Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Domestic cats experience various stressors impacting welfare.
• Common stressors include environmental changes, inter-cat conflict, and poor human-cat relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the impact of stress on feline welfare and behavior.
• To outline strategies for preventing and reducing stress-related issues in cats.

Main Methods:

• Review of common feline stressors.
• Identification of stress-induced behavioral changes.
• Compilation of management and prevention strategies.

Main Results:

• Stress can lead to reduced feed intake, anorexia, urine marking, aggression, and compulsive disorders like over-grooming.
• Effective strategies include environmental enrichment, careful introduction of cats, and feline facial pheromone analogues.
• Breeding and husbandry practices promoting a balanced temperament are beneficial.

Conclusions:

• Addressing feline stress is crucial for welfare.
• A multi-faceted approach combining environmental, social, and management strategies is most effective.
• Understanding individual temperament is key to managing stress.