Behavior and Welfare of Domestic Cats Housed in Cages Larger than U.S. Norm.

The effect of providing additional floor space on cat behavior and welfare is not well documented. This study involved replication of an investigation of cats’ responses to enhanced cage and room environments using cages of 0.56 m2with the same methodology but an increased space allowance of 1.1 m2. Singly housed adult cats (n= 59) were randomly assigned to a treatment group that was a combination of a managed or unmanaged room and an enriched or unenriched cage environment. Cats were observed for 2 days for maintenance, affiliative, and avoidant behaviors using scan sampling and 5-min, continuous focal sampling. At the end of Day 2, cats’ reactions to the approach of an unfamiliar person were assessed. Cats housed in enriched/managed environments exhibited more maintenance and affiliative behaviors and fewer avoidant behaviors than cats in unmanaged/unenriched environments, suggesting that macro and micro environments may be equally relevant to the cat. Increased space did not enhance the cats’ welfare outcomes, suggesting that the provision of additional cage space may not be as important to the cat as a managed housing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]