Cat Behavior Essay

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Recommended: The effect of pet ownership

Holly Newhook
English 100
Professor Lainsbury

Behavioural Issues Cats exhibit in Shelters and Households

Many humans own a cat. Cats are considered peaceful and content animals. Even though many people own a cat, millions enter animal shelters each year. How a cat is handled within a shelter depends on the cats’ heath, handling, and housing. Disposition depends on how socialized the cats are, although many shelters are required to determine how socialized and comfortable the cats are with humans before adoption. Shelters are very stressful for cats, and can result in cats behaving in uncharacteristic ways. Cats that are highly socialized and adoptable often display aggressive or fearful behaviour when under stress. High stress levels peak when the cats are confined to a small cage in a shelter or household. Cats in households are usually free-roaming cats; they experience hazardous encounters outdoors, which cause stress levels to peak. It is also hypothesised that cats within a multi-cat household are more stressed, because they have nowhere to hide or run when spatial dispersion is unavailable. When a cat is overly stressed out, the cat can exhibit behaviours which include, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and fever. Cats can also recognise the voices of their owners, which relates back to the 10,000-year history humans have with cats.
This essay examines behavioral issues that cats exhibit in shelters and households. Firstly, I will examine how cats are handled in shelters and how it affects their behaviour. Second, I will discuss the behaviour in cats that live in a secure household environment. Lastly, I will discuss the difference in behavioural issues between cats in shelters and households.
Cats h...

... middle of paper ...

...es, which means there are a multitude of stressors in their lives, which cause them to get used to it or be permanently stressed out, causing sickness or death. Cats in households have a bigger area to roam and indulge in their senses, they however, do not have many cats around them to get used to sharing resources, which can cause them to think they are superior to other cats who may not live with them. The cats in shelters and households live in very different environments but they all can experience similar stressors and similar results of the stressors. The behaviour of the cats depend on how they are treated and the environment around them, which includes the number of cats and the number of caregivers.
In conclusion, cats in households and cats in shelters live in very different environments, with many different factors than can bring stress onto the mind.

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