Document type : scientific article published in Veterinary Sciences
Authors: Laurent R. Finka, Ana M. Barcelos, James Waterman, Avni Bhatia, JEnni L. McDonald, Rae Foreman-Worsley, Beth Skillings
Abstract in French (translation): Part 1: Survey of Cat Shelters in the United Kingdom and the British Isles: Housing, Management, and General Care Practices as Reported by Care Staff
Meeting the physiological and psychological needs of sheltercats throughappropriate careis essential for reducing stress and the risk of disease, as well as for promoting successful adoptions. Shelters in the British Isles care for large numbers of cats; however, little is known about the types of housing and husbandry practices in use. This study therefore aimed to quantify current practices regarding housing, husbandry, and general care of cats, as well as to provide relevant information on the capacity of local facilities, by comparing reported practices to industry minimum standards, where applicable. Nine hundred sixty-one shelters and/or facilities housing cats were identified and invited to complete an online survey consisting primarily of multiple-choice questions. A total of 393 unique responses were collected from staff and volunteers, and the quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. In most cases, the results showed that the majority of practices complied with industry standards, although substantial variations in reported practices were also consistently observed. While most responses described practices that supported the fulfillment of cats’ basic physiological needs (e.g., access to veterinary care and basic resources), psychological needs were addressed less consistently (e.g., general housing and management practices), which could lead to suboptimal welfare outcomes. Among the opportunities identified to better meet cats’ needs are more cat-friendly and less stressful approaches to cleaning enclosures and handling animals; greater and more regular provision of resources within enclosures; and improved approaches to multi-cat housing and related decision-making. Other opportunities to improve the well-being of both cats and humans include more structured intake and assessment processes, as well as capacity management to ensure optimal cat-to-staff ratios, appropriate staff work schedules, appropriate length of stay for cats, and more regular access to isolation and emergency shelter facilities.
Preview:
Within the framework of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Food Sovereignty (MAAFS) commissioned an evaluation of the impact of the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) on animal welfare in France [...] This evaluation was conducted from a thematic perspective focusing on animal welfare and covers the years 2023 and 2024, corresponding to the first two effective years of programme implementation. The evaluation work makes it possible to analyse the contribution of CAP interventions to animal welfare, as well as their coherence and complementarity with other relevant measures. The evaluation was carried out over a 12-month period (January 2025-January 2026) and structured into three phases: the scoping phase (January-March 2025), the data collection and analysis phase (April-September 2025), and the finalisation and recommendations phase (October 2025-January 2026). [...] Meeting the physiological and psychological needs of shelter cats through appropriate care is critical to reducing stress and disease risk, as well as enabling positive homing outcomes. Shelter organisations across the British Isles provide care for many cats; however, little is known about the types of housing and husbandry approaches applied. This study, therefore, aimed to quantify current approaches to cat housing, husbandry, and general care practices, in addition to providing information relevant to local site capacity, considering reported practices against sector minimum standards where applicable. Nine hundred and sixty-one shelter organisations and/or sites caring for cats were identified and invited to complete an online survey including predominantly multiple-choice questions. A total of 393 unique responses were collected from employees and volunteers, and quantitative data were summarised descriptively. In most cases, the results provided evidence of majority alignment with sector standards, although substantial variations in reported practices were also consistently captured. While most responses described approaches supportive of meeting cats’ basic physiological needs (e.g., access to veterinary care and basic resources), psychological needs were addressed less consistently (e.g., general housing and husbandry approaches), potentially leading to poor welfare outcomes. Identified opportunities to better meet cats’ needs include more cat-friendly, low-stress approaches to pen cleaning and cat handling; greater and more consistent provisioning of within-pen resources; and improved approaches to multi-cat housing and associated decision-making. Additional opportunities to enhance both cat and human wellbeing include more structured intake and assessment processes and capacity management to support optimal cat-to-staff ratios, staff working hours, cat lengths of stay and more consistent access to isolation and emergency intake facilities.
