Behavioral differences between owner surrender and stray domestic cats after entering an animal shelter

Dybdall, Kathryn; Strasser, Rosemary; Katz, Tanja

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.05.002

Cited by 74 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The CSS has also been used in some cases to evaluate cats in shelters (Dybdall et al, 2007). Another evaluation, Meet Your Match (MYM; American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2008), has been used in many shelters across the United States to help match owners to new cats, increase adoptability, and decrease returns to the shelters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the addition of in-cage hiding structures and toys and timing of administration of behavioral assessments with newly relinquished shelter cats

Moore

Bain

2013

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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Keywords: welfare behavior cat enrichment shelter stress a b s t r a c t Most cats entering shelters are euthanized. This study used behavioral assessments to determine how quickly a cat acclimated to its new environment and whether enrichment eased this transition. Twentyfive cats at 2 municipal shelters were evaluated with 2 separate standardized behavioral assessments at 3 separate times, beginning the day after entering the shelter. One behavioral assessment included an in-cage evaluation, whereas the other assessment involved a stepwise combined in-and out-of-cage evaluation. Eleven of the cats were given a cardboard box to hide in and a toy in the cage, whereas 14 cats were not given these objects. Our results suggest that cats need 72 hours to achieve optimum behavioral scores and a decrease in stress levels based on the 2 separate evaluations. The tests were correlated in their outcomes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the addition of in-cage hiding structures and toys and timing of administration of behavioral assessments with newly relinquished shelter cats

Moore

Bain

2013

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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“…The idea of a semi-owned sub-population of cats in the community being at least partly admitted to a shelter varies considerably and there is currently no validated measure for determining a truly un-socialised and feral cat from a frightened pet cat (Dybdall, Strasser et al 2007, Slater, Miller et al 2010). Further to this, one study found that owner-surrendered cats displayed higher behavioural measures of stress than stray cats on admission to shelters (Dybdall, Strasser et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This indicates that euthanasia of cats for behavioural reasons may be associated with shelter practices that increase cat stress and the influence of the shelter environment on cat behaviour (see section 2.6.2.2.) (Dybdall, Strasser et al 2007, Marston 2009). …”

Section: Behaviour and Sociabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is some concern that, without minimum holding periods prior to action being taken for a cat admitted to a shelter or pound, cats may be destroyed before an owner has a chance to reclaim them, and before the cat is able to adapt to the stressful foreign environment of a shelter or pound (Kessler and Turner 1997, Dybdall, Strasser et al 2007). found that cats displayed increased stress levels and negative behaviour in the first 2 days after admission to an animal shelter.…”

Section: How Legislation Impacts On Pounds Shelters and Excess Catsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, minimum holding periods differ and, in some Australian states, animals are only legally required to be held for 48 hrs before processing (Bureau of Animal Welfare 2002, Queensland Government 2010. Moreover, if a cat behaves in an aggressive manner and is determined by the shelter to be feral or unsociable there is often nothing impeding immediate euthanasia (Dybdall, Strasser et al 2007). …”

Section: Reclaimed Catsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Australian excess cat population: An exploration of cat admissions and outcomes to RSPCA shelters

Alberthsen¹

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It is estimated that more than 60% of cats admitted to animal shelters in Australia are euthanased. Euthanasia of healthy cats as an outcome to shelter entry is of concern for shelters, councils, and the community. Attempts made by government, welfare agencies, and community organisations to manage both cat entry to shelters and their subsequent euthanasia have achieved limited improvements. The percentage of cats euthanased has remained constant for the past decade, and a lack of fundamental statistical information about cat admission to shelters makes it difficult to understand the extent of the excess cat problem, to develop effective management strategies, and to evaluate the success of strategies employed.The aim of this thesis was to rigorously examine cat admissions and outcomes at RSPCA shelters throughout Australia. With this information it was possible to begin to address the paucity of available data and establish a nuanced description of the cat population admitted to shelters and the risk of euthanasia. From this, evidence-based recommendations for policy development, preventative measures, and future interventions were developed.Almost half of RSPCA cat admissions were stray (47%) and, when age, gender, breed, desexed status prior to admission, feral status, and year were accounted for, strays were just as likely as owner-surrendered cats to be rehomed (OR1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.2: P<0.001). The percentage of cats categorised as desexed prior to admission was high (36%) in comparison to other studies, but low considering that only 47% of owner-surrendered cats were desexed and the reported desexing rate for owned cats is 90% or more. No differences in monthly adult cat admission patterns were observed when compared to December (the month with the highest overall cat intake). However, seasonal admission patterns differed significantly for kitten admissions (regardless of the kitten age definition for each state), with most kittens admitted in the summer months (November -February) (P<0.001). The most common reason for surrender of cats was for owner-related reasons (82%); the most frequent was due to accommodation issues (21% of all owner-related reasons for surrender). Overall, 58% of 195,387 cat admissions included in this research were euthanased as an outcome to admission. The most common reasons were medical (31%) and age (22%).When shelter practices were scrutinised, it was found that the presence and enforcement of quarantine measures on admission of new cats, the provision of climbing enrichment, and shelter capacity were all significantly associated with the risk of euthanasia. Additionally, 3 from the participants in our study, it was revealed that shelters generally operated on an all or nothing approach to policy and practices. Interestingly, the presence or absence of behavioural assessments for cats, age specific policy, and attitudes of decision makers were not significantly associated with the risk of euthanasia.One of the important conclusions derived from these findings is that a...

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Feline intake and assessment

Janeczko

2015

Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff

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Behavioral differences between owner surrender and stray domestic cats after entering an animal shelter

Cited by 74 publications

References 18 publications

Evaluation of the addition of in-cage hiding structures and toys and timing of administration of behavioral assessments with newly relinquished shelter cats

Evaluation of the addition of in-cage hiding structures and toys and timing of administration of behavioral assessments with newly relinquished shelter cats

The Australian excess cat population: An exploration of cat admissions and outcomes to RSPCA shelters

Feline intake and assessment

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