Cat

Field assessment of cats’ litter box substrate preferences

Cats living inside a home without any possibility of outdoor access have to defecate in a litter box. To suit the cats' needs, several recommendations seem to be agreed upon. The litter box has to be clean and in a...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Villeneuve-Beugnet, V., Beugnet, F. 2018. Field assessment of cats' litter box substrate preferences. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 25, 65-70.

Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare

Surveillance of cat shelters by official veterinarians in Austria is based on legal requirements and does not directly assess cat welfare. The aim of this study was to develop animal-based parameters that are feasible to measure in a surveillance setting,...

Year Published: 2015Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Arhant, C., Wogritsch, R., Troxler, J. 2015. Assessment of behavior and physical condition of shelter cats as animal-based indicators of welfare. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 10(5), 399-406.

Comparison of positive reinforcement training in cats: A pilot study

Positive reinforcement training with cats is a useful tool for improving the human-animal bond, treating behavior problems, and teaching novel tasks. In part 1 of this study, 3 cats were assessed for extinction to a conditioned stimulus; in part 2...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Willson, E. K., Stratton, R. B., Bolwell, C. F. et al. 2017. Comparison of positive reinforcement training in cats: A pilot study. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 21, 64-70.

Effect of the presence of a person known to the cats on the feeding behavior and placement of feeders of a domestic cat colony

Knowledge of the organization and dynamics of the relationships between animals and the environment and its resources is important to meet the needs of any species. We analyzed the effect the presence of a person known to the cats had...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Damasceno, J., Genaro, G., Sangaletti Terçariol, C. A. 2016. Effect of the presence of a person known to the cats on the feeding behavior and placement of feeders of a domestic cat colony. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 11, 31-36.

Stable individual differences in vocalisation and motor activity during acute stress in the domestic cat

The behavioural assessment of individual animals in stressful situations should consider measures which are consistent across repeated testing, and therefore truly representative of an individual's behaviour. Here we report a study conducted on 40 neutered adult cats (Felis silvestris catus)...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Vocalization, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Urrutia, A., Martínez-Byer, S., Szenczi, P. et al. 2019. Stable individual differences in vocalisation and motor activity during acute stress in the domestic cat. Behavioural Processes 165, 58-65.

A systematic review of social and environmental factors and their implications for indoor cat welfare

Cats are one of the world's most populous companion animals, yet little is known about how the home environment is adapted relative to their needs. Outdoor access is thought to be beneficial for both the physical and mental wellbeing of...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Foreman-Worsley, R., Farnworth, M. J. A systematic review of social and environmental factors and their implications for indoor cat welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 220, 104841.

Only when it feels good: Specific cat vocalizations other than meowing

Our objective was to identify and characterize the types of vocalization other than meowing (VOM) in two contexts, a pleasant and an aversive situation, and to study the effect of the sex of the animal. A total of 74 cats...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Vocalization, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Fermo, J. L., Schnaider, M. A., Silva, A. H. P. et al. 2019. Only when it feels good: Specific cat vocalizations other than meowing. Animals 9(11), 878.

Automatic classification of cat vocalizations emitted in different contexts

Cats employ vocalizations for communicating information, thus their sounds can carry a wide range of meanings. Concerning vocalization, an aspect of increasing relevance directly connected with the welfare of such animals is its emotional interpretation and the recognition of the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Ntalampiras, S., Ludovico, L. A., Presti, G. et al. 2019. Automatic classification of cat vocalizations emitted in different contexts. Animals 9(8), 543.

Coping styles in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) and implications for cat welfare

Identifying coping styles in cats may lead to improved health and welfare. The aims of this study were to (1) identify individual differences in response to acute confinement, and (2) to assess the predictability of guardian-rated personality traits on behavior....

Year Published: 2019Topics: PersonalityAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Stella, J., Croney, C. 2019. Coping styles in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) and implications for cat welfare. Animals 9(6), 370.

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...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: McGlone, J. J., Garcia, A., Thompson, W. G. et al. 2019. Maternal-neonatal pheromone/interomone added to cat litter improves litter box use and reduces aggression in pair-housed cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 22(2), 127-138.