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Objectives The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop a laboratory-based model to assess fear and anxiety in cats using the feline open-field test (OFT) and the feline human interaction test (HIT); and (2) to validate the model using diazepam, a known anxiolytic. Methods Laboratory-housed cats (n = 41) were first classified as fearful, mildly fearful or non-fearful by a technician familiar with the cats and also by veterinary behaviorists (GL, JL), by assessing the cats’ behavior in their home rooms. In experiment 1, each cat’s behavior was assessed in an OFT and an HIT. In experiment 2, after administration of the anxiolytic diazepam, a subset of the cats was re-tested. Results In experiment 1, the OFT revealed significant group effects on two measures: duration of inactivity, and vocalization. Fearful animals had significantly longer periods of inactivity than non-fearful animals. Non-fearful and mildly fearful cats vocalized more frequently than fearful cats. In the HIT, fearful cats travelled less than non-fearful and mildly fearful cats. Fearful and mildly fearful animals had significantly longer durations of inactivity, and non-fearful and mildly fearful cats had a significantly higher frequency of vocalization compared with fearful cats. In experiment 2, in the OFT, treatment with diazepam caused an increase in distance travelled, shorter durations of inactivity, and more frequent inactivity and vocalization. In the HIT, diazepam increased distance travelled and decreased duration of inactivity. Fearful cats spent significantly less time near the human compared with non-fearful cats, and this persisted under diazepam. Conclusions and relevance The feline OFT and feline HIT can be used jointly to assess the effects of medications or other therapies on fear and anxiety in the domestic cat.

Feline social behavior is complex, and how it affects on the expression of problem behaviors such as aggression and house soiling is incompletely understood. This study examined whether observations by owners of normal cats were accurate enough to identify individual and social factors affecting the expression of house soiling, aggression, overgrooming, fabric chewing, resisting handling, and nocturnal hyperactivity in Australian pet cats. Four behavior factors, labeled cat-directed aggression (CDA), cat-directed sociability (CDS), biting (B), and human threat (HT), were identified using principal components analysis. These were compared with cat factors, owner factors, and problem behavior. The age of the cat had a significant effect on CDS and HT, whereas the number of cats living together affected CDA and HT. Positive correlations were found between overgrooming and CDA, resisting handling and B and HT, and nocturnal hyperactivity and B. Negative correlations were found between overgrooming and CDS and nocturnal hyperactivity and HT. A positive relationship was found between fabric chewing and nocturnal hyperactivity. Defecating was negatively correlated with CDA, whereas spraying the entrance was found to correlate with CDA, CDS, and B. Directions for future research into causes of feline problem behaviors are discussed.

This paper reports the results of an owner-answered survey on cat ownership in Australia. We focused on the potential difficulties in acquiring and maintaining pet cats in a country where the cat population has consistently declined since 1988. Additionally, we collected information on owner observations of their cats' temperaments, house-soiling activities, and biting behaviors. Owners' answers suggest that the reason for the decline in numbers of pet cats in Australia is more complex than simply a reduced supply associated with a high rate of neutering. Behavioral components of interest that emerged from this survey included a possible role for coat color and confident temperaments, a lack of association between litterbox attributes and elimination outside of the box in this feline population, and some potentially important associations between feline signaling behaviors and biting. Roles for client education and further research are discussed.