Owner reported (problem) behaviours of cats: Associations with outdoor access and number of cats in the household

Abstract

Cat owners can perceive both maladaptive behaviours as well as normal behaviours as problematic, especially when behaviours such as spraying and scratching occur inside the house. As owners often underreport agonistic inter-cat behaviours, misinterpret normal cat behaviour and do not recognize stress- and anxiety related behaviour, making correct diagnoses based on owner reports can be challenging for cat professionals. Knowledge about clustering of behaviours, the presence of multiple cats in the household and the level of outdoor access can help inferring the underlying motivation for the reported behaviours. We asked 462 Dutch cat owners whether their cat(s) had displayed 31 behaviours in the last 12 months. We examined clustering of behaviours and examined differences in reported behaviours between different housing situations. At least 25% of owners reported fear (of household appliances, fireworks and visitors), excessive meowing, eating houseplants and scratching objects. In addition, over 25% of owners of multi-cat households reported that their cat(s) does/do not allow lifting, chase(s) other cats in the household and urinate(s) outside the litterbox. Behaviours clustered into: 1) territorial and owner-avoidant behaviours, 2) excessive grooming and fear of loud noises, 3) behaviours related to food and under-stimulation, 4) aggression towards people, 5) behaviours related to poor socialisation and 6) excretory behaviours. Owners of multiple cats reported significantly more often house soiling with urine and faeces, spraying inside the house, excessive grooming without damage and fear (of the owner, visitors and household appliances). Aggression towards the owner and towards visitors were reported more often by owners of only one cat. Reports of behaviours were also related to level of outdoor access. House soiling with faeces and eating houseplants and other inedible objects were most often reported by owners whose cats have no outdoor access while spraying inside the house was most often reported by owners whose cats have unrestricted access. Fear of fireworks was the least often reported by owners of indoor cats while fear of children was most often reported by owners of cats with unrestricted outdoor access. Knowledge about which behaviours are often reported together and the association with outdoor access and number of cats in the household can help veterinarians and behaviourists to better identify and address behavioural issues.