The impact of environmental enrichment on the cortisol level of shelter cats

Abstrakt

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).

Autorzy

artykuł
Animals
Angielski
2024
14
9
1392
otwarte czasopismo
CC BY 4.0 Uznanie autorstwa 4.0
ostateczna wersja opublikowana
w momencie opublikowania
2024-05-06
100
2,7
0
0