Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T11:08:14.428Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A survey of cat shelters in Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

P Eriksson ,
J Loberg  and
M Andersson
P Eriksson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), PO Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden
J Loberg
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), PO Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden
M Andersson*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), PO Box 234, SE-532 23 Skara, Sweden
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: maria.andersson@hmh.slu.se
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although cats are extremely common, pet owners seem to have a poor understanding of their natural behaviour and needs and a large number end up in cat shelters. In Sweden, no records exist of the number of cat shelters or their activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of cat shelters in Sweden. We found 62 cat shelters during 2006; the year in which this study was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to these shelters with questions concerning: received animals, reasons for relinquishing cats, cat husbandry and how the shelter was run. The most common reason for relinquishing a cat was that the cat was homeless; another common reason was that the owner had an allergy to cats. The shelters had, on average, space for 29 cats, but this varied from six-to-100, and they received on average ten cats per month. This means that a total of around 7,400 cats enter the 62 shelters in Sweden each year. On average, the cats stayed more than three months in the shelter. Less than 10% of the relinquished cats were euthanised. Our study reveals that there are shelters that continuously receive unwanted cats. The majority of these cats are said to be homeless, therefore in order to minimise the number of cats in shelters in Sweden, the focus should be on reducing the number of homeless cats.

Keywords

animal shelteranimal welfaredomestic catshuman-cat interactionpetsrelinquishment
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , August 2009 , pp. 283 - 288
Copyright
© 2009 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adamelli, S, Marinelli, L, Normando, S and Bono, G 2005 Owner and cat features influence the quality of life of the cat. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 94: 9–98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernstein, PL 2005 The human-cat relationship. In: Rochlitz, I (ed) The Welfare of Cats pp 47–89. Springer: Dordrecht, The NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dybdall, K, Strasser, R and Katz, T 2007 Behavioral differences between owner surrender and stray domestic cats after entering an animal shelter. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 104: 85–94CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Euromonitor International 2003 The Global Market for Petfood and Pet Care Products. Euromonitor International: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Gourkow, N and Fraser, D 2006 The effect of housing and handling practices on the welfare, behaviour and selection of domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) by adopters in an animal shelter. Animal Welfare 15: 371–377Google Scholar
Heidenberger, E 1997 Housing conditions and behavioural problems of indoor cats assessed by their owner. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 52: 345–364Google Scholar
Irvine, L 2003 The problem of unwanted pets: a case study in how institutions ‘think’ about clients’ needs. Social Problems 50: 550–566CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kessler, MR and Turner, DC 1997 Stress and adaptation of cats (Felis silvestris catus) housed singly, in pairs and in groups in boarding catteries. Animal Welfare 6: 243–254Google Scholar
Linder, A 2007 Katter på djurhem. MSc Thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden. [Title translation: Cats at animal shelters]Google Scholar
Mason, G, Clubb, R and Latham, N 2007 Why and how should we use environmental enrichment to tackle stereotypic behaviour? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 102: 163–188Google Scholar
McCune, S 1995 The impact of paternity and early socialisation on the development of cats’ behaviour to people and novel objects. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 45: 109–124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, DD, Staats, SR, Partlo, C and Rada, K 1996 Factors associated with the decision to surrender a pet to an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209: 738–742Google Scholar
Patronek, GJ, Glickman, LT, Beck, AM, McCabe, GP and Ecker, C 1996 Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association 209: 582–588Google Scholar
Rochlitz, I 2000 Feline welfare issues. In Turner DC and Batson P (ed) The Domestic Cat: the Biology of its Behaviour, Second Edition pp 207–226. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKGoogle Scholar
Salman, MD, New, JG, Scarlett, JM, Kass, PH, Ruch-Gallie, R and Hetts, S 1998 Human and animal factors related to relinquishment of dogs and cats in 12 selected animal shelters in the United States. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 1: 207–226CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scarlett, JM, Salman, MD, New, JG and Kass, PH 1999 Reasons for relinquishment of companion animals in US animal shelters: selected health and personal issues. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 2: 41–57CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SCB 2006 Förekomst av sällskapsdjur - främst hund och katt - i svenska hushåll. http://www.manimalis.se/uploads/hela-studieresultatet-sallskapsdjur-i-sverige.pdf. [Title Translation: Occurrence of pets, in particular cats and dogs, in Swedish households]Google Scholar
Zawistowski, S, Morris, J, Salman, MD and Ruch-Gallie, R 1998 Population dynamics, overpopulation, and the welfare of companion animals: New insights on old and new data. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 1: 193–206Google ScholarPubMed