Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:11:41.328Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Socialization and Stress in Cats (Felis Silves Tris Catvs) Housed Singly and in Groups in Animal Shelters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

M R Kessler  and
D C Turner
M R Kessler*
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute for Animal Science, Physiology and Animal Husbandry, ETH Zentrum, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
D C Turner
Affiliation:
Institute for applied Ethology and Animal Psychology (IEAP), CH-8816 Hirzel, Switzerland and Zoology Institute, University of Zurich-Irchel, Switzerland
*
† Contact for correspondence and to whom requests for reprints should be sent at: Chamerstrasse 15, CH-6331 Hünenberg, Switzerland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Single- and group-housing conditions for cats in animal shelters represent spatially and socially very different housing types. This study investigated whether the socialization of the cat towards conspecifics and people influences adaptation to these two housing types. Socialization towards conspecifics and people was determined in 169 rescued cats by means of two behavioural tests and a socialization questionnaire. Stress levels of the cats in the single- and group-housing condition were recorded by the non-invasive Cat-Stress-Score. Cats which were non-socialized towards conspecifics (n-SC) were more stressed than cats socialized towards conspecifics (SC) in the group enclosure. During the first hour and on days 6 and 7 in the observation cage, the n-SC were significantly less stressed under the single-than under the group-housing condition. The other members of the group had a higher stress level when a n-SC entered the group than if the new cat was a SC. Among the SC, there was no detectable difference in stress levels between the single-and group-housing condition. Cats which were non-socialized towards people (n-SP) were more stressed than cats socialized towards people (SP) during the whole stay under both single- and group-housing conditions.

It was concluded that n-SC should be held under single-housing conditions in animal shelters. For SC both the single- and group-housing condition are equally recommended for stays of a few weeks. For n-SP, stays in animal shelters should be avoided because of their high stress levels.

Keywords

animal husbandryanimal shelteranimal welfarecatsocializationstress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 1999 , pp. 15 - 26
Copyright
© 1999 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Bradshaw, J W 1992 The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat. CAB International: Oxfordshire, UKGoogle Scholar
Cameron-Beaumont, C L and Bradshaw, J W S 1995 Visual signals directed by the domestic cat (Felis catus) towards people. In: Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Human-animal Interactions pp 85. Association Française d'Information et de Recherche sur 1’Animal de Compagne (AFIRAC): Geneva, SwitzerlandGoogle Scholar
Feaver, J, Mendl, M and Bateson, P G 1986 A method for rating the individual distinctiveness of domestic cats. Animal Behaviour 34: 1016–1025Google Scholar
Karsh, E B and Turner, DC 1988 The human-cat relationship. In: Turner, D C and Bateson, P (eds) The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour pp 67–81. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKGoogle Scholar
Kessler, M R and Turner, D C 1997 Stress and adaptation of cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed singly, in pairs and in groups in boarding catteries. Animal Welfare 6: 243–254CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCune, S 1992 Temperament and Welfare of Caged Cats. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Cambridge, UKGoogle Scholar
McCune, S 1994 Caged cats: avoiding problems and providing solutions. Newsletter of the Companion Animal Study Group 7: 1–9Google Scholar
Meier, M and Turner, D C 1985 Reactions of home cats during encounters with a strange person: evidence for two personality types. Journal of the Delta Society 2: 45–53Google Scholar
Rochlitz, I, Podberscek, A L and Broom, D M 1995 The behaviour and welfare of cats in quarantine. In: Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Human-animal Interactions pp 89. Association Française d'Information et de Recherche sur l'Animal de Compagne (AFIRAC): Geneva, SwitzerlandGoogle Scholar
Roy, D 1992 Environment Enrichment for Cats in Rescue Centres. Unpublished BSc Honours project, University of Southampton, UKGoogle Scholar
Smith, D F, Durman, K J, Roy, D B and Bradshaw, J W 1994 Behavioural aspects of the welfare of rescued cats. The Journal of the Feline Advisory Bureau 31: 25–28Google Scholar
Turner, D C 1995 Die Mensch-Katze-Beziehung. Gustav Fischer Verlag: Jena, GermanyGoogle Scholar
UK Cat Behaviour Working Group 1995 An Ethogram for Behavioural Studies of the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus L.J. Animal Welfare Research Report No 8. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW): Potters Bar, UKGoogle Scholar