Effects of feline facial pheromone on behavior of cats in an animal shelter
Date Issued
2007
Date
2007
Author(s)
Chung, Sheng-Hua
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
All the molecules secreted by the glands which secret chemical signals, some seem to transmit highly specific information between animals of the same species: the pheromones. Carnivora are identified as the mammalian species that have the most developed and varied types of pheromone-secreting glands, including cats and dogs.
For the last 15 years, the functions of some pheromones in dogs and cats have been elucidated, and synthetic analogues of some of these are beginning to be used as a therapeutic approach in behavioral medicine. In the cat, five different facial pheromones named F1 to F5 have been isolated from the sebaceous secretions of the cheeks. At the present, the functions of three of them (F2, F3, and F4) have been identified. Feline facial pheromone is used to treat some behavior problems, including urine marking and scratching. The observation of the behavior of F3-treated cats shows not only a decrease in the unacceptable marking behavior but an improvement in feeding, scanning, and playing. It emphasizes that the positive effects of F3 in treating spraying are not only linked to the antagonism between facial and urine marking but also are related to a decrease in anxiety. F4 helps the resident cat to accept a newcomer, and it reduces the risk of aggression caused by handling.
Confinement in an animal shelter is an extremely stressful experience for cats. Most cats become adjusted to a shelter environment within 2 to 5 weeks, but some never to confinement and remain distressed for months. We used synthetic analogue of FFP to cats in an animal shelter, and obverse the change of behavior.
In our study, we selected adult cats (older than 6 months) in the animal shelter randomly. Assess the stress levels among cats by behavior observation and measurement of urine cortisol-creatinine ratio (UCCR) every 5 days. In second part of our study, we selected adult cats (older than 6 months) and treated them with analogue of F3 and placebo. We observed the behavior of cats and measured UCCR to evaluate the change of treatment.
In the first part of the experiment, the behavior and UCCR were not significantly changed (P > 0.05 ) during the experiment period. In the second part of the experiment, it was significant difference on behavior (P<0.05) was observed between those treated with F3 and placebo, the UCCR of the former was significantly lower than that of the latter (P < 0.05).
Subjects
動物行為
貓
費洛蒙
收容所
animal behavior
cat
feline
pheromone
animal shelter
Type
thesis