Human and Animal Factors Related to Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States

Salman, Mo; New, John G.; Scarlett, Janet M.; Kass, Philip H.; Ruch-Gallie, Rebecca; Hetts, Suzanne

doi:10.1207/s15327604jaws0103_2

Cited by 348 publications

(284 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Kidd et al, 1992;Neidhart and Boyd, 2002) or why are cats relinquished after an unsuccessful pet ownership (e.g. Salman et al, 1998;Sharkin and Ruff, 2011;Casey et al, 2009). Future adopters tend to state that their choice of cat is influenced mainly by behavioural/emotional traits, increased activity and playfulness (e.g.…”

Section: U N C O R R E C T E D P R O O Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and application of CatFACS: Are human cat adopters influenced by cat facial expressions?

Caeiro

Burrows

Waller

2017

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is quickly becoming the most popular animal companion in the world. The evolutionary processes that occur during domestication are known to have wide effects on the morphology, behaviour, cognition and communicative abilities of a species. Since facial expression is central to human communication, it is possible that cat facial expression has been subject to selection during domestication. Standardised measurement techniques to study cat facial expression are, however, currently lacking. Here, as a first step to enable cat facial expression to be studied in an anatomically based and objective way, CatFACS (Cat Facial Action Coding System) was developed. Fifteen individual facial movements (Action Units), six miscellaneous movements (Action Descriptors) and seven Ear Action Descriptors were identified in the domestic cat. CatFACS was then applied to investigate the impact of cat facial expression on human preferences in an adoption shelter setting. Rehoming speed from cat shelters was used as a proxy for human selective pressure. The behaviour of 106 cats ready for adoption in three different shelters was recorded during a standardised encounter with an experimenter. This experimental setup aimed to mimic the first encounter of a cat with a potential adopter, i.e. an unfamiliar human. Each video was coded for proximity to the experimenter, body movements, tail movements and face movements. Cat facial movements were not related to rehoming speed, suggesting that cat facial expression may not have undergone significant selection. In contrast, rubbing frequency was positively related to rehoming speed. The findings suggest that humans are more influenced by overt prosocial behaviours than subtle facial expression in domestic cats.

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Section: U N C O R R E C T E D P R O O Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and application of CatFACS: Are human cat adopters influenced by cat facial expressions?

Caeiro

Burrows

Waller

2017

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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“…Cats are frequently relinquished to shelters, often for behavioral problems (Salman et al, 1998(Salman et al, , 2000. Approximately 70% of cats entering shelters in the United States are euthanized (Humane Society of the United States, 1997).…”

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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“…In the United States and Europe, dog behavioral problems account for 17-20% dogs relinquished to animal shelters, with most of these dogs being sacrificed eventually [3,11,14,16]. In Japan, the estimated number of pet dogs was 11,861,000 in 2010 [9].…”

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confidence: 99%

Importance of Puppy Training for Future Behavior of the Dog

et al. 2013

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ABSTRACT. In this study, we attempted to clarify whether puppy socialization and command training class, which was limited to puppies approximately 4 months of age, prevented behavior problems in dogs. We evaluated the behaviors of 142 dogs with 4 types of training experience by using a behavior test and the Canine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Dogs in the puppy class (PC) group (n=44) attended the class for 1 hr each week for 6 weeks, dogs in the puppy party (PP) group (n=39) attended a 1-hr "puppy party," dogs in the adult class (AC) group (n=27) undertook basic obedience lessons for adolescent/adult dogs for 1 hr each week for 6 weeks, and dogs in the no class (NC) group (n=32) underwent no formal training. The behavior test evaluated each dog's response to commands, owner's recall, separation, a novel stimulus and strangers. The C-BARQ evaluated 15 canine behavioral factors. The behavior test results indicated that the PC and AC groups showed significantly higher response to commands than the PP or NC group. Thus, participation in puppy and adult classes improved the obedience behavior of dogs, regardless of age. Positive response to strangers in the PC group was significantly higher than that in the AC and NC groups and tended to be higher than that in the PP group. Therefore, PC may help prevent canine behavioral problems such as disobedience or fear of strangers.

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Human and Animal Factors Related to Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States

Cited by 348 publications

References 9 publications

Development and application of CatFACS: Are human cat adopters influenced by cat facial expressions?

Development and application of CatFACS: Are human cat adopters influenced by cat facial expressions?

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

Importance of Puppy Training for Future Behavior of the Dog

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