Behavioral arousal levels in house-soiling cats

Researchers evaluated fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels in subjects using a case-control design. Eleven spraying and 12 problematic housesoiling cats were assessed along with behaviorally normal and similarly healthy control subjects from the same multi-cat households.

Individual fecal samples were collected by owners from both "case" and "control" cats. A total of five samples per cat were collected and submitted to extraction procedures prior to FCM analysis via an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

Participant cats, both "cases" (nine "sprayers" and eight "housesoilers") and controls, were also individually video recorded for 5 min in a dedicated room.

FCM levels were significantly higher in individuals from spraying households than from the housesoiling households, but there was no significant difference between cats from the same household.

Within a video observation test, cats from spraying houses spent proportionally more time moving. These results indicate that households in which a cat exhibits urine spraying, are generally more aroused, but "sprayers" are not more aroused than their housemates.

The study suggests that appropriate management needs to be applied to the whole household to help alleviate the potential stress of all the cats in the home, and not just the cat with the inappropriate behavior.

Read more by clicking on the link below:

A Case-Controlled Comparison of Behavioural Arousal Levels in Urine Spraying and Latrining Cats.