Understanding cats and the consequence of stress in their lives
Dr Andy Sparkes
During a session at the BVNA Congress in Telford, Dr Andy Sparkes, veterinary director of ISFM and iCatCare, emphasised the importance of understanding the natural history of cats and the causes of stress in the species, so that client education can be improved and more appropriate hospitalisation techniques employed in veterinary practices.
Short-term stress is not the problem, 'distress' occurs when cats cannot cope or deal with it. The key is how much control does the cat have over the stress it is experiencing?
Cats are territorial and not inherently social animals. They like to explore their territory in three dimensions and they are self-reliant. We know that cats have lived alongside humans for some 10,000 years but they are still only really semi-domesticated when compared with dogs.
They are predators, obligate carnivores and top of the food chain, with a constant body temperature throughout the day and peak periods of hunting activity at dawn and dusk. In between times they rest in safety above ground level.
They prefer to live solitary lives and are very territorial. Cats will mark out their territory and, by defining it, attempt to avoid conflict in order to conserve energy – the average wild cat needs to eat 20 mice a day to meet its calorific needs. They are great communicators, especially by smell, but we are not particularly good at picking up their messages.
A typical pet cat in an urban environment has territory that is 200-fold less than a pet cat kept in a rural environment. So urban cats are kept in an artificially small territory which is a cause of stress.
Problems occur when we, as social animals, anthropomorphise and think that a single pet cat needs another cat for company. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the time cats choose to be on their own. When we put them together, we subject them to stress.
When cats are taken to the veterinary clinic, the stresses of unfamiliarity in terms of smell, territory, proximity to other cats are magnified and reflected in highly significant physiological changes of increased blood pressure, body temperature and heart and respiratory rate. The situation may be even more stressful when the cats are examined at home in their own territory by a stranger.
So the 'white coat' effect is significant on clinical examinations and laboratory tests carried out in veterinary practice. This makes interpretation of blood analysis very difficult and it is impossible to distinguish between stress-related changes and those occurring as a consequence of disease conditions, such as raised glucose levels in diabetes mellitus. This is very important clinically when considering the administration of insulin.
Studies have shown that unpredictability in the environment will also increase the signs of stress. This is particularly important in hospitalised, caged cats and often manifested as restlessness and attempts to hide. So if we can improve the predictability of interaction and routines in the clinic and provide somewhere for them to hide, we can give them more 'ownership' of their environment and reduce their stress. This will also help prevent inappetence.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
