Sean Carroll
Ah, cats. We love our furry feline overlords regardless of the occasional hairball and their propensity to scratch the furnishings to sharpen their claws. The latter is completely pure kitty habits, however overly aggressive scratching is often perceived as a behavioral drawback. Veterinarians frown on taking excessive measures like declawing and even euthanizing such “problematic” cats. However there are different science-backed methods for lowering or redirecting the scratching the habits, based on the authors of a new paper revealed within the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
This newest research builds on the group’s prior analysis investigating the consequences of artificial feline facial pheromones on undesirable scratching in cats, based on co-author Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas, a veterinary researcher at Ankara College in Turkey. “From the start, our analysis group agreed that it was important to discover broader components which may exacerbate this problem, comparable to these influencing stress and, consequently, scratching habits in cats,” she instructed Ars. “What’s new on this research is our give attention to the person, environmental and social dynamics affecting the extent of scratching habits. This angle goals to boost our understanding of how human and animal welfare are interconnected in numerous situations.”
The research investigated the habits of 1,211 cats, with information collected by way of an internet questionnaire accomplished by the cats’ caregivers. The primary part collected details about the caregivers, whereas the second requested concerning the cats’ each day routines, social interactions, environments, behaviors, and temperaments. The third and ultimate part gathered details about the frequency and depth of undesirable scratching habits within the cats primarily based on a useful “scratching index.”
The group concluded that there are a number of components that affect the scratching habits of cats, together with environmental components, excessive ranges of sure sorts of play, and elevated nocturnal exercise. However stress appears to be the main driver. “Cats would possibly scratch extra as a solution to relieve stress or mark their territory, particularly in the event that they really feel threatened or insecure,” stated Demribas. And the highest supply of such stress, the research discovered, is the presence of babies within the residence.
