image: Stroking can still be enjoyed by cats and their owners. view more
Credit: (Photo: Vetmeduni Vienna/ Sallaberger)
The actual aim of the study was to find out whether cats are more stressed when they live in large groups together or, whether the strict hierarchy of larger groups reduces stress. Neither could be confirmed in the present study, which was published in the journal Physiology & Behavior. The number of cats per household had no influence on the stress of the animals. Rather, stress in domestic cats depends more on the socialization of the animals, on the relationship with humans, on the space available to them or on the access to food.
Every cat feels and reacts differently
The researchers studied 120 cats in 60 Brazilian households. These were divided into three different categories: group I: 23 single-cat households, group II: 20 multi-cat households with two cats; group III: 17 multi-cat households with three to four cats. The cat owners were asked to classify their pets as "bossy", "timid" or "easy going" in order to assess the personality. Furthermore, the cat owners reported how much each cat liked to be stroked. The researchers measured the stress levels of the animals by analysing the stress hormone metabolites (glucocorticoid metabolites GCM) in the collected faecal samples.
The Majority of the Cats Like to be Stroked
85 out of 120 cats were considered by their owners to "enjoy" being petted. There were only four cats in the category "disliking" being stroked. Those cats probably avoided the "stroker". The remaining 13 animals "tolerated" the stroking and were more stressed than the others. "Precisely these 13 animals led to the misinterpretation of the study" explains Palme, "Cats are in no way generally stressed when they are stroked. It depends much more on the situation and the character of the individual animal."
The scientist Prof. Rupert Palme of the Institute of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, was responsible for the biochemical analysis of the faecal samples in the study.
„Are cats (Felis catus) from multi-cat households more stressed? Evidence from assessment of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis" by D. Ramos, A. Reche-Junior, P.L. Fragoso, R. Palme, N.K. Yanasse, V.R. Gouvêa, A. Beck and D.S. Mills was published on the 8th September in the journal Physiology & Behavior. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.028
About the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
The University of Veterinary Medicine (Vetmeduni Vienna) is the only academic and research institution in Austria that focuses on the veterinary sciences. About 1000 employees and 2300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna, which also houses the animal hospital and various spin-off-companies. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at
Scientific Contact:
Prof. Rupert Palme
Institute for Medical Biochemistry
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna)
rupert.palme@vetmeduni.ac.at
Distributed by:
Heike Hochhauser
Public Relations
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna)
T +43 1 25077-1151
heike.hochhauser@vetmeduni.ac.at
Journal
Physiology & Behavior