ArticleLiterature Review

A review of over three decades of research on cat-human and human-cat interactions and relationships

January 2017
Behavioural Processes 141(Pt 3)

DOI:10.1016/j.beproc.2017.01.008

Authors:

I.E.A.P./I.E.T., Inst. for applied Ethology and Animal Psychology

This review article covers research conducted over the last three decades on cat-human and human-cat interactions and relationships, especially from an ethological point of view. It includes findings on cat-cat and cat-human communication, cat personalities and cat-owner personalities, the effects of cats on humans, and problems caused by cats.

Vocal Signals Produced by the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus) in Highly Motivating Contexts

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2025

Motivation influences essential behaviors for survival and well-being, driven by internal and external factors. By observing behaviors, we can understand motivational needs, decision-making processes, and preferences. Food acquisition is a survival motivator that covers a great part of daily activities, in contrast, play behavior shares a common basis with predation and social interactions. In the domestic cat, vocalizations, particularly the meow, are an acoustic signal expressing motivational and emotional states and are correlated to specific contexts, especially in cat–human interactions. This study investigated how contexts influenced meowing under two motivational conditions: feeding and play. Employing the synchronous citizen science approach, 48 guardians interacted with their cats as the researcher remotely recorded procedures involving presenting a feeder or toy and restricting access for 60 s. During the restriction periods, the cats could see and smell but not reach the stimulus. The condition influenced the frequency of meowing: they meowed significantly more in the feeding condition than in the play condition, suggesting a link between meowing frequency and the motivational context of eating, a crucial survival context. The food presentation likely influenced their motivation to vocalize. During feeding restriction, cats exhibited a significantly higher gazing at the guardian and gazing while meowing, suggesting the potential use of bimodal signals (visual and vocal) to enhance communication. In the play restriction condition, higher contact behaviors indicated a physical response to regain access, highlighting the play’s social and motivational aspects. These findings help clarify contexts that motivate cats’ vocalizations, aiding our understanding of their vocal communication.

Ethogram of the Domestic Cat

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2024

The existing domestic cat literature predominantly contains lists detailing its behaviour. However, these lists are neither specific enough for domestic cats nor general enough for all behaviours on a macro level of the domestic cat. Furthermore, the majority of studies lack illustrations. Therefore, we have developed a comprehensive ethogram of the domestic cat and scalable schematic representations of the behaviour units. We evaluated observational data from free-roaming cats and cats from private households using ad libitum and focal animal sampling (video material 55.31 h, n = 170 animals). In addition, we used the leading literature and detailed anatomical studies to create systematic categories and morphologically correct drawings. A total of 117 discrete behaviours were recorded and divided into 12 categories. The description of each behaviour includes a name, a word definition, an ethological classification and a schematic illustration (excluding the category devoted to vocalisations). An ethogram is needed to better understand the behavioural repertoire of healthy domestic cats and to facilitate the design phase of further investigations. This document can help to better distinguish species-appropriate behaviours and body postures from those behaviours and poses that indicate chronic pain, stress or discomfort.

Effects of Socialization on Problem Solving in Domestic Cats

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2024

Simple Summary Research has shown that animals that are used to interacting with human beings are better at problem solving. We socialize domestic cats by taking advantage of a sensitive period in their development to make them more amenable to humans so that we can keep them as pets. We studied if this socialization makes the cats better able to solve problems by giving them a puzzle box with a food reward. We studied cats from an animal shelter that used tests to determine incoming cats’ socialization. We found that more socialized cats were more likely to solve the puzzle and solve it faster. We can use this information to tell us about cat socialization, cat cognition, and the effects of human exposure on other animals. Abstract Domestic cats are capable of leading both solitary and social lives and socializing to humans. This type of socialization may also enhance an animal’s problem-solving ability. We examined the relationship between socialization and problem-solving ability, problem-solving speed, and latency to approach a novel apparatus in domestic cats. Socialization towards humans was measured with the Feline Behavior Assessment based on the ASPCA’s Feline Spectrum Assessment. This modified measure requires assessors to observe an individual cat’s behavior during three steps: observation test, door test, and the stroke and push test. During each test, the assessor examined specific behaviors that are indicative of socialization. Problem solving was assessed with a food-acquisition puzzle box that required the subject to pull on a tab to release a food reward. Twenty-four out of eighty-six cats solved the problem-solving task. More socialized cats were more likely to solve the problem, solve it faster, and approach the apparatus sooner. We also found a significant relationship between age and problem solving; younger adult cats were more likely to solve the problem than older adults. These results provide evidence that domestic cats are not only capable of solving this type of problem but also that their socialization towards humans influences their abilities.

The Law and the Pussycat: Public Perceptions of the Use of Municipal Bylaws to Control Free-Roaming Domestic Cats in Canada

Article

Oct 2022
J APPL ANIM WELF SCI

Domestic cats (Felis catus) face contradictory public perceptions. In 2019, we examined public perceptions toward cats within the City of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, using an online survey (1,464 responses) to assess perceptions toward free-roaming cats and the use of bylaws to address concerns. Perceptions were dependent on cat-ownership status; a majority of non-cat and former owners were concerned about free-roaming cats, current cat owners less so. There was considerable support for mandatory identification. Cat owners were not supportive of bylaws restricting free-roaming of cats, although this was supported by non-owners. Concerns include the negative impact on caring for a pet cat, and the fear that such bylaws would increase abandonment. Cat owners were not enthusiastic about fines for roaming cats, while non-cat owners were. There was considerable concern around including neutering cats as part of planned cat management. Our research also found nuanced concern for the impacts of management on impoverished owners, the welfare of cats and a recognition that it was the humans, rather than the cats, who should be the focus of active and thoughtful intervention.

University Cats? Predictors of Staff and Student Responsiveness Toward On-Campus Cat Visitations

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

As most university-based animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) feature interactions with dogs, little is known about the feasibility of providing opportunities to interact with cats. Few studies have examined employee or student interest in interacting with on-campus cats, and virtually nothing is known about the role of participants’ characteristics and perceptions in shaping their interest. Using a cross-sectional survey, the current study assessed participants’ responsiveness toward an on-campus cat visitation program in a sample of higher-education staff and students (n = 1,438). Using hierarchical regression analyses, responsiveness was modeled on participants’ demographic characteristics (i.e., employee or student, gender, age), the personality trait of emotionality, perceived stress, prior animal experiences (i.e., cat/dog ownership, cat allergy and phobia, responsiveness toward on-campus dogs), and perceived risks of on-campus cats. Regression analyses indicated that emotionality (β = 0.15, p < 0.001), being female (β = 0.06, p < 0.05), being open to a dog visitation program (β = 0.50, p < 0.001), and being a cat owner (β = 0.13, p < 0.001), were positively associated with responsiveness toward a cat visitation program, whereas having a cat phobia (β = −0.22, p < 0.001), cat allergy (β = −0.13, p < 0.001), being a dog owner (β = −0.08, p < 0.001), and perceiving interactions with cats as risky (β = −0.14, p < 0.001) were negatively associated. Interestingly, although we hypothesized positive associations between perceived stress and responsiveness, these associations were not significant (β = −0.03, p = 0.305), nor did we observe significant differences by student or employee status (β = 0.02, p = 0.610). These findings are the first to elucidate the role of staff and students’ features in shaping responsiveness toward on-campus cats in higher education, which may inform the design and implementation of on-campus visitation programs.

The impact of owner personality traits and cat lifestyle decisions on cat-related guilt

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2024

Introduction: The current study aimed to expand current knowledge on cat-related guilt beyond work cat conflict and guilt about cat parenting to determine the influence of owner’s personality traits, choices regarding their cat’s lifestyle, and cat-related guilt factors. Additionally, we sought to assess potential predictors of anxiety and depression to determine the contributions of cat-related guilt, owner personality traits, and social compensatory behaviors, while controlling for owner demographics. Methods: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was disseminated between October 18 and 28, 2023. Survey respondents (n = 531) were adults who resided in the United States and were the primary caretakers of a cat they had owned for at least 6 months. Descriptive statistics captured cat owner demographics. Multiple linear regression was used to predict guilt about cat parenting, work cat conflict, anxiety, and depression. Results: Significant predictors of guilt about cat parenting included guilt factors, time away, indoor, and attention. Significant predictors of work cat conflict included gender and cat guilt factors, time away, and attention. Work cat conflict and personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) significantly predicted depression scores. Lastly, anxiety scores were significantly predicted by work cat conflict, neuroticism, and social compensatory behaviors. Discussion: Findings from this study extend understanding of cat owner’s guilt and illuminate how their personality traits, compensatory behaviors, and lifestyle choices for their pets influence how they perceive and internalize feelings about their cat parenting practices. The nuanced nature of parenting guilt receives limited social recognition, leaving owners isolated in their disenfranchised guilt which significantly influences feelings of anxiety and depression. Our findings underscore the imperative for research and public education about beneficial ways to integrate social contact and enrichment activities to foster both human and animal wellbeing.

Development of “personality” in the domestic cat: A longitudinal study

Article

Sep 2023

Although individual differences in the behavior of animals, sometimes referred to as personality, have recently received considerable attention, the development of such differences remains understudied. We previously found consistent individual differences in behavior in four tests simulating everyday contexts in 74 preweaning age kittens from 16 litters of the domestic cat. To study the development of consistent among‐individual differences in four behavioral traits in cats, we followed a subset of these same individuals and repeated the same tests at 6 and 12 months of age. Some individual differences in behavior became increasingly repeatable with age due to a combination of decreased individual‐level variance (canalization) and increased among‐individual variance; these changes in variance and repeatability continued into adulthood (12 months). We did not observe behavioral syndromes at any age, in contrast to our previous reports in a different population of adult cats. The mechanisms that underlie increased repeatability with age and the possibility of personality structure differing between populations in this species remain to be studied.

CATastrophic Myths Part 1: Common misconceptions about the social behavior of domestic cats and implications for their health, welfare, and management

Article

Sep 2023
VET J

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.

Sociality of Cats toward Humans Can Be Influenced by Hormonal and Socio-Environmental Factors: Pilot Study

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Simple Summary Cats are the most widely kept companion animal in the world. Various factors influence the sociality of cats. Here, we investigated whether the hormonal status of cats, and the age at which they began living with a human, affected their behaviors toward humans. The results showed that male cats that began living with a human earlier had more contact with humans. In addition, males with lower testosterone levels had more contact with humans. The results of this pilot study suggest that testosterone levels and the timing of when cats begin living with humans modulate affinity behavior of male cats toward humans. Abstract Individual differences in the sociality of cats are influenced by inherited and environmental factors. We recently revealed that hormones can make a difference in intraspecies social behavior. It remains unclear whether cat behavior toward humans is modulated by hormones. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between cat behavior and their basal hormone concentrations after spending time together with human experimenters. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between cat behavior and the timing of when the individual cats began living with a human because the sociality of cats could be dependent on their developmental experiences. The results showed that male cats that began living with humans earlier had more contact with an experimenter. In addition, individual male cats with low testosterone levels were more likely to interact with an experimenter. These findings of this pilot study suggest that the sociality of male cats toward humans is affected by testosterone and the age at which they begin to live with humans.

Changes in the Dog’s and Cat’s Behaviors, as Reported by the Owners, before and during the Lockdown in China

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022

Simple Summary It becomes critical to understand the effects that the current pandemic can have on the welfare of household dogs and cats, in order to develop programs that can support the owners in the care of their companion animals during such a critical time. The current survey showed that the constant presence of the owners at home during the lockdown favored the decrease in most of the behavioral problems considered. For example, during the lockdown period, dogs were more willing to play inside the house, while cats were more social and had a better appetite. In addition, litter box management for cats was improved during the lockdown, which might explain the decrease in the frequency of inappropriate elimination. Only anxiety-related behaviors in dogs increased during the lockdown, and these were associated with a reduction in play activity and altered sleeping patterns. On the other hand, most of the behavioral issues considered in the study were more frequent during the pre-lockdown period, which might have been associated with the long hours that pets spent alone at home, with reduced possibilities of interaction with their owners. Therefore, it is critical to develop support programs for pet owners, for both emergency situations such as lockdowns and normal times, to allow the establishment and maintenance of a healthy human–pet relationship and good pet welfare. Abstract Considering the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had and still has on human psychological health, it is expected that it might also affect household dogs’ and cats’ welfare. The current study explores the behavioral changes in dogs and cats before (BL) and during the lockdown (DL), as reported by their owners in China. Besides demographic parameters, variables related to the daily management of dogs and cats were analyzed in relation to behavioral problems, stress-related behaviors, and anxiety-related behaviors before and during the lockdown. A total of 261 questionnaires were collected. In general, behavioral problems and stress-related behaviors in dogs (p < 0.001) and cats (p < 0.001) decreased DL compared to BL, while anxiety-related behaviors in cats did not show any differences between the two periods considered. On the other hand, anxiety-related behaviors were more frequent in dogs DL (36.3%) compared to BL (35%), which were associated with reduced frequency of play activities with the owners (p = 0.016) and altered sleeping habits (p < 0.01). During the lockdown, dogs’ and cats’ daily routines and management (feeding and sleeping habits, dogs’ walks, dogs’ and cats’ play activities, litter box management, and cats’ lifestyle) experienced changes, but they were not associated with any behavioral issues. On the other hand, the behavioral issues considered for dogs and cats were more frequent BL, which were influenced by the daily management of the pets. The current study showed how critical the attention the owners can provide to the pets could be, to improve their companion animals’ welfare. Therefore, it is important to provide pet owners with behavioral management support both during particularly difficult periods such as a lockdown and during regular daily routines.

Are Hair Cortisol Levels of Humans, Cats, and Dogs from the Same Household Correlated?

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022

Simple Summary Dogs and cats are animals that have been accompanying humans for many years. There is no doubt that they are emotionally connected with people, although each of them in their own way. The study attempts to assess the emotional relationship between humans, dogs, and cats living in one household on the basis of the correlations between the hair cortisol level. The study involved 25 women who had at least one dog and at least one cat at home. Based on the study conducted, no significant correlation was found between the level of cortisol in the hair of the owners and their pets. There were, however, some interesting differences depending on the degree of emotional connection and the frequency of interactions. Abstract Human–animal interactions and the emotional relationship of the owner with the pet are the subjects of many scientific studies and the constant interest of not only scientists but also pet owners. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the hair cortisol levels of dogs, cats, and their owners living in the same household. The owners were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning the frequency of their interactions with pets and emotional relationship with each of their cats and each of their dogs. The study involved 25 women who owned at least one dog and at least one cat. In total, 45 dogs and 55 cats from 25 households participated in the study. The average level of hair cortisol of the owners was 4.62 ng/mL, of the dogs 0.26 ng/mL, and in the hair of cats 0.45 ng/mL. There was no significant correlation between the hair cortisol level of the owner and dog or the owner and the cat and between dogs and cats living together. A significant positive correlation was observed between the hair cortisol level in the owner and the pet, for dogs in which the owner performs grooming treatments once a week and for cats which are never kissed. Although our study did not find many significant correlations, studies using other stress markers might have yielded different results.

A Purr-Suasive Case for Sterilization: How Sterilizing Working Cats Supports Dairy Farmers’ Wellbeing, Improves Animal Welfare, and Benefits the Environment

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2025

Simple Summary Farmers must control rodent populations, as they cause substantial damage to machinery and pose health risks to humans and livestock. Working cats are often farmers’ preferred method of controlling rodent populations, as they are cheaper, safer, and more efficient than poison baits. However, without management, cat populations can increase, creating concern for their impact on wildlife and the environment, as well as for animal and human wellbeing. Farmers’ options for cat management are often limited by time and financial constraints, leading to the use of lethal methods. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of lethal cat management methods on farmers, their experiences with a free cat sterilization program, and their views on a Barn Cat Program, whereby healthy poorly socialized cats in shelters and pounds would be vaccinated, sterilized, and made available to farmers instead of being euthanized. The results of our study demonstrate that farmers had a relationship with working cats and that using lethal cat management methods negatively impacted their wellbeing. Farmers had a positive experience with the cat sterilization program, stating that it reduced the cat population and their impact on wildlife, improved cat behavior and welfare, and benefited farmers’ wellbeing. Farmers also supported the idea of a Barn Cat Program and gave suggestions for how best to promote it to other farmers. We recommend funding be provided to support farmers in managing cats by sterilization, as it improves cat welfare and behavior, reduces working cat populations and their impact on wildlife, and benefits farmers’ wellbeing.

Gastrointestinal protozoa in pet cats from Anhui province: prevalence and molecular characterization

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2025

Introduction To investigate the prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus, Pentatrichomonas hominis, Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium, Microsporidium, and Sarcocystis in domestic cats in Anhui Province, China, and their potential role as zoonotic hosts for human infection, a total of 304 fecal samples from two different sources were screened for the presence of related pathogens. Methods Using microscopy, along with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nested PCR amplification, followed by genotyping through sequence analysis. Results The infection rates of T. foetus, P. hominis, G. intestinalis, Cryptosporidium, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Sarcocystis were 5.6%, 0%, 1.7%, 0.7%, 2.6%, and 0%, respectively. The evolutionary relationships and genetic characteristics of G. intestinalis based on the GDH gene, Cryptosporidium based on the SSU rRNA gene, and E. bieneusi based on the ITS sequence were assessed: five cases of G. intestinalis were identified, with four belonging to assemblage F and one to zoonotic assemblage B, two Cryptosporidium cases were identified as Cryptosporidium felis, and all eight E. bieneusi cases were identified as belonging to group 1, with three cases being genotype D, three EbpA, and two EbpC. Discussion Age, neutering status, and deworming were identified as potential risk factors. Further analysis revealed that diarrhea, as a clinical symptom, could serve as an indicator for pathogen infection. Although the pathogen infection rates detected in this study were relatively low, their zoonotic transmission potential cannot be ignored. Therefore, special attention should be paid, and it is essential to establish targeted prevention plans.

Molecular Detection of FIPV among Imported Felines through Soekarno Hatta Airport, Indonesia

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2025

One of the viruses that can cause disease in cats is feline coronavirus (FCoV). This virus is often divided into type I and type II. Type I is a highly pathogenic strain, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). Type II is a milder strain, feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). The FIPV variant is said to be a result of a mutation from FECV. FIP disease is responsible for 0.3%-1.4% of cat deaths in veterinary clinics. This study aims to determine if there is an FIPV in imported cats at Soekarno Hatta Airport, Indonesia. Samples were taken from 15 imported cats from Russia and Vietnam. These two countries were chosen based on previously unreported cases. The samples, consisting of blood and rectal swabs, were tested molecularly using RT-PCR. Four samples from rectal swabs showed positive results with a single band at 677 bp. Two positive samples, namely 123v and 682v, were further sequenced. The study results indicate that the FCoV virus can be found in asymptomatic imported cats. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanism causing genetic diversification of FCoV or FIPV and its impact on the pathogenesis of FIP. Furthermore, the application of FIP vaccines from other countries should be tested for compatibility with the FIPV strains present in Indonesia.

Behavioural Profile Differences Between Cats in Animal-Assisted Services (AAS) and Non-AAS Cats Using the Fe-BARQ in Flanders

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2024

The engagement of cats in animal-assisted services (AAS) is increasing. This is surprising given that feline behavioural needs have been perceived as contradictory to conditions associated with AAS engagement, leading to the assumption that cats as a species are not suitable for AAS. However, important within-species variability in behavioural traits nuancing this assumption has not been addressed. Therefore, this study aimed to map the behavioural profiles of cats engaged in AAS and non-AAS cats to detect behavioural profile differences between these groups. Such differences could point to AAS cats being selected to engage in AAS based upon particular behavioural traits or, relatedly, to AAS cats coping differently with AAS features. Using a Flemish translation of the Feline Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (Fe-BARQ), cross-sectional survey data on various cats’ (N = 474) behavioural indices were collected. Using Mann–Whitney U-tests, results indicate that AAS cats significantly differed from non-AAS cats on five out of 19 behavioural subscales. Specifically, AAS cats scored higher on sociability with people, attention seeking, sociability with cats and predatory behaviour, and they scored lower on resistance to restraint. While this study did not allow for assessing explanations for these differences, findings suggest that cats in AAS may be intentionally or unintentionally selected for behavioural traits perceived as desirable for engagement in AAS. While we refrain from drawing conclusions regarding the “suitability” of cats based solely on our findings, our study contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding critical themes around AAS-engaging cats. Furthermore, our findings provide a first indication of the reliability of a translation of a well-validated measurement tool suitable to map behavioural traits of cats in Flanders engaged in AAS.

On cat-human interaction from the viewpoint of physics: an equation of motion

Preprint

Full-text available

Sep 2024

Anxo Biasi

This paper provides an enjoyable example through which several concepts of classical mechanics can be understood. We introduce an equation that models the motion of a cat in the presence of a person. The cat is considered as a point particle moving in a potential induced by the person. We demonstrate that this approach to the problem reproduces characteristic behaviors of these curious animals. For instance, the fact that cats do not typically come when they are called, or that they remain longer on the lap of their favorite person; even ``zoomies" are reproduced (cats randomly run back and forth across the house). We use this model problem to explore topics of current research such as stochastic equations and periodically driven systems. The pedagogical value of this work and its potential use in teaching are discussed.

Understanding the level of animal welfare and associated factors among cat owners in Banyuwangi, Indonesia

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2024
Vet. World

Background and Aim The “Five Freedoms” concept has shaped the development and implementation of animal welfare assessments. This study aimed to analyze the determinants that impact the understanding of animal welfare among individuals who own cats in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. Materials and Methods Questionnaires and interviews were used in this study to gather data from cat owners. One hundred cat owners in Banyuwangi Regency took part in the study. The classification considered factors such as gender, age, education level, occupation, income, and number of cats. The questionnaire passed both validity and reliability tests and was thus deemed suitable for data measurement. The Chi-square test was employed to investigate relationships within the dataset. Results A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) was established between cat owners’ level of education, occupation, monthly household income, and their grasp of animal welfare, with the number of cats in their household being a determinant factor. Some cat owners in Banyuwangi undervalue veterinarians’ role in treating and preventing feline health issues. The cat owners’ understanding of animal welfare was unaffected by their age or gender. 59% of the cat owners had a low understanding level, 22% had a moderate understanding level, and 19% had a high understanding level. Conclusion In Banyuwangi Regency, 59% of cat owners lack understanding of animal welfare concerns. An owner’s educational background, job, income, and whether they own a cat impact their comprehension of animal welfare principles. Limited awareness of animal welfare and veterinarians’ roles exists in Indonesia. It is crucial to educate government officials, veterinarians, and regional leaders about animal welfare for the sake of sustainability. A complete understanding of this topic demands rigorous research, comprehensive studies, and reproducibility. Equally important is effective publicity for the cat population.

Human cat borne rabies as the new epidemiology of the disease in the Andes mountains

Article

Full-text available

May 2024
ZOONOSES PUBLIC HLTH

Background: Rabies virus (RABV) is the etiologic agent of rabies, a fatal brain disease in mammals. Rabies circulation has historically involved the dog has the main source of human rabies worldwide. Nevertheless, in Colombia, cats (Felis catus) have become a relevant species in the epidemiology of rabies. Aims: To characterize rabies cases in humans in Colombia in the last three decades in the context of the epidemiology of the aggressor animal. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal epidemiological study of human rabies caused by cats' aggression, collecting primary and secondary information. Variables considered included the demography of the patient, symptoms, information about the aggressor animal as the source of infection and the viral variant identified. Results: We found that the distribution of rabies incidence over the years has been constant in Colombia. Nevertheless, between 2003 and 2012 a peak of cases occurred in rural Colombia where cats were the most frequent aggressor animal reported. Most cats involved in aggression were unvaccinated against rabies. Cat's clinical signs at the time of the report of the human cases included hypersalivation and changes in behaviour. Human patients were mostly children and female and the exposure primarily corresponded to bite and puncture lacerations in hands. The RABV lineage detected in most cases corresponded to variant 3, linked to the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). The geographical presentation of cat borne RABV in humans occurred along the Andes mountains, epidemiologically known as the rabies red Andean corridor. Discussion: By finding cats as the primary source of rabies spillover transmission in Colombia, this report highlights the importance of revising national rabies control and prevention protocol in countries in the Andes region. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that rabies vaccination for outdoor cats needs to prioritize to reduce the number of rabies-related human deaths.

Exploring the impact of dogs on the human-cat relationship in private homes

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2024

Despite the growing numbers of dogs and cats cohabiting in US households, little research has focused on the influence of dogs on the human-animal bond of their feline roommates. The present study investigated whether cohabiting with a dog has an impact on the human-cat bond and the ways in which cats interact with humans. Based on existing knowledge of the differences between human-dog and human-cat interactions, we predicted that cats who have lived with a dog for at least 1 year will exhibit differences in the bond and interaction frequency with their owners. A 46-item survey was administered to 682 US cat owners via social media (SM) and Mechanical Turk (MTurk), Amazon’s crowdsourcing service, to collect data on demographics, interaction frequency, behavioral issues, and pet-owner bond. Although owners in cat-only households tended to report slightly higher bond scores with their cats ( μ SM = 30.34; μ Mturk = 28.32) than owners in mixed households ( μ SM = 29.33; μ Mturk = 27.42), the differences were small, and the association between household type and bond score was not significant ( p SM = 0.973, p MTurk = 0.124). Owners who engaged in more frequent active interactions with their cats had higher bond scores. These results indicate that spending more time engaging in active interactions with one’s cat is associated with a stronger bond, and the frequency of these interactions may be more important than the presence of a cohabiting dog.

Home Sweet Home: The Impact of Lifestyle on a Cat’s Approach to Impossible Tasks in the Home Environment

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2023

Simple Summary The effect of living style (i.e., indoor/outdoor) on domestic cats was studied. The behavior of the domestic cats with different living styles (e.g., indoor only and indoor/outdoor) was observed during the impossible task paradigm, a test in which the cats learn to open an apparatus to obtain a food reward and, immediately after, experienced the expectancy of violation in a trial in which the apparatus was blocked. Tests were carried out in the house where the cats lived and the only person present with the cat during the test was the owner. The results show the effect of living style and age on the problem-solving approach of domestic cats. Indoor/outdoor cats spent less time interacting with the apparatus and showed stress behaviors sooner compared to indoor cats. Research on this topic can be useful for improving the welfare of domestic cats. Abstract Cat welfare is a topic of growing interest in the scientific literature. Although previous studies have focused on the effects of living style (i.e., indoor/outdoor) on cat welfare, there has been a noticeable dearth of analysis regarding the impact of lifestyle on cats’ inclination and mode of communication with humans. Our research aimed to analyze the possible effect of lifestyle (e.g., living indoors only or indoor/outdoor) on cat–human communication. The cats were tested using the impossible task paradigm test, which consists of some solvable trials in which the subject learns to obtain a reward from an apparatus, followed by an impossible trial through blocking the apparatus. This procedure triggers a violation of expectations and is considered a useful tool for assessing both the decision-making process and the tendency to engage in social behaviors towards humans. A specific ethogram was followed to record the behavioral responses of the cats during the unsolvable trial. Our results show the effects of lifestyle and age on domestic cats, providing valuable insights into the factors that influence their social behaviors. Cats that can roam freely outdoors spent less time interacting with the apparatus compared to indoor-only cats. Additionally, roaming cats showed stress behaviors sooner following the expectancy of violation compared to indoor cats. The lifestyle of cats can influence their problem-solving approach while not affecting their willingness to interact with humans or their overall welfare. Future studies on this topic can be useful for improving the welfare of domestic cats.

Gaze in Cats (Felis catus) and Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

Within human–animal dyadic interactions, dog–human gaze has been identified as the crux of several important visual behaviors, such as looking back, gaze-following, and participation in an oxytocin feedback loop. It has been posited that this gaze behavior may have been motivated and sustained by cooperative relationships between dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and humans (e.g., hunting, service roles), however, to investigate why gaze evolved, a comparison to a domesticated species that lacks a protracted history of cooperative companionship is needed: the domestic cat (Felis catus). In this study, we compare the gaze duration to owners of cats and dogs in a community science setting. We replicated previous gaze studies with dogs, wolves (Nagasawa et al., 2015), and dingoes (Johnston et al., 2017), requesting owners to sit with their pets for 5 min and interact as they normally would. Cats and dogs gazed at their owners for similar durations, but durations of petting and physical contact were significantly lower with cats. Gaze correlated significantly with vocalizations in dogs; however, no other correlations were significant. Dogs gazed less in our community science setting than dogs tested previously in-lab (Nagasawa et al., 2015). Ultimately, cats resemble dogs in their general gaze patterns, but not in most interactions with their owner. Future research should aim to include feral cats or wild cat species to shed light on gaze behavior development in the genus, while more community science work can identify the behaviors that shift for dogs between familiar and unfamiliar environments.

The use of pigs vocalisation structure to assess the quality of human-pig relationship

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Studying human-animal interactions in domestic species and how they affect the establishment of a positive Human-Animal Relationship (HAR) may help us improve animal welfare and better understand the evolution of interspecific interactions associated with the domestication process. Understanding and describing the quality of an HAR requires information on several aspects of the animal biology and emotional states (social, spatial and postural behaviours, physiological and cognitive states). Growing evidence shows that acoustic features of animal vocalisations may be indicators of emotional states. Here, we tested the hypothesis that vocal structure may indicate the quality of HAR. At weaning, 30 piglets were positively handled by an experimenter who talked to and physically interacted with them three times a day, while 30 other piglets only received the contact necessary for proper husbandry. After two weeks, we recorded the behaviours and vocalisations produced in the presence of the static experimenter for 5 min. We repeated this test two weeks later, after a conditioning period during which human presence with additional positive contacts was used as a reward for all piglets. We hypothesized this conditioning period would lead to a positive human-piglet relationship for all piglets. As expected, piglets that were positively handled at weaning expressed a higher attraction toward the experimenter, and, after the conditioning, piglets that were not positively handled at weaning expressed a similar level of attraction than the positively handled ones. Piglets positively handled at weaning produced shorter grunts than the other ones, regardless of the context of recording, which may indicate a more positive affect. During reunions with the static experimenter, a more positive HAR was associated with a decrease in vocal reactivity to human proximity. However, during reunions with the experimenter providing additional positive contacts and over the conditioning, spatial proximity to the human systematically triggered shorter and higher pitched grunts, which may indicate a more positive emotional state. Results first show that changes in vocal structure are consistent with indicators of positive states in the presence of a human. Second, these changes are stronger when the human positively interact with the piglets, supposedly emphasizing a higher positive arousal state during these interactions. We show that vocalisation structure may be a promising indicator of the quality of human-pig relationship.

Qualitative aspects of grunts vary with pigs' mental states

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

Isabelle Veissier

Assessing welfare risks in unowned unsocialised domestic cats in Denmark based on associations with low body condition score

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023
ACTA VET SCAND

Background Populations of unowned unsocialised cats are present worldwide. Generally, there is concern about their welfare. Low body condition score (BCS) is a potentially relevant indicator that is relatively easy to assess: emaciated cats are likely to have welfare problems while thin cats may be at risk of becoming emaciated. The objective of this study was to assess the association of low BSC with a selection of factors relating to the host, disease, and infection in unowned unsocialised domestic cats. We necropsied 598 euthanised unowned unsocialised cats from Denmark. We recorded each cat’s age-group, sex, and neuter status, together with its pregnancy status, the season and location of trapping, as well as gross lesions at necropsy. We also tested for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus, recorded presence of ectoparasites, and a subsample of the cats were also tested for endoparasites. Cats with no or sparse adipose deposits were categorised as having low BCS, and logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with low BCS. Results Of the cats, 11.4% had low BCS. Season, age-group and sex were associated with low BCS and confounded potential associations with other variables. Intact adult males and females in spring and early summer were at highest risk of low BCS. When these factors were taken into account, cats with biting lice had 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–5.4) times higher odds of low BCS, and cats with gastro-intestinal findings (i.e., enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, abdominal hernia, diarrhoea, obstructive foreign bodies, or diaphragmatic hernia) had 50 (95% CI 10–417) times higher odds of low BCS, than cats with no such findings. Cats with low BCS were primarily adult intact cats with tooth lesions and skin lesions, ear mite infection, and positive test result for feline immunodeficiency virus. Conclusions The results highlight associations that can be used to define a risk profile: low BCS, notably in summer-autumn, in an unowned unsocialised cat was associated with underlying, less visible problems. Thus, low BCS can be more than a step towards being emaciated; it can also be an indicator of other underlying welfare problems.

Comparing Pears to Apples: Unlike Dogs, Cats Need Habituation before Lab Tests

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

Simple Summary Comparative studies can help us better understand our family pets’ social and cognitive behaviours and gain more insights in the evolution of some human abilities. However, the comparison of the behaviours of cats and dogs in a standard laboratory environment is not without challenges. Though recently they play a similar role in modern Western societies as pets, both their evolutionary history and individual experiences are different. We tested the spontaneous behaviour of companion cats and dogs in the same novel laboratory environment, and if needed, we tried to habituate them in the presence of their owners and an unfamiliar experimenter. To pass the habituation test, subjects were expected to play with the experimenter or accept food from them. All dogs passed the test on the first occasion, while almost 60% of the cats needed habituation and some could not reach the criteria even after three habituation sessions. More experienced cats (which had the opportunity to meet strangers and explore unfamiliar places) were not more successful, in fact, younger cats passed more easily. We found marked differences between dogs and cats in all behavioural variables; compared to dogs, cats spent more time crouching and close to their box, while less time exploring or close to the owner. Our findings are important not only regarding the test methods of cats and the interpretation of their data collected in the laboratory so far but, in a more general sense, on developing future comparative experiments. Abstract Research on the socio-cognitive skills of different species often benefit from comparative experiments, however, the ecology of the species and development of the individuals may differently determine how they react to the same test situation. In this study, our aims were twofold: to observe and compare the spontaneous behaviour of companion cats and dogs in the same novel environment, and to habituate them (if needed) to the novel environment in the presence of their owners and an unfamiliar experimenter. The behaviour of 62 family cats, 31 experienced (which had the opportunity to meet strangers and explore unfamiliar places) and 31 inexperienced cats, and 27 family dogs was compared in an unfamiliar room. The subjects’ behaviour was coded during the first five minutes in the presence of two passive persons, their owners, and an unfamiliar experimenter. Then, based on a set of rules, first the owner, and then the experimenter tried to initiate interactions with the subjects and the subjects’ willingness to interact was evaluated. To pass the habituation test, subjects were expected to play with the experimenter or accept food from them. All dogs passed the test on the first occasion, while almost 60% of the cats failed. The cats’ experience did not play a significant role, in fact, younger cats passed more easily. We found marked differences between dogs and cats in all behavioural variables; compared to dogs, cats spent more time crouching and close to their box, while less time exploring or close to the owner. We did not find a difference in the cats’ behaviour based on their experience. Our results support the hypothesis that unlike dogs, cats need extensive habituation in a novel environment. This could partially be explained by the difference in the ecology and/or domestication process of the species, although developmental effects cannot be excluded. Our findings have fundamental consequences not only for the considerations of the testability of cats and on the interpretation of their data collected in the laboratory, but in a more general sense on developing comparative experiments.

How's my kitty? Acoustic parameters of cat-directed speech in human-cat interactions

Article

Sep 2022

In Western cultures, humans tend to use a specific kind of speech when talking to their pets, characterised, from an acoustical point of view, by elevated pitch and greater pitch modulation. Pet-directed speech (PDS), which has been mainly studied in dogs, shares some acoustic features with infant-directed speech (IDS), used when talking to young children. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that adult humans also modify characteristics of their voice when talking to a cat. We compared acoustic parameters of speech directed to cats (CDS) and speech directed to adult humans (ADS). In a first experiment, we compared ADS and CDS utterances of male and female participants, addressing cats through video recordings, under controlled laboratory conditions. Both men and women used a higher pitch (mean fundamental frequency, or mean F0) in CDS vs. ADS. The second experiment was conducted under conditions allowing direct cat-human interactions, in a cohort of women. Once again, mean F0 was significantly higher in CDS vs. ADS. Overall, these data confirm our hypothesis that humans change the way they speak when addressing a cat, mainly by increasing the pitch of their voice. Further research is needed to fully investigate specificities of this speech.

Factors Associated with Play Behavior in Human-Cat Dyads

Article

May 2022
J VET BEHAV

Play is a common behavior, often exhibited within human-cat dyads. Play is a behavior that may have numerous benefits to both cat and human, including within the realms of social cooperation and inter-species communication. However, little is known about human-cat play and foundational information is needed. The current study aimed to investigate total daily play durations, play session lengths and the factors associated with play times in human-cat dyads. An online survey was developed using demographic information, questions related to play times, resources available to the cat, ‘games’ played with the cat, free text sections and the following validated measures: cat quality of life (QOL), the cat owner relationship scale (CORS) and the human adult playfulness trait scale (APTS). Regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 26. Responses were completed by 1.591 cat guardians from 55 countries. Total daily play times and play session lengths were both significantly higher in human-cat dyads where the cat was younger in age, the guardian reported playing a larger diversity of ‘games’ with the cat and the guardian reported experiencing a closer relationship with their cat. Some guardians reported avoiding play during times when they were too busy or due to fears over incurring injuries. The amount of play available in human-cat dyads may have an effect on establishing and maintaining social bonds between cats and their humans. Further research into understanding play within human-cat dyads and how it affects inter-species relationships is needed.

Emergence of personality in weaning‐age kittens of the domestic cat?

Article

Jul 2022

Individual differences in behavior (animal personality) have recently received much attention although less so in young mammals. We tested 74 preweaning‐age kittens from 16 litters of domestic cats in five everyday contexts repeated three times each across a 3‐week period: a handling test where an experimenter held the kitten, a test where a piece of raw beef was given to the kitten and gradually withdrawn, a test where the kitten was presented with a live mouse in a jar, a test where the kitten was briefly confined in a pet carrier, and an encounter with an unfamiliar human who first remained passive and then attempted to stroke the kitten. We found consistent individual differences in behavior in all tests except with the mouse, although less marked than in equivalent tests with adult cats. Differences in behavior were unrelated to sex, body mass, litter size, or maternal identity. We found only weak correlations in results among the tests (behavioral syndromes), again unlike findings in adult cats. We conclude that weanling kittens show consistent individual differences in behavior but in a different manner to adults. If and how the pattern of such differences changes across development remains to be studied.

Home Range and Activity Patterns of Free-Ranging Cats: A Case Study from a Chinese University Campus

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2022

Simple Summary In this study, we used collar-mounted sensors to determine the home range size of free-ranging cats on a Chinese university campus. Twenty-nine adult cats (fifteen males and fourteen females) were tracked via attached GPS units from October 2018 to June 2020. Throughout the study, home range sizes ranged from 0.56 to 19.83 ha at 95% KDE for all cats. The home range of free-ranging cats is affected by the breeding status and sex; for example, male cats tend to have a larger home range size in the breeding season than in the non-breeding season, and in the breeding season, male cats generally have a larger home range than females. In the study of activity patterns, we provided the activity steps of free-ranging cats at different times of the day, and the mean (±SE) number of steps a cat takes per day was 19,863.96 ± 1627.21. The results show that free-ranging cats have more intense activities at twilight and relatively lower activity intensity in the afternoon. Our study provided a case study of the home range and activity patterns of free-ranging cats living on a Chinese university campus, and provided theoretical support for the management and conservation implications of free-ranging cats in cities. Abstract Human activities and the available resources influence the home range and activity patterns of free-ranging cats. Our objective in this study was to determine sex and breeding season vs. non-breeding season home range size, as well as activity patterns for unowned free-ranging cats at a university campus in China. Twenty-nine adult cats (fifteen males and fourteen females) were tracked with attached GPS units from October 2018 to June 2020. We considered the effects of sex and breeding status on the home range size of free-ranging cats. Male cats had larger home ranges (95% KDE: 12.60 ± 2.61 ha) than female cats (95% KDE: 5.02 ± 1.34 ha) in the breeding season. There was a seasonal effect on the home range size of male cats; for example, during the non-breeding season, the home range (95% KDE: 6.68 ± 1.22 ha) was smaller than that during the breeding season (95% KDE: 12.60 ± 2.61 ha), while female cats tended to have larger home ranges in the non-breeding season (95% KDE: 7.73 ± 2.77 ha) than in the breeding season (95% KDE: 5.02 ± 1.34 ha). We used the number of activity steps to measure the activity intensity of cats to explore their activity patterns. The mean (±SE) number of steps a cat takes per day was 19,863.96 ± 1627.21. There were two peak periods of activity in a day, 6:00–10:00 and 17:00–21:00. Our study provided a case study of the home range and activity patterns of free-ranging cats living on a Chinese university campus, and the results show that the home range of free-ranging cats is affected by the breeding status and sex, and free-ranging cats have more intense activities at twilight and relatively lower activity intensity in the afternoon. The results provided theoretical support for the management and conservation implications of free-ranging cats in cities.

Estimating the Population of Unowned Free-Ranging Domestic Cats in Denmark Using a Combination of Questionnaires and GPS Tracking

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2022

Simple Summary Unowned free-ranging domestic cats divide opinion. Some people object to them. They dislike the noise they cause and disapprove when they find their faeces in gardens and public places. Others are concerned about the cats’ welfare. It is widely believed that the number of unowned unsocialised cats (alleged to be 500,000) and additional unowned socialised cats in Denmark is huge. To assess whether this belief is correct, this study estimated the size of the population of unowned free-ranging domestic cats and their distribution in Denmark using a combination of questionnaires and GPS tracking. It was estimated that approximately 90,000 unowned cats are in the country, and that one-third are socialised and two-thirds unsocialised. It seems therefore that the number of free-ranging cats in Denmark that are unowned and unsocialised is only a fraction of that claimed, and that panic is unwarranted. The highest population density of unowned cats was found in rural areas. Abstract The present study aimed (1) to estimate the size of the population of unowned free-ranging domestic cats in Denmark using a questionnaire survey combined with a GPS-tracking survey, and (2) to estimate the distribution of the population across different habitats. The questionnaires were circulated in 94 randomly selected parishes ranging across seven kinds of habitat. Using responses from five of the habitats, we estimated the population of unowned free-ranging cats nationally. In the other two habitats, questionnaire data were collected in a simpler way. The territory of 59 owned cats was estimated with GPS tracking to assess home ranges. Home range area was calculated using 95% Brownian bridge kernel density estimation (0.033–0.077 ± 0.011–0.023 km², median ± SE). We estimated a population of unowned free-ranging cats in Denmark of 89,000 ± 11,000 (SE), with a mean density of 2 ± 0.3 (SE) cats per km², living primarily in rural habitats. Approximately one-third of the cats were estimated to be socialised and two-thirds unsocialised. Our method may be suitable for use in other temperate areas facing problems with unowned free-ranging cats.

A psychological model to understand background reasons for different attitudes and behaviors of youth residents in relation to free-roaming cat problems on a human-inhabited World Heritage Island in Japan

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

Obtaining cooperation from the local people is a key factor in an efficient management of invasive species. However, conflicts between invasive species managers and local people occur, when the target species is strongly bonded with humans. To understand the attitudes and behaviors of local people toward the issues on free-roaming cats (Felis silvestris catus), we conducted a questionnaire study covering all high school students—who are important future stakeholders and could reflect ideas of their parents whose responses are hard to attain—on Tokunoshima Island, Japan, where the ecological negative impacts of free-roaming cats are exacerbated by residents’ feeding. We used a cognitive hierarchy model and structural equation modeling (SEM) to study the relations between our questionnaire items: background characteristics (i.e., cat ownership, education experience around cat-caused negative ecological impacts, attitudes and perceptions around cats and nature), perceptions of the negative cat impacts on nature and people, attitudes toward outdoor cat management, and the frequency of outdoor feeding. Results from 1,162 youth respondents showed that cat owners and people who believed that cats are useful for rodent control exhibited a higher frequency of outdoor feeding, perhaps due to feeding their own cats outdoors. Perceptions on the negative impacts of cats on people (e.g., zoonoses and public nuisances) which were disagreed by cat lovers, showed a stronger effect than the perceptions of negative ecological impacts, in terms of the approval of outdoor cat management. In general, informing people about the threats of outdoor cats to people, house-owned cats and livestock through education activities regarding the cat issues will lead to a better understanding and cooperation toward outdoor cat management. Educating teenagers who are more likely to accept new knowledge is especially necessary. Keeping cats indoors and reducing the frequency of feeding outdoor cats are still one of the fundamental solutions to decrease the number of outdoor cats, which will in turn decrease the risk of cat predation on native species.

A Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus) Model of Triarchic Psychopathy Factors: Development and Initial Validation of the CAT-Tri+ Questionnaire

Article

Nov 2021
J RES PERS

We operationalised the triarchic model of psychopathy (boldness, meanness, and disinhibition) in domestic cats using a cat triarchic (CAT-Tri) questionnaire. In study 1 (n = 549), we identified candidate items for CAT-Tri scales using thematically analysed cat owner questionnaire responses. In study 2 (n = 1463), owners completed a questionnaire battery; the preliminary CAT-Tri questionnaire, Feline Five, and Cat-Owner Relationship Subscales. In study 3 (n = 30), associations between feline daily activity and Cat-Tri scales were investigated. A five-factor cat triarchic plus (CAT-Tri+) solution emerged: boldness, disinhibition, meanness, pet-unfriendliness, and human-unfriendliness. Disinhibition and pet-unfriendliness predicted a higher quality cat-owner relationship; meanness and boldness predicted a lower quality relationship. Findings provide insight into the structure of triarchic psychopathy in cats.

The effects of owner-cat interaction on oxytocin secretion in pet cats with different attachment styles

Article

Feb 2025
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Behavior problems of the kitten

Chapter

Jan 2025

Preadoption/prepurchase counseling

Chapter

Jan 2025

The role of animal behavior studies in animal-assisted services

Article

Dec 2024
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Dennis C. Turner

On cat–human interaction from the viewpoint of physics: An equation of motion

Article

Nov 2024

Anxo Biasi

This paper provides an enjoyable example through which several concepts of classical mechanics can be understood. We introduce an equation that models the motion of a cat in the presence of a person. The cat is considered as a point particle moving in a potential induced by the person. We demonstrate that this approach to the problem reproduces characteristic behaviors of these curious animals. For instance, the fact that cats do not typically come when they are called, or that they remain longer on the lap of their favorite person; even “zoomies” are reproduced (cats randomly run back and forth across the house). We use this model problem to explore topics of current research such as stochastic equations and periodically driven systems. The pedagogical value of this work and its potential use in teaching are discussed.

Exploring domestic cat welfare: Gaps, challenges, and the role of zoosemiotics in feline well-being

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2024

This article investigates the welfare of domestic cats by adopting a zoosemiotic perspective. It gives a broad picture of animal welfare in general and contextualizes studies conducted on cats within this, revealing differences in research foci compared to dogs. However, the main focus lies on the complexities of human– cat relationships and societal perceptions, which belong to the realm of ethological and anthropological zoosemiotics. Thus, we emphasize the importance of an integrated approach in comprehensive welfare assessments. Key factors such as increased human–cat interaction, societal constraints, and subjective experiences emerge as significant influences on cat welfare. Collaboration between veterinarians and behaviourists is encouraged, alongside with increased education of cat caregivers. Taking this line is supported by information gathered from interviews we conducted with Czech cat behaviourists. The article suggests a paradigm shift in research methodologies, proposing the use of zoosemiotic theories to comprehend alloanimal agency in general and cats’ agency in particular to enhance their well-being. The study’s goal is to identify the existing gaps and controversies in cat welfare literature (e.g. contradictions in devising best keeping conditions, insufficient education concerning cat welfare) by analysing relevant and recent studies in this field. Additionally, we aim to improve understanding of cat welfare as a complex phenomenon, and, with the help of zoosemiotics (umwelt theory and critical anthropomorphism), promote a comprehensive approach to the welfare of household cats in human-dominated environments.

House soiling – feline

Chapter

Jan 2024

Alison Gerken

Cats raised by cats, cats raised by humans: on "mother-child" communication between the same and inter-speciesネコに育てられるネコ,ヒトに育てられるネコ: ―同種および異種間の"母子"間コミュニケーションについて―

Article

Dec 2023

SAHO TAKAGI

Cats are now the most common companion animal in Japan. Cats have had a close relationship with humans for a long time, and sometimes there is human intervention from the earliest stages of development. In other words, they are often raised by humans rather than by their biological mother. Cats raised by humans may perform the same behaviors in humans that they do in their mother cats. This paper outlines cat parenting by biological parents and its mother-infant communication and human-cat "mother-infant" communication, followed by a summary of maternal-like behaviors exhibited by cats toward humans. The process of parenting by cats and the developmental stages of their offspring are outlined, followed by an explanation of the recently revealed role of the father and communication between mother and offspring. Regarding cat parenting by humans, the importance of the socialization period will be discussed, followed by an explanation of various forms of "motherinfant" communication. Then, after summarizing the mother-like behavior of cats toward humans, I will discuss whether cats show tolerance toward human children based on preliminary studies and my own experience. Finally, I summarized the differences between conspecific and inter-species communication and discuss future prospects.

The Bonds Between Us: Stronger Bonds Predict Greater Attribution of Companion Animal Socio-cognitive Skills

Article

Oct 2023
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Jennifer Vonk

Feline Faces: Unraveling the Social Function of Domestic Cat Facial Signals

Article

Oct 2023
BEHAV PROCESS

Lately, there has been a growing interest in studying domestic cat facial signals, but most of this research has centered on signals produced during human-cat interactions or pain. The available research on intraspecific facial signaling with domesticated cats has largely focused on non-affiliative social interactions. However, the transition to intraspecific sociality through domestication could have resulted in a greater reliance on affiliative facial signals that aid with social bonding. Our study aimed to document the various facial signals that cats produce during affiliative and non-affiliative intraspecific interactions. Given the close relationship between the physical form and social function of mammalian facial signals, we predicted that affiliative and non-affiliative facial signals would have noticeable differences in their physical morphology. We observed the behavior of 53 adult domestic shorthair cats at CatCafé Lounge in Los Angeles, CA. Using Facial Action Coding Systems designed for cats, we compared the complexity and compositionality of facial signals produced in affiliative and non-affiliative contexts. To measure complexity and compositionality, we examined the number and types of facial muscle movements (AUs) observed in each signal. We found that compositionality, rather than complexity, was significantly associated with the social function of intraspecific facial signals. Our findings indicate that domestication likely had a significant impact on the development of intraspecific facial signaling repertoires in cats.

What is a companion animal? An ethological approach based on Tinbergen's four questions. Critical review

Article

Sep 2023
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Environmental risk factors in puppies and kittens for developing chronic disorders in adulthood: A call for research on developmental programming

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Many dogs and cats are affected by chronic diseases that significantly impact their health and welfare and relationships with humans. Some of these diseases can be challenging to treat, and a better understanding of early-life risk factors for diseases occurring in adulthood is key to improving preventive veterinary care and husbandry practices. This article reviews early-life risk factors for obesity and chronic enteropathy, and for chronic behavioral problems, which can also be intractable with life-changing consequences. Aspects of early life in puppies and kittens that can impact the risk of adult disorders include maternal nutrition, establishment of the gut microbiome, maternal behavior, weaning, nutrition during growth, growth rate, socialization with conspecifics and humans, rehoming and neutering. Despite evidence in some species that the disorders reviewed here reflect the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), developmental programming has rarely been studied in dogs and cats. Priorities and strategies to increase knowledge of early-life risk factors and DOHaD in dogs and cats are discussed. Critical windows of development are proposed: preconception, gestation, the suckling period, early growth pre-neutering or pre-puberty, and growth post-neutering or post-puberty to adult size, the durations of which depend upon species and breed. Challenges to DOHaD research in these species include a large number of breeds with wide genetic and phenotypic variability, and the existence of many mixed-breed individuals. Moreover, difficulties in conducting prospective lifelong cohort studies are exacerbated by discontinuity in pet husbandry between breeders and subsequent owners, and by the dispersed nature of pet ownership.

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021

Besides inconsistent evidence relating to the mental health benefits of pet ownership, there is a specific lack of data in relation to cat ownership. Research in this field frequently fails to consider the effect of specific cat-human relationships or activities that might impact owner well-being. This study aimed to identify and address this gap by examining the activities associated with owning a cat that were perceived by owners to impact on their well-being. Twenty cat owners (18 to 74 years old) were interviewed remotely, and their audio transcripts thematically analysed. 67 activities were reported by cat owners to cause changes in their hedonic or eudaimonic well-being or life satisfaction. Most activities were reported to improve well-being, for example, “providing for the cat” increased feelings of enjoyment and enhanced owner’s reported purpose in life. However, some activities were predominantly associated with negative outcomes, such as veterinary visits and cat behaviour problems. This study presents an operationally-defined framework that lays the groundwork for further research in the field of human-cat interaction and human well-being. It highlights the importance of focusing on specific activities associated with cat ownership, rather than just assessing “ownership” per se, as if it is a homogenous phenomenon.

Cat-human bond: Satisfaction and behavioural complaints among Italian respondents

Article

Oct 2022
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The present is a study of the data collected through an online survey which investigated satisfaction of Italian cat-caretakers with their pet, considering health and behavioural complaints. The survey was advertised using social media and a virtual snowball sampling method was applied. The questionnaire collected information about caretaker’s demographics, their cat’s origin, health problems and behavioural complaints, and their satisfaction with the cat. 6096 respondents completed the questionnaire. Logistic regression was applied and some cats’ and caretakers’ demographics predicted both the presence of behavioural problems and the assignment of maximum score in satisfaction. House soiling was the most frequently reported behavioural complaint (4.7%) and it was predicted by both management factors (i.e., number of cats in the household, p<0.05), and cat-related ones (e.g., cat’s age, anxiety level, and health problems, all p<0.001). House soiling, aggression (both intra and inter-species), fear, hyperactivity and eating disorders decreased caretakers’ satisfaction (all p<0.001), whereas the presence of what respondents identified as health problems did not. Moreover, some cat features as “being affectionate” increased the caretaker’s satisfaction (p<0.001). The results of this study highlighted the impact of behavioural complaints on the cat caretaker’s satisfaction with their pet, supporting the need of prevention and/or treatment of behavioural problems or inappropriate behaviours to avoid unsatisfactory relationship between cats and their caretaker and to improve cat welfare.

Foxes at your front door? Habitat selection and home range estimation of suburban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2022
Urban Ecosyst

The red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) is one of the most adaptable carnivorans, thriving in cities across the globe. We used GPS-tracking of five suburban foxes across high-density residential suburbs of Perth, Western Australia to quantify (1) their habitat selection and (2) home range area. All five foxes showed statistically significant avoidance of residential locations (p < 0.001) and preference for parkland (p < 0.001), with native vegetation reserves, golf courses, and water reserves showing disproportionately greater use. Landuse category also influenced their movements, with foxes moving quickest (i.e., commuting) in proximity to roads and slowest (i.e., foraging) when they were further from roads. Three females had core home ranges (50% autocorrelated-corrected kernel density estimate; AKDE c ) averaging 37 ± 20 ha or 95% AKDE c averaging 208 ± 196 ha. One male had a 95 ha core home range and 349 ha 95% AKDE c but the other male covered an area ~ 20 times this: using a 371 ha core home range and 7,368 ha 95% AKDE c . The extensive movement patterns we describe are likely to be common for urban foxes, with half of published home range estimates for urban foxes (principally based on VHF data) excluding data for ‘lost’ individuals or animals that showed ‘excursions’. It is likely that the home range estimates for these urban exploiters have therefore been grossly underestimated to date. Further application of GPS trackers that allow remote download will vastly improve our understanding of habitat preference and exploitation of resources by urban foxes.

Feline Enrichment

Chapter

May 2022

Separation from what is familiar coupled with exposure to an unfamiliar environment makes shelters particularly stressful for cats. Environmental enrichment can improve a cat's perception of their environment, resulting in a reduced stress response and improved well‐being. Careful consideration of how to employ enrichment effectively and efficiently is key to the success of any enrichment program. A standard program of enrichment should be provided for all cats, while a more diverse range of enrichment opportunities may be prioritized to meet the needs of individuals expressing certain behaviors or health concerns or that have longer projected lengths of stay. It is also key to assess the impact of enrichment efforts so as to continually optimize the quality of the program overall and its impact on the well‐being of each individual. Placing as many appropriate cats in foster homes as possible is likely to be the most effective enrichment strategy.

Introduction to Cat Behavior

Chapter

May 2022

Cats are unique amongst domestic species in that they have evolved from a solitary ancestral species to become one of the most beloved household pets today. Interestingly the cat's physical appearance and sensory systems remain almost identical to their wild counterparts. Recognition of the perceptual parameters allows us to better understand how the domestic cat responds to environment and communicates with social partners. Sociality is unequivocally the aspect of feline life most affected by the domestication process. Cats can display a wide range of social behaviors, and evidence indicates that early exposure to a variety of social and environmental stimuli is the most important postnatal factor for a well‐adjusted life in a domestic setting and resiliency to basic stressors. By gaining an understanding of feline natural behavior, communication, learning, and cognition, shelter staff can provide cats with an ideal environment, change unwanted behaviors, and improve the welfare of our cats.

How Serious Are Health-Related Welfare Problems in Unowned Unsocialised Domestic Cats? A Study from Denmark Based on 598 Necropsies

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022

Free ranging unsocialised domestic cats are widely believed to suffer from a high load of welfare problems. We assessed the validity of this belief by performing necropsies on the corpses of 598 unsocialised cats, originating from all parts of Denmark, that had been euthanised by two Danish cat welfare organisations. We selected a number of variables for health-related cat welfare that could be assessed through necropsy (e.g., gross lesions, ectoparasites and body condition) or by laboratory analysis (e.g., infection with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and by feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)). Each finding was classified as having either a major or minor welfare impact on the cat. More than 83% of the cats had no major finding, and 54% had no finding indicating a welfare issue at all. More than 83% of the cats had a body condition within normal range. Only 0.3% were emaciated. The most common finding was infestation with ectoparasites, with 15.9% infected with lice, 12.3% with fleas, 4.7% with ticks, and 6.7% with ear mites. FIV and FeLV were detected in 9.2% and 1.2% of the cases, respectively. The most common lesion related to the cats’ teeth. Overall, unsocialised cats in Denmark have a moderate level of health-related welfare problems.

Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) Do Not Show Signs of Secure Attachment to Their Owners

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2015
PLOS ONE

The Ainsworth Strange Situation Test (SST) has been widely used to demonstrate that the bond between both children and dogs to their primary carer typically meets the requirements of a secure attachment (i.e. the carer being perceived as a focus of safety and security in otherwise threatening environments), and has been adapted for cats with a similar claim made. However methodological problems in this latter research make the claim that the cat-owner bond is typically a secure attachment, operationally definable by its behaviour in the SST, questionable. We therefore developed an adapted version of the SST with the necessary methodological controls which include a full counterbalance of the procedure. A cross-over design experiment with 20 cat-owner pairs (10 each undertaking one of the two versions of the SST first) and continuous focal sampling was used to record the duration of a range of behavioural states expressed by the cats that might be useful for assessing secure attachment. Since data were not normally distributed, non-parametric analyses were used on those behaviours shown to be reliable across the two versions of the test (which excluded much cat behaviour). Although cats vocalised more when the owner rather the stranger left the cat with the other individual, there was no other evidence consistent with the interpretation of the bond between a cat and its owner meeting the requirements of a secure attachment. These results are consistent with the view that adult cats are typically quite autonomous, even in their social relationships, and not necessarily dependent on others to provide a sense of security and safety. It is concluded that alternative methods need to be developed to characterise the normal psychological features of the cat-owner bond.

Benefits and Risks for People and Livestock of Keeping Companion Animals: Searching for a Healthy Balance

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2015

The mission of the CALLISTO (Companion Animals multisectoriaL interprofessionaL Interdisciplinary Strategic Think tank On zoonoses) project was to provide an overview of the current situation on the role of companion animals as a source of infectious diseases for people and food animals. It also aimed to identify knowledge and technology gaps for the most important zoonoses and propose targeted actions to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases transmitted via companion animals. After a 3-year study, its members have developed practical recommendations for improved data collection on companion animal numbers and the mechanisms for disease surveillance in companion animals. They highlight the importance of introducing a system for the unique identification of dogs and other companion animals with an implanted microchip transponder and storage of the details it contains on an internationally accessible online database. Their report also emphasises the need for balanced communication with the public on the risks and benefits of pet ownership and the value of the 'One Health' concept to encourage closer collaboration between veterinary and human medical professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Pet Factor - Companion Animals as a Conduit for Getting to Know People, Friendship Formation and Social Support

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2015
PLOS ONE

While companion animals have been previously identified as a direct source of companionship and support to their owners, their role as a catalyst for friendship formation or social support networks among humans has received little attention. This study investigated the indirect role of pets as facilitators for three dimensions of social relatedness; getting to know people, friendship formation and social support networks. A telephone survey of randomly selected residents in four cities, one in Australia (Perth; n = 704) and three in the U.S. (San Diego, n = 690; Portland, n = 634; Nashville, n = 664) was conducted. All participants were asked about getting to know people within their neighborhood. Pet owners were asked additional questions about the type/s of pet/s they owned, whether they had formed friendships as a result of their pet, and if they had received any of four different types of social support from the people they met through their pet. Pet owners were significantly more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than non-pet owners (OR 1.61; 95%CI: 1.30, 1.99). When analyzed by site, this relationship was significant for Perth, San Diego and Nashville. Among pet owners, dog owners in the three U.S. cities (but not Perth) were significantly more likely than owners of other types of pets to regard people whom they met through their pet as a friend (OR 2.59; 95%CI: 1.94, 3.46). Around 40% of pet owners reported receiving one or more types of social support (i.e. emotional, informational, appraisal, instrumental) via people they met through their pet. This research suggests companion animals can be a catalyst for several dimensions of human social relationships in neighborhood settings, ranging from incidental social interaction and getting to know people, through to formation of new friendships. For many pet owners, their pets also facilitated relationships from which they derived tangible forms of social support, both of a practical and emotionally supportive nature. Given growing evidence for social isolation as a risk factor for mental health, and, conversely, friendships and social support as protective factors for individual and community well-being, pets may be an important factor in developing healthy neighborhoods.

Individuality in the domestic cat: origins, development and stability

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2000

Rob Harcourt

The impact of paternity and early socialisation on the development of cat' behaviour to people and novel objects

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1995
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Sandra Mccune

A developmental study in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) examined the interaction of their early socialisation and the friendliness of their father and its consequences on their later friendliness to people. Kittens were either handled between 2 and 12 weeks of age (socialised) or received no handling (unsocialised) during this period. These kittens were the offspring of either a ‘friendly’ father or an ‘unfriendly’ father. When 1 year old, these cats went through a series of three experiments: (1) response to a familiar person; (2) response to a stranger; and (3) response to a novel object. Cats socialised or from the friendly father were quicker to approach, touch and rub a test person, were more vocal and spent a greater total time within 1 m of them. Differences in the cats' response to a novel object could not be accounted for by differences in early socialisation. However, cats from the friendly father were quicker to approach, touch, explore and remain in close contact with the novel object than were cats from the unfriendly father. The genetic contribution to friendliness towards people in cats was reinterpreted as boldness; a general response to unfamiliar or novel objects irrespective of whether or not the objects are people. The socialisation effect was specific to the cats' response to people. Socialised cats and friendly-fathered cats were not only friendlier to unfamiliar people but less distressed when approached and handled by them.

The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2013

Anthropogenic threats, such as collisions with man-made structures, vehicles, poisoning and predation by domestic pets, combine to kill billions of wildlife annually. Free-ranging domestic cats have been introduced globally and have contributed to multiple wildlife extinctions on islands. The magnitude of mortality they cause in mainland areas remains speculative, with large-scale estimates based on non-systematic analyses and little consideration of scientific data. Here we conduct a systematic review and quantitatively estimate mortality caused by cats in the United States. We estimate that free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually. Un-owned cats, as opposed to owned pets, cause the majority of this mortality. Our findings suggest that free-ranging cats cause substantially greater wildlife mortality than previously thought and are likely the single greatest source of anthropogenic mortality for US birds and mammals. Scientifically sound conservation and policy intervention is needed to reduce this impact.

How Depressive Moods Affect the Behavior of Singly Living Persons Toward their Cats

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1999

This study investigated how depressive feelings affect the behavior of singly living persons toward their cats. Data from 47 women and 49 men, who were visited at home for one two-hour observation session, were used for the analyses. Just prior to and after the observations, participants filled out a standard questionnaire used to assess momentary mood (EWL). The mood was assigned to one of 14 sub-scales, one of which was "depressiveness." Identical questionnaires were later completed by the same subjects in the absence of the observer (43 women, 45 men), and these results compared with those of questionnaires sent to singly living, former cat owners (28 women, three men). Five behavior elements were found to be affected by depressiveness: 1) intents to interact, 2) the starting of interactions, 3) intents, where the partner is willing to comply and interacts, and 4) head- and flank-rubbing by the cat (using multiple regression, Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman rank correlations). Results show that the more a person was depressive, the fewer intents to interact were shown. However, the more a person was depressive, the more (s)he started an interaction. This means that depressive persons had an initial inhibition to initiate that was compensated by the presence of the cat. People who felt less depressive after the two hours of the study, owned cats that were more willing to comply with their intents than those whose depressiveness stayed the same or became worse. In human-cat dyads in which the person became more depressive, the person's willingness to comply tended to correlate positively with the cat's willingness to comply. When not in close contact, the cat reacted the same way to all mood scales of the humans. This neutral attitude makes the cat an attractive pacemaker against an inhibition to initiate. Within an interaction the cat is affected by the mood. But only the willingness of the cat to comply seems to be responsible for reducing depressiveness. Female cat owners were also found to be less depressed than former owners.

Human-Cat Interactions in the Home Setting

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1991

Claudia Mertens

Unmanipulated human-cat interactions in established relationships and in the common but very complex home setting are described and analyzed quantitatively. Fifty-one cat-owning Swiss families were visited in their homes. In a total of 504 hours of observation, the interspecific interactions of 162 persons and 72 cats were recorded. Quantitatively, the interactive behavior of both partners in a human-cat dyad increases with increasing duration of human presence at home: this independent variable is largest in adult women and smallest in adult men, while children and juveniles show intermediate values. Therefore, adult women are generally predestined to be the main human partner in human-cat relationships. Even so, when based on mean duration of human presence, effects of human sex and age can still be found for some human and cat behavior. Judged by the amount and reciprocity of interactions, woman-cat dyads have the best and juvenile-cat dyads the worst relationships. Cat behavior toward individual family members not only depends upon characteristics of the human (availability, sex, and age) but also upon characteristics of the whole family, such as family size and number of cats living in the household (negative correlation for both factors). Cat housing condition (indoor versus outdoor) appears to be unimportant in the human-cat relationship, although it affects the duration of a cat's presence at home. The results show the complexity of human-cat relationships in the privacy of the home. The list of factors shown to influence such relationships was increased by several variables. Thus, observation of unmanipulated interspecific interactions was useful despite problems inherent to most field studies.

Experimental Analysis of Human-Cat Interactions During First Encounters

Article

Full-text available

Jun 1988

The goal of our study was to describe tween a human and a cat and to determine the social behavior during the first encounter beinfluence of the sex of the cat, individuality of the cat, activity state of the person, and person type on the cat's behavior; and the influence of the age and sex of the human partner (person type) on his/her behavior. Nineteen colony cats encountered 240 unfamiliar test persons in a standardized one-cat/one-person situation. In half of the encounters, the behavior of the cat was recorded (A experiments); during a first five-minute phase (Ph 1), the test person was not allowed to interact with the cat; during the second five-minute phase (Ph 2), he/she was allowed to behave without any restrictions. In the other half of the encounters (B experiments), the behavior of the human partner was recorded, and the test person was allowed to behave freely from the start for the duration of five minutes. The influence of the factors listed above was tested by analyses of variance and t-tests. Cats show an enormous individual variation in their behavior. Neither their sex nor the age-sex class of the partner influences their behavior nearly as much as their own individuality. The activity state of the test person (reading a book versus interacting freely) influences the behavior of the cat with respect to most of the parameters observed. Human behavior toward the cat is influenced by the person's age (adults versus children from six to ten years of age) and, to a lesser extent, by the person's sex. The first body contact is a key event and occurs more quickly in the dyadic situation than when the person is looking at a book, since the human partner usually initiates social interactions and motivates the cat to accelerate coming into contact. In addition to the speed and chronology of contact initiation, proximity and behavior regulating the distance between the partners are useful measures for describing human-cat interactions in different social contexts. Single behavioral elements of the cat and the human also may be used as indicators of the character of the relationship.

Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2009
J Vasc Interv Radio Neurol

The presence of pets has been associated with reduction of stress and blood pressure and therefore may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Relative risks (RR) of all deaths, death due to myocardial infarction (MI), cardiovascular diseases (MI or stroke), and stroke during a 20 year follow-up were determined by Cox proportional hazards analysis for categories of cat or dog ownership among participants after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Previous or present use of cats as domestic pets was reported by 2435 (55%) of the 4435 participants. After adjustment for differences in age, gender, ethnicity/race, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, serum cholesterol, and body mass index, a significantly lower RR for death due to MI was observed in participants with past cat ownership (RR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44 to 0.88) compared with those without cats as pet at any time. There was also a trend for decreased risk for death due to cardiovascular diseases among participants with past cat ownership (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55 to 1.0). A decreased risk for death due to MI and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with cats. Acquisition of cats as domestic pets may represent a novel strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases in high-risk individuals.

Singly Living People and Their Cats: A Study of Human Mood and Subsequent Behavior

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2001

We sought to examine how cat owners’ moods correlated with subsequent interactions with their cats. Such a relationship has not been previously documented. Data from 47 women and 49 men living alone with their cats were collected. Participants were visited at their homes for one two-hour session each. Approximately five minutes before and after the observation period, the owners filled out a standard questionnaire (EWL, list of adjectives) to indicate their current mood. The EWL allowed the authors to later assign owner moods to one or more of 14 sub-scales. In this study, results on correlates of moods at the beginning and during the subsequent first half hour of interactions are presented. Multiple regression analyses showed that related mood sub-scales, e.g. anxiety and depressiveness, can influence human behavior in different directions, and that bipolar mood sub-scales, e.g. introvertedness and extrovertedness, do not necessarily work in opposite directions. Four human behaviors were related to mood: intents to interact, starts of interactions, and approaches and vocalizations while interacting. While the start of an interaction was influenced by eight different mood sub-scales, the others mentioned were only related to four sub-scales at most. The only recorded behavior of the cat that was significantly correlated with the owner’s mood was approaches to the owner within an ongoing interaction.

Spouses and cats and their effects on human mood

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2003

Previous data indicated that cats influence the moods of singly living people only by decreasing negative moods, while not affecting positive moods. In this study, we asked if such an effect can be 1) replicated, 2) is comparable to the effect of a human partner, and 3) related to the owner’s attachment towards the cat. Two hundred and twelve couples with cats, 31 couples without cats, singly living people with cats (47 women, 45 men) and singly living people without cats (43 women, 9 men) volunteered to participate. We used a list of adjectives (the “EWL”-Questionnaire) to assess their mood, which they responded to on an evening of their choice. The Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) was additionally completed by the cat owners. Selected adjectives were reduced by factor analyses and labeled bad mood, activity, good mood, and seclusion, according to the highest loadings of mood items within each factor. Each mood factor was explained by cat ownership, presence or absence of a partner, and the person’s sex. Further, sex, partner status and attachment towards cats explained moods amongst the cat owners. Only the partner, but not the cat, enhanced positive moods. Cats alleviated negative moods, and this effect was comparable to the effect of a human partner. This compensatory effect of cat ownership on negative moods was not comparable to a similar effect of degree of attachment towards the cat on human mood. Possible reasons for the unidirectional effect of cats on human mood are discussed.

The cry embedded within the purr

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2009
CURR BIOL

Despite widespread interest in inter-specific communication, few studies have examined the abilities of companion animals to communicate with humans in what has become their natural environment — the human home [1 • Nicastro N. • Owren M.J. Classification of domestic cat (Felis catus) vocalisations by naive and experienced human listeners.J. Comp. Psychol. 2003; 117: 44-52 • Crossref • PubMed • Scopus (61) • Google Scholar , 2 • Pongracz P. • Molnar C. • Miklosi A. Acoustic parameters of dog barks carry emotional information for humans.Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2006; 100: 228-240 • Abstract • Full Text • Full Text PDF • Scopus (92) • Google Scholar ]. Here we report how domestic cats make subtle use of one of their most characteristic vocalisations — purring — to solicit food from their human hosts, apparently exploiting sensory biases that humans have for providing care. When humans were played purrs recorded while cats were actively seeking food at equal amplitude to purrs recorded in non-solicitation contexts, even individuals with no experience of owning cats judged the ‘solicitation’ purrs to be more urgent and less pleasant. Embedded within the naturally low-pitched purr, we found a high frequency voiced component, reminiscent of a cry or meow, that was crucial in determining urgency and pleasantness ratings. Moreover, when we re-synthesised solicitation purrs to remove only the voiced component, paired presentations revealed that these purrs were perceived as being significantly less urgent. We discuss how the structure of solicitation purrs may be exploiting an inherent mammalian sensitivity to acoustic cues relevant in the context of nurturing offspring.

Animal companions and one year survival after discharge from a coronary care unit

Article

Full-text available

Jul 1980

The findings of this study confirm the independent importance of social factors in the determination of health status. Social data obtained during patients' hospitalization can be valuable in discriminating 1-year survivors. These social data can add to the prognostic discrimination beyond the effects of the well-known physiological predictors. More information is needed about all forms of human companionship and disease. Thus, it is important that future investigations of prognosis in various disease states include measures of the patient's social and psychological status with measures of disease severity. The phenomenon of pet ownership and the potential value of pets as a source of companionship activity or attention deserved more careful attention that that recorded in the literature. Almost half of the homes in the United States have some kind of pet. Yet, to our knowledge, no previous studies have included pet ownership among the social variables examined to explain disease distribution. Little cost is incurred by the inclusion of pet ownership in such studies, and it is certainly by the importance of pets in the lives of people today and the long history of association between human beings and companion animals. The existence of pets as important household members should be considered by those who are responsible for medical treatment. The need to care for a pet or to arrange for its care may delay hospitalization; it may also be a source of concern for patients who are hospitalized. Recognition of this concern by physicians, nurses, and social workers may alleviate emotional stress among such patients. The therapeutic uses of pets have been considered for patients hospitalized with mental illnesses and the elderly. The authors suggest that patients with coronary heart disease should also be included in this consideration. Large numbers of older patients with coronary heart disease are socially isolated and lonely. While it is not yet possible to conclude that pet ownership is beneficial to these patients, pets are an easily attainable source of psychological comfort with relatively few risks.

Loneliness and Pet Ownership among Single Women

Article

Full-text available

Nov 1994

Relationships among loneliness, pet ownership, and attachment were studied in a sample of 148 adult female students, 59 pet owners and 89 nonowners. No significant differences were found on the loneliness reported by pet owners and nonowners. A two by two analysis of variance showed that women living entirely alone were significantly more lonely than those living with pets only, with both other people and pets, and with other people but without pets. No associations were found between loneliness and pet attachment. Also, no significant differences were found in loneliness or pet attachment scores between dog and cat owners; however, women living only with a dog were significantly more attached to the dog than those living with both a dog and other people. Conversely, women living only with a cat were significantly less attached to the cat than those living with both a cat and other people. These findings indicate that having a pet can help to diminish feelings of loneliness, particularly for women living alone, and compensate for the absence of human companionship.

Hunting behaviour of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations. The domestic cat, the biology of its behaviour

Article

Jan 2000

The signalling repertoire of the domestic cat and its undomesticated relatives

Article

Jan 2000

The domestic cat: the biology of its behavior

Article

Jan 1988

The 14 contributions, 9 abstracted separately, which explore the behaviour and ecology of Felis catus (= Felis silvestris catus) are arranged in 4 major sections (development of young cats, social life, predatory behaviour, cats and people), together with an introduction and a postscript. -P.J.Jarvis

Does cat attachment have an effect on human health? A comparison between owners and volunteers

Article

Jan 2016

span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-no-proof: yes;">Cat owners and volunteers from a rehoming centre were given the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale (LAPS) questionnaire to assess their level of attachment to their own or rescue cats. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure were measured 10 minutes before, during, and after spending time with the cats. Consistent with other studies, the results here show that spending time with a cat can reduce heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that this reduction is generally more pronounced in the cats’ owners rather than in volunteers from a cat rehoming centre. For owners, levels of attachment as measured by the LAPS scale were positively associated with this reduction in metabolic measurements before and during pet presence; i.e. the difference (B-D) was positively correlated with the level of attachment. This was not observed for volunteers. Interestingly, however, reported levels of attachment were not significantly different between owners and volunteers. For owners, duration of ownership had a positive effect on the level of attachment reported and this effect increased sharply after two plus years of ownership. This contribution to Human Animal Interaction (HAI) research suggests that attachment is an important factor in promoting health benefits to owners.</span

Social organisation and behavioural ecology of free-ranging domestic cats

Chapter

Nov 2013

Dennis C. Turner

This chapter reflects an amazing ‘success story’, the story of a predator species, the domestic cat, which has more or less conquered the world within a few thousand years - partly with the help of humans, but mostly because of its amazing flexibility. It is not a new story and therefore easy to summarise. The summary is based upon three chapters in the second edition of this book, namely Macdonald et al. (2000), Liberg et al. (2000), and Fitzgerald and Turner (2000), but of course updated with later findings. Nor is that success story without ecological consequences which continue to fire the debate between cat friends and cat foes - or at least cat lovers and conservationists. Both sides of this debate should view the evidence before making hasty judgements. Solitary life versus group-living: a question of resource availability. The domestic cat as a species and quite possibly as an individual shows amazing flexibility in its sociality toward conspecifics. Its ancestor, the North African wildcat, F. s. libyca, was (and is) indeed a solitary, territorial species, which presumably made use of the rodent populations concentrated in and around grain storage facilities of early farming settlements (see Chapter 7). As the likely story goes, this was beneficial to the farmers and they began provisioning the ‘wild’ cats with extra food, their home ranges became concentrated - and overlapping - around these human settlements and storage facilities, representing the first step toward domestication. The Resource Dispersion Hypothesis proposes that the dispersion of resources may be such that the smallest territory providing adequate security for the primary social unit (mother and offspring) may also support additional group members (Macdonald et al., 2000).

Communication in the domestic cat: Within- and between-species

Chapter

Nov 2013

Many previous accounts of communication between domestic cats have been largely based on a traditional ethological approach. The signals and the context in which they occur have been described and related to the kind of environment signaller and receiver can expect to find themselves in, and to the sensory capabilities of the receiver. For example, this approach explains the use of scent signals by domestic cats as products of both their acute sense of smell, which probably evolved primarily in relation to detection of food, and also their origin as territorial animals which needed to communicate with neighbours that they might rarely encounter face to face. However, the domestic cat is the product of two distinctly different phases of evolution, the first as a wild, largely solitary, predator, and the second as a commensal and then semi-domesticated social species, living in an increasingly dependent relationship with humans. There are few studies of the communicative repertoire of the ancestral species, Felis silvestris libyca, and it is now clear from the distribution of libyca DNA that many wild cats, including those from Africa and the Middle East, are, in varying proportions, hybrids between wild F. silvestris subspecies and domesticated F. s. catus (Driscoll et al., 2007). Commensalism will have brought with it new selection pressures on communication, largely intraspecific and resulting from the higher density at which these cats live, by comparison with that of their solitary ancestors.

Reflex development and behavioral organization

Article

Jan 1970

M. Fox

Human Classification of Context-Related Vocalizations Emitted by Familiar And Unfamiliar Domestic Cats: An Exploratory Study

Article

Dec 2015

Previous research has shown that human classification of contextspecific domestic cat “meow” vocalizations is relatively poor, although improves with experience and/or general affinity to cats. To investigate whether such classification further improves when recipients (humans) of the vocalizations reside with the vocalizing animal (cat), cat owners (n=10) were asked to listen to eight audio recordings of a single meow (4 from their own cat and 4 from an unfamiliar cat) produced during one of four possible contexts, and identify the context in which each meow was emitted. Contexts comprised food preparation, food-withholding, negotiating a barrier, and attention solicitation. In addition, participants were asked to rate 20 meow vocalizations (produced by unfamiliar cats in the four contexts) on scales measuring pleasantness and urgency, in order to investigate whether participants reached consensus on the emotional content of the vocalizations. Successful identification of both the context and the hypothesized emotional content of the vocalization would comprise the first steps in our understanding of whether human-directed cat “meow” vocalizations are fully advantageous. Forty percent of the participants identified the correct contexts at a level greater than chance when the vocalizations belonged to their own cat. However, no participants performed above chance when vocalizations belonged to an unfamiliar cat. Participants’ urgency ratings were not significantly influenced by the context in which the vocalization was produced. Pleasantness ratings, however, were significantly higher for the context of negotiating a barrier in comparison with attention solicitation. These results suggest that the domestic cat, as a species, does not have a context-specific repertoire of human-directed vocalizations. Successful context classification of cat meows however, was possible for some owners. Whether such success was due to individual learning ability or recognition of hypothesized emotional content of the call requires further investigation.

The influence of body region, handler familiarity and order of region handled on the domestic cat's response to being stroked

Article

Nov 2014
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The domestic cat is now one of the most common pet species in the Western world. As part of its role as a pet, cats are expected to not only tolerate but enjoy being touched. This study consisted of two experiments, with the first investigating the influence of body region touched and handler familiarity on the domestic cat's behavioural response to being stroked. The second experiment extended this work by investigating the influence of order of body region touched on behavioural responses. Both handler familiarity and body region stroked significantly influenced negative behavioural responses. Familiar handling, in comparison to unfamiliar handling, led to significantly higher negative behavioural scores displayed by the cats (Z = −3.235, N = 34, p = 0.001). When considering the different body regions investigated, the caudal region produced the highest negative scores both when handled by the unfamiliar person (Experiment 1: χ2 = 14.330, N = 34, p = 0.046) and by the familiar person (Experiment 2: χ2 = 18.387, N = 20, p = 0.002). Order of body region touched had no significant bearing on behavioural responses exhibited. Results suggest that handling of cats should avoid the caudal region and highlight the need for further investigation into the owner–cat relationship.

Human and cat personalities: Building the bond from both sides

Chapter

Nov 2013

Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) are among the most common companion animals. This is particularly true in cultures with an Islamic background, where dogs are less acceptable as companion animals than in Western societies (Chapter 8). In Austria, for example, a human population of 8 million owns more than 2 million cats, in contrast to just about 700,000 dogs (Kotrschal et al., 2004). Consequently, the behaviour of cats and their interaction with people has attracted scientific interest (Leyhausen, 1960; Turner, 1991; Bradshaw, 1992; Turner & Bateson, 2000). Particularly in rural settings, the association between cats and people may still be loose; cats are mainly tolerated as pest controllers, but often people also sympathise with these cats and feed them. In urban areas most cats, nowadays, tend to be social companions of their owners. In parallel with the increase of one-person households, the keeping of companion cats seems on the rise. In order to ensure their safety, many of these urban cats are kept indoors. Such indoor cats tend to interact more with, and are more ’attached’ to their owners than cats that have the option of going outdoors (Stammbach & Turner, 1999). People often engage in close and long-term relationships with their cats, and owners and cats may develop complex idiosyncratic and time-structured interactions (Wedl et al., 2011).

Cat ownership and the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study

Article

Jan 2009

A.I. Qureshi

The Human—Cat Relationship

Article

Dec 1995

Dennis C. Turner

Sociality in cats: A comparative review

Article

Sep 2015
J VET BEHAV

John W.S. Bradshaw

The domestic cat is the only member of the Felidae to form social relationships with humans, and also, the only small felid to form intraspecific social groups when free ranging. The latter are matriarchies, and bear only a superficial similarity to those of the lion and cheetah, which evolved separately and in response to very different selection pressures. There is no evidence for intraspecific social behavior in the ancestral species Felis silvestris, and hence, the capacity for group formation almost certainly evolved concurrently with the self-domestication of the cat during the period 10,000 to 5,000 years before present. Social groups of F. catus are characterized by cooperation among related adult females in the raising of kittens from parturition onward and competition between adult males. Unlike more social Carnivora, cats lack ritualized submissive signals, and although "peck-order" hierarchies can be constructed from exchanges of aggressive and defensive behavior, these do not predict reproductive success in females, or priority of access to key resources, and thus do not illuminate the basis of normal cat society. Cohesion in colonies of cats is expressed as, and probably maintained by, allorubbing and allogrooming; transmission of scent signals may also play a largely uninvestigated role. The advantages of group living over the ancestral solitary territorial state have not been quantified adequately but are likely to include defense of permanent food sources and denning sites and protection against predators and possibly infanticide by invading males. These presumably outweigh the disadvantages of communal denning, enhanced transmission of parasites, and diseases. Given the lack of archaeological evidence for cats kept as pets until some 4,000 years before present, intraspecific social behavior was most likely fully evolved before interspecific sociality emerged. Signals directed by cats toward their owners fall into 3 categories: those derived from species-typical actions, such as jumping up, that become signals by association; signals derived from kitten-to-mother communication (kneading, meow); and those derived from intraspecific cohesive signals. Social stress appears widespread among pet cats, stemming from both agonistic relationships within households and territorial disputes with neighborhood cats, but simple solutions seem elusive, most likely because individual cats vary greatly in their reaction to encounters with other cats.

Your Ideal Cat: Insights into Breed and Gender Differences in Cat Behavior

Book

Feb 2013

Diet of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations

Article

Jan 1988

B.M. Fitzgerald

Using gut samples, faecal analysis, records of prey brought home by house cats and uneaten remains in the field, the diet of domestic and feral Felis catus is examined. In descending order of frequency, mammals, birds and (especially below latitude 35o) reptiles predominate. Cat predation on islands, where bird prey is proportionally more significant, often has an adverse impact on native species. Diet is discussed in terms of sex and age differences; seasonal variations; and prey availability. The impacts of cats on farmyard rats; on wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, voles and other rodents; on game species; on bird populations on continents; and on island wildlife, are all discussed. -S.J.Yates

The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour

Article

Mar 2001
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Judith K. Blackshaw

Ontogeny of individuality in the domestic cat in the home environment

Article

Jan 2001

The behaviour of house cats Felis silvestris catus from nine litters was recorded at 4 months, 1 year and 2 years of age, in their home environment immediately after meals fed by their owners. We extracted by principal components analysis four elements of 'behavioural style' that were consistent from one age to another: based upon behaviour patterns that were most heavily loaded on each component, these were labelled as Staying Indoors, Rubbing, Investigative and Boldness elements. The Staying Indoors and Rubbing elements are similar to two aspects of behavioural style identified in a previous study of adult cats; the Boldness element, possibly coupled with the Investigative element, may be similar to the shy/bold continuum identified in controlled studies of cats and other species. Four-month-old male cats were the most likely to Stay Indoors; the Rubbing element increased with age in the majority of individuals, both male and female. Littermates tended to be similar to one another in Rubbing (at 4 months) and Boldness (up to 1 year). A positive effect of handling received during the first 8 weeks of life was detected for Boldness at 4 months of age.

The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat, 2nd ed.

Book

Jan 2012

The behavior of laboratory colony cats and their reactions to a familiar and unfamiliar person

Article

Jul 1991
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The behaviour of a colony of eight laboratory cats and their reactions to a familiar and unfamiliar person were recorded and analysed. Seven of the cats were Domestic Shorthairs and one was a Persian. All were male and only one was intact.Maintenance behaviours (resting, sitting, drinking, eating, defaecating and urinating) were the most commonly observed behaviours (36% of observations). Comfort (grooming, scratching, sneezing, coughing, head shaking, stretching and yawning) and locomotory behaviours (walking, running, jumping from floor to shelf and shelf to floor) were also commonly observed (30% and 24.5%, respectively). Agonistic behaviours were rarely observed (1%). Other behaviours recorded included marking and investigatory (clawing, scratching post, rubbing cage, anal sniff, body sniff, wall/floor licking; 4%), play (2%) and vocalisation behaviours (2%).Walking, jumping, eating, drinking, scratching, rubbing, defaecating and urinating were observed most often between 08:00 h and 09:00 h. Running, walking, resting and sitting occurred most often on the shelves in the cage.The cats made more direct contacts with the unfamiliar person than with the familiar person. Significantly (P<0.01) more attention behaviours (rubs against person, claws person, stands and watches, jumps to floor, stretches head out to person, lies on floor near person) were observed on the first day of the human-cat study than on the second and third days for both the familiar and unfamiliar person.

The effects of additional socialisation for kittens in a rescue centre on their behavior and suitability as a pet

Article

Nov 2008
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The effects of handling during the socialisation period on the subsequent development of behaviour problems and the cat–owner bond have been investigated in kittens homed from rescue centres. Thirty-seven kittens in three centres were given either standard socialisation or enhanced socialisation between 2 and 9 weeks of age. All kittens were then homed, and their owners were interviewed when they were approximately 1-year-old. Owners of additionally socialised kittens reported significantly higher emotional support from their cats, and fewer of these cats exhibited behaviour indicative of fear of humans, compared to cats that had received standard socialisation.

Anthropomorphic Interpretations and Ethological Descriptions of Dog and Cat Behavior by Lay People

Article

Dec 1999

Unlike ethologists and veterinarians, lay people supposedly use their own unstructured observations to interpret their companion animals' behavior, often in anthropomorphic terms. Recently, anthropomorphism has evoked new interest amongst scientists as a result of provocative publications concerning "animal mind," that have prompted investigations in the field of cognitive ethology, and much speculation about the emotions of animals. The purpose of the research reported here was to determine the concurrency and plausibility of anthropomorphic interpretations and ethological descriptions of dog and cat behavior and facial expressions, taking into account the observer's experience with the companion animal species. Independent sets of pet owners and non-owners (n=128) were presented with selected still photographs and edited video sequences to interpret, first spontaneously, then in a multiple choice mode. These were programmed on an interactive CD-Rom. Nested ANOVA showed that the choice of different kinds of multiple choice answers was influenced by their level of plausibility, by the personal experience which the people had had with the species, and by the species shown in stills or movie sequences. Scenes which were interpreted with high agreement of over 80% either showed key elements, a consummatory act, or the context in which the behavior took place. They generally represented scenes relevant to the relationship between an owner and an animal. The facial expressions of "fear" and "curiosity" in dog scenes and "stress" in cat scenes were also interpreted with agreement of over 80%.

Responses of pet cats to being held by an unfamiliar person, from weaning to three years of age

Article

Mar 2002

We have determined the extent to which individual responses of domestic cats on being handled by an unfamiliar person are stable between 2 and 33 months of age. Twenty-nine household cats from nine litters were tested at 2, 4, 12, 24 and 33 months of age, by being held for 1 minute by a standard, unfamiliar person. Between 4 and 33 months of age, individual differences in the number of attempts made by the cat to escape, and in whether or not it showed signs of distress, were stable, with the partial exception of the test at 12 months. There was no consistency between tests in whether or not a particular cat purred. At 2 months of age, the number of escape attempts was highest in cats which had been handled the least in the second month of life, but this trend was reversed in the number of escape attempts made at 4 months. The lack of distress exhibited by all cats in the test at 2 months indicated that all had received at least adequate socialization to people, and that none were therefore comparable with the unsocialized cats used in several previous studies. We conclude that under normal domestic conditions, the behavior of a cat when handled by an unfamiliar person reflects a stable character trait, and that extensive handling during the socialization period may be subsequently associated with a reduction in inhibited behavior when interacting with an unfamiliar person.

Understanding the Human-Cat Relationship: Human Social Support or Attachment

Article

Sep 1999

The goal of this study was to assess whether the widespread popularity of cats can best be explained using either attachment theory or social support theory. To assess the degree of attachment to the cat, and the size of the human social support network, we used five different questionnaires: In a first mailing we sent the LAPS (Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale) questionnaire (Garrity et al. 1989) and the SSQ6 (Social Support Questionnaire; Sarason et al. 1983, 1987) to 370 women volunteering to participate in the study. Three hundred and forty and 330 women respectively, returned correctly completed questionnaires. In a second mailing we sent these participants the NSSQ (Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire; Norbeck et al. 1981, 1983) and two questionnaires by Bradshaw and Limond (1997), one assessing attachment to the cat (BrAtt), the other emotional support from the cat (BrES). Of these, 290, 295, and 293, respectively, were correctly completed and returned.We found a positive correlation between the results of the two attachment scales (LAPS and BrAtt) and between the numbers of people (significant others) listed by the participants in the two social support scales (SSQ6 and NSSQ). Attachment to the cat assessed with the LAPS correlated negatively with the number of significant human others in the SSQ6 and NSSQ. It also correlated negatively with both emotional and tangible human support, two subscales of social support assessed in the NSSQ. The number of people in the household, determined independently of the social support questionnaires, correlated negatively with both attachment scales (BrAtt and LAPS), but there was no significant correlation with the number of significant others listed in the NSSQ or SSQ6. The number of children in the household, also assessed independently, correlated negatively with the LAPS but showed no significant correlation with the BrAtt scale.Overall our results indicate that for some participants, cats may substitute for persons in the social network. In most cases, however, cats appear to be an additional source of emotional support, especially for those participants who are strongly attached to their animals. We conclude that both attachment and social support are at work in these human-cat relationships, and that the relative importance of each depends upon the individual person.

Variation in domestic cat behaviour towards humans: A paternal effect

Article

Dec 1986

Used ratings of friendliness toward and by familiar persons to differentiate adult female cats and their 3–4 mo old offspring at 2 separate cat colonies. Results show that male cats exerted some influence over the behavioral trait of friendliness toward humans among their offspring, without ever coming into social contact with them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Reactions of house cats during encounters with a strange person: Evidence for two personality types.

Article

Jan 1985

Conducted a field study of 72 cats encountered on 356 different occasions to investigate 3 questions: (1) how house cats react to a stranger (person) encountered outside of the primary home, (2) whether their reactions to that person change over repeated encounters, and (3) whether cats can be placed on a continuum between extremely shy and extremely trusting animals. Evidence was found to indicate that the operationally defined "shy" and "trusting" cats are indeed representatives of 2 basically different personality types within the cat population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Predation by domestic cats in an English village

Article

Mar 2009
J ZOOL

We studied predation by approximately 70 domestic cats (Felis catus L.) in the Bedfordshire village of Felmersham over a one-year period. All the prey items brought home by virtually all the cats in the village were recorded and, where possible, identified. A total of 1090 prey items (535 mammals, 297 birds and 258 unidentified animals) were taken, an average of about 14 per cat per year. Twenty two species of birds and 15 species of mammals were identified. The most important items were woodmice (17%), house sparrows (16%) and bank voles (14%). Old cats of both sexes caught fewer prey over the year than young cats. Female cats on the edge of the village also caught more prey than female cats in intermediate or central areas of the village; male cats showed no such effect. The type of prey caught also varied with position in the village; ‘core’ cats caught proportionately more birds than ‘edge’ cats. There was some indication in the data that cats caught fewer prey in areas where cat density was highest, but this effect was impossible to disentangle from position in the village. Weather apparently influenced hunting success. Temperature had no direct influence, but fewer prey were caught in winter; cats also caught less on wet days and windy days. Estimates of the number of house sparrows in the village at the start of the breeding season, and the number of sparrows known to have been caught by the cats, suggest that at least 30% of the sparrow deaths in the village were due to cats. Domestic cats would appear to be major predators in this typical English village.

A method for rating individual distinctiveness of domestic cats

Article

Aug 1986

Fourteen adult female domestic cats were watched by two observers for 3 months. Ratings of 18 aspects of each cat's behavioural style were obtained independently from each observer. Correlations between observers were statistically significant for 15 of the 18 aspects and seven of the correlation coefficients were greater than 0·7. The ratings were compared with results of direct recording methods, where equivalent measures were available and, in five out of six cases, the results of the ratings and direct methods were significantly correlated. The rating method is, therefore, generally reliable and can be adequately validated. Some assessments of observer ratings which are not obviously and easily related to direct recordings may prove particularly useful in developmental studies of alternative modes of behaviour and the origins of individual differences.

Differences between vocalization evoked by social stimuli in feral cats and house cats

Article

Mar 2011

To investigate how socialization can affect the types and characteristics of vocalization produced by cats, feral cats (n=25) and house cats (n=13) were used as subjects, allowing a comparison between cats socialized to people and non-socialized cats. To record vocalization and assess the cats' responses to behavioural stimuli, five test situations were used: approach by a familiar caretaker, by a threatening stranger, by a large doll, by a stranger with a dog and by a stranger with a cat. Feral cats showed extremely aggressive and defensive behaviour in most test situations, and produced higher call rates than those of house cats in the test situations, which could be attributed to less socialization to other animals and to more sensitivity to fearful situations. Differences were observed in the acoustic parameters of feral cats in comparison to those of house cats. The feral cat produced significantly higher frequency in fundamental frequency, peak frequency, 1st quartile frequency, 3rd quartile frequency of growls and hisses in agonistic test situations. In contrast to the growls and hisses, in meow, all acoustic parameters like fundamental frequency, first formant, peak frequency, 1st quartile frequency, and 3rd quartile frequency of house cats were of significantly higher frequency than those of feral cats. Also, house cats produced calls of significantly shorter in duration than feral cats in agonistic test situations. These results support the conclusion that a lack of socialization may affect usage of types of vocalizations, and the vocal characteristics, so that the proper socialization of cat may be essential to be a suitable companion house cat.

Prenatal animal contact and gene expression of innate immunity receptors at birth are associated with atopic dermatitis

Article

Jan 2011

Cross-sectional studies have suggested that prenatal farm exposures might protect against allergic disease and increase the expression of receptors of the innate immune system. However, epidemiologic evidence supporting the association with atopic dermatitis remains inconsistent. To study the association between prenatal farm-related exposures and atopic dermatitis in a prospective study. We further analyzed the association between the expression of innate immune genes at birth and atopic dermatitis. A total of 1063 children who participated in a birth cohort study, Protection against Allergy-Study in Rural Environments, were included in this study. Doctor diagnosis of atopic dermatitis was reported by the parents from 1 to 2 years of age by questionnaire. Gene expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD14 was assessed in cord blood leukocytes by quantitative PCR. Maternal contact with farm animals and cats during pregnancy had a significantly protective effect on atopic dermatitis in the first 2 years of life. The risk of atopic dermatitis was reduced by more than half among children with mothers having contact with 3 or more farm animal species during pregnancy compared with children with mothers without contact (adjusted odds ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19-0.97). Elevated expression of TLR5 and TLR9 in cord blood was associated with decreased doctor diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. A significant interaction between polymorphism in TLR2 and prenatal cat exposure was observed in atopic dermatitis. Maternal contact with farm animals and cats during pregnancy has a protective effect on the development of atopic dermatitis in early life, which is associated with a lower expression of innate immune receptors at birth.

Factors influencing the temporal patterns of dyadic behaviours and interactions between domestic cats and their owners

Article

Jan 2011

Human-cat dyads may be similar in interaction structure to human dyads because many humans regard their cats as being social companions. Consequently, we predict that dyadic structure will be contingent on owner and cat personalities, sex, and age as well as duration of cohabitation of the partners. Forty owner-cat dyads were visited in their homes, on four occasions, during which their behaviours and interactions were video-taped. Behaviour was coded from tape and was analysed for temporal (t)-patterns using Theme (Noldus; Magnusson, 1996). Owner personality was assessed using the NEO-FFI. Five cat personality axes were identified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on observer-rated items and on coded behaviours. We found that the higher the owner in neuroticism, the fewer t-patterns occurred per minute. The higher the owner in extraversion, the higher was the number of non-overlapping patterns per minute. The more "active" the cat, the fewer non-overlapping patterns occurred per minute, but the higher was the event type complexity. The older the cat, the lower was dyadic event type complexity. We suggest that basic temporal structures similar to those of human-cat dyads may also be found in other long-term and complex dyadic relationships, including those between humans.

A comparison of attitudes towards animals between the German- and French-speaking part of Switzerland

Article

Jun 2010

A comparison of attitudes towards animals between German- and French-speaking Swiss adults is of particular interest, given the often invoked cultural barrier, the . We sent questionnaires to 3000 randomly chosen Swiss adults in both language regions. 319 German and 293 French questionnaires were returned. Participants had to express their opinion regarding 29 statements on nature conservation, wild animals, farm animals, meat eating, animal feelings and cognition, and pets. In 19 items we found a significant difference in responses between the German- and the French-speaking participants. It is important to note that the direction of the responses was identical in all cases, the only difference being the degree of agreement. In general, the Swiss agreed that nature conservation is important. They agreed also that animals have feelings, but that these are different from the feelings of humans. Pets were viewed as beneficial to humans. Both cats and dogs were seen as likeable animals, and there was agreement that dogs need more time to care for than cats. Strays were not viewed as a problem in Switzerland, despite the fact that there are numerous stray cat colonies.

The social function of tail up in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus)

Article

Oct 2008

We investigated the social function of tail up in order to verify its possible relationship with the hierarchical organization of a social group. Domestic cats live at higher densities than their ancestor which is a solitary species. Since the signals needed by solitary animals have different properties than those needed by group-living individuals, signalling pattern utilised by the domestic cat has inevitably changed. Kittens displayed the tail up when greeting their mother; this behaviour can also be observed in wild species. But, in domestic cat the tail up can be also observed when an adult individual meets another one and it signals the intention to interact amicably. Rank order affected the display of tail up posture: it was more frequently displayed by low-ranking cats, and high-ranking individuals received it more often than other members of the social group. Then, tail up seems to be a signal by means of which a cat shows the recognition of the higher social status of the individual to whom is directed. We confirmed the association between tail up and other affiliative behavioural patterns and the individual variability in displaying them. Considerations on the evolution of the tail up as a visual signal will be discussed.

The ethology of the human-cat relationship

Article

Feb 1991

Dennis C. Turner

Comparative behavioural observations were made in the home setting in order to analyze the ethology of the human-cat relationship. Factors postulated, and indeed, found to influence that relationship included marital status of the human (women living alone, with a partner or with a partner and children), housing conditions of the cat (indoor vs. outdoor access), number of cats kept (one vs. more than one), and to a very minor extent, pedigree of the cat (purebred vs. domestic mixture). Various measures of success at both the interactional, and the relationship level were examined and yielded the following results: 1) The more successful the person is in initiating interactions with the cat, the shorter, the total interaction time with the pet. 2) The higher the proportion of all successful intents to interact that were due to the cat, the more time spent interacting. 3) Willingness to comply with the partner's wishes to interact is positively correlated between the cat and the human over all pairs examined--which helps explain the widespread popularity of cats, as pets.

Pet ownership, social support, and one-year survival after acute myocardial infarction in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST)

Article

Dec 1995
AM J CARDIOL

Social support and pet ownership, a nonhuman form of social support, have both been associated with increased coronary artery disease survival. The independent effects of pet ownership, social support, disease severity, and other psychosocial factors on 1-year survival after acute myocardial infarction are examined prospectively. The Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial provided physiologic data on a group of post-myocardial infarction patients with asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias. An ancillary study provided psychosocial data, including pet ownership, social support, recent life events, future life events, anxiety, depression, coronary prone behavior, and expression of anger. Subjects (n = 424) were randomly selected from patients attending participating Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial sites and completed baseline psychosocial questionnaires. One year survival data were obtained from 369 patients (87%), of whom 112 (30.4%) owned pets and 20 (5.4%) died. Logistic regression indicates that high social support (p < 0.068) and owning a pet (p = 0.085) tend to predict survival independent of physiologic severity and demographic and other psychosocial factors. Dog owners (n = 87, 1 died) are significantly less likely to die within 1 year than those who did not own dogs (n = 282, 19 died; p < 0.05); amount of social support is also an independent predictor of survival (p = 0.065). Both pet ownership and social support are significant predictors of survival, independent of the effects of the other psychosocial factors and physiologic status. These data confirm and extend previous findings relating pet ownership and social support to survival among patients with coronary artery disease.

The Pet Connection: Pets as a Conduit for Social Capital?

Article

Oct 2005

There is growing interest across a range of disciplines in the relationship between pets and health, with a range of therapeutic, physiological, psychological and psychosocial benefits now documented. While much of the literature has focused on the individual benefits of pet ownership, this study considered the potential health benefits that might accrue to the broader community, as encapsulated in the construct of social capital. A random survey of 339 adult residents from Perth, Western Australia were selected from three suburbs and interviewed by telephone. Pet ownership was found to be positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic engagement scales. The results suggest that pet ownership provides potential opportunities for interactions between neighbours and that further research in this area is warranted. Social capital is another potential mechanism by which pets exert an influence on human health.

A review of over three decades of research on cat-human and human-cat interactions and relationships

Abstract

No full-text available

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