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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Emma Creighton
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A large proportion of domestic cats are likely to spend short-term stays in a cattery. Cattery-related stress may predispose domestic cats to develop separation anxiety syndrome (SAS) on their return home, due to the cat’s loss of confidence in their social relationship with their owner, particularly if owners fail to recognise separation anxiety related behaviour and attempt to punish unwanted behavioural changes. The aim of this study was to determine if short-term behavioural changes associated with feline SAS occurred in cats on their return home from a stay in a cattery. Frequency ratings of 21 SAS and other stress-related behaviours were surveyed from N=48 owners one week before and one week after placing their cats for short stays (4 to 22 days) in commercial catteries across Northwest England. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks analyses revealed statistically significant increases in exploration behaviour and scratching appropriate objects (P≤0.001), and statistically significant decreases in play behaviour, cat-directed aggression and vomiting (P≤0.001). Rubbing behaviour showed an increase, but was not statistically significant after Bonferroni Correction (P=0.004). All other behavioural items were stable within cats before and after the stay in the cattery. These behavioural changes are not consistent with clinical symptoms of separation anxiety in cats. The increase in exploration, scratching of appropriate objects (as distinct from destructive scratching), and the trend towards an increase in rubbing, suggest an increase in territorial behaviour that is consistent with the animal re-establishing its presence in the neighbourhood after its short absence. A decrease in play is associated with mild stress, though cat-directed aggression is expected to increase with stress. The decrease in vomiting may have been due to correct and regular feeding received at the cattery. There was no indication from this research that short stays in commercial catteries predispose cats to developing symptoms of feline separation anxiety.
Author(s): Creighton E, Pilkington J
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: 42nd Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology
Year of Conference: 2008
