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The Impact of Environmental Enrichment on the Cortisol Level of Shelter Cats

Authors :
Justyna Wojtaś
Piotr Czyżowski
Kamila Kaszycka
Klaudia Kaliszyk
Mirosław Karpiński
Source :
Animals, Vol 14, Iss 9, p 1392 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Enriching cats’ living environment in shelters is crucial in reducing their stress. Easier access to resources allows cats to display natural behavior. This study aimed to assess whether cats staying in an enriched environment would be less stressed than cats staying in a standard environment. The first group consisted of cats living in an environment with fewer resources (standard environment)—103 cats. The second group consisted of cats living in an enriched environment—76 cats. The research material consisted of hair collected to determine the cortisol level. The results indicate that cats from a more enriched environment have almost half the level of cortisol in hair than cats from an environment with fewer resources (0.059 ng/mg vs. 0.101 ng/mg; p = 0.000001).

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20762615
Volume :
14
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Animals
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.8aa804ba6c74584a82ae19587370fc3
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091392