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Feline Needs in Confinement: A Tale of Two Kinds of Cats

Linda Lombardi
Spending extended time in a shelter or veterinary hospital is stressful for cats. Judith Stella researches how they respond to their environments and what we can do to make life easier for them.

“The quality of the environment is going to impact their welfare, whether in homes, shelters, or research facilities,” she says. “So I’m interested in, how do we optimize that environment to minimize distress, particularly when they are singly housed in cages?”

In a series of studies, she has looked at effects of various environmental factors and, more recently, how cats of different personality types respond. The results provide food for thought about what we should provide for cats who must spend time in confinement.

Surroundings

One study looked at the properties of the room in general, comparing the importance of that environment to what was provided in the cat’s cage. One type of room, which she called “managed,” was quiet, with a consistent caretaker who fed, watered, and cleaned cages at the same time every day. The “unmanaged” room tried to mimic the typical shelter or vet hospital. “We played recordings of dogs barking, had loud music playing, people walking in and out, and we turned lights on and off when we walked in and out of the room.”

It’s not surprising that cats preferred the quiet room, but Stella was surprised to find that the room was even more important to them than the environment in their cage. “In the managed room they did better regardless of whether they had an enriched cage or not,” she says. “Even in the absence of an enriched cage, they still tended to adapt more quickly than the cats in the unmanaged room.”

Personality Variances

Using what that work determined was the optimal environment for the room, the current study then looked at individual differences. Fifty-five cats were housed for three days with enriched cages and a predictable husbandry schedule. Behavior was recorded hourly, as well as the cat’s response to the approach of a familiar and unfamiliar person at the end of the third day.

Owners completed a questionnaire about their cats’ personality traits, and an analysis found that the cats fell into two groups. The 22 cats in Cluster 1 were described in terms such as shy, mellow, and timid; the 33 in Cluster 2 were active, curious, and easygoing. It turned out that the cats’ use of the resources in their cage depended on which cluster they were in. Cats in Cluster 1 tended to be alert and tense and used the hide boxes; cats in Cluster 2 were more relaxed and spent much of the time on the perch.

The results of the familiar/unfamiliar person test also differed by cluster. Owners described cats in Cluster 2 as sociable and cats in Cluster 1 as timid with strangers but friendly with familiar people. Cats in Cluster 1 took a longer time to investigate a new person but were just as social with a familiar person as Cluster 2 cats.

Cats Love Consistency

The “familiar” person was the one who had been taking care of them over the three-day period, whom they hadn’t known previously. This shows that the cats developed something of a relationship in that short period of time and indicates the importance for at least some cats of trying to keep down the number of people they’re exposed to.

“For those cats that are more stressed by unfamiliar people, having a consistent person take care of them every day will help them adjust a little more quickly,” Stella says. In most institutional settings it can’t be the same person every day, but in a shelter, two caretakers per cat instead of many could help. In a hospital, cats might benefit from having the same tech do all the treatments over the course of a day.

The researchers also looked at fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in an attempt to use a physical measure of stress that could be collected non-invasively, but results were not significant. Stella thinks this is partly because the time period was too short, but also because most cats did not produce a sample every day.

“This research aligns with previous work that demonstrated cats display individual variation in their behavior,” says Kristyn Vitale of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University. “This can be applied by any person who owns or works with cats. It is important to recognize some cats will be more stressed in certain situations than other cats, so we should make management and housing decisions based on each cat’s behavior and stress level. Through a consideration of cat individuality, we can work toward forming healthier cat-human relationships and increase the welfare of cats.”

Stella says that since we won’t always know the cat’s personality type and coping style, for example when admitting them to a hospital or shelter, we can make the environment work for the largest number of cats by being aware of these different needs.

“The cats are going to need different resources, or will use the resources provided to them differently, depending on those temperament traits. For some cats, having a hiding box is going to be imperative for them to be able to cope; for others, maybe not, but providing it for everybody will make sure we cover the ones that really need it,” she says. “Give them those resources in the cage, make sure we keep the room quiet, minimize traffic, have consistent people working as caretakers as much as possible, and it will give the greatest number of cats the best opportunity to cope and adapt to the environment.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Linda Lombardi writes about the animals who share our planet and our homes for magazines including The Bark, websites including National Geographic and Mongabay.com, and for the Associated Press. Her most recent book, co-authored with Deirdre Franklin, is The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion.

Upping Adoptions for Black Cats and Dogs in Shelters

Arden MooreWhile there are no national statistics available on the rate of adoption of black pets versus ones with light-colored coats, shelter experts say that creative, cost-saving strategies are educating people and drawing attention to black cats and dogs to help them land in loving homes. Here’s how they’re doing it.

But first, let’s debunk a few myths about black dogs and cats. For starters, there is no scientific basis that black cats bring bad luck. Or that black dogs seem to be more at risk for health issues.

Okay, it may be trickier to take a selfie with a black dog than one with a red-and-white coat, but it can be done.

One common belief is that dark-colored dogs and cats have a more difficult time finding homes. That may or may not be true.

“In shelters, we do tend to see black dogs and cats get overlooked by potential adopters,” says Gary Weitzman, DVM, veterinarian and president/CEO of the San Diego Humane Society. “But it may not be as significant as we once thought. There are some studies that show that there are simply more black pets because black coloration is a dominant gene. Sure, black pets can be undeservedly overlooked by adopters, but the good news is that there are wonderful people who will only adopt black pets knowing this.”

Get Them Seen

At the San Diego Humane Society’s shelters located throughout this Southern California county, the staff hosts special adoption promotions for black cats and dogs. They also reach out on social media and to the news media during such holidays as Black Friday, Black Cat Awareness Day and Black Dog Awareness Day.

The shelter also recruits professional photographers who volunteer their time and talents to photograph all their adoptable animals, with special attention given to showcase those sporting black coats.

San Diego has also lifted its policy of not allowing people to adopt black cats during the weeks leading up to Halloween. Cats of all colors are up for adoption year-round.

“The fear was that these cats would be used in satanic rituals, which is a total myth,” says Dr. Weitzman. “The results? Most of the cats were euthanized due to shelter overcrowding. Preventing hundreds of animals from finding good homes by putting up unnecessary and ineffective barriers isn’t the answer to protecting them.”

In St. Louis, the Humane Society of Missouri found a clever way to showcase black dogs.

“In 2016, we had a large number of black dogs here, so we developed the Black Dog Club,” says shelter animal behavior manager Linda Campbell, RVT, CPDT-KA, who is one of only 16 veterinary technician behavior specialists. “Everyone who adopted a black dog got a Black Dog Club t-shirt and every six months or so, we would host a get-together with Black Dog Club adopters at a park we have across the street from our shelter. Now, we no longer have a problem adopting out black dogs.”

As for black cats, Campbell says giving clever names to adoption campaigns works. The shelter has been successful with its “Desperate House Cats Looking for Homes” (a play on the popular television shows named Desperate Housewives) and “Pick Your Price” (a play on long-running game show The Price Is Right). Adopters often receive a free bag of cat food and qualify for a free veterinary visit. Black kittens and cats up for adoption often sport pastel-colored collars to help them stand out.

“Our volunteers are trained in our feline enrichment program,” says Campbell. “These volunteers interactive with cats and kittens in our get-acquainted rooms with battery-operated toy bugs for cats to chase. For our shy or reserved cats, we spend time helping them relax in their kennels by taking the stick end of a wand toy and wiggling it under newspaper. We have found that they are not as afraid of seeing the stick moving as the other end of the wand toy. And, we do a lot of brushing for the cats. It has helped bring out the confidence and the personalities of our cats.”

Color Coded

The walls in the dog kennels have been lightened in color to help black dogs show up better. And, to encourage these dogs to be more interactive with potential adopters, the staff has installed Snack Tracks with a how-to sign posted on each kennel that sports glass fronts, not open cage bars.

“We take a colorful PVC pipe and install it in front of the kennel and into the cage,” explains Campbell. “There is a cup with dog food next to it. Anyone passing by can drop kibble into the tube to fall into the dog’s food bowl. So, instead of the dog jumping, they stand and look at the potential adopter and then look at the bottom of the PVC pipe. Kids especially love dropping treats in. This has really helped our adoption rates.”

Equally effective has been working with photographers who know how to use proper lighting and welcoming settings to take photos of black cats and black dogs up for adoption.

“A lot of these animals have wonderful personalities and we make sure to tell their stories so that when people come into our shelter, it is the personality of that animal – not the color of his coat – that matters most to them.”

Move Along

In the Minneapolis area, the Animal Humane Society ranks as the third largest animal shelter in the United States. It actively works with shelters in the South and local rescue groups to transport black dogs and black cats to their large shelter to give them better chances of being adopted.

“We do four transports a week to Alabama, Texas and Mississippi to bring back to our shelters senior dogs, special-needs dogs and of course, black dogs,” says Mary Tan, Animal Humane Society public relations manager. “We purposely tell them not to send us their highly adoptable pets – send us the ones who need help getting adopted. About 70 percent of the ones sent to us have behavior or health or age issues.”

Tan shares the story of a black dog named Buddy who was extremely obese. The staff worked with shelter veterinarians to help this Labrador retriever shed 50 pounds and surgically remove fatty tumors. When Buddy was down to 150 pounds, they staged weekly public weigh-ins – an event covered by the local media. As he lost excess pounds, his friendly personality emerged and so did his activity level. He got adopted when he was at a healthy 98 pounds.

“The story of Buddy’s weight loss was highlighted during the television ratings sweeps, so that helped bring attention to him and black dogs,” says Tan.

Tan also sees the value of teaming up with non-pet groups in her area. She recalls the day a young man surrendered a young black cat because he could not find an apartment that permitted pets.

“This young cat was scared, cowering in the back of his cage and would not eat,” says Tan. “So, we moved him into my office and within a day, he was all over me with affection. He had also been declawed and a senior living home was looking for a declawed cat for their residents. Binx is now happy bringing joy to residents there.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Arden Moore is The Pet Health and Safety Coach. She is a best-selling author, radio show host, in-demand speaker and master certified pet first aid/CPR instructor who travels the country teaching with Pet Safety Dog Kona and Pet Safety Cat Casey. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com and www.facebook.com/ardenmoore.

What Current Science Tells Us About Cat Play

Linda Lombardi
For a long time, the behavior of pet cats and dogs was of little interest to science. Times have certainly changed, but one area that’s somewhat neglected is the question of how and why cats play.

A recent review of the literature published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science sums up the findings and points to directions for future research. While there’s much we still don’t know, there are a number of results we can put into practice to give cats more enriched lives.

Play With Toys

Research into cat play with toys confirms a common observation: it is a lot like hunting. “The patterns of behavior are similar, and the things that entice cats to hunt also get them excited about toys,” says coauthor Mikel Delgado. “What we see from research is that the more similar to realistic prey the toy is, the more of a response the cat shows.”

There’s always going to be the individual cat who likes to play with a ball. But for the most part, the more a toy looks, feels, smells, and moves like prey, the better cats like it. They do have preferences, so it’s best to offer choices: toys that resemble different kinds of prey like mice, birds, bugs, and snakes.

Movement is important as well. After about 21 weeks of age, kittens start to lose interest in things that don’t move. Sure, you can bat a ball with your paw, but it’s not the same.

“They can’t really get lost in the hunting experience like they can when someone else is moving the toy,” says Delgado.

Novelty also matters: cats get bored quickly. In one study, cats presented with the same toy three times became progressively less interested, then showed more response to a new, clean toy that was identical except for color.

The practical takeaway: leaving a bunch of toys lying on the floor all the time isn’t enrichment, because they don’t move, and they don’t change. Owners need to play with their cats: move the toys and remember that they get bored with the same object before they’re bored with play itself.

Why Play?

Although cat play resembles hunting, research doesn’t really support the idea that play is a kind of practice; it doesn’t seem to help cats be better hunters later. “What seems to be most effective for hunting later is exposure to prey. Hunting experience helps you be a better hunter,” says Delgado.

Play does seem to be important to social development, however, which makes it all the more important to understand, given that most of us want sociable cats more than we want mousers.

It’s a common misconception that cats aren’t sociable. “Even cats that are living outside of human homes, free-roaming cats, live socially in colonies together,” say Krystin Vitale of Oregon State University. “They live both socially and solitarily. We see a lot of flexibility.”

Kittens learn to get along with other cats by playing. The first type of play seen in kittens is social, and research shows that kittens who don’t have playmates have difficulty with other cats later. Singleton kittens tend to direct play at their mothers, even though their mothers find this behavior irritating.

“As a cat behavior consultant, I get so many calls from people who can’t understand why the kitten is attacking their legs and hands,” says Delgado. “Kittens who don’t have littermates will direct that behavior toward other beings: their mother, their human, or the poor 12-year-old cat who the person adopted the kitten to be a companion to.”

The takeaway: encourage people to adopt more than one kitten at a time. “When we allow kittens to get adopted without littermates, we’re not recognizing that we’re tearing apart families,” she says. “Social play is very important for kittens and a lack of outlets for social play can be very problematic. Toys don’t fulfill that social need.”

What We Don’t Know

Research into cat behavior lags behind the recent explosion of studies about dogs, partly because they’re harder to study in the lab. “Dogs are used to being in new environments. But a cat that is friendly and playful in a home environment, if you take them to a strange place, they’re going to be terrified,” says Delgado. “So their behavior is not valid beyond that context; it doesn’t tell you anything about how they normally behave.”

Now that we have better technology that lets us study cats in their homes, research is increasing, but many questions remain. For instance, little research has been done on play between adult cats, so right now, science can’t tell you whether your cats are getting along. From her observations, Vitale suggests concentrating on what happens before and after the interaction to distinguish rough play from aggression.

“Before, was there aggressive vocalization? Was their fur already standing on end and were their eyes dilated and were they baring teeth? After, what did they do? Often when it’s play, you’ll see that afterwards they’ll plop down and lay together and start grooming each other. If you see one run off and try to get away that might be more of an indication that it was aggression.”

Social play with humans also hasn’t been well studied, but it may be important to cats. In one study, Vitale tested how cats reacted to a moving toy controlled by a human who was in the room, or one controlled remotely from outside the room. Cats preferred the person moving the toy to be visible, which suggests that kind of play may have a social component.

Delgado also wants to see more research into the process of object play. Prior studies have focused on actual contact with the toy, but for cats, watching and stalking seem important. This makes sense given their natural hunting style. “The way cats hunt is not highly cardiovascular. It’s very cognitive,” she says. “When they play with cats, people tend to concentrate on the cardiovascular aspects and expect backflips and running around, but that’s not really cats’ hunting style.”

Play and Welfare

Delgado says there’s an assumption that play must have a survival benefit. We don’t know for sure if it does, and in fact, research has shown that cats spend a fairly small proportion of the time playing and that it’s not very energetically costly.

But we’re not just concerned about what helps animals survive. We also want to know what helps them thrive.

“I think that one big thing that’s come out of studies about cat play and that this paper shows is that it’s really important for cats to engage in play in order for them to engage in healthy normal behaviors,” says Vitale. “If you’re giving your cat an under-enriched environment with low stimulation, potentially aggression can come out of that, and stereotyped behaviors like overgrooming, that they’re doing because they don’t have anything to engage with.”

One measure of an animal’s welfare is whether they have the opportunity to engage in species-specific behaviors. Owners need to understand what those behaviors are and how to provide the right toys and social situations to “allow cats to behave in the ways that make them cats,” she says. “They need something for all those motor patterns and biologically relevant behaviors to be directed towards.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Linda Lombardi writes about the animals who share our planet and our homes for magazines including The Bark, websites including National Geographic and Mongabay.com, and for the Associated Press. Her most recent book, co-authored with Deirdre Franklin, is The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion.

Treating Cats With Chronic Pain: What to Consider

Kim Campbell ThorntonSeptember is Animal Pain Awareness Month. As pet care professionals, you know better than anyone that dogs and cats experience pain and discomfort. You also know how difficult it can be sometimes to recognize and manage chronic pain, especially in cats. Too often, pet owners assume that cats normally become less active with age, but changes in a cat’s behavior can be subtle signs of chronic pain from injury or illness.

Pain Goes Unnoticed

Chronic pain in cats is commonly underdiagnosed. Cats are so good at hiding their discomfort that it can come as a surprise to owners and even to some veterinarians to learn that they might be in pain. Owners aren’t always aware that syndromes such as glaucoma or diabetes are accompanied by pain.

Many behaviors can indicate pain in cats, including changes in functional mobility such as decreased grooming or difficulty in jumping on or off furniture; changes in sleep patterns or locations; changes in posture when sitting or sleeping; hiding; changes in litter box habits; unusual reluctance to be petted or groomed; and poor appetite. Anything that isn’t normal for a particular cat should be considered a possible sign of pain.

Causes of Chronic Pain in Cats

Many common feline diseases can cause chronic abdominal pain. Cats with this type of pain may not eat well or are nauseous and lethargic. Unless the pain is severe and constant, though, it may not be obvious when you palpate the cat.

Even once it’s identified, the level of pain can be difficult to assess. It can be a good idea to have owners keep a diary of the cat’s behaviors over a period of time or to have them complete a questionnaire.

Multimodal Relief

Managing chronic pain usually involves several types of therapy that all work together to help relieve discomfort. A combination of medication and physical therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or other rehabilitation techniques is usually most effective. Some trial and error may be necessary to find what works best.

We asked Alicia Z. Karas, DVM, DACVAA, at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, about her experience in recognizing and managing chronic pain in cats.

What should people know about pain in cats?

The first one is recognizing that the cat has pain. The cat might have arthritis, a degenerative joint condition, but nobody’s figured that out because the cat doesn’t limp. It might do things like not jump or not groom well. The other is not recognizing that a given syndrome is accompanied by pain. For many years, in dogs and cats, we thought of glaucoma as being something that threatened vision, but we know from people that glaucoma causes pain in humans and it’s a really difficult type of pain to treat. In cats and dogs, if they have an end-stage [case of glaucoma], we’ll take the eye out. Anybody who’s an ophthalmologist or who has removed an eye in an animal with glaucoma probably has heard from the owner that once that happened, the animal returns to almost a younger animal. They’ve had that chronic pain hanging over them, and once that was gone and that surgery has healed, they found their behavior much less inhibited by pain. So thinking about the fact that having skin disease or ear disease or eye disease or intestinal disease might not just be a problem for weight gain or thriving health but that it might impact pain is an important factor in terms of a barrier to pain treatment in animals.

What are some of the challenges of managing pain in cats?

When cats are resistant to being pilled, it can be a challenge. Sometimes cats need treatment for life and owners need to figure out how to get meds into the cat every day. Formulation of medication can also be a problem. One cat I treated with chronic post-trauma pain has to have one of her medications compounded because they don’t make the pills in a small enough size. They’re putting it in the food and the cat is eating it. Compounding can be very useful, but compounding medications has many drawbacks. It’s more costly, there is no guarantee that compounded medications will produce the same effects as the FDA-approved formulations, and the shelf life of compounded medications is much shorter.

What are some of the issues in treating chronic pain in cats?

A number of NSAIDs have been studied and approved for use in dogs, but that wasn’t done until fairly recently for cats. We’ve had two NSAIDs approved for use in cats for acute pain, but neither is approved for chronic use in cats in the United States, although NSAIDs are approved for long-term use in cats in Europe.

Are there other types of medications that can help cats with pain?

Gabapentin is an anti-seizure drug that was found serendipitously to have effectiveness for certain types of pain. Gabapentin can help cats with certain types of pain and is also something that can help sedate cats for car rides and vet visits. For smaller cats, though, this is a challenge because the smallest size pill that’s available is 100 mg. To reduce the amount we give requires it to be compounded or divided or made into a suspension that’s safe. People have also used tramadol in cats but it’s complicated by the fact that the taste is really bitter. We are using some things like amitriptyline, an antidepressant drug that isn’t used much for depression anymore but was found to have about five different ways that it could impact pain. It has potential use for chronic bladder pain, but some cats don’t tolerate it well. I have used other antidepressant-type drugs like Prozac in cats, at lower doses than for behavioral use, because it’s similar to amitriptyline, but maybe a little less complicated.

Can any supplements help with pain?

Cosequin is an oral joint supplement made for cats that can be useful for things like arthritis. There’s an injectable joint supplement called Adequan that is approved for use in dogs and is used off label in cats. And we’ll use things like fish oils and other supplement-type things as well.

What non-pharmacological treatments can help?

I use acupuncture in cats for chronic pain. I think that acupuncture can be very useful in cats. For acupuncture, you’d want to go once a week or once every other week at least for three to five sessions to see whether it’s going to have an effect on the cat, and then as needed, which might be monthly or every three months. It depends on the individual.

Can painful cats benefit from physical rehab?

I think people discount the benefit of physical rehab for cats, but I had one client who was pulling out all the stops for her older cat. She took him to a rehab specialist who was swimming him and doing massage and acupuncture and the cat had a really good response to that. It builds muscle, and muscle helps with joint problems. If you don’t have muscle because you haven’t been using your muscles, then you can’t support your joints, and your other muscles are really sore.

What can veterinarians suggest that owners do at home to help cats in pain?

When I see a cat for chronic pain—and I don’t see as many cats for chronic pain as I do dogs—I recommend a combination of lifestyle modifications. Those might be easier access to litterbox, ramps to furniture, and warm and cool places where they can go. Weight management is huge. If you have joint pain and you’re obese, you have way more pain than you need to because you can’t pull yourself around.

What else should be considered when managing pain in cats?

Probably the most important thing is to not be satisfied with the attitude “There’s nothing we can do.” With stomatitis, for example, taking all the teeth out is something that we commonly have done, and our dentists see at least several cats a month for this condition. If the cat isn’t a good anesthetic risk, there are medications that we don’t think of as traditionally analgesic. Certain antibiotics such as metronidazole have an anti-inflammatory effect. There are some times when joint disease affects cats and we might be able to do a surgery that helps them. We don’t do hip replacements in cats, but we can cut the hip joint and allow it to fuse and make a pseudojoint. That might help if there’s an instability. If there’s an ACL rupture or an unstable spine that’s causing back pain, surgery is the answer in combination with physical therapy and medication. I think that vets have a tendency to throw up their hands and say “It’s a cat, we can’t medicate it, there are no drugs approved for it, and it’s too much of a risk to use a medication.” Pressing on and saying ‘There is something I can do as long as I have the means or access to somebody who has different expertise’ is something that we can encourage.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Kim Campbell Thornton is content manager for Fear Free Pets and is a Level 3 Fear Free Certified Professional. She has been writing about dogs, cats, wildlife and marine life since 1985 and is a recipient of multiple awards from the Cat Writers Association, Dog Writers Association of America, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s competing in nose work trials with Harper, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Can Special Music for Cats Reduce Their Stress at the Clinic?

Linda Lombardi

We know that music can affect human mood, but we don’t usually think about whether cats or dogs care if we play Mozart or Metallica. We probably should: Studies have shown that classical music reduces stress in dogs, and a study of cats under anesthesia showed differences in respiratory rate and pupillary diameter in response to classical, pop, and heavy metal music, with the lowest values for classical music and the highest for heavy metal.

Can we use these effects to our advantage? A recent study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery shows that music specially designed for cats has small but significant effects on cats undergoing a veterinary exam. It’s worth considering other aspects of the sound environment of your clinic as well.

Sounds Cats Like

Music for Cats by composer David Teie incorporates sounds intended to be familiar and comforting to cats, reminiscent of purring and suckling sounds, with frequencies similar to cat vocalization ranges. “However, he also layers in a melody of music that is pleasing to people as well,” says researcher Amanda Hampton of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University. “That part of the music, it seems that cats don’t really respond to, but that way we don’t get tired of it.”

Previous research in homes testing this music against silence and regular human classical music showed that cats seemed to prefer it. “They found that cats would approach the speakers playing cat music more, or go into postures that were more relaxed,” says Hampton.

Effects of Music

Building on this, Hampton and colleagues tested the effect of cat music during a veterinary exam. Twenty cats took part under all three conditions: cat music, classical music, and silence, with two weeks between tests. Cats were placed in an exam room for 10 minutes and then given a physical exam that included a blood draw. They were evaluated at three points with a standardized Cat Stress Score (CSS) based on body language and behavior–before the music began, during the exam, and after the exam–and with a Handling Score (HS) during the exam. Cats showed lower CSS and HS when listening to cat music compared to classical music and silence.

The blood drawn was also tested for neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a measure of stress, but no differences were found. All cats had slightly elevated NLRs, which the authors suspect was an effect of the stress of travel to the clinic which had not had enough time to subside. “NLR goes up quickly but takes a little while to come back down, so what we could be seeing is the response they had to being put in the carrier or the car ride,” says Hampton.

How and When to Use Sound

Mikel Delgado, PhD, researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, thinks that this study shows that cat music might be a useful additional tool, but cautions against making too much of it.

“They found that the cats who were listening to cat music were easier to handle and had lower stress scores, but my caveat is that the differences between the groups were fairly small,” she says. “It wasn’t like this is a game changer, like if you play cat music everything else is going to be easy.”

Delgado says music is no substitute for making sure you’re doing everything else you can to reduce the stress of the veterinary experience for cats.

“If you’re not already using Fear Free or low-stress handling techniques, music is not going to fix your handling methods for cats,” she says. “If you don’t have your hospital set up for other aspects of reducing stress, like minimizing the time cats have to sit in the lobby, providing towels to cover carriers if owners don’t bring their own, making sure they have a non-slip surface to lay on while they’re being examined, music is not going to overcome those things.”

If you’re already doing all of that right, adding music might help, but also take the opportunity to think more broadly.

“The implications really have to do with what humans do when they are working with cats,” Delgado says. “People might not realize that what they’re doing and the kinds of noises they’re making might have implications for their patients.”

Consider the whole sound environment before you consider adding any kind of music. “Here’s an experiment to do in your treatment room: they make all kinds of apps for your phone that tell you how loud your background noise is,” she says. “I think situational awareness could help a lot of practices improve their environment, because I think most of us are louder than we realize we are. People should consider, can they lower their voices? Can they do less banging and slamming?”

Shelters should think about these considerations as well. “Maybe people should use headphones if they want to listen to heavy metal music when they’re cleaning cages,” she says. If you have a loud PA system, think about whether you could use walkie-talkies or text messaging with phones on vibrate. “If you need Jim to come to the front desk, does everyone in the shelter need to hear that?” she says. “Try to refine your communication techniques to modify that ambient noise that animals that are already in a stressful environment are experiencing.”

If you’ve got all that under control and want to try cat music, some additional considerations are when and where to use it. The study had cats listen to the music for ten minutes before the exam, but further research is needed to know whether a shorter period will have the same effect. Be aware that there is as of yet no published research about how dogs react to it. And while the piece of cat music used in the study was specifically designed to be less repetitive and easier on human ears, like any music, not everyone will love it. “I actually find the music relaxing,” says Hampton. “But maybe you have it playing in a cat ward, or in the exam room while the cats are in there, but perhaps not throughout the whole hospital, so if you have a staff member who doesn’t like the music, they don’t have to listen to it all day.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Linda Lombardi writes about the animals that share our planet and our homes for magazines including The Bark, websites including National Geographic and Mongabay.com, and for the Associated Press. Her most recent book, co-authored with Deirdre Franklin, is The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion.

A Kitten or Cat Care Clinic Provides Client Education Outside Office Hours

Deb Eldredge, DVM

A wonderful way to educate clients and potentially help out local pet adoption groups is to hold a kitten or cat care clinic. June is an ideal time for a kitten-themed clinic but any time of year will work. You might choose to do a couple of cat care clinics each year; consider one with a focus on senior cats, for instance.

A Job for a Cat Lover

Have a clinic employee who is considered one of your “cat people” in charge of this. If your clinic has a room big enough for a seminar, use that. I have used our local cooperative extension meeting room, usually available free of charge. As an alternative, a community college might have a free room available.

Most communities have local radio talk shows that are always looking for interesting people and events. Between that and posters at local shelters, pet stores, and your own clinic you should have plenty of free PR.

Gather Info and Freebies

Once you have a site, start collecting freebies to hand out. Our local pet store offered up bags and some treat samples. Go directly to companies; for example, Arm and Hammer donated small boxes of litter box deodorant. I have had samples of joint supplements, treats, food, catnip, and toys to put into the bags. You might be able to get starter kits to include as well, especially for kittens. The Pet Poison Helpline will donate magnets. If you got some donations of larger items you can make up baskets for a free door prize raffle for attendees.

Next, look for educational literature. Between AVMA, AAFP, Winn Feline Foundation, Cornell Feline Health Center, and AAHA, there is plenty of wonderful information for cat owners. You can also make copies of any handouts your own clinic has customized.

Involve Some Felines!

With June not only being Adopt a Cat Month/Adopt a Shelter Cat Month but also prime kitten time, I also recruited a couple of kittens from a local shelter. We bathed them, did FeLV and FIV testing, performed fecal checks, and provided their first vaccines. The kittens attended as demo animals for things like nail trims but also with the hope that they would charm their way into new homes. You could also have an adult cat or two present. If you aren’t comfortable using “unknown cats,” bring a clinic cat or employee cat who is good with crowds. I have used my own cats who were certified therapy cats as well as shelter cats and kittens.

Educate and Expand

Have a set list of topics to cover. Basic wellness care is a good starting point. If our clinic was concentrating on kittens I would bring up carrier training and behavior modification to prevent scratching or biting problems. Emphasize techniques to get kittens started on the Fear Free path. For senior cats you might want to discuss one or two of the most common senior cat problems such as kidney disease and arthritis.

Once you start doing “care clinics” you may find you have other topics to cover. Basic first aid is a good one or a nutrition basics seminar. These clinics can draw in new clients and also help your staff in the long run by educating people and answering their questions outside a busy work environment.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

17 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress in Shelter Cats

Katie Costello

Imagine that you are in a remote part of a foreign country and become so ill that you need to go to the hospital. People are coming at you and doing things you don’t understand. All of your senses are off: the way things smell, look, taste. Worse, you can’t understand anything said to you.

Yes, I am asking you to put yourself in the paw prints of shelter cats.

A Cat’s Senses

We all recognize that shelters are unnatural environments for animals, but understanding how cats perceive their environment can provide clues as to how to help them deal with their stress.

Kelly Bollen, MS, CABC, owner of Animal Alliances, LLC, describes in detail what cats perceive. For instance, think of how loud shelters are. Cats can hear up to 80 kilohertz; that is within ultrasonic range! By comparison, humans hear up to 20 kilohertz.

Cats have excellent vision and are sensitive to motion. They have 67 million scent receptors. Their vomeronasal organ pulls in pheromones signaling the emotions of cats around them. The pads of their feet are sensitive to touch and vibration. That means that in multiple ways cats are sensing all the other fearful and stressed cats in the shelter as well as other environmental stressors such as barking dogs, people walking up and down the halls, and radios blaring.

What Can We Do?

It should be our daily goal to decrease the fear that animals feel in our shelters. Drs. Kate Hurley and Julie Levy at the Million Cat Challenge, a joint project of the UC Davis and University of Florida shelter medicine programs, say that making sure each cat has the right amount of space is the most important thing a shelter can do to prevent stress and stress related diseases such as upper respiratory infections (URI): “Our research showed not meeting this space requirement was one of the biggest risk factors for respiratory disease in shelter cats.” That space requirement is:

Individually-housed cats each require a minimum of at least 8.5 square feet of clear floor (not vertical) space.
Cats in group housing need at least 18 square feet per cat, plus places to hide. And again: vertical space doesn’t count!

Laura K. Frazier, BA, RVT, and owner of www.advocatsconsulting.com as well as previous owner of Meow Town in Martinez, Georgia, shares some additional recommendations:

Vertical space (even if cats are in their own space/kennel).
Boxes for hiding, with the open part facing the rear of the cage.
Moveable curtains or panels for privacy.
Spray the space/kennel with Feliway before cats arrive or use a plug-in. If using spray, wait 15 to 20 minutes to allow the smell of alcohol to dissipate.
Provide opportunities for scratching by attaching mats to walls or placing climbing posts in kennels.
Offer social play with wand toys, especially if cats can’t be touched.
Play yoga music or buy one of the CDs with music composed for cats such as “Through A Cat’s Ear.”
Speak softly and move slowly. Try to eliminate noises such as banging doors, loud music, or radios on cages.
Hide treats throughout cages so cats can hunt.
Offer catnip.
Allow cats opportunities to walk around and explore outside their cages.
Allow cats to come out of carriers on their own instead of pulling them out. Place the open carrier in the cage so they can come out when they want.

From my own experience, I’ve found that hanging dried lavender from the cage can be calming. Keep cats in a room separate from dogs so they don’t have to see or hear them. Consider giving them Cat TV—videos of fish or birds flying. Better yet, place cages so they face a window. Offer a variety of toys, especially problem-solving toys that deliver treats.

You will find that just a few simple changes can improve a cat’s physical environment and mental health. The result is a happier, healthier, more adoptable cat.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

For Good Cat-Dog Relationships, Focus on the Cat, Study Suggests

By Linda Lombardi
Do clients have questions about how their cats and dogs get along – or if they can get along? Information from a recent study may help you advise them.

We use the phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” as if it’s a law of nature, but many households include both species and they get along fine – or at least tolerate one another. Still, cats and dogs have very different communication styles and social structures, so harmony isn’t a given. A recent study analyzed a survey of 748 owners mostly in the United Kingdom and the United States to see what factors contribute to having an amicable multi-species family.

What Makes a Good Relationship?

Overall, most owners reported that their pets seemed to get along well. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 was “can’t stand each other” and 10 was “close companions,” few ratings of 4 and below were found. Most relationships fell in the middle although there were a few “best buddy” scores of 9 or 10. Pets with the best relationships were reported to sometimes play together or groom one another, and some even shared food, toys, and beds.

The details suggest that if harmony is the goal, owners should pay special attention to the feline side of the relationship. While owners only rarely perceived their pets as seeming uncomfortable with one another, when they were, it was far more often the cat who was uneasy. Although pets were rarely reported to have injured each other, scuffles more often involved the cat threatening the dog than vice versa.

Age and Environment are Important

When researchers looked at factors found to correlate with better relationships, what was most important was the cat’s comfort level with the dog. The best relationships were those that reported a low frequency of incidents in which the cat appeared uncomfortable. Frequency of the dog’s discomfort was less crucial. Of the demographic factors, the most important was that the cat had been introduced to the dog at a young age – the dog’s age was less important.

Cats who lived indoors full time had better relationships (letting cats go outdoors is still common in the UK compared to the US). This suggests that the more time cats spend with others in the household, the more likely they are to eventually develop good relationships.

Dealing with Conflict

It’s important to note that the study was based on owner observations, not those of trained behavior experts.

“It would be a good follow-up study to see whether behaviorists’ views of how well they’re getting on match up with owners’ views,” says Zazie Todd, Ph.D., author of the website Companion Animal Psychology and the Psychology Today blog Fellow Creatures. “Some signs of stress, like avoiding being in the same room, people might be a bit more likely to miss, but we haven’t assessed that directly so we can’t be sure.”

Since people may not notice subtle signs of conflict and discomfort, dealing with the more obvious ones is important, even if they aren’t ending in bloodshed. Dogs chasing cats is sometimes seen as inevitable, so you may need to explain to clients that it is possible to train a dog not to pester a cat using positive methods.

Appropriate expectations are also important. “It does sometimes happen that a cat and a dog become good friends, but I think one of the striking things from the study is that the relationships mostly weren’t that close,” says Todd. Owners should see lack of conflict as a success, even if the pets don’t seem to be best buddies.

Along with training the dog, though, it’s important to give the cat some control. Make sure owners are providing high places and secluded spots where the dog can’t follow and feeding the cat in an area inaccessible to the dog. Try to see things from the feline point of view – what can be done to help the cat avoid conflict in the first place? Says Todd, “You have to think about helping the cat not to be stressed and to feel safe, as well as training the dog how to behave.”

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

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