Evaluation of medical, behavioural and physiological aspects of domestic cats (Felis catus) with inappropriate urination

• Autor(a) principal: Ramos, Daniela
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da USP
• Texto Completo: http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/10/10136/tde-26092012-163249/
• topic: Behaviour; Comportamento; Disease; Doença; Eliminação inapropriada; Estresse; Feline; Felino; Housesoiling; Stress

Commonly reported refractoriness in feline cases of inappropriate urination, in spite of well established diagnosis schema and therapeutic regimens, emphasizes the need for reviewing traditional concepts and conducts. A case-control study with 18 "sprayer" and 23 "toileter" cats, and their respective controls from the same multi-cat households (3-9 cats), was performed to investigate the following aspects: disease, stress, personality, emotionality and social behaviour. A high prevalence of medical problems, including some alterations of the upper urinary tract, was equally found among "sprayers" and "toileters". Cystoscopy of female participant cats led to a probable diagnosis of interstitial cystitis in one "sprayer" and one "toileter". Unreliable values concerning plama bioamines restricted our understanding of the cats emotionality, but faecal glucocorticoid levels indicated that cats from spraying households ("sprayers" and their controls) were more aroused (probably more stressed) than cats from the toileting households. Cat owners were not consistent in their opinions with regard to personality but their more direct observations in respect to inter-cat relationships indicated that neither spraying nor toileting was associated with cats´ social behaviour or status. About recorded behaviours, no differences were seen between cases and "controls" from either of the groups. However, proportionally more time spent moving (as opposed to stationary) by cats from spraying houses might have reflected the higher arousal states of the former. Results reiterate the importance of medical check-ups in any case of inappropriate urination. Furthermore, they suggest spraying as a feline attempt to cope in highly stressful environments.