The influence of food presentation on the behavior of small cats in confined environments

Abstract

Captive small felids frequently pace repetitively and/or spend large amounts of time inactive. Presenting a fishing cat with live-fish resulted in more activity (60% less sleeping), increased behavioral diversity, including previously unobserved hunting behaviors, and greater enclosure utilization. Effects persisted for at least 48 h after presentation of live fish, and up to 8 days. In a second study, four leopard cats were fed: (1) once per day, (2) four times per day and, (3) four times per day with food hidden in small piles of brush. Multiple feedings of hidden food increased daily exploratory behavior from 5.5% to over 14%, and increased the diversity of behaviors observed. It also reduced the total duration, and bout length of stereotyped pacing. These studies suggest that providing food to small cats in a way that minimizes predictability of food availability, while maximizing the functional consequences of foraging behavior, can be an effective enrichment technique. These results are discussed in relation to two models of behavioral motivation, one that focuses on the issue of behavioral needs, and the other that emphasizes the importance of information acquisition. 0 1993 Wiley-Llss, Inc.

Variation in the emission rate of sounds in a captive group of false killer whales Pseudorca crassidens during feedings: possible food anticipatory vocal activity?

“…For example, when the anticipation of feeding is inaccurate because of delays of the session, anticipation can be a source of stress for captive animals (Waitt and Buchanan-Smith, 2001). Therefore, the introduction of unpredictable feeding schedules could provide stimulation to the individuals, enhancing the species exploratory behaviors (Hennessy et al, 1977;van Rooijen, 1991;Shepherdson et al, 1993;Mistlberger, 1994;and Lambeth, 1995;Waitt and Buchanan-Smith, 2001;Bloomsmith Jenny and Schmid, 2002;Bassett and Buchanan-Smith, 2007).…”

Efficacy of foraging enrichments to increase foraging time in Grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus)

“…Foraging enrichment in particular appears to be among the most effective measures (Crocket, 1998;Miller and Mench, 2005;Dixon et al, 2010) as the provision of foraging opportunities in captivity was found to 1) increase activity; 2) provide cognitive stimulation and manipulative activities; 3) alleviate stress, frustration and boredom; and 4) reduce and prevent aggression, and abnormal repetitive behaviours, including stereotypies (Bloomsmith et al, 1988;Shepherdson et al, 1993;Spoolder et al, 1995;Baker, 1997;Aerni et al, 2000;Bashaw et al, 2003;Johnson et al, 2004;Honess and Marin, 2006;VargasAshby and Pankhurst, 2007;Brinch-Riber and Mench, 2008). In parrots, provision of foraging enrichments has been associated with positive behavioural changes and welfare effects (Coulton et al, 1997;van Hoek and King, 1997;Meehan et al, 2003Meehan et al, , 2004Elson and Marples, 2001;Lumeij and Hommers, 2008).…”

“…promote satiety); 7) feeding at irregular time intervals (i.e. decrease the predictability of feeding times); or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned options (Shepherdson et al, 1993;Brouns et al, 1994;Young et al, 1994;Newberry, 1995;Bauck, 1998;Aerni et al, 2000;Young, 2003;Hernandez-Divers, 2006;Honess and Marin, 2006;van Krimpen et al, 2009). The applicability of the various approaches, however, may vary across species, depending on species-specific characteristics such as the animals' intelligence, natural diet, methods of food procurement and foraging pattern.…”

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

“…Supporting the hypothesis that stereotypic pacing found in captive carnivores is primarily caused by permanently frustrated appetitive foraging behavior (Carlstead, 1998), many other studies successfully provided a number of carnivore species with environmental enrichment related to feeding Carlstead, Seidensticker, & Baldwin, 1991;Forthman et al, 1992;Hartmann-Furter, 2000;Jenny & Schmid, 2002;Markowitz, Aday, & Gavazzi, 1995;Markowitz & LaForse, 1987;Shepherdson et al, 1993;Wechsler, 1994). Therefore, varying the spatial and temporal availability of food, as applied under our control-feeding regime, might have been stimulation enough to reduce-but not eliminate-stereotypic pacing compared with the conventional feeding regime, without using feeding boxes.…”

“…There is no coping strategy by which the animal can remove this potentially aversive situation and actively influence the foraging success. The motivation to perform foraging behavior, however, presumably remains high; this is so even if food is eventually provided (Hughes & Duncan, 1988), potentially causing frustration in the affected animals and-over a period of time-possibly leading to the development of stereotypic pacing (Shepherdson, Carlstead, Mellen, & Seidensticker, 1993;Wechsler, 1991).…”