Epidemiology of domestic cat behavioral and welfare issues: a survey of Brazilian referral animal hospitals in 2009.

Abstract

Few feline behavioral categories, especially concerning their social behavior, have been studied so far. These include: the domestic cat social structure, relationships among individuals and communication among social groups. However, cats have become popular companion animals in many countries and multi-cat households are common. Not only behavioral disorders, but also normal behaviors are important causes of euthanasia and abandonment of healthy cats. This study aimed to conduct a national survey on behavioral problems of cats and how they affect cat welfare, in university animal hospitals in Brazil. The methods used were questionnaires sent to veterinarians at all referral hospitals in the country. Forty-six vet school hospitals from a total of 108 returned the questionnaire (33.6%). The majority of veterinarians affirmed that they had been consulted on behavior disorders (91.1%), mostly regarding dogs (90.2%). Most of the participants refer behavior cases to veterinary behaviorists (57.6