Identification of Behavioral Disorders in Cats Referred to Veterinary Clinics in Shiraz
Subject Areas : Journal of Animal BiologyNastaran Varmazyar 1 , Seyedeh Ommolbanin Ghasemian 2 , Seyyed Morteza Razaghi Manesh 3
1 - Department of Veterinary, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran
2 - Department of Veterinary, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran
3 - Department of Veterinary, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran
Keywords: Aggression, Behavioral disorders, Cat, Improper urination, Inappropriate excretion,
Abstract :
Cats are one of the most popular pets due to their adaptability. However, the behavioral problems associated with this species have also increased, and in some cases, these behavioral disorders lead to the abandonment and death of animals. The present study aimed to identify behavioral disorders in cats referred to veterinary clinics in Shiraz City. The current descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 140 cats with owners living in Shiraz during the year 2021. Information about cats, their keeping conditions, and behavioral disorders was recorded. In this study, the most frequent behavioral disorders of cats included urine inappropriate elimination (44.3%), aggression (36.4%), stool inappropriate elimination (21.4%), hyperactivity (10.7%), destructive grabbing (9.3%), respectively. Older cats had the highest amount of inappropriate elimination of urine and feces (P=0.04). Improper excretion of urine and feces, aggression, and destructive grabbing in male and unsterilized cats were significantly more than in other cats (p < 0.05). Moreover, destructive grabbing and anxiety caused by loneliness were significantly higher in cats living at home with other cats than in those alone (p < 0.05). There was no difference in behavioral disorders among short hair and Persian cats (p < 0.05). The behavioral disorders in Iranian domestic cats are affected by factors such as age, sterilization, gender, and the presence of several cats in the house.
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