Analysis of the knowledge of domestic cat guardians on the feline environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v17n12e1493Keywords:
Welfare, feline behavior, environmental enrichment, catsAbstract
The present study aimed to verify the knowledge of cat guardians on feline environmental needs, organized around five pillars for achieving a healthy feline environment, and its application in homes. Promoting these needs has a direct impact on the cat's health and well-being by avoiding environmental stress. A questionnaire was prepared in the Google Forms platform, containing 35 questions, 10 of which to establish the profile of the guardians: how many cats they own; if they know and how they got to know the five pillars, and if they believe they promote the well-being of their cats, besides 5 specific questions referring to each pillar. The questionnaire was shared online from 06/18/2021 to 06/29/2021 and eight hundred responses were obtained, inclusion criteria in the study being to have at least one cat. According to the survey, 94% claimed that their environment promoted feline well-being. However, only 34.1% reported knowing the five pillars of the healthy feline environment. In relation to the first pillar, 52.6% stated that their cats had a safe and private place, although it was not individual. 59.9% of the safe places had more than one entrance, allowing the feline to leave a threatening situation. Regarding the second pillar, 32.9% reported having one more of each resource than the number of cats. Regarding the location of resources, 58.5% said they had separate food and water bowls and 88.4% reported separating the litter box from all other resources. Regarding the 3rd pillar, 81.1% claimed that their cats play and 66.8% of guardians claimed to play with them daily, although 82.1% reported not using puzzle feeders, failing to explore the feline's predatory behavior at the time of feeding. Regarding the 4th pillar, 64.6% claimed to initiate social interactions with their cats with high frequency (91.1%) and high intensity (72.4%), while 86.2% said they believed that the frequency and intensity of these interactions vary according to the age of the feline. Regarding the 5th pillar, 90.7% claimed to believe that interference in the olfactory sense of cats could lead to behavioral and health problems. The knowledge and management of guardians proved to be satisfactory, but the need for information dissemination was evidenced, especially by veterinarians, as the mentioned pillars have a strong relationship with preventive veterinary medicine.
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