Cats and Covid-19

There remains no evidence of transmission of Covid-19 to humans from companion animals.

Yesterday some articles were published which suggested that cats should be kept indoors because of Covid-19. This is not correct.

International Cat Care and the International Society for Feline Medicine have put out a joint statement which you can read here. 

In particular, it states:

There remains no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 to humans from pets. Emerging reports of very few animals show potential transmission to dogs and cats from humans with the virus, but more research is needed. Similarly, it is currently unclear if cat to cat transmission is possible in natural infections, with limited data from experimental studies only available.

Therefore, it is not recommended that all cats are kept indoors. Cats used to outdoor access could suffer significant stress due to confinement and several serious health conditions are associated with stress. This confinement may also cause stress for cat owners, again to be avoided at this difficult time. If you are at all worried, do not pat or stroke any pets other than your own.

I would add that decisions to allow cats outdoors, including timing, should take risks to the cat (e.g. cat fights, motor vehicle accidents) as well as risks to wildlife (i.e. predation) into account. Restricted or supervised outdoor access may be a reasonable compromise.

For those of you working from home, you may feel that your cat is genuinely stressed. Some cats are being extremely clingy and demanding, others are avoiding their owners.

International Cat Care has provided a webinar on meeting your cat’s needs and managing feline stress during lockdown (if you have kids, there are some small projects they might like to take on).

Register (free) then view it on demand. https://icatcare.org/event/international-cat-care-webinar-open-access-covid-19/

Do animals get bored?

How do you tell if an animal is bored?

Do animals experience boredom? Those of us who cohabit with companion animals are generally convinced they do, but science is catching up.

In a review article(Burn, 2017) looking at boredom in non-human animals, Charlotte Burn claims that “chronic inescapable boredom is neither trivial nor benign.”

Burn argues that boredom includes sub-optimal arousal and aversion to monotony.

She discusses triggers of boredom, like spatially and temporally monotonous situations, confinement, and its effects - like frustration, stereotypic behaviour, disengagement and cognitive impairment. We know that for bored humans, time seems to drag. We know that monotony causes some individuals to seek novelty, even stimuli they might normally avoid (in humans, boredom is one factor associated with addiction). Chronic, inescapable boredom is “extremely aversive”, and under-stimulation can reduce physiological and behavioural flexibility.

Despite its significant welfare implications, animal boredom has been neglected by science, which is concerning given that most animals studied by scientists are confined in relatively barren environments for their entire lives. Yet we know that to develop neurologically, most animals need species-appropriate stimulation.

Boredom perhaps has an evolutionary advantage in motivating animals to seek stimulation and learn. It might even motivate some animals to leave their homes and seek new territories, or try new foods, or new behaviours.

Restricted periods of boredom may be helpful in motivating us to learn. But prolonged, inescapable boredom has negative effects, including damage to the central nervous system (the brain can literally shrink).

Environmental enrichment may alleviate boredom, but only if the enrichment is perceived as stimulating and relevant to the animal.

Burn’s article documents significant evidence that boredom exists in animals. She summarises various studies which highlight potential indicators of boredom (for example preference tests, escape behaviour, negative cognitive bias), indicators of sub-optimal arousal in humans and animals (for example, decreased HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) and SAM (sympathetic-adrenomedullary) activity, and EEG (electroencephalographic) patterns) and other indicators including time perception, disrupted sleep, and abnormal, repetitive behaviours.

Some may consider the study of boredom to be a bit of a “luxury” compared to study of other established animal welfare problems like pain and stress. Burn does not agree.

She writes: “Given the intense distress that prolonged boredom can cause in humans, and the cognitive damage to which under-stimulation can ultimately lead, it is potentially a severe and highly prevalent animal welfare issue neglected too long.”

There is a need, she argues, for scientists to investigate the biological basis for boredom, and to evaluate techniques and strategies to combat boredom in humans and in animals.

The implications for anyone housing animals are huge. That includes people working in laboratories, zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, farms and companion animal owners. Which species are most susceptible to boredom? How do we ensure that confined animals experience appropriate stimulation for their development? Which interventions can offset boredom?

This is a paper worth reading in full. In terms of companion animals there are a number of ways we can offset boredom. Interacting with them in a meaningful way – whether it’s going for a walk, engaging in training, petting or grooming, providing appropriate environmental enrichment or even companionship with their own species can all help to offset boredom.

Different animals at different stages in their development may require different 

types and levels of stimulation.

Reference

BURN, C. C. 2017. Bestial boredom: a biological perspective on animal boredom and suggestions for its scientific investigation. Animal Behaviour, 130, 141-151.

The search for humane rodent control, or, what to do with excess cat fur

I recently found this black rat living in a neglected corner of our garden.

What if it were possible to deter unwanted rats and mice using just a scent? Not only would this reduce the deaths of rodents, it may also save the lives of native rats and mice, and reduce the number of accidental poisonings of dogs, cats and other animals with rodenticides.

Miguel Bedoya-Perez is a postdoctoral research associate in behavioural and chemical ecology. In a collaborative project between the School of Psychology and the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, at the University of Sydney, he is exploring the chemical, biological and evolutionary aspect of anti-predator behaviour in introduced and native rodents, in response to predator odours, working under the direction of Professor Iain McGregor.

Dr Bedoya-Perez took some time out of his day to answer our questions.

What’s your day job?

I am postdoctoral research associate in behavioural and chemical ecology at the University of Sydney. My current research focuses in the anti-predator behaviour rodents show when presented with the smell of predators, in particular cats.

What is the aim of your project?

The aim of this project is to isolate, identify and potentially synthesize the molecule, or molecules, in cats’ smell that scare rats, as a non-lethal alternative to poisoned baits for the management of rodents.

Why is there a need for more humane pest control?

Several species of rodents are a recognised world-wide as pests that destroy crops, spread disease and cause enormous damage to infrastructure. It is estimated that 280 million undernourished people worldwide could significantly benefit by reducing the losses in harvest due to rodents. However, these species are also known to develop resistance to many first, second and third generation poisons, making the development of alternative methods of control crucial. In Australia, as well as in other parts of the world, pest rodents can either share their habitat with other native species, or be themselves native species with population explosions caused by particular environmental conditions. Poisons and traps are not target specific, and have the potential to impact these other, sometimes vulnerable, populations. By tapping in the intrinsic fear rodents show for predators, we have the potential to develop a method of control that would be specific for rodents and at the same time non-lethal, reducing the impacts in other species. But also, because this response is evolutionarily stable, shown by laboratory rats that have been bred in captivity for generations and have never being in contact with any predators, there is little chance of development of resistance.

In a nutshell, how do scientists capture and reproduce a smell?

The process of capturing and reproducing the smell is somewhat complicated. But it basically involves acquiring sources of the smell, like fur, or collars, and using chemical procedures to obtain an extract, something no different to getting powdered instant coffee from brewed coffee beans. This extract can then be separated into its individual chemical components and screened to determine which of those components are responsible for inducing the fear response in rats. Once the individual chemical or chemicals are identified, chemists can, depending on the nature of the molecules, replicate the molecule in the lab.

What is the outcome of the research?

The method to use the smell will depend largely on the nature of the chemical and the management target. We need to first understand how stable the molecule is, its shelf life and the best ways for application. A stable long-lived molecule could potentially be added to materials, like the plastic covering of electrical cables or paint use in grain silos. But if the molecule is less stable and short lived, a regularly applied spray or diffuser may prove to be more effective.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cat fur so far?

I would say, probably the level temporal and individual variability of the fear-inducing odour in cats. Not all cats are scary, and this has nothing to do with breed, sex, age or even environment. We have cats that live in the same house, and are fed the same food, and one cat’s scent is scary while the other’s is not. We also found that some cats are not scary some times of the year, but scary at other times. We have a more questions than answers on why this could be, but we think this may be due to the seasonal shedding of coats from winter to summer, and also the process of domestication of cats.

How can people help with your project?

We are very thankful of all the help that we have received so far from vet clinics, pet groomers and cat owners giving us fur. 

The best way you can help is, if you have a cat, brush it regularly and keep as much fur in as possible in a plastic bag and post it to me within two weeks of collecting it. We are always looking for fur. If you want to offer extra help, add details to the fur sample (cat age, sex, breed, is it desexed or not, is it an indoor or outdoor cat, date of collection, etc.) try to collect all the fur per sample within a day or two, and finally, the more samples we get from the same cat several times over the year, the better.

Thanks Dr Bedoya-Perez for your time. You can follow Dr Bedoya-Perez on twitter @MA_BEDOYAPEREZ, or to donate cat fur, contact him via email at Miguel.bedoyaperez[AT]sydney.edu.au

How do you find a missing cat? Interview with Brigid Wasson.

Has your cat ever gone missing? Did you ever find out where he/she went? Often, it isn't far at all.

Do you or have you lived with a cat? Ever had a cat go missing? It is a traumatic experience. Sometimes there’s that moment of panic, then you find them later – curled up in a wardrobe or hiding in the garden. But when they are missing for days, weeks, and months on end, it is extremely upsetting. This is when you wish they could just text you and let you know they’re sleeping a few houses up the road, or they can’t find they’re way home but they don’t think they’re far. Unfortunately, they can’t.

Brigid Wasson is presenting at the Getting 2Zero conference on reuniting owners with lost cats as quickly as possible.

Brigid is a lifetime animal welfare professional and retired animal shelter director. She has held positions of leadership in both government and nonprofit animal service agencies, focusing on implementing lifesaving programs and increasing live release from as low as 60% to over 90%.

Brigid became interested in lost pet prevention and recovery in 2008 when she discovered Missing Pet Partnership, and in 2014 was invited to join the Board of Directors. She currently serves as President of the organization and manages the animal shelter initiatives including Mission Reunite, which teaches animal shelter/pound management, staff, volunteers, and community partners to work together to increase owner reunions and decrease shelter intake.

Getting pets back home quickly saves resources that can be better utilized for animals truly in need of a new home such as cruelty or neglect cases. Brigid lives in Sonoma County, CA and is the CEO and Principal Consultant of The Path Ahead Animal Shelter Consulting.

What’s your day job?

I provide consulting for animal pounds and shelters and their community partners on best practices and lifesaving programs.

Why did you become interested in the fate of missing cats?

I have been a cat lover all my life. Since I was a child I connected with them. As an adult working in the animal shelters, I was horrified to see what happens to cats there. There are tens of thousands of healthy, friendly adult cats that are rarely reclaimed, either being euthanized or sitting in cages for weeks or months before being adopted. On the other side of the door you have cat owners grieving for their missing pets, not knowing how to find them, and often starting their shelter search too late, or giving up too soon. There’s a huge gap between what owners need to do and what shelter leaders need to do to keep cats at home and stop this madness.

Where are people most likely to find a missing cat?

Hiding close to home, sometimes even in the home! Generally, cats do not travel far like dogs, so they are often found under decks, in bushes, in sheds in the yard of the owner or a close neighbour. Sometimes they are just scared, other times they are stuck or hiding because they are ill or injured. This is why it is so important to start a thorough search quickly.

In what time frame are most missing cats found?

It varies. Some are found a day or two after going missing, while others are found weeks later. I don’t think there’s any magic number, it’s just a combination of the owner actively searching and the cat coming out of hiding and revealing his location.

If someone loses a cat, what advice would you give them?

Start looking right away. Don’t assume he’ll come home. Follow the advice on our web site and seek the assistance of a professional if you feel you can’t do it alone. Learn the shelter (pound) system and check them frequently. While most cats are recovered close to home, someone may have taken your cat to a shelter because they believed they were lost, or because they appeared ill or injured. [Ed. Its also good to contact vet clinics in the area as strays can be brought in there].

How can we prevent cats getting lost in the first place?

Keep them confined to your property. Microchip and register.

If someone finds a cat (that isn’t theirs), what should they do?

In most cases, nothing. The majority of cats one will see outside are owned pets not in need of any kind of “rescuing.” If you are concerned, you can check with neighbours to see if anyone is missing a cat or has brought a new cat home. Bringing a healthy, friendly cat to a shelter takes him out of his home environment and almost ensures that he will never see it again.

That said, if you have free roaming, breeding cats in your neighbourhood, you may want to get in touch with an organization in your community that offers low cost spay neuter (desexing) and vaccination to reduce and improve the health of the population.

Kittens – preferably waiting till they are eight weeks of age, unless you are certain that the mother is gone – and cats that appear ill or injured should be brought to the local veterinary hospital or shelter/pound for medical attention.

What non-human(s) do you share your life with and how did you meet.

Many! In fact, I chose the city I live in based on, among other things, the fact that it does not have a cat limit. We have a large cat family, each with his or her own story. We have four dogs of varying sizes and personalities, and two horses.

Any advice you’d like to share with veterinarians and future veterinarians?

As highly respected professionals, your word is gospel for many in the animal world. Because of that, you have an obligation to educate yourself and, consequently, the public with whom you interact, on animal welfare issues. We hear too many stories of veterinarians not questioning new pets recently found by “owners,” not scanning for microchips, and in some cases taking in stray pets and giving them away without making any attempt to find the owner. A few words of advice for both owners and finders of missing pets would go a long way, as would office policies that favour pet and rightful owner reunion.

Thank you Brigid for your time. You can read more about Brigid on her website or on facebook. You can register or find out more about Getting 2 Zero here.

Pet translators: do we need them?

Is Felix the cat talking? No, he's yawning. But what would he say to us in plain English if he could?

Wouldn’t it be great if animals could talk? It would make my job much easier. I could ask my patients what they really ate and when (i.e. not just the officially sanctioned meals but the items snaffled from the park), and where exactly it hurts.

Of course, this will only help if the patients can give me accurate, honest information in a way I understand. Which I think they already do.

This week the Guardian published an article about pet translators. Retail giant Amazon things decent pet translators will be on sale in the nearby future.

But these devices are only as good as the translations we program into them – and what is that based on? Animals give us cues all of the time – via body language, behaviour, pheromones, for example, but do we read them? When a frightened animal expressed his or her anal glands on you, it’s fairly unambiguous. Words wouldn’t add anything to that exchange.

And what if I could say to my patients, “this injection will make you feel better?”. Would they be reassured? I imagine it may benefit some patients, but there would be a subset who – like people – no matter what you tell them, have a fear of the dentist, the doctor or the procedure itself.

Every person I know who lives with a companion animal knows when they are hungry. Right now Hero is sitting on my desk, fluffing his tail across my keyboard, "asking" for breakfast course two. And most vets know when an animal is frightened, and do our best to comfort them. Some of my patients are reassured by my behaviour, a greater percentage are reassured by treats, and others don't trust vets fullstop. Are those patients going to say to their owner - via translator - "take me to the vet"? I think not.

Questions of honesty aside, do pet translators place the emphasis on the wrong side of the equation? Why is it that animals need to talk to us in our language, and that we cannot spend time observing them and trying to read cues?

And if we do rely on such devices, are we setting ourselves up for disappointment. I don’t think, for example, that Phil would ever say “happy birthday” to me or understand that concept. He might even tell me that he would prefer that Hero moves out.

It seems to me that the study of animal behaviour – in domestic and non-domestic settings – is a much more worthwhile pursuit than trying to give ourselves the false impression that animals will express themselves in the way we want them to.

Can a sleepover reduce stress in shelter dogs?

Do shelter dogs need more high quality sleep? And other fascinating questions raised in Lisa Gunter's research.

How can we reduce stress in shelter dogs? We know that shelters can be stressful environments. There are huge efforts being made by shelters all over the world to reduce stress, both to improve animal welfare but also to prevent otherwise healthy animals from emerging from shelters with behaviour problems.

Lisa Gunter is a PhD candidate in behavioural neuroscience at the Canine Science Collaboratory in Arizona State University’s Department of Psychology. I read about her research at Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary looking at the effect of temporary foster programs in Science Daily, notably a night out of the shelter. What do dogs do when taken out of the shelter? Does their behaviour predict how they would behave in adopted homes? Are there other benefits?

Think about it: animal shelters aren’t exactly the optimal environment for a solid night’s sleep. But when animals are stressed, uninterrupted sleep may be the best medicine. Lisa answered our questions below about work she has been undertaking with collaborator Erica Feuerbacher at Carroll College.

What is your project about? 

We've evaluating the effects of temporary fostering programs on shelter dog welfare and their ability to help predict future behavior in adoptive homes. 

You looked at whether the behaviour of dogs on a sleepover is predictive of behaviour in a home. What did you find in this regard?

We're too early in to be able to report findings in this regard, since we're focusing on the shelter dogs' behavior after six months in their adoptive homes and many are just being adopted or still waiting for their new homes in the animal shelter.

Do you know what period of time the cortisol is reduced for after a sleepover? (ie how long do the positive effects last)

Dogs have stayed overnight in homes for one and two nights. Typically, reductions in cortisol occur during their stay; and when the dogs return to the shelter, the dogs' cortisol levels increase - but not above pre-sleepover levels. So overall, we see significant reductions during their time away and a return to baseline when they come back to the shelter.

Are there any potential downsides to a sleepover program, eg being brought back into the kennel?

Thus far, we've had fosters report that during their sleepovers, dogs are able to get long bouts of uninterrupted rest, which may be one of the ways by which their cortisol levels are decreasing. Shelter staff report that the dogs seem more calm and relaxed after sleepovers which may help them demonstrate more appropriate behaviors in the kennel. It's certainly possible that sleepovers may not be beneficial for all dogs, so that's a question we definitely want to dig into when we analyze all of our data from the five shelter sites.

You found anecdotally that once dogs settled down at the hotel, they would have a big sleep, and mention that perhaps this is one thing they don’t get in shelters. As a veterinarian in practice I see a lot of dogs and cats with poor sleep due to flea infestation – they wake up throughout the night to scratch. When we treat them for fleas, often they have reduced anxiety. How important do you think uninterrupted sleep is for animal welfare?

From what we've observed with the shelter dogs so far, I think it could be playing a bigger role than we've previously anticipated - and could be involved in processes like immune function and overall welfare in the shelter. Certainly, shelter dogs get sleep, but I think it's those bouts of uninterrupted sleep that need to be examined. Hopefully, the data collected from the health monitors that the dogs are wearing throughout the study will shed some light on this topic!

You found that there are two behaviours that potential adopters respond to positively: when a dog lies down next to a person, and whether they respond to an invitation to play. Why do you think these make a dog more appealing? Are these behaviours more likely to happen to dogs with low stress?

The research you mention is from our former labmate, Alexandra Protopopova, who's now at Texas Tech University in the Human-Animal Interaction Lab. I think the sociability of dogs and their connection with us cannot be overstated. Whether its behavior related to their proximity and willingness to interact with us or how spending time with us influences their stress levels, I think people can have a positive effect on shelter dog adoptions and welfare.

Do you think there is a way for shelters to “scale up” the sleepover model?

Certainly! One of my favorite quotes is from a foster at Arizona Humane Society about how doable sleepovers are. In her words, she "can do anything for a day and a half." I think 1 and 2 night sleepovers are an easy way for the community to be involved with the shelter and positively impact the lives of shelter dogs. From there, who knows? Through sleepovers, perhaps fosters will tell friends and family about their sleepover dog which helps the dog get adopted or even decide to look into longer term fostering with shelter. 

Are there any key messages you’d like to share with veterinarians, vet students or the potential pet-owning public?

So far, we're seeing temporary fostering programs can provide a nice opportunity for dogs to leave the shelter, allows the staff to learn more about them in a home environment and reduce the dogs' stress while they're away. For shelters that are want to develop their foster program or increase the number of foster homes they have, temporary fostering or sleepovers may be helpful way to meet to support those goals!

Thank you Lisa for your time. We look forward to hearing more about this fascinating work!

Is there evidence for animal consciousness?

The evidence for animal consciousness is overwhelming. The question is, should this prompt us to change our behaviour towards animals?

Are animals conscious, and to what extent? One area of scientific study used to answer this question has been human-animal relationships, and animals’ subjective experience of us. Studies have shown that different human individuals are perceived differently by animals. This leads to behaviour on a scale from avoidance to bonding.

Most people who live with non-human animals are aware of this, and interact with animals on the assumption that they are interacting with conscious beings (indeed, we assume this of other humans). Whether it’s a dairy cow or a dog, animals may respond with more or less enthusiasm, affection, even aggression, to different individuals. Hero headbutts me (in the nice way, as opposed to the Liverpool kiss kind of way), bolts from anyone who he hasn’t met before, and only lets individuals he is very used to within his personal space (and even then, there are varying levels of trust). He knows who is likely to feed him.

According to the authors of a recent scientific review, “this indicates that conscious, rather than strictly predetermined and automatic processes, may emerge in the development of human-animal relationships”(Le Neindre et al., 2017). In this review, a team of scientists cited 659 references, 75 per cent of which were sourced from international scientific journals and 33 per cent of which were published since 2010.

In 2012, a group of leading scientists gathered and signed the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness. After a preamble, which you can read here, they declared: 

“The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviours. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates”(Low et al., 2012).

Essentially, animals do experience emotions, they have episodic memory, social structures that rely on social cognitive abilities, and many exhibit metacognition (thinking about thinking). They have the equipment to generate consciousness (even if it’s different to ours). But it stopped there. The big question is, how should this information change our treatment of animals?

The recent review, published by the European Food Safety Authority, is comprehensive and summarises our knowledge about consciousness – of humans as well as animals. It states that, among other things, 

“As for animals, human consciousness might be best described as the emerging product of interactions between different functional layers constituted by perceptual, attentional, mnesic, emotional and evaluative competencies which revolve around a central node supporting core regulations involved in vigilance and central rhythms. Upon the perception of a stimulus of interest, several of these layers are activated and interact to ultimately produce interpretations and intentionality which are externalised through the expression of conscious actions. Thus, processes related to consciousness allow the emergence of responses which have greater complexity and content than the simple combination or addition of individual responses to separate systems”.(Le Neindre et al., 2017)

The authors of the recent report go a step beyond the signatories of the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness, stating that “the different levels and contents of consciousness documented in animals should give rise to commensurate ethical considerations, especially regarding domestic animals used in farming, research, work, sports or companionship”(Le Neindre et al., 2017).

For anyone with an interest in animal welfare, consciousness (in any species) or ethics, these documents are worth a read. The evidence demands that we consider some confronting questions. What are the implications for veterinarians? What are the implications for society as a whole? Should we change current practices? Which ones? How? 

References

LE NEINDRE, P., BERNARD, E., BOISSY, A., BOIVIN, X., CALANDREAU, L., DELON, N., DEPUTTE, B., DESMOULIN-CANSELIER, S., DUNIER, M., FAIVRE, N., GIURFA, M., GUICHET, J.-L., LANSADE, L., LARRÈRE, R., MORMÈDE, P., PRUNET, P., SCHAAL, B., SERVIÈRE, J. & TERLOUW, C. 2017. Animal Consciousness. EFSA Supporting Publications, 14, 1196E-n/a.

LOW, P., PANKSEPP, J., REISS, D., EDELMAN, D., VAN SWINDEREN, B. & KOCH, C. 2012. The Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness. In: LOW, P. (ed.) Francis Crick Memorial Conference on Consciousness in Human and non-Human Animals. Churchill College, University of Cambridge.

Five minutes with behaviour vet Nicole Lobry de Bruyn

Nicole Lobry de Bruyn and Murphy.

Nicole Lobry de Bruyn is an animal behaviour veterinarian and teacher based in Western Australia. Her life was changed by adoption of a dog with a mental health issue, and a career change followed. She's also an accomplished author and blogger. She now runs ANIMAL sense. 

I finally met her in person at the Australian Veterinary Association annual conference where she was soaking up the behaviour sessions in the scientific program.

What’s your day job?

My day job is both teaching animal behaviour to undergraduate veterinarians and running ANIMAL Sense – a private small animal veterinary consultancy business.

What sparked your interest in animal behaviour?

It was a slow burn. Firstly, I adopted a dog reactive dog from the clinic only to discover I didn’t know how to treat him and my search ended in much confusion from trainers. I went on journey of discovery using science and compassion as my base.

What are the key behaviour problems you see in companion animals?

Nearly all behaviour problems are a result of fear and anxiety and arise through genetics, environment and learning.

How are behavioural disorders diagnosed?

Through extensive questionnaire assessment of history, observation of the animal and rule out of medical conditions.

How do behavioural disorders impact on the welfare of animals and people?

It impacts the quality of life of both people and pets. There is lots of evidence saying how good pet owning is for humans, but having a mentally ill pet can be very stressful to a family and giving them the support they need is very rewarding.

Are there any ways to prevent behaviour problems developing in animals, or is it simply a matter of treating them as they arise?

As much as possible breeders should be selecting for temperament, providing positive early socialisation experiences and owners should be counselled on how dogs learn – therefore only ever using positive reinforcement techniques.

What non-human do you share your life with and how did you meet?

Border Terrier Murphy obtained from a breeder at 5 months of age.

Any advice you’d like to share with veterinarians and future veterinarians?

Practice vet medicine with compassion for yourself your clients and their companions. Be guided by science. Always follow an ethical approach when changing behaviour – least intrusive, minimally aversive methods.

Thanks Nicole for answering our questions. If you’re at the AVA conference and have not yet signed up, or if you want to come along, the Australian Veterinarians in Behaviour Interest Group is running a workshop on Friday. Sign up here. http://conference.ava.com.au/

Book review: The Trainable Cat. Plus that Downward Dog video and dogs day out.

Hero and I will be trying out the key skills in this book.

“[Vet] visits are essential for keeping your cat in tip-top health, but your cat cannot know this, and you cannot afford to simply take the attitude that what happens at the vet’s stays at the vet’s. You may be able to forget the struggle your cat put up while being examined, your vet may be able to dismiss it as one of the expected hazards of the job, but your cat will not forget so easily.” (Bradshaw and Ellis, 2016:225).

Some wise words from my new favourite book. One of the most offensive things I do on a daily basis, in fact multiple times per day – at least from the point of view of my feline patients – is to remove them from the cat carrier to examine them. Some cats will walk out voluntarily, and proceedings are ALWAYS better. 

They have a sense of control. But those that don’t resort to all sorts of behaviours which make this a struggle – adopting the “starfish” position. Digging in. Curling up and becoming heavier than titanium.

If you lived with a cat, plan on living with a cat, know someone who lives with a cat, or don’t live with a cat but you’re interested in animal cognition and learning, you will love The Trainable Cat: How To MakeLife Happier for You and Your Cat by John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis.

Hero has the crazy ears in this photo because he was about to chew on the book.

This book is not a book about training your cat to do stunts or tricks. Rather it recognises that we expect cats to adapt to our world, even when it goes against their natures. They do a pretty good job, but sometimes it overwhelms them.

It may shock readers to learn that, “lacking the necessary brain structures, cats must logically perceive their relationships with their owners (and with each other) in a far simpler way that we conceive of our relationships with them” (p14). That does not mean they’re not intelligent – it means we have to learn how cats learn. (And yes, it’s also unlikely that cats can be devious, spiteful or scheming – a myth that unfortunately is associated with very unhelpful punishment of cats – the authors explain why this inevitably fails to change their behaviour).

The book opens with a discussion of feline evolution and ethology. How do they live in the wild and what are their natural behaviours?

It provides a core set of key stills, all outlined in one chapter, that can be used to help cats cope with a range of challenging yet common situations (outlined in the other chapters): adapting to an indoor lifestyle, dealing with being touched, going to the vet. And the carrier. As far as I am concerned these authors have nailed it: there is an entire chapter on how to get your cat in (and out) of the cat carrier. There is even a beautiful flow chart.

If every cat owner read this book and applied these principles, the welfare of their cats would be excellent – and the bond between cats and owners would be stronger – to the benefit of both parties. This weekend, I'm making Hero a toolbox, and investing in a more suitable carrier.

Meantime, on an anthropomorphic note, check out this video, “Downward Dog”. As one of my colleagues said, they weren’t 100 per cent sure about it – but it says a lot about human behaviour. Its 11 minutes so you’ll need a cup of tea. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Finally, if you’re in Sydney this weekend with a canine friend or two, the Pawfect Day Out will be held at the Vic on the Park on Sunday from 2-5pm. More info here.