Foreman-Worsley Rachel, Finka Lauren R, Ward Samantha J, Farnworth Mark J
Brackenhurst Campus, School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottinghamshire NG25 0QF, UK.
Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education, Easter Bush Campus, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Jan 20;11(2):253. doi: 10.3390/ani11020253.
Outdoor access for owned domestic cats () 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.
家猫户外活动是一个存在争议的问题。猫的安全、身心健康、传染病以及对野生动物的捕食被认为是影响主人的因素；然而，每个因素受到的重视程度尚未得到量化。本研究：（i）分析了哪些人口统计学变量与猫的室内或室外生活方式的可能性增加相关；（ii）确定了主人在选择生活方式时考虑哪些因素以及是否存在任何地区差异；（iii）确定主人是否考虑了不同的生活方式选择并认识到其相关益处。通过一系列在线调查收集数据。使用二元逻辑回归模型生成优势比，以评估人口统计学变量是否与猫的生活方式显著相关。在对决定猫生活方式时考虑的因素进行定量分析的同时，对丰富文本开放式回答进行了主题分析，从而对理由有了更细致入微的了解，并阐明了其他考虑因素。在测试的人口统计学变量中，12个中有10个与生活方式显著相关。室内-only生活方式可能性较高的变量包括：主人年龄在26 - 35岁之间、多猫家庭、幼猫、纯种猫或血统不明的猫、有健康问题的猫、生活在市中心或城市地区、或生活在美国、加拿大、澳大利亚或新西兰。室内-室外生活方式可能性较高的变量包括：主人年龄在46 - 55岁或56岁以上、有17岁及以下居民的家庭、雄性猫以及成年或老年猫。在全球所有地区，道路交通问题是将猫养在室内的最常被提及的原因。第二常被提及的原因因地区而异。在欧洲，是防止与人接触。在美国和加拿大，原因是防止与野生动物接触，而在澳大利亚和新西兰，是为了防止捕食。室内-室外生活的猫主人最常提到对其猫心理健康的益处。超过三分之二的主人没有考虑为他们猫选择另一种生活方式。这些数据深入了解了猫主人在猫的福祉、猫的安全和野生动物捕食方面的优先事项，有助于从事人类行为改变工作的个人或组织。它们提供了证据表明，随着城市化程度的提高，室内-only猫的数量可能会增加。最后，数据确定了由于生活方式不合适或研究不足而可能面临福利受损风险的猫群体。
