A review of the housing requirements of domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) kept in the home

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Abstract

Cats are a popular companion animal in the United States, the United Kingdom and most of western Europe. While a few studies on cat behaviour and interactions between cats and humans have been conducted in the home setting, most refer to cats housed in laboratories, catteries and shelters. Nevertheless, the findings from these studies can be extrapolated to the home environment. The Five Freedoms were developed as minimal standards of welfare for farm animals; it is proposed that five provisions, based on the Freedoms, can be used to assess the welfare of cats in the home. The provision of a suitable environment, with opportunities to express most normal behaviours and with protection from conditions likely to lead to fear and distress, requires the application of environmental enrichment techniques. Examples of physical, social, sensory, occupational and nutritional approaches to enrichment of the cat's home are presented. The majority of pet cats in the United Kingdom are allowed outdoors but in the United States between 50 and 60% are housed indoors. The advantages and disadvantages of allowing cats outdoor access or confining them indoors are discussed.

Introduction

Many myths, anecdotes and opinions exist about domestic cats and the best way to house them. A number of publications on cat behaviour, welfare, human–cat interactions and other cat-related topics, including housing, have emerged in the last few decades. Most studies about cat housing have been conducted in laboratories, boarding and quarantine catteries and shelters (e.g. McCune, 1995, Rochlitz et al., 1998, Ottway and Hawkins, 2003). A few publications make recommendations about the enrichment of the home environment for cats confined indoors, with the aim of preventing behavioural problems (e.g. Schroll, 2002). Others describe aspects of cat behaviour (e.g. Bernstein and Strack, 1996, Barry and Crowell-Davis, 1999), and interactions between humans and cats (e.g. Mertens and Turner, 1988, Mertens, 1991) in the home setting. This review aims to bring together these and other research findings that contribute to our understanding of how cats should be housed and cared for in the home.

Replacing the Protection of Animals Act 1911 with an Animal Welfare Bill, which would allow the creation of a new offence of ‘likely to cause unnecessary suffering’, is currently under discussion in the United Kingdom (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2002). Owners of companion animals would be required to provide a minimum standard of care, which includes adequate housing conditions.

Section snippets

Applying the Five Freedoms to standards of welfare

In order to develop guidelines on how cats should be housed, it is appropriate to determine what conditions, or standards, should be met. In 1965, the Brambell Committee reviewed the welfare of farm animals in intensive husbandry systems and proposed that all farm animals should benefit from minimal standards of welfare known as ‘The Five Freedoms’ (Brambell, 1965). Briefly, they are freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease,

The physical environment

In the United Kingdom, the majority of cats are allowed access to the outdoors (I. Rochlitz, unpublished data); it is generally considered that this is the natural thing for cats to be able to do. In the United States, between 50 and 60% of pet cats are housed indoors (Patronek et al., 1997). The American Veterinary Medical Association has stated that it strongly encourages owners of domestic cats in urban and suburban areas to keep them confined indoors; the Humane Society of the United States

Indoor versus outdoor housing

It is generally assumed that cats confined indoors will be healthier and live longer, as they are protected from hazards associated with the outdoors. Different hazards, however, may be present in the home. The Blue Cross animal charity found that household accidents, such as falls from balconies and windows, kitchen scalds and burns and access to cleaning products, were the second most common reason that puppies and kittens were brought to its hospital (Veterinary Department, The Blue Cross,

Conclusions

The welfare of cats kept as companion animals, and the way they are looked after in the home, has not being widely investigated. Most studies to date have focussed on cats kept in laboratories, catteries and shelters, but their findings can be applied to the home setting. It is proposed that a framework of five provisions, based on the Five Freedoms, can be used to assess companion animal welfare; it remains to be tested in a range of conditions. Enrichment of the cat's environment is crucial

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank The Waltham Foundation for funding my work for this review, and Professor Don Broom, University of Cambridge, for providing the facilities to write it.

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