Containment Fence Research
New Study Aims To Examine The Welfare Aspects Of Cat Confinement
Professor Daniel S. Mills BVSc PhD CBiol FIBiol FHEA CCAB Dip ECVBM-CA MRCVS
The University of Lincoln
Cats are well known for their tendency to wander. This can lead them into all sorts of trouble, from straying onto roads (an estimated 250-300,000 cats are run over on the UK’s roads annually), to upsetting neighbours. It is therefore important that they are confined in a safe and humane way that doesn’t compromise their welfare. However, this may not be as straightforward as it seems because it may not always be possible to cat-proof properties with physical barriers. One option is simply to keep cats indoors, but this may itself be stressful, as is apparent in the association between indoor-only status and a number of recurrent diseases, such as a form of stress related bladder inflammation.
An alternative is to use an electronic containment system. This works by teaching the cat to learn a simple avoidance behaviour in response to a visual marker and an audible stimulus that sounds when they approach the defined boundary of a property. If the cat ignores these warnings it will receive an electric pulse (“shock”).
The use of this method of containment is a source of debate between different groups who all care passionately about the quality of life of domestic cats. Unfortunately, in the absence of any research, this debate has been founded on opinion and anecdote rather than fact. Some people have expressed concern over the use of electronic containment systems, while others are equally concerned over the risks posed to the wellbeing of cats that are not effectively confined to safe areas.
The lack of scientific research to inform the debate has lead to a major new project being started under the direction of scientists at the University of Lincoln, following a donation from the charity “Feline Friends (Derbyshire)”. They will be examining the problems associated with different forms of containment as well as the welfare of cats confined by electronic containment systems. Over the course of the next three years, they will be using the latest scientific techniques to assess both the motivations of cats in the garden and their overall welfare state, in order to inject an evidence base into the issue. It is hoped that as a result of this work a more objective opinion can be formed about what is in the cat’s best interests when considering containment.
Prof Daniel S. Mills BVSc PhD CBiol FIBiol FHEA CCAB Dip ECVBM-CA MRCVS
European & RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine
Dept of Biological Sciences
University of Lincoln
Riseholme Park
Lincoln
LN2 2LG
tel +44 1522 895356
e-mail dmills@lincoln.ac.uk
web-page http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/dbs/staff/479.asp