of this study was to compare welfare indicators between cats living in domestic single and multi-cat households, as well as between multi-cat households where agonistic behaviour was/was not reported by owners. Indicators included a spatial judgment bias task (JBT), where longer latencies to ambiguous probes are interpreted as being related to a more ‘pessimistic’ mood state, and the cat stress score (CSS), where high scores are indicative of high stress levels. Of 128 focal cats between the ages of 9–22 months, 94 were from multi-cat households, 126 had useable CSS data and 42 had JBT results suitable for analysis. CSSs were significantly lower for cats showing a more ‘pessimistic’ response in the JBT. It is possible that the cats that appeared to be the most relaxed may have been showing inactivity relating to negative affective states and/or were the least active/food motivated, and therefore slower in the JBT. CSSs were significantly higher in cats from single compared with multi-cat households, and did not vary with reports of agonistic interactions in multi-cat households. JBT results did not vary depending on the presence of, or reports of agonistic behaviours between, cohabiting cats. These data suggest that cats from single-cat households may be more likely to show signs of acute stress than those in multi-cat households. Alternative explanations are possible. For example, lower CSSs in the multi-cat group may reflect ‘relief’ effects resulting from separating cats for the test period, or inactivity relating to negative affective states. Due to the narrow sample population and broad scope of husbandry conditions, the potential for confounding variables limits the degree by which results can be used to inform causation of the relationships identified. Further research is warranted to replicate this work and explore potential confounders.
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Jennings, D. B., and P. C. Szlyk. "Ventilation and respiratory pattern and timing in resting awake cats." Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 63, no. 2 (February 1, 1985): 148–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/y85-026.
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The purpose of this study was to characterize the variability and patterns of spontaneous respiratory behaviour in awake cats. Respiration was measured in six cats over 80 or 90 min by the plethysmographic technique. In three cats, arterial blood gases were measured. Breath frequency (f) and tidal volume (VT) varied considerably breath-to-breath, although on average, these measurements as well as average ventilation remained relatively constant. The incidence of breath ventilation (VT × 60/TTOT) and VT were distributed unimodally but the incidence of breath f had a bimodal distribution. In the low f range, average f was 22.5 breaths/min, and in the high f range, average f was 41.6 breaths/min. The latter range appeared to be associated with purring. Inspiratory duration (TI) was less than expiratory duration (TE) at low f but exceeded TE at high f. For a given breath ventilation there was a predictable f and VT. At shorter TI (higher f) mean inspiratory flow, an index of central respiratory drive, increased but VT decreased. This study indicates that "normal" control respiratory behaviour in awake cats is better described by the range and pattern of breathing than by average values.
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Pouzot-Nevoret, Céline, Maxime Cambournac, Amandine Violé, Isabelle Goy-Thollot, Gilles Bourdoiseau, and Anthony Barthélemy. "Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 11 cats: a retrospective study." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 20, no. 8 (August 10, 2017): 685–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x17723776.
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Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations in cats of contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Methods Data were retrospectively obtained from the medical records (2004–2016) of cats that had been in contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Results Eleven cats were included in the study. The prevalence of lepidopterism was 0.13%. Tongue lesions and ptyalism were both present in 10/11 (91%) cats. Systemic signs consisted exclusively of vomiting and were encountered in 4/11 (36%) cats. The survival rate was 100%. Long-term follow-up data were available for 7/11 cats, and none of the cats showed impaired quality of life or definitive sequelae. Conclusions and relevance The clinical presentation of lepidopterism in cats appears to be similar to that in other animals; however, the clinical signs are less severe than those previously reported, mainly owing to the cautious behaviour of this species. Moreover, the prognosis is excellent, the length of hospitalisation is short (maximum 48 h) and our study showed the absence of any long-term disability after hospital discharge.
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Horwitz, Debra F. "Common feline problem behaviors: Urine spraying." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21, no. 3 (February 25, 2019): 209–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x19831203.
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Practical relevance: Urine spraying (synonymous terms include urine marking or scent marking) is commonly described as urine deposited on vertical surfaces while the cat is in a standing position. With the increasing trend of keeping cats indoors in some countries and the potential resultant increase in frustration-related behaviors, urine spraying may occur in the home. Although also a normal feline behavior, it is usually not deemed acceptable when the cat targets household possessions. Urine spraying is a common behavioral complaint that practitioners receive from cat owners and has the potential to disrupt the human–cat bond. In fact, feline elimination issues are a frequent reason cited by owners when they relinquish their cats to shelters and rescue organizations. Clinical challenges: While the location of the deposited urine should be diagnostic, this is not always the case. Urine marking can occur on horizontal surfaces, thus complicating the diagnosis. Urine spraying by intact males and females is used to signal availability for mating but the behaviour can also be exhibited by neutered animals. Multiple factors including medical problems can trigger the onset and maintenance of urine spraying, and correct identification of these is necessary for treatment to be most successful. Evidence base: This review draws on information from multiple studies that have been published on the normal aspects of urine spraying in cats, the frequency as reported by owners, the relationship of urine spraying to intercat aggression and various treatment options including behavior modification, pheromone therapy and use of psychoactive medication.
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Coughlin, Cayley E., and Yolanda van Heezik. "Weighed down by science: do collar-mounted devices affect domestic cat behaviour and movement?" Wildlife Research 41, no. 7 (2014): 606. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14160.
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Context Animals carrying tracking and logging devices are subject to a range of instrument effects that negatively affect survival, reproduction and behaviour. The common recommendation is that device weight should not exceed 5% body mass (BM) for terrestrial species; however, this rule-of-thumb has little empirical basis. Modelling indicates that devices weighing less than 3% BM may still have impacts. Several studies have used telemetry and data loggers on domestic cats (Felis catus) with instruments ranging in weight from 30 g to 125 g, but there has been no quantitative evaluation of instrument effects. In addition, inexpensive GPS tags such as iGotU are increasingly being used to track domestic cats, but often with little acknowledgement of habitat-related location error. Aims We evaluated the impact of wearing devices of different weights on domestic cat movements, and quantified location error across typical suburban habitats. Methods We recorded movements of cats wearing three different GPS collar weights for a week at a time: light, 30 g (<1% BM); medium, 80 g (~2% BM); and heavy, 130 g (~3% BM). Location error (LE) and fix success rates (FSR) were compared between backyard habitats and up- or downward orientation of the GPS tags on collars. Key results Home-range size and distance travelled from home were smaller when cats wore the heaviest collar. LE was lower and FSR higher for GPS tags with direct-line-of-sight to satellites (e.g. on lawns), but there was no difference between tags placed in dense vegetation (hedges) or more open vegetation (trees), or tags oriented up or down. Conclusions Collars carrying instruments on cats should be no more than 2% BM (medium-weight collar). LE was large relative to typical urban habitat size, indicating that misclassification of locations into habitats could easily occur in habitat-selection studies. Implications Some published accounts of cat home-range sizes may be underestimates, resulting in underestimates of the extent of impacts on prey species. Habitat-use studies should acknowledge the error associated with GPS tags and incorporate it into analyses using techniques such as Brownian Bridges.
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Reeve-Johnson, Mia K., Jacquie S. Rand, Dianne Vankan, Stephen T. Anderson, Rhett Marshall, and John M. Morton. "Cutpoints for screening blood glucose concentrations in healthy senior cats." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 19, no. 12 (February 6, 2017): 1181–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x16685675.
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Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine the reference interval for screening blood glucose in senior cats, to apply this to a population of obese senior cats, to compare screening and fasting blood glucose, to assess whether screening blood glucose is predicted by breed, body weight, body condition score (BCS), behaviour score, fasting blood glucose and/or recent carbohydrate intake and to assess its robustness to changes in methodology. Methods The study included a total of 120 clinically healthy client-owned cats aged 8 years and older of varying breeds and BCSs. Blood glucose was measured at the beginning of the consultation from an ear/paw sample using a portable glucose meter calibrated for cats, and again after physical examination from a jugular sample. Fasting blood glucose was measured after overnight hospitalisation and fasting for 18–24 h. Results The reference interval upper limit for screening blood glucose was 189 mg/dl (10.5 mmol/l). Mean screening blood glucose was greater than mean fasting glucose. Breed, body weight, BCS, behaviour score, fasting blood glucose concentration and amount of carbohydrate consumed 2–24 h before sampling collectively explained only a small proportion of the variability in screening blood glucose. Conclusions and relevance Screening blood glucose measurement represents a simple test, and cats with values from 117–189 mg/dl (6.5–10.5 mmol/l) should be retested several hours later. Cats with initial screening blood glucose >189 mg/dl (10.5 mmol/l), or a second screening blood glucose >116 mg/dl (6.4 mmol/l) several hours after the first, should have fasting glucose and glucose tolerance measured after overnight hospitalisation.
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Drut, Amandine, Nicolas Soetart, Carole Bertin, Emmanuelle Le Corff, Caroline Berder, Chantal Thorin, Patrick Nguyen, Gilles Simard, and M. Yassine Mallem. "Plasma homocysteine concentration in privately owned healthy adult cats: assessment of biological determinants and establishment of a reference interval." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 22, no. 7 (August 19, 2019): 623–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098612x19868549.
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Objectives The assessment of homocysteine status in diseased cats has indicated high plasma concentrations in chronic kidney disease and yielded conflicting results with respect to cardiovascular disorders. Previous investigations in small populations of normal cats revealed greater-than-expected variability in plasma homocysteine concentration. The purpose of this study was to determine biological determinants and the reference interval (RI) of plasma homocysteine concentration in the feline species, under strict pre-analytical conditions. Methods In this prospective observational study, privately owned healthy adult cats underwent a complete physical examination, urinalysis and blood testing, in order to rule out any signs of disease. Plasma homocysteine concentration was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results Of 151 cats recruited, 30 cats were not included owing to abnormal physical examination or fractious behaviour, and 30 cats were excluded based on abnormalities on blood work or urinalysis. Plasma homocysteine concentrations >28 µmol/l were associated with a dietary protein content >9.3 g/100 kcal metabolisable energy. The RI for plasma homocysteine concentration was determined to be 6.2–52.3 µmol/l. Conclusions and relevance Normal values for plasma homocysteine concentration in cats have a wide RI, suggesting high inter-individual variability. Whether some healthy cats exhibit impaired homocysteine metabolism remains to be elucidated.