Owner observations can provide data for constructive behavior analysis in normal pet cats in Australia

Kendall, Kim; Ley, Jacqui

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2008.03.001

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Generally, owner observations of their pet's behavior, when they are instructed about the behaviors to observe, can be regarded as reliable (22)(23)(24)(25). This pattern was shown in this pilot study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation—A Pilot Study

et al. 2021

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Objectives: The aim of this clinical pilot study was to evaluate the dosage, efficacy, and clinical safety of a single oral dose of pregabalin in cats that experience fear and anxiety when placed into a carrier and transported by car.Methods: Thirteen client-owned cats were enrolled in a blinded, randomized, crossover study with three treatment days approximately 1 week apart. The cats were assigned to receive pregabalin oral solution at dosages of 5 and 10 mg/kg and placebo in a randomized order, one treatment per week. Treatment was administered ~90 min before placing the cat into a carrier and starting transportation. Efficacy was assessed by the owners using a categorical scale and, based on video recordings, by an external observer, both blinded to the treatment.Results: Owners assessed that cats given pregabalin displayed less vocalization, restlessness, and panting during transportation than did cats given placebo. Correlation between owners' and external observer's assessment of the overall treatment effect was good (0.63, p < 0.01), which confirms the owners' ability to observe reliably their own cat's behavior. Transient mild ataxia was the most common adverse event reported. The human commercial formulation used in this study was found difficult or very difficult to administer by 79% of the owners.Conclusions and Relevance: Based on results of this pilot study, a single oral dose of pregabalin was well tolerated and decreased signs of anxiety and fear associated with car transportation in cats, as evaluated by blinded owners and external observer. The use of pregabalin prior to traveling may improve cat welfare and compliance for transportation. Further studies are needed to investigate the use of oral pregabalin in cats to alleviate signs of anxiety and fear associated with transportation and sequelae, like veterinary visits, and to develop a more user-friendly formulation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation—A Pilot Study

et al. 2021

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“…Although owners have been shown to be able to classify the vocalisation of their own cat, the rate of classification is not high on average [ 50 ], perhaps reflecting a wider lack of attention to potential feline communicative signals. Nonetheless, owner’s perceptions can be a useful tool for behaviour analysis in some circumstances [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An animal’s owner, specifically when the animal is a pet, is likely to be the person who spends most time with the animal and interacting with it. Owner’s perceptions are thus a useful complementary tool to behavioural testing [ 29 ]. For instance, the experience of cat owners means they can classify cat vocalisations better than non-cat owners [ 49 ], especially when it is their own cat [ 50 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We were particularly interested in measures related to their affective state. We hypothesised that reduced interaction with an unfamiliar person, reduced exploration and interaction with a novel object, heightened sensitivity to sudden noise, and a ‘pessimistic’ judgement would indicate compromised welfare, and that deterioration in welfare would also be noted in owner reports of their pet’s behaviour [ 29 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Long-Term Exposure to an Electronic Containment System on the Behaviour and Welfare of Domestic Cats

et al. 2016

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Free-roaming cats are exposed to a variety of risks, including involvement in road traffic accidents. One way of mitigating these risks is to contain cats, for example using an electronic boundary fence system that delivers an electric ‘correction’ via a collar if a cat ignores a warning cue and attempts to cross the boundary. However, concerns have been expressed over the welfare impact of such systems. Our aim was to determine if long-term exposure to an electronic containment system was associated with reduced cat welfare. We compared 46 owned domestic cats: 23 cats that had been contained by an electronic containment system for more than 12 months (AF group); and 23 cats with no containment system that were able to roam more widely (C group). We assessed the cats’ behavioural responses and welfare via four behavioural tests (unfamiliar person test; novel object test; sudden noise test; cognitive bias test) and an owner questionnaire. In the unfamiliar person test, C group lip-licked more than the AF group, whilst the AF group looked at, explored and interacted more with the unfamiliar person than C group. In the novel object test, the AF group looked at and explored the object more than C group. No significant differences were found between AF and C groups for the sudden noise or cognitive bias tests. Regarding the questionnaire, C group owners thought their cats showed more irritable behaviour and AF owners thought that their cats toileted inappropriately more often than C owners. Overall, AF cats were less neophobic than C cats and there was no evidence of significant differences between the populations in general affective state. These findings indicate that an electronic boundary fence with clear pre-warning cues does not impair the long term quality of life of cats.

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Unruly and destructive behaviors – feline

Lindell,

Radosta

2024

Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat

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Owner observations can provide data for constructive behavior analysis in normal pet cats in Australia

Cited by 13 publications

References 8 publications

Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation—A Pilot Study

Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation—A Pilot Study

Effects of Long-Term Exposure to an Electronic Containment System on the Behaviour and Welfare of Domestic Cats

Unruly and destructive behaviors – feline

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