Behavioral effect of scopolamine in cats

An ethological study was performed on a colony of cats. Their spontaneous behavior was observed following the chronic administration of scopolamine hydrobromide (0.3 mg/kg/day). Forty-four behavioral units grouped under four categories--resting postures, individual actions, grooming and social interactions--were coded. A general decrease of the frequency of the tested behaviors was observed; this was particularly true of those behaviors in response to individual or social stimulus of an affiliative or agonistic type. The results were consistent with former reports in other species suggesting the changes in attention underlie this lack of response.