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Factors affecting faecal glucocorticoid levels in domestic cats (Felis catus): a pilot study with single and large multi-cat households

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

D Ramos ,
MN Arena ,
A Reche-Junior ,
AGT Daniel ,
MVC Albino ,
AS Vasconcellos ,
P Viau  and
CA Oliveira
D Ramos*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
MN Arena
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
A Reche-Junior
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
AGT Daniel
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
MVC Albino
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
AS Vasconcellos
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
P Viau
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
CA Oliveira
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]; [email protected]
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Abstract

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Domestic cats (Felis catus) are widely believed to be highly sensitive to the effects of social stress, especially when living in high density populations. Cats are capable of adapting to living in a group, but this will often require opportunities for escaping and hiding. In this pilot study, adrenocortical activity, as a valuable physiological indicator of arousal underpinning potential emotional stress, was evaluated through the measurement of mean faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (mGCM) in fourteen singly and sixteen group-housed cats. Living conditions and ratings of the owners’ quality of life (evaluated from self-reported questionnaires) were used as factors associated with faecal glucocorticoid levels of the cats. A direct association between the scores of owners’ social dimension of quality of life and the cats’ mGCM was found for single cats only, with higher owner social scores associated with higher cat mGCM. No significant differences in mGCM were found between singly versus group-living cats. This suggests that the under-explored factor of owner lifestyle could play an important role in domestic cats’ day-to-day levels of arousal, especially when kept as single pets.

Keywords

animal welfarecatfaecal glucocorticoidsfelinelife qualitystress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , May 2012 , pp. 285 - 291
Copyright
© 2012 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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