Survey of the characteristics of cats owned by households in the UK and factors affecting their neutered status

Murray, Jane; Roberts, Margaret; Whitmarsh, Alex; Gruffydd-Jones, TJ

doi:10.1136/vr.164.5.137

Cited by 52 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…a single value applies throughout life) because of the nature of the available data. Cats aged less than five months tend to be entire whereas a consistent proportion of older cats tend to be neutered (58) The veterinary practices included in the study had progressive attitudes to data sharing and were situated mainly in central and south-east England, and thus may not be representative of all veterinary practices in England. The validity of the data relied heavily on owner-reported information and on the clinical acumen and note-making of attending practitioners (14).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England

O’Neill

Church

McGreevy

et al. 2014

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

167

146

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Enhanced knowledge on longevity and mortality in cats should support improved breeding, husbandry, clinical care and disease prevention strategies. The VetCompass research database of primary-care veterinary practice data offers an extensive resource of clinical health information on companion animals in the UK. This study aimed to characterise longevity and mortality in cats and to identify important demographic risk factors for compromised longevity. Crossbred cats were hypothesised to live longer than purebred cats. 3Descriptive statistics were used to characterise the deceased cats. Multivariable linear regression methods investigated risk factor association with longevity in cats that died at or after 5 years of age.From 118,016 cats attending 90 practices in England, 4,009 cats with confirmed deaths were randomly selected for detailed study. Demographic characterisation showed that 3,660 (91.7%) were crossbred, 2,009 (50.7%) were female and 2,599 (64.8%) were neutered. The most frequently attributed causes of mortality in cats of all ages were trauma (12.2%), renal disorder (12.1%), non-specific illness (11.2%), neoplasia (10.8%) and mass lesion disorders (10.2%). Overall, the median longevity was 14.0 years (IQR 9.0-17.0; range 0.0-26.7). Crossbred cats had a higher median longevity than purebred cats (median (IQR) 14.0 years (9.1-17.0) versus 12.5 years (6.1-16.4), P < 0.001) but individual purebred cat breeds varied substantially in longevity. In cats dying at or after 5 years (n = 3,360), being crossbred, lower bodyweight, neutered and non-insured were associated with increased longevity. This study described longevity in cats and identified important causes of mortality and breed-related associations with compromised longevity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England

O’Neill

Church

McGreevy

et al. 2014

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

167

146

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Furthermore, the cats utilized in this study were all neutered. In the UK this is the norm, with over 91 % of adult domestic cats sterilised (Murray et al 2009;Thomas et al 2012). Significant differences in ranging areas between day and night were found and near significant differences were also found in day and night maximum ranging area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat (Felis catus) in an urban environment

2014

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In many countries, high densities of domestic cats (Felis catus) are found in urban habitats where they have the potential to exert considerable predation pressure on their prey. However, little is known of the ranging behaviour of cats in the UK. Twenty cats in suburban Reading, UK, were fitted with GPS trackers to quantify movement patterns. Cats were monitored during the summer and winter for an average of 6.8 24 h periods per season. Mean daily area ranged (95 % MCP) was 1.94 ha. Including all fixes, mean maximum area ranged was 6.88 ha. These are broadly comparable to those observed in urban areas in other countries. Daily area ranged was not affected by the cat's sex or the season, but was significantly larger at night than during the day. There was no relationship between area ranged and habitat availability. Taking available habitat into account, cat ranging area contained significantly more garden and other green space than urban habitats. If cats were shown to be negatively affecting prey populations, one mitigation option for consideration in housing developments proposed near important wildlife sites would be to incorporate a 'buffer zone' in which cat ownership was not permitted. Absolute maximum daily area ranged by a cat in this study was 33.78 ha. This would correspond to an exclusory limit of approximately 300-400 m to minimise the negative effects of cat predation, but this may need to be larger if cat ranging behaviour is negatively affected by population density.

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“…These studies were conducted in a range of geographical locations, and risk factors for feline obesity may vary by geographic area. For example, feeding practices (Laflamme et al 2008) and the proportion of neutered (Slater et al 2008;Chu et al 2009;Murray et al 2009;Johnson and Calver 2014) and indoor cats (Slater et al 2008;Murray et al 2009) may vary by country. In addition, the population of cats studied varied in terms of size and type.…”

Section: Prevalence Of Obesity In Catsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feline obesity - prevalence, risk factors, pathogenesis, associated conditions and assessment: a review

Tarkosova¹,

Story²,

Rand³

et al. 2016

Vet. Med. - Czech

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ABSTRACT:Obesity is recognised as the most common multifactorial nutritional disorder of pet cats. Studies from several countries have indicated that between 11.5% and 63% of cats are overweight or obese. Breed, age, sex, reproductive status, the pet-owner relationship, owners' perceptions of their cats' body condition, type of diet, frequency of feeding, and environment have all been identified as potential risk factors for the development of obesity in cats. Obesity has significant implications for feline health and welfare as it has mechanical and metabolic effects and can predispose cats to conditions such as diabetes mellitus type 2, hepatic lipidosis, lameness, oral cavity disease, urinary tract disease, dermatological disease, and neoplasia. An important aspect of preventing and managing obesity is the evaluation of body condition to determine ideal body weight and to formulate an appropriate weight loss plan. Several methods have been developed for this purpose. This review uses recent scientific literature to discuss various aspects of feline obesity, including its prevalence, proposed risk factors, pathogenesis, associated conditions, and methods of assessment.Keywords: overweight; obese; body condition; cat List of abbreviations BCS = body condition score, CT = computed tomography, DEXA = dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, MMS = muscle mass scoring, QMR = quantitative magnetic resonance

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Survey of the characteristics of cats owned by households in the UK and factors affecting their neutered status

Cited by 52 publications

References 6 publications

Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England

Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England

Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat (Felis catus) in an urban environment

Feline obesity - prevalence, risk factors, pathogenesis, associated conditions and assessment: a review

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