Content uploaded by Alan M Beck
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Alan M Beck on Jun 18, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Risk factors for Relinquishment of Cats to an Animal Shelter
Abstract
To identify feline and household characteristics associated with relinquishment of a pet cat to an animal shelter.
Case-control study.
Households that relinquished cats for adoption (case households) and a random sample of current cat-owning households in the same community (control households).
Potentially modifiable risk factors with the highest population attributable risk for relinquishment were owners having specific expectations about the cat's role in the household, allowing the cat outdoors, owning a sexually intact cat, never having read a book about cat behavior, cats having daily or weekly inappropriate elimination, and inappropriate care expectations. Frequency of inappropriate elimination and aggression toward people were not associated with declaw status, but these behaviors were more common among sexually intact cats, compared with sterilized cats. Owners of cats in case households were more likely than owners in control households to cite cost of sterilization as a reason a cat was sexually intact. Cats found as strays and cats acquired with minimal planning were at decreased risk of relinquishment.
The identified risk factors can be modified by cat owners and veterinarians to decrease the estimated 4 million cats euthanatized annually in animal shelters. Owner education programs are needed as well as increased awareness on the part of cat owners and veterinarians of the importance of resolving feline inappropriate elimination problems.
... Behavioral problems can include any behaviors that owners consider undesirable, regardless of whether they reflect normal feline behaviors or arise from medical or behavioral pathology. In both situations, behavioral problems can be indicative of poor welfare and will typically damage the owner-cat relationship, decrease ownership satisfaction, and increase the risk of relinquishment or abandonment (Patronek et al., 1996;Elvers and Lawriw, 2019;Grigg and Kogan, 2019). Urination in undesired locations, for example, can be a potential sign of stress, anxiety, underlying medical issues (Horwitz, 2019) and/or inappropriate litter box provisions, although it has also been linked to decreased ownership satisfaction (Normando et al., 2022) and an increased likelihood of relinquishment (Patronek et al., 1996;Salman et al., 2000). ...
... In both situations, behavioral problems can be indicative of poor welfare and will typically damage the owner-cat relationship, decrease ownership satisfaction, and increase the risk of relinquishment or abandonment (Patronek et al., 1996;Elvers and Lawriw, 2019;Grigg and Kogan, 2019). Urination in undesired locations, for example, can be a potential sign of stress, anxiety, underlying medical issues (Horwitz, 2019) and/or inappropriate litter box provisions, although it has also been linked to decreased ownership satisfaction (Normando et al., 2022) and an increased likelihood of relinquishment (Patronek et al., 1996;Salman et al., 2000). Aggression, fear and hyperactivity can also impact ownership satisfaction detrimentally (Normando et al., 2022), although the literature is not conclusive (Franck et al., 2022). ...
... Although further research is needed in owned cat populations, the results suggest that educating cat owners may be key to reducing the impact of owner-directed aggression on both human and cat welfare. Our findings also support previous studies by affirming the importance of urine spraying (Patronek et al., 1996;Salman et al., 2000;Shore et al., 2008;Amat et al., 2009;Wassink-van der Schot et al., 2016;Grigg and Kogan, 2019). We found owners were about 75% more likely to perceive their cat's behavior as problematic for each one-point increase in the frequency of spraying outside the litter box. ...
... While research has demonstrated that cats can and often do form affiliative social relationships with each other, the potential for social conflict which may manifest as threat or fighting behavior between them is still of significant concern, as it is cited as one of the most common behavioral reasons that cats are rehomed or surrendered to shelters (Patronek et al., 1996;Houpt, 1998;Salman et al., 2000;Casey et al., 2009;Heath, 2009;Clark, 2016). A retrospective, survey-based study of individuals who had recently adopted a new cat reported that up to 50% of introductions between the new cat and a resident cat involved some incidents of biting and scratching. ...
... Owner education about cat sociality and its relationship to their quality of life is essential, given that cat behavioral problems, which are often rooted in fear, anxiety, and social stress, are regularly cited as reasons for their abandonment, relinquishment, and euthanasia (Patronek et al., 1996;Salman et al., 2000;Coe et al., 2014). Veterinarians may be able to further support cat welfare by educating owners about the relationships between the cat's social environment, stress, and health. ...
Cats are among the most popular pets worldwide, but there are still major gaps in the public's general understanding of their social behaviors and related needs, including for socialization. In addition to these knowledge gaps, people often have negative or ambivalent attitudes about cats, which can directly impact their welfare outcomes. Insufficient attention to the behavioral ecology and development of cat sociality, along with failure to account for their highly variable individual preferences and tolerance for social behaviors can lead them to experience distress that undermines both their welfare and the human-animal bond. As Part 1 of a two-part series addressing common myths about cats, the purpose of this first paper is to review and debunk common misperceptions about the social needs and behaviors of cats, including misunderstandings about their social lives and abilities to bond with humans. We also identify where opportunities exist to improve socialization of cats and to advance research in related areas that might better support their behavior and welfare needs.
... In a follow-up survey to the ASPCA 2007 beta testing, respondents indicated that the cats they had adopted largely behaved as they expected them to, based on the information they had obtained during the MYM ® process [3]. The ASPCA data were in alignment with previous research: accurate expectations for a new pet have been demonstrated as contributive to adoption success [3,4,[6][7][8][9][10][11]. ...
Domestic cats are euthanized at high rates in shelters, and appropriate matching between cats and adopters is believed to improve adoption success and reduce euthanasia rates. The ASPCA’s Meet Your Match® Feline-ality™ program, designed to match cats with owners based on personality and lifestyle, has been implemented in various shelters. This study is the first systematic evaluation of its implementation process and efficacy. Using a controlled interrupted time series design (CITS), the outcome evaluation examined and compared records for five years (2015–2019) from the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) and the Multnomah County Animal Shelter located in Portland, Oregon (USA). The outcome evaluation demonstrated no changes in any outcomes (e.g., cat adoptions, euthanasias, returns, transfers, or length of stay) that could be reliably attributed to Feline-ality™. The process evaluation at SAS identified and quantified eight possible errors in implementation that could affect the success of Feline-ality™; the results indicated a 1.6% overall success rate. Whereas the lack of substantive effect may indicate that MYM® Feline-ality™ does not perform as purported, it is equally as likely (if not more so) that this absence of evidence of any results reasonably attributable to Feline-ality™ has occurred because the error rate in implementation of the program was very high. The fact that a poorly implemented program necessarily impacts the results of an outcome evaluation underscores the need for process evaluation concurrent with implementation.
... /fvets. . urination and aggression also are leading causes for pet abandonment as well as non-medical elective euthanasia (7)(8)(9)(10). Often, behavioral disorders in cats are treated empirically once routine laboratory tests (e.g., chemistry profiles, urinalyses) have been performed without identification of an underlying medical condition. ...
Urine marking, aggression, and other behavioral concerns are common reasons for cat owners to seek veterinary care. Empiric treatment for lower urinary tract disease or primary behavior disorders are commonly pursued, especially in those cases with normal routine laboratory evaluations. Herein, we report the clinicopathologic findings in eight sexually altered cats that were diagnosed with androgen-secreting adrenocortical tumors. Nearly all cats (n = 7) initially were evaluated for inappropriate urination and pungent urine, with additional behavioral concerns including aggression (n = 3) and excess vocalization (n = 4) commonly reported. Penile barbs (n = 5) were identified in all five male cats, and an enlarged clitoris was observed in one female cat. Testing of serum androgen concentrations revealed abnormally high androstenedione (n = 1) or testosterone (n = 7) concentrations. In the five cases with available adrenal tissue, histopathologic evaluation identified either an adrenocortical adenoma (n = 3) or adrenocortical carcinoma (n = 2). Hormonal abnormalities resolved and clinical signs improved in the four cats that underwent surgical adrenalectomy, with each of these cats surviving >1 year. However, clinical signs were minimally impacted with medical treatments, including one cat in which trilostane treatment failed to improve clinical signs or testosterone concentrations. This collection of cases underscores the importance of a detailed physical examination as well as the consideration of endocrine disturbances in cats undergoing evaluation for inappropriate urination or aggression. Furthermore, this report adds to the growing body of evidence that sex-hormone secreting adrenal tumors in cats may be an under-recognized syndrome.
There are about 10.1 million domestic cats in Italy, but information on cats' litter management and house-soiling prevalence is scant. This study described cats' and cat owners' profiles, litter management practices, and whether cats show house-soiling, also comparing between professionals (i.e., breeders) and amateurs (i.e., pet owners). A cross-sectional online survey sought respondents' housing, family, and cat details, as well as other pet details, litter details, and whether the cats showed house-soiling. Data for a total of 3106 cats were obtained. Italian cats lived mainly in apartments, along with other cats or dogs. Italians owned mostly adult European breed cats, to whom they provided covered litter boxes filled with clumping substrates, scooped daily, and completely replaced weekly. Litter cleaning was more frequent when cats were owned for financial purposes (i.e., breeders) rather than for companionship, but more space was provided for pets than for breeding cats. The recalled prevalence of elimination problems (16.7%) was lower compared to other studies, with cats mainly eliminating urine (54.6%) on objects in squatting posture (35.2%). Overall, this research increased our understanding of cat litter management in Italy. These findings could fill a gap in the knowledge regarding litter management and house-soiling incidences in Italy. Further studies to investigate possible risk factors for house-soiling are needed.
OBJECTIVE
To identify potential risk factors for feline litter box issues (eg, house soiling).
ANIMALS
3,049 privately owned cats.
PROCEDURES
Data were collected using a validated, owner-completed survey with convenience sampling. The feline behavior and personality survey included 138 statements related to cat behavior and questions concerning cat background and health. Statements related to litter box issues were subjected to factor analysis. Associations between the identified factors and personality and background variables were studied using generalized linear models. Strength of these associations (ie, importance) was evaluated by calculating relative and absolute effect sizes.
RESULTS
Factor analysis yielded 2 factors: house soiling and litter box fussiness. This study suggests that fearful cats are more prone to both forms of litter box issues than nonfearful individuals. Other associations we found differed between factors. For example, low sociability toward cats, male sex, and being intact associated only with increased house soiling and older age only with litter box fussiness. The most important variables in the litter box models (ie, sociability toward cats, breed, and activity/playfulness) failed to reach the suggested cutoff for a small effect size.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Numerous variables are thought to influence litter box issues, but few studies have examined their relevance. Here, we studied the associations of over 30 background variables and personality traits with 2 litter box issue factors to estimate their importance at the population level. Our results bring new knowledge to this field and may contribute to finding new solutions for these complex issues in the future.
Scratching is an inherited, normal behavior in cats that is used as a visual and olfactory territorial mark and as a stretching exercise for the forelegs. In addition, it serves to condition the claws by removing the old, worn-out external sheath and exposing the healthy, new claw. When scratching occurs indoors, it often is disruptive and undesirable unless it can be directed to an acceptable object such as a scratching post. During playing, jumping, climbing, and aggressive displays, cats also may injure people with their claws. With appropriate behavior modification techniques, most undesirable scratching can be prevented or eliminated. Although somewhat controversial, declawing is another alternative for those owners who are unwilling or unable to control the undesirable scratching. Declawing can successfully correct most scratching problems with no adverse behavioral effects; in fact, most owners of declawed cats indicate that there is an improved relationship (bonding) between cat and owner. On the other hand, declawing is often unnecessary, because appropriate behavior modification techniques can be used to correct most scratching problems successfully.