Behavioral and adrenocortical responses to environmental changes in leopard cats (Felis bengalensis)

Abstract

Indicators of environmental adequacy relevant to the well-being of small felids are developed by examining, in 4 captive leopard cats, interrelationships between behavioral and adrenocortical responses to changes in housing conditions. Singly housed cats were moved from their barren home cage (Cage 1, baseline) sequentially to 2 new, barren housing situations (Cages 2 and 3; = I 0 weekskage). Urinary cortisol concentrations, stereotypic pacing, and hiding frequencies were transiently increased for 1 week after translocation to Cage 2. After translocation to Cage 3, cortisol concentrations and hiding also were increased for the first week. However, conditions in Cage 3 were determined to be aversive to the cats, as evidenced by cortisol concentrations that remained chronically elevated for the entire I0-week period. Exploratory behavior was suppressed during this period. When Cage 3 was enriched with a complex of branches and hiding places, urinary cortisol concentrations and stereotypic pacing decreased, and exploration increased. Concealment locations that camouflage were more often used for lying down when urinary cortisol was elevated. These results suggest that reduced exploratory behavior is an indicator of chronic exposure to aversive environmental conditions. Stereotypic pacing may not necessarily increase when adrenocortical activity increases. The results also suggest that enrichment facilitates coping with aversive stimulation by providing behavioral options to confined felids. To promote the welfare of small felids, appropriate camouflaged hiding places should be provided and enrichment programs developed to stimulate exploratory behavior. 0 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Frustrated Appetitive Foraging Behavior, Stereotypic Pacing, and Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in Snow Leopards (Uncia uncia) in the Zurich Zoo

“…Similar results were obtained for other carnivore species (Carlstead, Brown, & Seidensticker, 1993;Gusset, 2005;Wielebnowski et al, 2002), collectively suggesting that stereotypic pacing cannot be regarded as successful coping behavior that ameliorates potentially inadequate housing conditions of captive carnivores by reducing their glucocorticoid levels.…”

“…This method was previously demonstrated to reflect individual adrenocortical responses to environmental changes in felids (Carlstead, Brown, Monfort, Killens, & Wildt, 1992;Carlstead, Brown, & Seidensticker, 1993;Carlstead, Brown, & Strawn, 1993). Always the freshest feces was collected and stored frozen at -20°C until processing and analysis.…”

Seasonal variation in the endocrine–testicular function of captive jaguars (Panthera onca)

“…Like most cats, jaguars are solitary and territorial under natural conditions [22]. Housing these animals in groups and without appropriate hiding areas can increase stress [23] and therefore affect the reproductive performance, as described for small cats [24,25]. Persistent elevations in peripheral cortisol concentrations can indicate chronic stress [23].…”

“…Housing these animals in groups and without appropriate hiding areas can increase stress [23] and therefore affect the reproductive performance, as described for small cats [24,25]. Persistent elevations in peripheral cortisol concentrations can indicate chronic stress [23]. Therefore, comparison of cortisol concentrations between groups would provide information on stress levels and potential reproductive problems arising from specific enclosures and environmental conditions.…”

Effect of cognitive enrichment on behavior, mucosal immunity and upper respiratory disease of shelter cats rated as frustrated on arrival

“…Non-domestic felids are driven to roam over a wide territory to hunt (Carlstead et al, 1993;Lyons et al, 1997), which when thwarted in captivity makes them prone to pacing (Clubb and Vickery, 2005) in response to lack of stimulation and frustration (Mohapatra et al, 2014).…”