Work

Associations between feline sporotrichosis lesion severity and behaviour may indicate negative emotional states

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sporotrichosis , an emerging tropical zoonosis , is increasingly reported worldwide, affecting cats and often necessitating prolonged isolation for treatment. While most studies focus on epidemiology and pharmacological approaches, the cat's role as a sentient patient remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between the duration of sporotrichosis treatment and lesion severity with the behaviour of cats under veterinary care. Eight cats undergoing sporotrichosis treatment at the university veterinary clinic’s infectious diseases isolation ward were subjected once to open field, novel object, and unknown human tests. Pictures of the cat's lesions at enrolment were used to assess the severity and extent of lesions through a numeric lesion score (0 = no lesion; 30 = severe lesions in all body parts). Treatment duration in weeks was assessed based on the clinical records of the cats. Associations between lesion severity and treatment duration with behaviours in the tests were assessed via linear regression. Cats with higher lesion severity scores explored fewer quadrants in the behavioural tests and tended to vocalise more times across all tests. In the novel object test, cats with higher lesion severity took longer to approach the object. In the unknown human test, cats with more severe lesions spent less time in contact with the unfamiliar human. Longer treatment durations were associated with increased latency to approach the novel object, but no other behavioural variables were linked to treatment duration. Cats with higher lesion scores exhibited cautious behaviours, indicating that lesion severity likely influences their responses. These findings emphasise the need to consider both the disease and the sentient patient during sporotrichosis treatment, as lesion severity and treatment duration appear to impact the cat’s behaviour suggesting that cats are experiencing negative emotional states.

Source: Applied Animal Behaviour Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106596

Authors: Paula W.C. Wendling, Sabrina T.M. Sato, Ruan R. Daros

Institution: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná

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: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,220