Work

Self-reported cat-friendly practices and attitudes of German, French and Swiss veterinarians

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives The aim of this study was two-fold: first, to investigate the attitudes and application of cat-friendly practices among German, French and Swiss veterinarians during consultations; and second, to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the demographics of the veterinarians and variations in the application of cat-friendly practices and attitudes. Methods A bilingual questionnaire structured around the capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour (COM-B) model of human behaviour was distributed to veterinarians in Germany, France and Switzerland. Using Likert scales, participants were asked to report on their application of cat-friendly practices during consultations and their attitudes towards cat-friendly methods. The proportion of cat-friendly practices and attitudes were identified by grouping results across Likert scales. Multiple binary logistic regression models were performed to compare the differences in cat-friendly practices and attitudes across the three countries. Cumulative scores were calculated for practices and attitudes, and analysed for associations with veterinarian demographics using a general linear model. Results Of the 516 respondents, 36.2% used scruffing to restrain cats, 51.9% prescribed anxiolytics for future visits and 17.1% used medication to mitigate stress during consultations. Only 37.6% thought that caregivers expected to be educated on how to prevent or reduce stress in their cats during transport. Having an employee position rather than being clinic director or partner was associated with a lower score of cat-friendly practices ( P <0.01) and motivation ( P = 0.02). Whereas, awareness of cat-friendly guidelines, working in a Cat Friendly or Fear Free accredited clinic and being trained in animal behaviour contributed to higher scores in both cat-friendly practices and overall attitudes ( P <0.001). Conclusions and relevance Education and promotion of guidelines on cat-friendly practices will facilitate improvements in handling cats and mitigating fear-anxiety with medication.

Source: Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

DOI: 10.1177/1098612x241303394

Authors: Anne-Claude Griesser, Margo Chase-Topping, Lauren Finka, Nathalie Dowgray

Institutions: University of Edinburgh, Roslin Institute, Cats Protection

Language: English

Topic: Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,800