Most Owners Say Cats Are Part Of The Family
Most cat owners are confident in their ability
to look after their pet, but feline welfare could be better in some respects.
Only 17% of cats spent most of their time outside, with 45% mostly indoors and the remainder splitting their time.
When people had two or more cats, 58% said they only had one litter tray, which is a concern since the standard advice is to have one tray per cat plus one extra.
The full report is packed with information about the lives of cats, including how often litter trays are scooped (once a day for 26% of cats), how many are fed table scraps (11%), and how many were obtained for free (51%).
By Zazie Todd, PhD
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This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
New research by Tiffani Howell (La Trobe University) et al investigates
how people care for their cats. A representative survey of pet owners in the
Australian state of Victoria included questions from feeding and sleeping
arrangements to how much cats cost over their lifetime.
“In general, Victorian
cat owners appear to be meeting their cat’s welfare needs, with a few areas for
improvement,” says Dr. Tiffani Howell. “For instance, nearly half of owners
allow their cat to roam free outdoors, which could lead to injuries.
“Female owners report higher
levels of satisfaction with their cat’s behaviour, and fewer behavioural
problems, than male owners. Older owners were less likely to have irretrievably
lost a cat than younger owners, but they report more behavioural problems.”
There are some fascinating facts in the
survey. Most people are confident they are able to look after their cat (94%)
and consider the cat to be part of the family (89%). And most owners
significantly underestimate the lifetime cost of caring for him or her.
A third of cats (34%) sleep on their
owner’s bed at night, with 22% on other furniture and 20% on their own cat bed.
Cats like to have places that are high up, and 94% of them did.
61% of cats are said by their owners to
exercise themselves while 14% of cats apparently get no exercise. 81% of owners think their cat is the right
weight. Since vets report a higher proportion of overweight and obese cats, it
seems likely some owners do not realize their pet is overweight.
The number of cats with no toys (11%)
suggests some may be missing out on important enrichment activities, but most
cats had over three (52%) or 1 - 3 (31%) interactions with their owner each day.
Only 17% of cats spent most of their time outside, with 45% mostly indoors and the remainder splitting their time.
Although annual vet visits are recommended,
26% of cats had not been to the vet in the last year and 6% had never been to
the vet. The numbers who were not vaccinated in the last year (24%) or ever
(5%) almost mirror this. 3% of cats had never been checked for external or
internal parasites, and some had not been checked in the last year (10% and
13%, respectively).
Photo: Mikhail Olvkainie; top, john austin. Both Shutterstock |
When people had two or more cats, 58% said they only had one litter tray, which is a concern since the standard advice is to have one tray per cat plus one extra.
13% of owners said it was more difficult
than they expected to take care of their cat, but only 3% were dissatisfied
with their cat’s behaviour, and 92% were satisfied or very satisfied.
The most common behaviour problem was fear of loud noises, people or animals (18% of cats).
The most common behaviour problem was fear of loud noises, people or animals (18% of cats).
Of particular interest to readers of this
blog is where people turn for information if they need it. Since 87% of owners
had never needed to, these answers are mostly hypothetical, but 66% would ask
their vet, 44% would consult the internet and 24% would ask friends or family.
One worrying finding is that 10% said they
had lost a cat (and not been able to find it) in the previous 5 years. At the
same time, 15% of people had acquired their cat by finding it or taking in a
stray.
The full report is packed with information about the lives of cats, including how often litter trays are scooped (once a day for 26% of cats), how many are fed table scraps (11%), and how many were obtained for free (51%).
448 pet cat owners took part in the study.
It was part of a wider survey of pet-keeping practices; amongst the group as a
whole, 79% live in Greater Melbourne, 53% are married and 46% work
full-time. Most of the cats are domestic
shorthairs (also known as moggies), and almost all are spayed or neutered.
The survey is especially useful because the
sample is representative of the people of Victoria. Other studies with
convenience samples may not reflect the population as a whole, because some
people – e.g. with a particularly strong interest in cats, or whose cats have
problem behaviours – might be more likely to reply than others. The results
will help in planning animal welfare campaigns.
If your cat is stressed at the vet, see less stress at the vet for dogs and cats for some tips.
If your cat is stressed at the vet, see less stress at the vet for dogs and cats for some tips.
If you liked this post, check out my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Dr. Sarah Ellis says, "Purr is definitely a book your cat would want you to read!"
Where does your cat sleep at night?
Reference
Howell, T. J., Mornement, K., & Bennett, P. C. (2016). Pet cat management practices among a representative sample of owners in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 11, 42-49.
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.