The Welfare of Cats

References

Cite

Share

Abstract

The Welfare of Cats is the third book in a series on animal welfare, with the first two dedicated to horses and laboratory animals. That makes it the first in this series to deal with the most popular pet animal species. Because books on animal welfare generally cover all animals, this series offers a unique perspective for issues pertaining to species needs rather than discipline needs. In this way the cat can be viewed in all its unique aspects, with adequate space given for special needs. Obviously, the breadth of the subject is enormous. This book is divided into ten chapters that deal with various aspects of welfare such as behavior and behavior problems, the human–cat relationship, feral and unowned cats, nutrition, and health. The editor has chosen ten distinct subjects that are appropriate to discuss under the topic of feline welfare. In addition, she chose an additional ten authors who are internationally known to address the subjects of their expertise, and who are willing to discuss the pros and cons of various controversial issues. “The Assessment of Welfare” is a well-written chapter about general concepts of animal welfare that makes a logical opening to this book’s topic. In it, the authors discuss various ways that welfare assessments are made to avoid anthropomorphic implications. While environments may differ, behavioral and physiological measurements can still be applied. This chapter should have been the first in the book, instead of the second, because it sets the stage for all the others. It certainly is not reasonable to expect all aspects of normal and abnormal feline behavior to be covered in a book on feline welfare, but the authors of the chapter on behavior and the one on behavior problems do a very nice job of covering those things that are the most relevant. Because behavior is one of the ways to assess welfare, understanding how cats interact with other cats and with humans is critical to establishing whether a behavior is normal or not. As was pointed out, the constraints of the domestic environment can affect behavior, and the ability to adapt to these can literally affect survival of individuals. Going hand in hand with behavior problems is the human–cat relationship. This chapter describes the positives and negatives of the relationship down through the years. The author describes this long term interaction with a fresh perspective from many of the more familiar writings on the subject, making the subject interesting again. While there is a section on the responsibilities of being a pet owner, it only deals with the need for veterinary care and for human health concerns. Much more could have been added there. Throughout the world there seem to be more cats than cat owners. In the chapter “Cat Overpopulation in the United States,” the author does an excellent job of looking at the complexity of ❖ ANTHROZOÖS VOLUME 20, ISSUE 1 REPRINTS AVAILABLE PHOTOCOPYING © ISAZ 2007 PP 79 – 90 DIRECTLY FROM PERMITTED PRINTED IN THE UK THE PUBLISHERS BY LICENSING ONLY