Outdoor access for owned domestic cats (Felis catus) is a divisive issue. Cat safety, mental and physical wellbeing, infectious diseases, and wildlife depredation are cited as factors influencing owners; however, the degree of consideration each factor receives has not been quantified. This study (i) analysed which demographic variables are associated with greater odds of cats having indoor or outdoor lifestyles, (ii) identified which factors owners consider when making a choice on lifestyle and any regional variations, and (iii) identified if owners consider the different lifestyle options available and recognise their associated benefits. A series of online surveys were used for data collection. Binary logistic regression models were used to generate odds ratios assessing if demographic variables were significantly associated with cat lifestyle. Quantitative analysis of factors considered when deciding on cat lifestyle was accompanied by a thematic analysis of rich-text open-ended responses, providing nuanced insight into the rationale and elucidating additional factors considered. Of the demographic variables tested, 10/12 were significantly associated with lifestyle. Variables with higher odds of indoor-only lifestyles were owners being 26–35 years old, multi-cat households, junior cats, pedigree cats or unknown pedigree status, cats with health issues, living in city centres or urban areas, or living in the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. Variables with higher odds of indoor-outdoor lifestyles were owners being 46–55 years old or 56+ years old, households with residents 17 years old or under, male cats, and cats being mature or senior. Road traffic concerns were the most cited reason for keeping indoor-only cats across all global regions. The second-most cited reason varied regionally. For Europe, it was protection from people. For the USA and Canada, the reason was protection from wildlife, and for Australia and New Zealand, to prevent hunting. Indoor-outdoor cat owners cited most frequently the benefits to their cat’s mental health. Over two-thirds of owners did not consider the alternative lifestyle for their cat. These data give insight into the priorities of cat owners with regards to feline wellbeing, feline safety, and wildlife depredation, helpful for individuals or organisations working with human behaviour change. They provide evidence that the numbers of indoor-only cats are likely to rise with increasing urbanisation. Finally, the data identify cat populations who may be at risk of compromised welfare due to unsuitable, or under-researched, lifestyles.

Objectives: The primary objective of this review was to conduct a systematic critical appraisal of published literature, in order to assess the evidence regarding the impact of cat group size on cat wellbeing in the domestic home. The secondary objectives were to: (i) identify additional social and environmental mediators of cat wellbeing in these contexts; and (ii) identify general limitations within the current evidence and provide recommendations for future studies. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) was conducted using targeted Boolean phrasing. Papers were retained for appraisal of full text where they included a comparison of both single (n = 1) and multi-cat (n ⩾2) domestic housing conditions and/or comparison of different multi-cat group sizes, within a single study, and where they compared outcome measures that were either behavioural and/or physiological and deemed as relevant indicators of cat wellbeing. Results: A total of 1334 unique papers were returned, 15 of which were retained. Of these papers, only four stated their primary aim to be an investigation of links between cat group size and cat wellbeing. Overall, the reviewed papers did not indicate consistent directions of effects regarding cat group size and outcome measures relevant to wellbeing. This was similar for the other social and environmental mediators identified. Conclusions and relevance: Inconsistency in results is likely due to the substantial methodological variation, limitations in measures used as indicators of wellbeing and limitations in general study designs and reporting. Results also highlight the complex, multifactorial relationships between cat wellbeing and various social and environmental factors. These may be as, if not more, important than absolute numbers of cats residing within a household. Due to the various limitations and general paucity of research, further studies are recommended to provide a suitable evidence base regarding impacts of multi-cat living on cat wellbeing in domestic environments.

Background: Neutered cats are more predisposed to obesity. However, limited research has explored whether body condition score (BCS) and bodyweight vary across lifestages as a function of age at neutering. Methods: Longitudinal clinical records of BCS (n = 2410) and bodyweight (n = 2073) were paired with age at neutering and other owner‐reported auxiliary information before analysis using cumulative link mixed‐effects models and linear mixed models to explore which factors influence BCS and bodyweight as cats age. Results: BCS and bodyweight were age dependent, increasing until 9 years of age and then declining. No differences in BCS or bodyweight were found between cats neutered at 4 months or younger, 5 months or 6 months. Cats neutered at 7‒12 months experienced a less rapid age‐related increase in bodyweight and BCS. Females had lower bodyweight and BCS than males, with differences more pronounced in the summer and autumn. Longhaired cats had a lower BCS than shorthaired cats, but hair length was not significantly associated with bodyweight. Limitations: It was not possible to measure welfare impacts or incorporate diet and lifestyle measurements. Conclusion: Cats neutered prepubertally showed no difference in bodyweight or BCS as cats aged compared to cats neutered at 5 or 6 months. Cats neutered at 7‒12 months had a lower risk of bodyweight and BCS gain overall. Postneutering weight management advice is recommended for all cats, and monitoring should utilise a combination of both BCS and bodyweight, particularly for longhaired cats.

Objectives: Mortality data represent an important resource for understanding population health that previously have mostly been extrapolated from veterinary records. The aims of this study were to explore mortality for a cohort of pet cats in the UK using data from owner-completed questionnaires, thus potentially representing a more comprehensive population, and to determine the all-cause mortality and survival probabilities. Methods: Data were collated from the ‘Bristol Cats’ study questionnaires, owner communications and medical records for the cohort’s first 8 years of life. Mortality was classified by organ system, disease or event, and analysed by age and life stage. Age-specific mortality and cumulative survival probability curves were constructed using life table analysis. Results: Of 2444 cats recruited into the ‘Bristol Cats’ study, at least 362 died before reaching the age of 9 years. The most common cause of death in cats up to the age of 8 years was road traffic accident (RTA; 45.6%). For kittens (aged <1 year), the most common causes were RTA (61.2%), feline infectious peritonitis (11.9%) and other trauma (7.5%). The most common causes of mortality in young adult cats (aged 1–6 years) were RTA (49.6%), non-specified (14.4%), renal disease (6.5%) and cardiovascular disease (6.5%). Cats aged up to 2 years had an annual probability of dying in the range of 2.8–3.1%, which decreased between 2 and 3 years of age to 1.7%. Thereafter, the probability of dying gradually increased with age, with the oldest age group (aged 7–8 years) having a 3.6% probability of dying. Conclusions and relevance: This study identified important differences in causes of mortality for the first two life stages in a population of cats that may not be fully accounted for in medical records. Life table analysis documented an increasing probability of death with age after year interval 2–3 with a higher mortality risk for cats aged up to 2 years.

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.