Influence of indoor-cat group size and dominance rank on urinary cortisol levels
Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are often housed indoors both singly and in groups. However, there is a lack of studies dealing with cat-cat relationships, group composition and effects of environmental parameters on the well-being of privately-owned cats. One way to index the effects of stressful situations is to measure glucocorticoid levels, as glucocorticoids are […]
Social Play in the Domestic Cat
The social play of domestic cats in the laboratory and at home was examined. Categories and sequences of motor patterns were identified and analyzed. The developmental period during which social play was most frequent was established to be from 4 weeks to 4 months. The results suggest that social play functions to provide specific forms […]
The effects of operant training on blood collection for domestic cats
The impact of operantly training domestic cats to accept jugular blood collections in a dorsally recumbent (novel) position was assessed. Cats were assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 (N = 14): no training, traditional jugular blood collection; Group 2 (N = 17): trained in novel position but traditional blood collection method used; Group […]
Swedish cat shelters: a descriptive survey of husbandry practices, routines and management
Animal shelters rescue and care for society’s unwanted companion animals. Nonetheless, several studies have shown that ending up in a shelter can be stressful, and that shelter husbandry can amplify and spread certain diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate and describe husbandry policy, practices and routines as well as occurrence and […]