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Feline house soiling, or the elimination of waste products outside the litter box on horizontal and/or vertical surfaces, is one of the most common owner-reported reasons for cat relinquishment. Because these cats’ perceived low potential for adoption, many sheltering organizations do not accept cats with house-soiling histories or euthanize without further interventions. In this study, cats with periuria were accepted into a limited intake shelter and rehomed. Retrospective data were collected from 294 cats with periuria to assess adoption outcomes over a six-year period. Outcome data included length of stay within the shelter, returns, and euthanasias. Nonparametric statistical tests of significance were used to determine differences in outcomes between cats with periuria and the general cat population in this shelter. Year-by-year analyses demonstrated no significant differences in length of stay for four of the six years analyzed. The rates of returns and euthanasias for both populations were low. These results provide evidence that cats with urinary house-soiling behaviors had similar outcomes as the general cat population. These results argue against immediate refusal or disposal of cats who present to shelters with house-soiling behaviors.

Cats living without any outdoor access have to use litter boxes to eliminate. A lack of cleanliness is one of the main reasons for which cat owners consult their veterinarian. What has been identified as one of the major causes for this problem is an inappropriate spot for elimination which does not fit the cats' needs. The following measures are generally agreed about litter boxes: easily accessible in a quiet spot, appropriate size, sufficient number for the size of the home, and the number of cats. The choice of the litter box is mainly influenced by cat owners themselves as much as by commercial availability, rather than by scientific recommendation. The purpose of the present study was to assess which litter box type would be chosen by single-housed cats: a covered (closed) or an uncovered (open) litter box. A field test has been set up to analyze the cats' preferences, and two 4-week studies were conducted. During the first study, which included 13 cats, both litter boxes had the same surface area, whereas in the second study, which included 12 cats, the covered litter boxes had a surface area which was 17% larger than the uncovered ones. The cat's preference was assessed by daily counting of the feces in the boxes. When the surface area was the same, a tendency was in favor of the covered litter boxes with a significant difference at 10% threshold (P = 0.085) but not at a 5% threshold. This difference becomes significant at a 5% threshold (P = 0.011) in the second study in which the 17% difference in surface area clearly favored the covered litter boxes. Cats may prefer commercially available covered litter boxes as opposed to uncovered ones, if they have a larger surface area.

Objectives Changes in bowel movements (BMs) are an important clinical sign in many diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the purpose of this study was to collect information on BMs and fecal scores in both apparently healthy and CKD cats. A secondary aim was to assess owner awareness of BM frequency. Methods Owners were asked to complete an initial online questionnaire about their cat’s health and litter box habits (including predicted BM frequency and fecal scores) and were then asked to clean the box daily for 7 days and report results (observed frequency of BMs and fecal scores) daily. Differences in BM frequency and fecal scores between apparently normal and CKD cats were compared using the Mann–Whitney test, and predicted vs observed data were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Difference in percentage of cats defecating more or less than once daily were assessed with Fisher’s exact test. Results Survey data from 124 owners of apparently healthy cats and 43 owners of CKD cats who submitted two or more days of daily observations (in addition to the initial questionnaire) were analyzed. Eighty-five percent of apparently healthy cats were observed to defecate one or more times per day and 15% defecated less than once per day. Fifty-eight percent of CKD cats defecated one or more times per day and 42% defecated less than once per day. A significantly higher percentage of CKD cats defecated less than once per day in comparison with apparently healthy cats ( P Conclusions and relevance The observed BM frequency of cats with CKD was less than apparently healthy cats and represents a clinically important variation from normal.

Domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are common zoologic companion animals and display specific body language and vocalizations. Social interactions, play behavior, and resting periods are important keystone in domestic ferret behavior. Specific housing and environmental enrichment are recommended to preserve the expression of normal behavior and physiology in ferrets. Presence of abnormal behaviors, including aggression, urination and defecation outside the litter box, stereotypies, and absence of play behavior, should be carefully monitored by veterinarians and ferret owners to assess ferret wellness. Specific considerations, such as deafness, poor vision, and hybridation with other mustelids, may play a role in ferret behavior.

As pet ownership is soaring each year, the demands for a higher quality of pet care products are increasing as well. This has driven the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in this field. Using the technology of IoT, pet owners can remotely track their pet's activity and location, monitor their pet's health condition or even interact with their pets. All these smart pet care products are playing an indispensable role in the pet owner's daily life. In the present project, we apply the IoT technology to implement an integrated system including pet food feeder, water dispenser, and litter box, which are the three most fundamental elements that pet owners will be concerned about when they are busy or away from their pets. The three subsystems are connected to the local network with Arduino Uno boards and Wi-Fi modules. Furthermore, the data collected from each sensor are processed and displayed on a smartphone application. Thus, pet owners through only one single interface, they can obtain all the information regarding pet's food consumption, water consumption, as well as defecation timing, duration, and frequency. Additionally, a controlling function is also enabled in the application for the pet owners to dispense food anytime and anywhere. An overall statistical chart with the mentioned values is presented in the application, updating from time to time. With this pet care system in a smartphone application, we provide pet owners an efficient, convenient and low-cost tool for pet care.

Consider the humble vacuum robot. In Chapter 1, “Will Robots Replace You?”, we recounted the story in which a friend’s Roomba navigated itself into and through a cat litter box and across her wood floor, depositing and spreading litter and stool. In her case, the damage was temporary, but what if the damage had been permanent, perhaps destroying an antique rug? If we assume that the robot is a tool, we might ask whether the scenario was foreseeable and whether the manufacturer was strictly liable because product warnings and instructions failed to clearly warn the user about floor-level containers with a low barrier (in this case a litter box).

Cats living inside a home without any possibility of outdoor access have to defecate in a litter box. To suit the cats' needs, several recommendations seem to be agreed upon. The litter box has to be clean and in a calm spot easily accessible to the cat. It has to be in a size that fits the cat. The number of litter boxes has to be correlated with the number of cats present at home as well as the size of the household. The box should contain a substrate that allows the cat to comfortably dig in it. The box should be of a size and the litter of a style that the cat can defecate without soiling itself in the process. The litter should be sufficiently absorbent and manage odor. Facing a great range of commercial possibilities, cat owners have to make a choice. There is no standard recommendation about substrate. The study sought to identify preferences of cats regarding a specific type of substrate by comparing clay granules, silica in microgranules, silica granules, and wood pellets. The study was divided into 2 phases. Eighteen cats were selected for the first phase that lasted 4 weeks. Three strictly identical and uncovered litter boxes were presented to the cats. Each box contained one of the substrates (i.e., clay granules, silica in microgranules, wood pellets). The cats demonstrated a significant preference for the clay or silicate substrates (no significant difference between them) as opposed to the wood pellets. In the second phase, 12 cats were observed during 2 weeks to compare their reaction to clay and silicate. Here, the same grain texture (i.e., granules) was used. The cats showed a significant inclination to defecate into the clay substrate, instead of the silica substrate.

Feline elimination problems are commonly presented to general practitioners and behavioral medicine specialists. The correct diagnosis is often missed by veterinarians owing to individual variation and multifactorial cases. Three diagnostic umbrellas need to be considered: medical problems, toileting behavior outside of the litter box, and urine marking. The treatment plan for most cases, regardless of etiology, involves optimum litter box management, fulfilling cats' environmental needs, stress reduction, behavior therapy techniques, and trigger removal. Medical management with psychoactive medication might be necessary in cases where chronic stress, fear, and anxiety play a role in the feline patient's symptomatology.

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social behaviors and litter box use. Study 1 determined that cats preferred to eliminate in litter containing 2M2B; other semiochemicals tested did not change litter box use. Cats prone to aggression were identified in an intermediate pilot study, and eight pairs of these cats were selected for Study 2. In Study 2, cat pairs were provided litter containing either vehicle or 2M2B for 24 hours. Cats experiencing control litter displayed more aggression during the first 6 hours (p

Few studies have sought to describe cat elimination behavior in detail and much of the information presently available focuses on factors that potentially cause cats to reject a litter box. Thus, the ethograms published in the current veterinary and scientific literature largely focus on macro behaviors (e.g., enter box, dig, squat, cover, and exit box) and lack the detail necessary to make distinctions between types of litter box experiences for cats. To facilitate our understanding of what positive and negative litter box experiences look like for cats, we observed cats eliminating in both an enriched (“positive”) and in a clinic-like (“restricted”) environment. Our results reveal that cat elimination behavior is complex and may include up to 39 different behaviors expressed during urination and defecation events. We further evaluated each event, examining the behaviors occurring pre-, during, and post-elimination as a means to better understand the behaviors associated with the appetitive, consummatory, and post-consummatory phases of the reward cycle around elimination. In doing so, we found clear differences in behavior at different stages of the elimination sequence between our two environments. In general, the elimination sequence was prolonged in the clinic-like environment compared to the enriched environment (P

It is commonly assumed that cats actively avoid eliminated materials (especially in multi-cat homes), suggesting regular litter box cleaning as the best defense against out-of-box elimination. The relationship between previous use and litter box appeal to familiar subsequent users is currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between previous litter box use and the identity of the previous user, type of elimination, odor, and presence of physical/visual obstructions in a multi-cat household scenario. Cats preferred a clean litter box to a dirty one, but the identity of the previous user had no impact on preferences. While the presence of odor from urine and/or feces did not impact litter box preferences, the presence of odorless faux-urine and/or feces did – with the presence of faux-feces being preferred over faux-urine. Results suggest neither malodor nor chemical communication play a role in litter box preferences, and instead emphasize the importance of regular removal of physical/visual obstructions as the key factor in promoting proper litter box use.

Background Urinary disorders in cats often require subjective caregiver quantification of clinical signs to establish a diagnosis and monitor therapeutic outcomes. Objective To investigate use of a video recording system (VRS) to better assess and quantify urination behaviors in cats. Animals Eleven healthy cats and 8 cats with disorders potentially associated with abnormal urination patterns. Methods Prospective study design. Litter box urination behaviors were quantified with a VRS for 14 days and compared to daily caregiver observations. Video recordings were analyzed by a behavior analysis software program. Results The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS (2.5 ± 0.7) was significantly higher compared with caregiver observations (0.6 ± 0.6; P < .0001). Five cats were never observed in the litter box by their caregivers. The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS was significantly higher for abnormal cats (2.9 ± 0.7) compared with healthy cats (2.1 ± 0.7; P = .02); there were no apparent differences in frequency between these groups reported by caregivers (0.7 ± 1.0 and 0.5 ± 1.0, respectively). There were no differences in mean urination time between healthy and abnormal cats as determined by VRS or caregivers. Mean cover-up time determined by VRS was significantly longer in healthy cats (22.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination) compared with abnormal cats (8.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination; P = .03); differences in cover-up time were not detected by caregivers. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Caregivers commonly underestimate urination frequency in cats when compared to video-based observations. Video recording appears to facilitate objective assessment of urination behaviors and could be of value in future clinical studies of urinary disorders in cats.

Although millions of cats live among humans worldwide the scientific community knows relatively little about cat behavior and cognition. Olfaction is an important perceptual sense for many members of Carnivora, however the role of chemical signals in cat social relationships is not fully understood. Research indicates chemical signals play an important role in many areas of cat behavior including mother-offspring and conspecific interactions and exploration of their environment. Chemical cues appear to play a role in stress and anxiety reduction, allowing cats to feel secure in their environment. A better understanding of cat chemical signals, especially as it relates to within and between species communication, may lead to an increase in cat wellbeing as humans can utilize this knowledge in applied settings. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to investigate how cats process and use chemical signals in social contexts and identify ways this information can be applied to address cat behavioral issues, such as inappropriate litter box and scratching behavior, and improve cat welfare, including species-appropriate ways of reinforcing the human-cat bond.

With the change and development of the times, more and more young people live alone in the cities, and with the pressure of work, they are often lack of company. Cats are docile in nature, like keeping neat and tidy, and don’t need too much time with their owners, so keeping pet cats is more convenient for most of people. Therefore, pet cats are very popular among young people, more and more young people start to keep pet cats as companions. In addition, with the improvement of people’s living standards, the average family can also afford to raise a cat. Whether as a companion to a child or a member of the family, pet cats are also very popular in ordinary families. According to the surveys, most families now have some pets. But obviously it’s a problem for these families to deal with the excrement of the cats. Because of the heavy smell, every time shoveling the feces will cause a lot of trouble to people. What’s worse, the smell of feces will evaporate in the air, causing air pollution. In order to solve the above problems, we designed a smart litter box that can separate and completely seal the cat feces. It solves the problem of the difficulty in handling cat feces and the heavy smell of cat feces, and can maximize the utilization of household space. Through the fully automated function and effective human-computer interaction function of this litter box, people can greatly save the time and energy spent in processing cat feces.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether associations existed between onychectomy or onychectomy technique and house soiling in cats. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE 281 owners of 455 cats in Polk County, Iowa, identified via a list of randomly selected residential phone numbers of cat owners in that region. PROCEDURES A telephone survey was conducted to collect information from cat owners on factors hypothesized a priori to be associated with house soiling, including cat sex, reproductive status, medical history, and onychectomy history. When cats that had undergone onychectomy were identified, data were collected regarding the cat's age at the time of the procedure and whether a carbon dioxide laser (CDL) had been used. Information on history of house soiling behavior (urinating or defecating outside the litter box) was also collected. RESULTS Onychectomy technique was identified as a risk factor for house soiling. Cats for which a non-CDL technique was used had a higher risk of house soiling than cats for which the CDL technique was used. Cats that had undergone onychectomy and that lived in a multicat (3 to 5 cats) household were more than 3 times as likely to have house soiled as were single-housed cats with intact claws. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this cross-sectional study suggested that use of the CDL technique for onychectomy could decrease the risk of house soiling by cats relative to the risk associated with other techniques. This and other findings can be used to inform the decisions of owners and veterinarians when considering elective onychectomy for cats.

Feline environmental enrichment can prevent numerous disorders including anxiety, stress, obesity, and feline idiopathic cystitis. Despite its easy implementation and low cost, it has received little attention. The main goal of this study was to assess guardians' knowledge concerning feline environmental enrichment and husbandry practices. A questionnaire was given to 130 companion animal guardians at the Lisbon Veterinary Faculty's Teaching Hospital. The applications of 22 environmental enrichment measures related to food/water, litter box, and space/entertainment areas were evaluated. The majority of the households studied (74.6%) had a moderately enriched environment. Hygiene-related measures were those most adopted by guardians, while those requiring guardians' commitment or previous awareness were the least implemented. A rating scale was proposed and applied to assess feline domestic environmental quality.

Fifty-eight obese cats were fed 1 of 3 equicaloric diets for 8 weeks: a high-fiber (HiFi) diet, a control diet formulated to maintain weight in adult cats, or a low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet. The cats' changes in weight at 4 and 8 weeks were compared with baseline weights. Behaviors at 4 weeks were compared between diet groups. Whether the cats differed in behaviors compared with baseline was compared at 4 and 8 weeks without regard to diet. The behaviors were recorded by the owners and analyzed for direction of the change (if change occurred). The behaviors were prefeeding begging, following, meowing, and pacing. Those recorded postfeeding and similarly analyzed were jump in lap, purr, rest, sleep, and use litter box. The owners were also asked whether the cat's affection toward them had changed since the diet was fed. Most of the cats (38 of 47; 81% of those with data for that time) lost weight during the first 4 weeks, irrespective of the diet; there was no difference in percentage of original body weight lost at 4 weeks between the diets ( P = 0.36). However, the HiFi group lost relatively more weight across the entire 8 weeks than did the low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet group ( P = 0.0075). Overall, 38 of 50 (76% of cats with data for that time) of all cats had weight losses at 8 weeks. Irrespective of the diet, many cats reacted to caloric restriction by intensifying their appetitive behaviors. Of the cats that had changed the frequency of the particular behavior at 4 weeks, most increased the frequency: begging (32 of 41 increased), following (35 of 37), meowing (34 of 38), and pacing (30 of 31) before the meal (all P ≤ 0.0001); however, the cats did not begin to beg earlier during food restriction ( P = 0.47). The cats also increased the 4-week postmeal (satiated) behavior for jump in the owners lap (14 of 15 increased) and use the litter box (12 of 13) (both P ≤ 0.005). Affectionate behavior increased in most cats (30 of 32 with change at 4 weeks; P ≤ 0.001). The changes in behaviors at 8 weeks generally followed the same patterns except that purr became significant, and both beg and use of litter lost significance. A HiFi diet led to more weight loss at 8 weeks than an equicaloric and high-protein diet, but the type of diet did not affect appetitive and satiated behaviors. Of the cats that changed behaviors, the appetitive behaviors typically increased, and the owners felt that their cats displayed more affection.

Understanding cat owners’ housing, care, and management practices is important for promoting cat welfare. A survey study was conducted on the housing and management practices used for cats by students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University and Purdue University veterinary colleges. Subjects were 138 cat-owner dyads. Most cats (74%) were housed strictly indoors in keeping with common US veterinary recommendations. However, many did not implement best practices outlined for behavior and other welfare needs of indoor cats. The percentage of respondents placing resources where cats could be disrupted while using them was 31%, 53%, and 30% for resting areas, food/water dishes, and litter boxes, respectively. Many cats were not provided a litter box in a private area (35%), in multiple areas of the house (51%), or that was regularly washed (73%). Horizontal scratching opportunities were not provided to 38% of cats; 32% were not provided toys that mimic prey and 91% of cats were fed a diet consisting of >75% dry food. These findings suggest a need for more concerted efforts to educate owners about meeting their cats’ welfare needs so as to attenuate risks and improve cat physical and behavioral welfare outcomes.

Feces littered on the ground by free-roaming cats contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites and pose a significant health risk to humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of communal litter box provision on the defecation behavior of a free-roaming cat population. The study was conducted at H temple and its graveyard in the uptown area of old-town Onomichi, Japan. Cat feces were collected and weighed once a week for 4 weeks, at five popular defecation sites in the temple precincts and graveyard, to assess the quantity of feces left by the cats. A commercial cat repellent was then applied to the ground at 11 sites, including the five popular defecation sites, and six communal litter boxes, created by filling repurposed plastic planters with cat litter, were provided at different sites. The feces in the six litter boxes and on the ground at the five defecation sites were collected and weighed once a week for 14 weeks. The behavior of the cats around the litter boxes and defecation sites was captured using trail cameras. The total weight of the feces collected from the ground before the application of the litter boxes and cat repellent was 939 g. Three adult cats were mainly responsible for the feces on the ground. The amount of feces found on the ground around the temple decreased gradually and significantly after the provision application of the litter boxes and repellent, and reached 0 g in the final week of the study. In contrast, the average weight of the feces in the six litter boxes increased gradually and significantly, and reached 65.7 g/litter box/week in the 14th week. The results showed that the provision of litter boxes and the use of repellent is effective in changing the defecation behavior of ownerless free-roaming cats. We recommend promoting the provision of litter boxes to free-roaming cats to reduce fecal pollution in Onomichi and engaging with local cat feeders to participate in the management of the litter boxes, such as cleaning and changing the litter.

Objectives The aim of this study was to perform a case-control medical evaluation of cats from multi-cat households presenting with inappropriate latrining and spraying behavior. Methods Owners of 18 ‘spraying’ and 23 ‘latrining’ cats with normal control subjects available from the same households were recruited for a case-control study. Otherwise overtly healthy dyads (each dyad consisting of a case cat and a control cat) were brought together to the veterinary hospital of the University of São Paulo for a medical work-up (ie, physical examination, complete blood count, biochemical profile, urinalysis and urine culture, abdominal ultrasound of the urinary system and in females, where possible, cystoscopy). Results Medical problems were identified with similar frequency in the ‘sprayers’ (38.9%), ‘latriners’ (39.1%) and controls of the latrining group (26.1%), but not the controls of the spraying group (5.5%). The difference between ‘cases’ and ‘controls’ from spraying households was significant. Common potential health-related changes include renal insufficiency, cystitis and bladder lithiasis. Renal calculi, higher creatinine levels (within normal reference interval) and ‘glomerulations’ (detected during cystoscopy) were also found in the remaining sprayers and latriners that were considered clinically healthy. Post-cystoscopy, a new form of periuria occurred in two cats (one sprayer and one latriner). Conclusions and relevance These results indicate that spraying or latrining behavior in the home, as well as living with a cat that is not using the litter box as a latrine, are all associated with a higher level of urinary tract abnormalities; living with a cat that is spraying, however, does not have this association. The findings also suggest that both forms of periuria might be associated with interstitial cystitis. We therefore conclude that all cats with periuria need to be carefully evaluated medically and that treatment of latrine-related problems should consider all cats in the house, whereas spraying may be more focused on the individual displaying the problem.

Urinary house soiling (periuria) in the home is a common but serious behaviour problem in cats. Although many specific risk factors and triggers have been postulated, their importance is largely unknown. This study assessed: (1) the significance of purported risk factors for periuria as well as specifically marking and latrine behaviour in the home; (2) the specificity and sensitivity of signs commonly used to differentiate latrine and marking behaviour. Owner responses to an internet survey (n = 245) were classified into three groups: control, marking and latrine behaviour, along with 41 potential risk factors and 15 predictors used to diagnose marking and latrine problems. Univariate statistical analyses and non-parametric tests of association were used to determine simple associations. In addition the sensitivity and specificity of four cardinal signs (posture to urinate, attempt to cover soiled area, surface chosen and volume of urine deposited) were calculated. Significant potential risk factors were: age (marking cats were older than the other two groups); multi-cat household (increased risk of marking and latrine behaviours); free outside access and cat flaps in the house (higher frequency of marking); outside access in general (lower prevalence of latrine behaviour); defecation outside the litter box (higher frequency of latrine behaviour); a heavy dependence by the cat on its owner (lower frequency of latrine behaviour) and a relaxed personality (lower risk of marking behaviour). Litterbox attributes and disease related factors were not significant. Individual cardinal signs were generally not good predictors of diagnosis. This study challenges the poor quality of evidence that has underpinned some of the hypotheses concerning the causes of periuria in cats. The results, in particular, highlight the general importance of the social environment, with the presence of other cats in the household, the cat-owner bond and personality related factors, alongside factors like the use of a cat flap which might also alter the social environment, all implicated as significant risk factors. While the physical environment may be important in specific cases, it seems this is less important as a general risk factor. The findings quantify the risk of misdiagnosis if a single sign is considered sufficient for diagnosis.

Urine marking in cats is one of the most recurrent pathologies observed in clinical consults. The cause can be (amongst others) stress, anxiety, litter box aversion, hormonal disturbance, or territoriality or other responses to other cats. In addition to environmental enrichment, treatment consists of sterilization and/or the use of pheromones, and in some cases is complemented with drug therapy; the use of buspirone is considered appropriate. The goal of this study was to evaluate, with a clinical study, significant differences between oral and transdermal buspirone administration. Individual evaluation and directed selection established two experimental groups. Patients in Group 1 were given buspirone tablets and patients in Group 2 were given buspirone in the form of pluronic lecithin organogel. Effects were evaluated after 35 days of treatment. Statistical analysis of results indicated no significant differences between oral and transdermal administration on the reduction in frequency of urine...

Simple Summary Cats are popular pets, with increases in both the number of households that have cats and the number of cats per household. Cats can also have great negative impacts on wildlife. In Chile, the potential influence of owned cats on wildlife has not been studied, which is why the aim of this study was to investigate the number and type of prey that cats bring home and its relationship with responsible ownership practices. For this, we sent a questionnaire to pet owners across the country. The survey included questions about the type of household and pets, if cats had brought prey back home, and responsible ownership practices. The results showed that from 5216 respondents, 94.3% had a pet; from these, 49.9% had at least one cat. There were on average 2.2 cats per household, and 84.1% of owners reported that their cats had brought back prey. Birds and mammals were the most common type of prey, followed by insects. The lack of responsible ownership practices such as not being registered, not having a litter box, having free access to the outdoors, or living in a house with a garden and providing a hiding place increased the probability of cats bringing back home prey. Abstract The domestic cat (Felis catus) has become a worldwide threat to wildlife. The potential impact of owned cats on wildlife in Chile has not been documented at a large scale. The purpose of this study was to investigate the number and type of prey that owned cats bring back in Chile and its relation with responsible ownership practices. An online survey was distributed to 5216 households that included questions about the type of pet, responsible ownership practices, and in the case of cats, the type of prey they brought home. Descriptive statistics as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied. The results showed that 94.3% of respondents had a pet, and from these, 49.9% had at least one cat. A total of 84.1% of owners reported that their cats had brought back prey. Birds were the most common type of prey, followed by mammals and insects. Not being registered with a microchip, not having a litter box, living in a house with access to a garden, not having a hiding place for the cats, and having free access to the outdoors significantly increased the odds of cats bringing back prey. Body condition score or providing ad libitum food to cats did not have an effect on bringing prey.

Feline inappropriate elimination (periuria and/or perichezia) remains a very common behavioral complaint of cat owners. Treatment recommendations often include improving the attractiveness of the litter boxes available to the cat. One frequent recommendation is to avoid covered litter boxes, although this has not previously been tested experimentally. The goal of this study was to assess whether, all else being equal, cats preferentially used uncovered litter boxes over covered litter boxes. Twenty-eight cats were enrolled in the study and offered the choice of a covered or uncovered box. Waste was scooped daily from each box, and the weight of waste in the different box styles was compared and evaluated using paired t-tests and χ2 analyses. Overall, there was no significant difference between use of the two box styles. Eight individual cats did exhibit a preference (four for covered, four for uncovered), but individual preference results are not evenly distributed, with more cats than expected showing no preference between litter box types. We postulate that, if boxes are kept sufficiently clean (ie, once daily minimum cleaning), most cats will not show a preference for either box type. The observation that a minority of cats in the study exhibited a preference supports the recommendation of providing individual cats with a ‘cafeteria’ of litter box styles, including a covered box, to determine whether such a preference exists. These findings add to existing literature on the topic of feline inappropriate elimination and provide additional information for clinicians recommending treatment options for cats exhibiting this behavior.

Pretesting farm animal housing systems that are intended for mass production is a practical way to increase and ensure product quality of livestock systems. The Swiss authorization procedure requires new systems and equipment for farm animals to show improvement with regard to animal welfare. For this purpose, a method to test hen colony nests was developed and subsequently applied to assess the suitability of five commercial nests. First, we developed a “minimal nest” that fulfilled the minimum requirements of the Swiss Animal Welfare Regulations (development phase). In a second step consisting of five experiments, the minimal nest was offered in combination with one of the commercial nests (assessment phase). For approval, the hens’ preference for the commercial nest must be better than or equal to their preference for the minimal nest. The experiments were carried out with eight (development phase) or nine (assessment phase) groups of 20 hens and spanned the 18th to the 26th (development phase) or 28th (assessment phase) week of age. The numbers of eggs in the nests and on the floor were registered daily, and the behaviour and positions of the hens were recorded during the last two weeks of the experiments. The hens significantly preferred an open litter box to a minimal nest with an open front side (59% vs. 36% of the eggs, p

The furnished cage is a new housing system for layers. A current trend in furnished cage design is to increase group size and replace the litter box with a mat provided with litter. An experiment was set up to determine the effects of group size and litter provision on laying performance and egg quality of beak-trimmed ISA Brown hens housed in large furnished cages with more than 12 hens. Six treatments, each of 18 furnished cages (768 cm(2)/hen including nest and litter area) were compared in a 3 × 2 experimental trial: three group sizes (S20 (20 hens per cage), S40 (40) and S60 (60)), with or without feed as litter distributed on the mat of the litter area. The provision of facilities per hen was equal in all treatments. Mortality, laying rate, mean egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were unaffected by group size over the 53-week laying period, and performance exceeded the ISA production standards. The overall percentage of eggs laid in the nest exceeded 95% except that it was slightly lower in group S20 (92.0% ± 6.4% v. S40: 96.0% ± 3.3% and S60: 96.2% ± 2.7%) leading to a higher proportion of dirty eggs (S20: 1.6% ± 2.2%, S40: 1.4% ± 1.5%, S60: 1.0% ± 1.0%). At 66 to 70 weeks, eggs laid outside the nest had a slightly higher count of mesophilic bacteria on the eggshell (5.0 log CFU/egg ± 0.4) than those laid in the nest (4.8 log CFU/egg ± 0.5) but no difference in contamination was observed between group sizes. Litter provision had no effect on mortality, egg weight or egg quality traits except for a higher proportion of broken eggs in cages with litter (5.3% ± 6.2% v. 4.6% ± 5.7%). Providing hens with feed for litter was associated with a higher laying rate (97.3% ± 3.2% v. 94.8% ± 4.4% at 23 weeks) and an apparent improvement in feed efficiency at the beginning of the laying period (feed conversion ratio based on feed consumption at the trough: 2.18 ± 0.06 with litter v. 2.28 ± 0.09 without litter at 25 weeks). The results of this study showed that a high level of productivity and good egg quality could be obtained in large furnished cages. Further research is needed to assess the impact on hens' welfare and performance of using more economically competitive substrates than feed for litter.

Feline inappropriate elimination is the number one behavioral reason for relinquishment of cats to shelters and has historically been the most commonly reported feline problem addressed by behavior professionals. Veterinarians are hence challenged to uncover the underlying motivation for this behavior so that an accurate diagnosis can be made and an effective treatment plan implemented. Before a behavioral diagnosis can be made, underlying medical disease must be addressed, making a comprehensive physical evaluation imperative. After all medical issues have been addressed, a behavior diagnoses list is made based on detailed historical information obtained from the cat owner. A distinction is first established between marking and inappropriate toileting, according to elimination postures described by the owner and the social relevance of the sites of inappropriate eliminations. Next, inadequacies of the litter box management are identified and subsequent aversions and preferences, including litter box aversion, substrate aversion, location aversion, substrate preference, and location preference, can be diagnosed. The practitioner should be cognizant of the fact that anxiety from the environment and social conflict may play a major role in both marking and inappropriate toileting behaviors. Once both the medical and behavioral diagnoses are established, a treatment plan catered to the individual cat, owner, and household environment can be formulated. This should include acceptable forms of marking when indicated, appropriate litter box management and hygiene, reduction of environmental stressors, including resolution of social conflict in multicat households, proper treatment and restricted access to soiled areas, pheromone application, and, when indicated, anxiolytic drug therapy.

The domestic rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus , is descended from the European rabbit, which lives in large social groups and digs extensive warrens. Behavior problems include urine spraying, failure to use the litter box, fear of humans and human-directed aggression, intraspecies aggression, destructive digging and chewing, and infanticide. These problems are best prevented and treated by understanding their origin in both species-specific behavior and learning. Urine spraying is primarily a problem of intact males. Litter box use results from both rabbits' species-specific tendency to use particular sites for elimination and from training. Rabbits may become fearful of humans because of painful or frightening experiences with them. Rabbits will become comfortable with humans if they have numerous positive interactions with them. Fearful or aggressive rabbits may be treated by repeatedly exposing them to pleasant associations with humans. Rabbits are territorial and may aggressively reject new rabbits that are not members of the group. Introduction of a new rabbit must be gradual, allowing rabbits to become familiar with each other and preventing them from fighting. Digging and chewing are natural, species-specific behaviors. Giving rabbits acceptable objects to chew prevents them from destroying household items. Infanticide originates, in part, from intense competition between wild females for safe nesting sites. Housing birthing does separately may prevent infanticide.

Compared with lean humans, the gut microbiota is altered in the obese. Whether these changes are due to an obesogenic diet, and whether the microbiota contributes to adiposity is currently discussed. In the cat population, where obesity is also prevalent, gut microbiome changes associated with obesity have not been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of lean cats, with that of overweight and obese cats. Seventy-seven rescue-shelter cats housed for ≥3 consecutive days were included in the study. Faecal samples were obtained by rectal swab and, when available, by a paired litter box sample. Body condition was assessed using a 9-point scoring system. DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with a high-throughput quantitative real-time PCR chip. Overweight and obese cats had a significantly different gut microbiota compared to lean cats (p

1. This study included two designs of furnished cages for 16 hens; H-cages divided into two apartments by a partition with pop holes in the middle of the cage, and fully open O-cages, without a partition. The hypothesis was that in this rather large group of birds the pop hole partition would benefit the birds by allowing them to avoid or escape from potential cannibals, feather-peckers or aggressive hens. All cages had two nests, two perches and one litter box. 2. A total of 10 cages (5 H and 5 O) were stocked with Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and 8 cages (4 H and 4 O) with Hy-Line W36. No birds were beak-trimmed. 3. Heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratios, duration of tonic immobility (TI) and exterior appearance (scoring of plumage condition and wounds at comb or around cloaca) were used as indicators of well-being. Total mortality and deaths due to cannibalism were also recorded. 4. Visits to nests and passages through partition pop holes were studied in samples of 35 and 21 birds, respectively, using a technique based on passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. 5. Cage design (H- vs O-cage) had no effect on the welfare traits chosen. 6. Hy-Line birds showed higher H/L ratios, longer duration of TI and better plumage condition than LSL birds. These differences are discussed in terms of stress thresholds and copying strategies. 7. On days when a hen made visits to nests, the visiting frequency was 1.4 and the total time in the nest was 41 min on average. Hens made use of the pop hole passages between 1 and 8 times per hen and day. 8. Overall low levels of aggression, lack of injuries or deaths due to cannibalism, and plumage condition indicating moderate feather pecking, together imply a low need to escape. The pop holes were used frequently and birds distributed well between compartments showing that the system worked well. However, at this group size there was no evidence in the measured traits that H-cages provided a better housing environment.

Owning a pet can have many health, emotional and social benefits for children, but pets can also serve as source of zoonotic diseases. OWNING A PET can have many health, emotional and social benefits for children, but pets can also serve as source of zoonotic diseases. A zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed between humans and animals. Most healthy people will not pick up bacteria or pathogens from contact with a pet. However, young children, pregnant women, seniors and people with weakened immune system, including those undergoing treatment for cancer, are more vulnerable. A recent review aims to raise awareness among healthcare providers about the health risks associated with owning popular pets, including dogs, cats, rodents like hamsters, and reptiles or amphibians such as lizards, turtles or frogs (Stull, Brophy, & Weese, 2015). According to the authors of the study, companion animals are a potential source for more than 70 human diseases including salmonella, antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as clostridium difficile, campylobacter jejuni and other diseases. In addition, pets can expose humans to parasites such as hookworms, roundworms and toxoplasma, a parasite sometimes spread through contact with a cat's litter box that can be especially hazardous to pregnant women and their fetuses. Although patient surveys and epidemiologic studies suggest that the occurrence of pet-associated disease is low overall, the number is likely underestimated, owing to the relative absence of reportable pathogens and complicating factors (e.g., non-pet exposure pathways, frequent subclinical shedding by pets). The proportion of human disease in high-risk populations attributable to pets is unknown

Objective—To evaluate effects of environmental management alone on marking frequency in cats with urine marking and to obtain demographic data on cats with urine marking and data on owner-perceived factors that contributed to urine marking behavior. Design—Single-intervention study. Animals—40 neutered male and 7 spayed female cats. Procedure—During a 2-week baseline phase, owners maintained a daily record of the number of urine marks. This phase was followed by a 2-week environmental management phase during which owners cleaned recently deposited urine marks daily, scooped waste from the litter box daily, and changed the litter and cleaned the litter box weekly while continuing to record urine marks. Results—Male cats and cats from multicat households were significantly overrepresented, compared with the general pet cat population in California. The most commonly mentioned causative factors for urine marking were agonistic interactions with other cats outside or inside the home. Environmental management procedures resulted in an overall reduction in urine marking frequency. Among cats that marked ≥ 6 times during the baseline phase, females were significantly more likely to respond to treatment (≥ 50% reduction in marking frequency) than were males. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggest that male cats and cats from multicat households are more likely to exhibit urine marking behavior than females and cats from single-cat households. Results also suggest that attention to environmental and litter box hygiene can reduce marking frequency in cats, regardless of sex or household status of the cats, and may come close to resolving the marking problem in some cats. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;219:1709–1713)

Osteoarthritis is a condition most frequently recognized in the geriatric cat but may occur in any cat suffering from joint abnormality or injury. Clinical signs include weight loss, anorexia, depression, urinating outside the litter box, poor grooming, and lameness. Radiographs and synovial fluid analysis are used to distinguish this disease from the various forms of inflammatory arthritis that affect the cat. Management consists mainly of envirorunental manipulation and medical management. Agents used for the medical management of painful osteoarthritis in cats include aspirin, butorphanol, corticosteroids, and oral nutritional supplements.

In order to determine the frequency of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in domestic cats and to identify the possible risk factors, 169 domestic cats from 16 municipalities of Mexico City were studied. Their serum was tested by indirect ELISA and the owners answered a questionnaire about age, gender, litter box hygiene, contact with other cats, housing (indoor, outdoor) and diet. We found 37 (21.8%) seropositive cats to T. gondii with an increase in frequency related to age. Main risk factors were female gender, feeding the pet with raw meat and infrequent cleaning of the litter box. The frequency of T. gondii antibodies found in domestic cats of Mexico City suggests active transmission within an urban environment.

Urination and defecation outside the litter box is one of the most common behavior problems reported by cat caretakers and the most common behavioral reason that results in the relinquishment of cats to shelters. A physical examination, laboratory tests, and a thorough behavioral history are necessary to differentiate between the diagnoses of disease, marking, and inappropriate elimination. This study followed up on the outcome of cats who were treated for inappropriate elimination. Fifty-eight caregivers completed a telephone questionnaire 12 to 54 months after treatment was initiated. Twenty-seven (47%) of caregivers felt their cat was cured, 15 (26%) felt their cat was much better, 8 (14%) slightly better, 6 (10%) the same, and 2 (3%) worse. Forty caregivers (67%) observed a 90% to 100% reduction in frequency. There was a significant association between the caregivers' perception of treatment outcome and percentage reduction in frequency. There was a significant association between caregivers compliance and outcome. The results of this study give caregivers a valid and promising alternative to relinquishment for inappropriate elimination problems.

Objective—To determine frequency of house soiling, aggression toward people, and aggression toward other cats among kittens adopted from an animal shelter and whether frequency of these behaviors was associated with age at the time of neutering. Design—Survey. Animals—126 kittens adopted from a humane society at 6 to 13 weeks of age. Procedure—Owners of the kittens were contacted by telephone approximately 4, 18, and 52 weeks after kittens were adopted, and a behavioral assessment questionnaire was administered. Owners were asked to indicate whether the kitten had displayed the specific behavior in the preceding 30 days. Sixty-three kittens were neutered prior to adoption; the remaining 63 were neutered at 5 to 7 months of age, after the second behavioral assessment. Results—In the month following adoption, 64 (50.8%) kittens were reported to have at least 1 of the 3 behaviors. There was no evidence that the 3 behaviors were related. The percentage of kittens reported to urinate or defecate outside the litter box decreased from the first to second evaluation and remained low at the third evaluation. The percentage of kittens reported to show aggression toward people and the percentage reported to show aggression toward other cats decreased from the first to second evaluation, but increased again at the third evaluation. There was no significant association between age at the time of neutering and any of the 3 behaviors. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggest behavior problems may be common in kittens adopted from a humane society, particularly during the first month after adoption. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004;224:1790–1795)

Human toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses worldwide. As for other zoonoses, veterinarians play an important role in the education of the human population regarding the risk of infection. Knowledge of the parasite's biological charateristics, life cycle and trasmission routes is necessary to correctly illustrate real risk factors to those people who have direct contact with animals (farm animals, pets, etc). Toxoplasmosis represents one of the more difficult “educational” challenges for small animal clinicians. Veterinarians are often faced with the need to explain to their clients that it is not necessary, for example, to give away one's cat during pregnancy and that if they follow a few very simple “rules”, living with their pets need not represent any risk for infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Cats are the definitive host of T. gondii; they are the only animals that pass oocysts in their feces. They become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or other small animals. Once oocysts are shed, they require 1 to 5 days to sporulate and become infective. Cats pass oocysts for only 2 to 3 weeks following primary infection. Mature cats are less likely to shed Toxoplasma if they have been previously infected. Litter box hygiene is the main precaution in preventing transmission of toxoplasmosis from pet cats 1. A Toxoplasma-infected cat that is shedding the parasite in its feces (approximately 2% of the cat population at any given time) contaminates the litter box. If the cat is allowed outside, it can contaminate the soil or water in the environment as well. Litter boxes should be cleaned daily and not placed in kitchen or dining areas. Pregnant women should avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, they should wear disposable gloves and wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards. Direct contact with cats is unlikely to result in transmission of toxoplasmosis because most cats do not leave feces on their fur for the 1 to 5 days required for oocyst sporulation. Interestingly, cat ownership has not been associated with an increase in Toxoplasma seroconversion among HIV-infected persons 2. Along with their pregnant owners, cats should also avoid becoming infected with T. gondii. Therefore, cats should not be allowed to hunt and should not be fed raw or undercooked meat. This is extremely important, in that raw or undercooked meat is one of the most common routes of transmission for T. gondii, for both humans and animals 3. Pregnant women at risk must not only avoid eating raw meat, but should also wash their hands thouroughly after handling it. Because outdoor cats frequently defecate in gardens and T. gondii oocysts may survive for months under appropriate conditions, pregnant women should wear gloves when gardening or working with soil and should immediately wash their hands afterwards. They should also avoid eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden. Finally, because young cats more often eliminate oocysts compared to older cats, pregnant women should not adopt or handle kittens and should avoid getting a new cat during pregnancy. A recent study 4 has shown that communication between physicians and veterinarians about zoonotic diseases is largely absent. Enhancing such communication could help prevent transmission of zoonotic agents. Links between the professions on a broader scale (e.g., through combined veterinary/medical student training and continuing education) to foster a broader consensus about zoonotic disease risks and prevention should also be encouraged. This is particularly true with regards to T. gondii, where the consequences of infection can be very severe, while the risk of living with one's beloved cat is practically nill.

The biotonus test developed by Trumler (1987) in order to evaluate the vitality of pups is still very common among breeders and cynologists. Trumler assumes that pups are more viable if they are more active in their drive to reach their mother’s teats in their first days of life. He even suggests that pups with a low biotonus score should be eliminated. We designed a study to test the significance of the biotonus test in respect to later ontogenetic development. Specifically, we correlated the results of the biotonus tests with results of dominance and exploration tests after Wright (1978) and with the weights of the pups on day 5 and at the age of 10 weeks. Additionally, we recorded frequencies of body contact as well as the durations of play behavior of the pups outside their litter box up to the age of 10 weeks. Data were collected in winter 2008/09 on a litter of Greenland dog pups (3 _, 2 \) kept together with their parents in an outdoor kennel. Biotonus tests were conducted on a wooden grid board on the 1, 3 and 5 day of life. Each pup was rated according to the number of squares passed by the individual’s head. The dominance and exploration tests were conducted in the 6 and 8 week of life in a separate enclosure unfamiliar to the pups. Each test yielded a ranking which was averaged over repeats. The ranking of the biotonus tests were neither correlated with the rankings of the dominance and exploration tests, nor with individual body contact scores, nor with the absolute weights of the pups (Spearman Rank Correlations, P .0.05). However, pups with a high biotonus rank tended to play more than those with a low biotonus rank (r 5 0.9, P 5 0.0833). Data of this study do not support the notion that Trumler’s biotonus test provides a reliable measure for later pup development. Further studies to test the reliability of the biotonus test on other breeds and a larger sample are suggested.

Objective—To investigate the relationship of litter box location as it relates to cats' use of space in the house, elimination problems, and certain behaviors associated with elimination. Sample Population—40 cats in single-cat house-holds with or without elimination behavior problems (20 cats/group). Procedures—Camcorders were used to record the cats' behaviors at the litter box and other areas in which they eliminated during a 72-hour period. Use of space in the house was recorded by direct observation during 400 minutes of the 72-hour period. Elimination behaviors and other cat- and litter box–associated variables were compared between groups; litter box location with respect to inappropriate elimination was assessed. Results—Litter box location did not differ between cats with and without elimination behavior problems. An inverse correlation was found between time spent sniffing and the distance of the litter box from the central core area. Cats with elimination problems spent significantly less time digging at the litter box than cats without elimination problems. There was no significant difference in the time spent pawing in litter box, sniffing, or covering excreta after elimination between the 2 groups of cats. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Times spent digging in litter boxes by cats with and without elimination problems have been determined, and data suggest that actual digging times could be used as a means to test for litter preference and litter aversion. This information may also be used to identify cats with litter aversion prior to the development of an elimination problem.

Failure to use the litter box or house soiling is a common feline behavior problem, accounting for 59 of 100 cases of feline behavior problems presented to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Of the 59 cases, 19 (32%) of all house soilings were urine spraying, 19 (32%) urinating, 10 (17%) defecation and 11 (19%) were urination and defecation. Many factors appear to contribute to house soiling, including environmental and social stress, medical problems, in particular feline urological syndrome, and individual cats' idiosyncratic preferences for elimination sites. Twenty-four percent of cats had been unsuccessfully treated with progestins by the referring veterinarians. Treatment of inappropriate elimination behavior may involve treatment of medical problems, elimination of stress factors, increasing the attractiveness of the litter box and drug therapy. Results of the therapies suggested to owners were: 22% cured; 37% improved; 10% no change; 27% lost to follow-up. Therapies included recommendations to change the litter daily, to add more litter boxes, to cease punishing the cat, to have the cat neutered and prescription of progestins.

A diet providing less than 20 mg of magnesium per 100 kcal that maintains urine pH near 6.0 3 to 5 hours after eating, or a diet providing this amount fo magnesium (see Table 2) with 1 gm of ammonium chloride or 1.5 gm of dl-methionine added daily, should be fed for 1 to 3 months to dissolve struvite uroliths (see Fig. 1). The low-magnesium diet should be fed indefinitely to prevent recurrence, because struvite urolithiasis and all of its effects (hematuria, pollakiuria, and/or complete to partial obstruction to urinary excretion) recurs repeatedly in cats that have previously experienced the condition if they are returned to regular cat food. In contrast, if a diet low in magnesium is fed, recurrence is uncommon. For cats that have never been affected, feeding a low-magnesium ration is unnecessary. For all cats, the following measures are recommended: encourage exercise, allow frequent urination, prevent obesity, decrease confinement, keep the litter box clean, and always have palatable water readily available.