Cat

Building a novel environment for a feline enrichment program

We believe the addition of the colony [group] cage has led to friendlier and more well-adpated cats. .. Two groups are rotated weekly between the large colony cage and individual caging.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Bowen, L., Tweite, D., Taubel, R. et al. 2005. Building a novel environment for a feline enrichment program. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 10(5), 5.

Enrichment strategies for laboratory animals form the viewpoint of clinical veterinary behavioral medicine: Emphasis on cats and dogs

Understanding the range of behaviors, behavioral choices, and cognitive stimulation that cats and dogs exhibit under non-laboratory conditions can increase the ability of investigators to predict which enrichments are likely to be the most successful in the laboratory. Many of...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Cat, Dog

Citation: Overall, K. L., Dyer, D. 2005. Enrichment strategies for laboratory animals form the viewpoint of clinical veterinary behavioral medicine: Emphasis on cats and dogs. ILAR Journal 46(2), 202-216.

The Welfare of Cats

This book covers the major issues affecting the welfare of domestic cats. It covers recent developments in our understanding of cat behaviour, considers the ways in which cat welfare is assessed, and addresses the successes and failures of the relationship...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Reproduction, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Rochlitz, I. (Ed.) 2007. The Welfare of Cats. Springer: Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 283 pp.

Outcome of cats adoption from a biomedical research program

For more than a decade, the University of Florida .. has allowed investigators to arrange for the adoption of nonhuman animals used in their research. This report directed a survey to caregivers (owners) of 458 cats adopted over a 6-year...

Year Published: 2006Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: DiGangi, B. A., Crawford, P. C., Levy, J. K. 2006. Outcome of cats adoption from a biomedical research program. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9, 143-163.

The effect of housing and handling practices on the welfare, behaviour and selection of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) by adopters in an animal shelter

The results suggest that consistent handling combined with a range of improved housing options can improve the chances of adoption for adult cats, perhaps by reducing fear-related behaviours that make cats less attractive to adopters.

Year Published: 2006Animal Type: Cat

Citation: Gourkow, N., Fraser, D. 2006. The effect of housing and handling practices on the welfare, behaviour and selection of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) by adopters in an animal shelter. Animal Welfare 15(4), 371-377.

Handling and Restraint

Laboratory animals are handled for a number of reasons, e.g. from simple tasks such as transfer from one cage to another or to a balance for weighing, to more complex procedures such as restraint in which the animal is immobilised...

Year Published: 2006Animal Type: All/General, Cat, Dog, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: National Center for the Replacement, R. a. R. o. A. i. R. 2006. Handling and Restraint. National Center for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research, London.

Capture of group-housed animals

Rats, mice and rabbits can be induced to come forward and be picked up by luring them with a food reward. Guinea pigs tend to be more timid but will run into a shelter in which they can then be...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Capture of group-housed animals. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 104-106. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

The effect of hiding enrichment on stress levels and behaviour of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) in a shelter setting and the implications for adoption potential

Results of this study suggest that the welfare of kennelled cats is greatly improved if they are provided with the opportunity to perform effective hiding behavior, and that the ability to perform such a behaviour does not decrease the likelihood...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Kry, K., Casey, R. 2007. The effect of hiding enrichment on stress levels and behaviour of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) in a shelter setting and the implications for adoption potential. Animal Welfare 16(3), 375-383.

Social-housing of cats and dogs; exercise for dogs

Permanent social housing of cats can be a safe arrangement under the condition that the primary enclosure is properly structured and the personnel committed to providing high-quality care. If all animals of a group are spayed or neutered, the social...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cat, Dog

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Social-housing of cats and dogs; exercise for dogs. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 106-110. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Maladaptive behaviors: Stereotypical behavior; hair pulling-and-eating and alopecia (hair loss); self-injurious biting

Animals kept in legally minimum-sized, unstructured enclosures very often exhibit stereotypical behaviors. Traditionally, these repetitive movement patterns without obvious goals or functions are categorized as abnormal. A healthy animal kept in a small, barren enclosure has little choice of expressing...

Year Published: 2007Topics: Abnormal/Problematic BehaviorAnimal Type: All/General, Cat, Dog, Guinea Pig, Nonhuman Primate, Rabbit, Rodent

Citation: LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum] 2007. Maladaptive behaviors: Stereotypical behavior; hair pulling-and-eating and alopecia (hair loss); self-injurious biting. In: Making Lives Easier for Animals in Research Labs: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum. Baumans, V., Coke, C., Green, J., Moreau, E., Morton, D., Patterson-Kane, E., Reinhardt, A., Reinhardt, V., Van Loo, P. (eds), 39-45. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.