Guardians' Perceptions of Dogs' Welfare and Behaviors Related to Visiting the Veterinary Clinic

A large survey of Italian dog guardians (n = 906) was conducted to assess dog behavior and welfare at the veterinary clinic and to investigate how guardians and veterinarians affect them. This study confirmed that the veterinary clinic is a source of stress for most dogs, who showed impaired welfare in all phases: in the waiting room, entering the examination room, on the examination table, and when approached by the vet. This study also characterizes some factors related to the guardians' and veterinarians' behavior that affect the dogs' behavior and welfare during the veterinary examination. If dogs had not been examined by a vet since puppyhood, if they did not accept treatments by their guardians, and if they were scolded when refusing a treatment, the risk for having problems with dog welfare and behavior at the veterinary clinic increased. The attention paid by the vet to the dog was found to be positively related with a good response of the dog to the vet. Prevention seems to be the key for the protection of dog welfare related to veterinary care.     

Maternal-Neonatal Pheromone/Interomone Added to Cat Litter Improves Litter Box Use and Reduces Aggression in Pair-Housed Cats

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social behaviors and litter box use. Study 1 determined that cats preferred to eliminate in litter containing 2M2B; other semiochemicals tested did not change litter box use. Cats prone to aggression were identified in an intermediate pilot study, and eight pairs of these cats were selected for Study 2. In Study 2, cat pairs were provided litter containing either vehicle or 2M2B for 24 hours. Cats experiencing control litter displayed more aggression during the first 6 hours (p < .01) and spent more time using the litter box 12 hours and 18 hours after pairing compared with cats experiencing litter with 2M2B (p = .02). These results suggest 2M2B-infused cat litter may act as an interomone in cats housed domestically to prevent initial occurrences of aggression and may improve cat welfare in multicat households.     

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Cat Care and Needs Scale (CCANS)

The objective of this study was to develop a brief scale, primarily intended for research applications, that measures how well people report meeting the welfare needs of their pet cats. The practice of keeping cats as a companion animal has increased, and despite their popularity, many cats suffer from poor welfare and behavioral problems. The failure to meet their welfare needs and provide for natural behaviors impacts their quality of life and may affect cats’ retention in adoptive homes. We present three studies in which we developed, piloted, and psychometrically evaluated the Cat Care and Needs Scale (CCANS) by surveying cat guardians, examining their selfreported care-taking habits and interactions in regards to a pet cat. The final study (n = 1,591) resulted in a 15-item scale which shows high reliability, with application of item response theory indicating that individual items were all suitable for inclusion. Diverse evidence, including a factor analysis, parallel analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, supports that the scale is unidimensional. The CCANS is scalable and allows for correlational comparisons with other scales which measure any variable of interest in research exploring human–companion animal relationships or cat welfare. We propose that the CCANS scale is a step forward in measuring how well pet owners understand and meet their cats’ behavioral, welfare, and basic care needs.     

Perceptions of Veterinarians in British Columbia of Cat Management Strategies to Reduce Cat Overpopulation and Impacts on Wildlife Populations

ABSTRACT

Free-roaming cats present a multidisciplinary challenge for wildlife conservation and feline welfare. Veterinary professionals are critical stake-holders in the issue of free-roaming cats, making it imperative that their attitudes and perspectives are well understood. In this study, we conducted an electronic survey of veterinarians practicing across British Columbia to evaluate their perceptions of 1) whether cat overpopulation is a concern, 2) the impacts of cats on wildlife, and 3) alternative management strategies for dealing with cat overpopulation. Of the 389 respondents, 56% agreed that cat overpopulation was a local problem, and 91% agreed that veterinarians play a role in reducing cat overpopulation. Veterinarians in rural communities had a greater involvement in cat overpopulation and perceived it as more problematic than their urban colleagues. The majority (70%) of veterinarians reported that they performed early-age sterilization, supported the principle of low-cost spay-neuter services (67%), and 65% of them were involved in these services. Just over half (54%) of respondents reported that they provide permanent identification to cats, typically offering both microchips and tattoos. Veterinarians were less cohesive on their perceptions of the impact of free-roaming cats on wildlife: 53% agreed that after habitat loss cats are one of the most significant, direct causes of bird and wildlife mortality, while 30% were neutral and 17% disagreed. Fifty-six percent of veterinarians felt that keeping cats indoors would be one of the most effective strategies to reduce cat impacts on wildlife, but they also felt that public education programs and low-cost spay-neuter programs would be effective and more popular with cat owners. Most veterinarians (79%) recommended against unsupervised outdoor access, citing safety and disease risks. Rodent control was the most common reason for not recommending an indoor lifestyle. Overall, our survey results suggest that veterinarians are committed participants in the prevention of cat overpopulation. Conservationists need to focus on increased engagement with veterinarians regarding the impact of cats on wildlife.     

Animal Abuse in Massachusetts: A Summary of Case Reports at the MSPCA and Attitudes of Massachusetts Veterinarians

New Zealanders (n = 354) rated the acceptability of lethal and nonlethal cat control methods and the importance of conservation and welfare. Lethal control was more acceptable for feral cats than strays; for nonlethal control, the inverse was true. More than concern for the welfare of cats subjected to control, perceived conservation benefits, risk of disease transfer, and companion cat welfare dictated the acceptability of control measures. Similarly, the welfare consideration for groups of cats differed, transitioning from companion (highest) to feral (lowest). Differences in attitudes toward acceptability of control methods were evident. In particular, nonhuman animal professionals ranked lethal control as more acceptable than did nonanimal professionals. Cat caregivers (owners) considered both conservation and welfare issues of greater importance than did nonowners. Owners ranked the acceptability of nonlethal control methods higher for stray cats, but not feral, than did nonowners. This research indicates that the use of the terms stray and feral may have significant impact on cats in New Zealand. There is also a greater consideration of conservation values than of welfare in stray and feral cat control.     

Companion Rabbit and Companion Bird Management Practices Among a Representative Sample of Guardians in Victoria,Australia

Although companion animal management practices used by caregivers can influence the welfare of the companion animals, there is little existing information about the ways in which people attempt to meet their companion animals’ needs. A representative sample of rabbit guardians (n = 93, representing 63,000 people) and bird guardians (n = 203, representing 157,000 people) in Victoria, Australia, completed an online survey. Items were related to the environmental, diet/exercise, behavioral, social, and health management practices used by guardians. Guardians sometimes meet their companion animals’ welfare needs, but they do not always engage in best practices. Most (79%) bird guardians reported that they interacted with their birds daily, but only 68% of rabbit guardians did the same. Likewise, 32% of rabbit guardians and 55% of bird guardians never had their companion animals vaccinated. These results may be used for educational campaigns for improving companion animal welfare.     

Seroepidemiological investigation of feline chlamydiosis in cats and humans in Japan

The prevalence of chlamydia antibodies in Japan was investigated in 215 cat sera, consisting of 88 sera of stray cats and 127 sera of pet cats, and 2,184 human sera, taken from 2,003 general persons and 181 small animal clinic veterinarians, by microimmunofluorescence (MIF) testing with Chlamydia psittaci Fe/Pn1 of feline origin and Prk/6BC of avian origin as antigens. The prevalence rates of anti-Fe/Pn1 antibodies were 45.5% in stray cats, 17.3% in pet cats, 1.7% in general persons and 8.8% in small animal clinic veterinarians. The prevalence rates of anti-Prk/6BC antibodies were 51.1% in stray cats, 15.0% in pet cats, 3.1% in general persons and 5.0% in small animal clinic veterinarians. These results suggested that feline chlamydia infection is widely spread in cats especially in stray cats in Japan, and suggested that feline chlamydiosis could be transmitted to people who are in close contact with infected cats.     

Behavior and Welfare of Domestic Cats Housed in Cages Larger than U.S. Norm

The effect of providing additional floor space on cat behavior and welfare is not well documented. This study involved replication of an investigation of cats’ responses to enhanced cage and room environments using cages of 0.56 m² with the same methodology but an increased space allowance of 1.1 m². Singly housed adult cats (n = 59) were randomly assigned to a treatment group that was a combination of a managed or unmanaged room and an enriched or unenriched cage environment. Cats were observed for 2 days for maintenance, affiliative, and avoidant behaviors using scan sampling and 5-min, continuous focal sampling. At the end of Day 2, cats’ reactions to the approach of an unfamiliar person were assessed. Cats housed in enriched/managed environments exhibited more maintenance and affiliative behaviors and fewer avoidant behaviors than cats in unmanaged/unenriched environments, suggesting that macro and micro environments may be equally relevant to the cat. Increased space did not enhance the cats’ welfare outcomes, suggesting that the provision of additional cage space may not be as important to the cat as a managed housing environment.     

The Relationship Between Coat Color and Aggressive Behaviors in the Domestic Cat

The authors explored a possible relationship between coat color and aggressive behaviors in the domestic cat. This study used an Internet-based survey to collect information on coat color, affiliative behaviors toward cats/humans, agonistic behaviors toward cats/humans, other “problem” behaviors, and cat and guardian demographic data. A total of 1,432 cat guardians completed the online survey; after exclusions based on study protocol, data analysis included 1,274 completed surveys. Guardians reported sex-linked orange female (tortoiseshells, calicos, and “torbies”), black-and-white, and gray-and-white cats to be more frequently aggressive toward humans in 3 settings: during everyday interactions, during handling, and during veterinary visits. Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare possible differences between the 2 sexes and among different coat colors. Analyses of aggression due to handling, as well as aggression displayed during veterinarian visits, showed little difference among coat colors in these settings.     

Children’s Attitudes toward Cats on St. Kitts,West Indies

Little is known of the attitudes of Caribbean people toward freeroaming and pet cats, so we conducted a questionnaire survey of primaryschool children aged 5 to 13 years (n = 417, 206 girls and 209 boys, while two questionnaires did not indicate gender) in 23 schools around St. Kitts. Over 50% reported they owned or had owned a cat, and ownership was associated with feelings of happiness and comfort. Children reported 511 reasons for liking cats compared with 433 reasons for disliking them. They liked cats mainly for behavioral reasons (58%), such as cats being playful and providing companionship, and aesthetic reasons (47%), such as cats being colorful and beautiful. Children only infrequently reported liking cats for practical reasons (14%), such as removing vermin. Eighty-four percent of cat owners reported purchasing special food for their cats, and 96% provided water. Over 60% of non-cat owners provided water for free-roaming cats. Most school children (43%) thought there were too many cats on St. Kitts, while only 28% thought this was not the case. The children principally owned cats because they loved animals (43%) and cats controlled vermin (28%). Seventy-two percent of children thought there were too many rodents on St. Kitts. Most children (61%) were aware that cats were associated with human diseases but were principally afraid of cats because of the possibility of being bitten or scratched (54%). In summary, our study shows that primary-school children on St. Kitts mostly have positive attitudes toward free-roaming cats and are concerned for cats’ wellbeing. Although important in their own right, children’s attitudes often reflect those of their families and so our findings could facilitate decisionmaking on cat welfare issues in the region.     

What's in a name? Perceptions of stray and feral cat welfare and control in Aotearoa, New Zealand

New Zealanders (n = 354) rated the acceptability of lethal and nonlethal cat control methods and the importance of conservation and welfare. Lethal control was more acceptable for feral cats than strays; for nonlethal control, the inverse was true. More than concern for the welfare of cats subjected to control, perceived conservation benefits, risk of disease transfer, and companion cat welfare dictated the acceptability of control measures. Similarly, the welfare consideration for groups of cats differed, transitioning from companion (highest) to feral (lowest). Differences in attitudes toward acceptability of control methods were evident. In particular, nonhuman animal professionals ranked lethal control as more acceptable than did nonanimal professionals. Cat caregivers (owners) considered both conservation and welfare issues of greater importance than did nonowners. Owners ranked the acceptability of nonlethal control methods higher for stray cats, but not feral, than did nonowners. This research indicates that the use of the terms stray and feral may have significant impact on cats in New Zealand. There is also a greater consideration of conservation values than of welfare in stray and feral cat control.     

Is There a Bias Against Stray Cats in Shelters? People's Perception of Shelter Cats and How It Influences Adoption Time

The determination of adoptability is a fundamental issue facing shelters wishing to rehome cats. Many shelters in the United States cannot keep a cat indefinitely and increased time in the shelter environment may lead to reduced animal welfare due to chronic stress or euthanasia. In a series of studies, we examined whether entry type (whether a cat came to the shelter as an owner-surrendered or stray) as well as a cat's perceived social behavior influenced adoption times and people's ratings of adoptability. In study 1, we used archival data from 1,089 cats in a Midwest shelter and found that owner-surrendered cats were adopted significantly sooner than stray cats. In study 2, we further explored the difference between owner-surrendered and stray cats by measuring the social behavior of 56 shelter cats and their time before adoption. Similarly, we found in this sample that owner-surrendered cats were adopted on average nine days sooner than stray cats. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that entry type was a significant predictor of days to adopt, and that latency to approach a human significantly improved the prediction model. Further, how quickly stray cats, but not owner-surrendered cats, approached a human experimenter correlated significantly with a shortened adoption time in the actual adoption scenario. Finally, in study 3, we used an on-line survey to present 12 dual-image pictures of cats and manipulated whether the information about the cat listed each as owner-surrendered or stray cat. We asked 120 college students to rate their likelihood of adopting each pictured cat. When participants were asked about reasons they would adopt a particular cat, 81% reported friendly behavior toward them; yet when viewing the mirror images in the survey (no behavioral information available), cats received higher adoptability ratings when presented as owner-surrendered compared with the flipped image of that cat presented as a stray. Taken together, these studies suggest that adopters' perception of stray cats, as well as cats' interactions with humans, influence the amount of time a cat remains in the shelter prior to adoption.     

Attitudes Toward Companion Animals Among Hispanic Residents of a Texas Border Community

The researchers surveyed 206 residents of a Hispanic community on the Texas-Mexico border about their behaviors and attitudes toward companion animals. Selected members of the community administered a telephone survey to a systematic random sample of 206 individuals. The majority of participants believed that free-roaming dogs were a problem in their community, and nearly 81% responded that these dogs sometimes prevented them from walking outdoors. About 24% of dog guardians sometimes let their nonhuman animals roam free in the streets. Most study participants believed it was a good idea to sterilize both male and female dogs and cats, but only 11% of respondents' dogs and 27% of cats were sterilized. About 62% of households chained dogs outdoors; persons with an elementary-level education were 7 times more likely to chain their dogs than those who had completed some high school. The Hispanic population of the United States is growing rapidly; to guide officials charged with protecting animal welfare and the public health, it will become increasingly important to understand Hispanics' attitudes and behaviors toward companion animals.     

Characteristics of Cats Admitted to Czech Shelters

The aim of this study was to describe the numbers and characteristics of cats entering Czech shelters. Records of sheltered cats were collected from three cat shelters situated in different regions of the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2015. A total of 2170 cat admissions were analyzed in this study. Significantly (p < .001) greater numbers of females (56%) were admitted. Most cats (60%) were admitted when they were aged younger than six months. Cats with dark coat colors prevailed (73%), cats with medium-shade colors followed (20%), and light-colored cats were the rarest (7%). The greatest numbers of cats were admitted in summer (36%), followed by autumn (33%). The fewest cats were admitted in winter (14%). Adoption was the most common outcome for admitted cats (65%), followed by unassisted death (22%) and euthanasia (11%) due to health reasons. Only 2% of cats were reclaimed from the shelters by their original caretakers. The length of stay ranged from 0 days to 1736 days with a median of 45 days. These findings may help shelter operators define optimal strategies and operational plans.     

Hunters and non-hunters: skewed predation rate by domestic cats in a rural village

Domestic cats Felis catus, as companion animals provided with supplemental food, are not limited by the availability of wild prey and locally occur at extraordinary high densities. There is growing concern about the potential impact of large cat numbers on native prey populations. In the present study, we quantified the minimum number of animals killed in a rural village in Switzerland by asking owners (1) to estimate the predation rate in advance and (2) to record prey animals returned home by their pets. The frequency distribution of the numbers of prey items was markedly skewed: 16% of the cats accounted for 75% of prey, irrespective of sex, age or breed. A large fraction of owners considerably overestimated their cat’s predation, indicating that surveying predation rates by means of a questionnaire alone is not sufficient. The observed average rate of predation within 48 days in spring was 2.29 prey items/cat/month (N = 32 cats); major prey types were rodents (76.1%) and birds (11.1%). The absolute number of prey items taken per area is striking and indicates that cat predation represents an important factor in ecosystems. Its role may be momentous in intensively fragmented urban habitats, where cat densities are especially high. We thus highlight the need to identify the factors determining predation rates of individual cats. Further extended studies, especially in urbanised areas, are needed to quantify the actual impact of cat predation upon the population dynamics of their prey.

     

A Comparison of Attachment Levels of Adopters of Cats: Fee-Based Adoptions Versus Free Adoptions

Nonhuman animal welfare professionals have been critical of adoption programs that do not charge a fee for adult cats, despite the high euthanasia rate for cats due to a reported lack of homes. The argument against the free cat adoptions cites a devaluation of the cat, which may affect the adopter's perceived value of the cat and subsequent care. It may also attract low-income adopters who are perceived as unable to fulfill the financial responsibility of acting as caregiver (owner) of a companion animal (pet). This study examined adopters' attachment to their cats in relation to the payment or waiver of an adoption fee using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale and perception of the shelter. No significant differences were found between groups on either measure. Programs such as this create an opportunity to positively affect cats in animal shelters by finding more homes; programs such as this also affect cat overpopulation by putting more altered cats into the community.     

Community Attitudes and Practices of Urban Residents Regarding Predation by Pet Cats on Wildlife: An International Comparison

International differences in practices and attitudes regarding pet cats'' interactions with wildlife were assessed by surveying citizens from at least two cities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, China and Japan. Predictions tested were: (i) cat owners would agree less than non-cat owners that cats might threaten wildlife, (ii) cat owners value wildlife less than non-cat owners, (iii) cat owners are less accepting of cat legislation/restrictions than non-owners, and (iv) respondents from regions with high endemic biodiversity (Australia, New Zealand, China and the USA state of Hawaii) would be most concerned about pet cats threatening wildlife. Everywhere non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that pet cats killing wildlife were a problem in cities, towns and rural areas. Agreement amongst non-owners was highest in Australia (95%) and New Zealand (78%) and lowest in the UK (38%). Irrespective of ownership, over 85% of respondents from all countries except China (65%) valued wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas. Non-owners advocated cat legislation more strongly than owners except in Japan. Australian non-owners were the most supportive (88%), followed by Chinese non-owners (80%) and Japanese owners (79.5%). The UK was least supportive (non-owners 43%, owners 25%). Many Australian (62%), New Zealand (51%) and Chinese owners (42%) agreed that pet cats killing wildlife in cities, towns and rural areas was a problem, while Hawaiian owners were similar to the mainland USA (20%). Thus high endemic biodiversity might contribute to attitudes in some, but not all, countries. Husbandry practices varied internationally, with predation highest where fewer cats were confined. Although the risk of wildlife population declines caused by pet cats justifies precautionary action, campaigns based on wildlife protection are unlikely to succeed outside Australia or New Zealand. Restrictions on roaming protect wildlife and benefit cat welfare, so welfare is a better rationale.     

Diet of the feral cat,Felis catus,in central Australian grassland habitats: do cat attributes influence what they eat?

The house cat Felis catus was introduced to Australia as a pet and means of rodent control over 200 years ago, but now has established feral populations and has become a serious threat to native wildlife. Using stomach content analysis of 73 feral cats from semi-arid grassland habitats in Queensland, Australia, we aimed to identify dominant prey groups in the cats' diet and to explore associations between the diversity of prey eaten and attributes of the cats including body size, condition, sex, age and coat colour. We also sought to determine any relationships between cat size and the size of the dominant prey in the diet, the long-haired rat Rattus villosissimus. Mammals and reptiles were the dominant prey, with R. villosissimus occurring in 60 % of samples and comprising more than half of all prey by volume. Birds and terrestrial invertebrates were the next most important contributors to the diet, but fish, frogs and freshwater crustaceans also were surprisingly well represented. The dietary diversity of cats was largely unrelated to any of the cat attributes that we measured, although a positive relationship emerged between cat head width and the range of prey types eaten. Our study was conducted during a population irruption of R. villosissimus and confirms that cats are able to exploit an abundant focal prey resource when the opportunity occurs. Further research now is needed to explore associations between diet and cat attributes during periods when rats are scarce.     

Filling the Ark: Animal Welfare in Disasters

ABSTRACT

Populations of feral domestic cats and free-roaming, owned cats have increased throughout the United States, affecting wildlife and public health and warranting attention from a variety of management agencies. The contentious issue of feral cat management requires a greater understanding of public attitudes towards cats and preferences. We used an anonymous internet survey of randomly selected Athens-Clarke County, Georgia households to identify general public perceptions of domestic cats and preferences for cat management. We examined factors that may influence attitudes towards cats, and management including: knowledge about cats, experiences with cats and demographic variables. Results indicate that more residents have positive experiences with feral cats than negative, cat owners have greater knowledge of cats than non-cat owners, and animal welfare or conservation organization membership has a significant effect on attitudes towards cats. A majority of survey respondents agreed that more effective feral cat management is needed yet did not approve of trap-neuter-release (TNR) legislation recently passed in Athens-Clarke County. Logistic regression revealed that residents' attitudes were found to be more important than experiences or knowledge in supporting cat management legislation. Cat sanctuaries were found to be the most acceptable option to reduce feral cat populations (56%), followed by TNR (49%) and capturing and euthanizing cats (44%).     

The Legal Status of Cats in New Zealand: A Perspective on the Welfare of Companion,Stray, and Feral Domestic Cats (Felis catus)

Pinpointing and safeguarding the welfare status of domestic cats is problematic, especially in New Zealand where cats are introduced predators with significant impact on indigenous fauna. Usually the identification of welfare status depends on conservational, legal, and public attitudes that are often contrasting. Cats may rapidly transgress definitions placed on them, confounding attempts to categorize them. In 1 generation, cats can move from a human-dependent state (“stray” or “companion”) to wild (“feral”). Often this categorization uses arbitrary behavioral and or situational parameters; consequent treatment and welfare protection for these cats are similarly affected. Terminology used to describe cats is not equitable across research. However, the New Zealand Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare 2007 seeks to create a new definition of the terms companion, stray, and feral. It distinguishes between cats who live within and without human social constructs. This legislation mandates that cats in human environments or indirectly dependent on humans cannot be classified as feral. Such definitions may prove vital when safeguarding the welfare of free-living domestic cats and cat colonies.