title: Cross-Sectional Study of Characteristics of Owners and Nonowners Surrendering Cats to Four Australian Animal Shelters.
abstract: Unwanted cats surrendered to nonhuman animal shelters are generally categorized as either "owned" or "stray." This classification is misleading because "stray" cats may include many "semiowned" cats, for which people provide care but who are not perceived as being owned. This differentiation is important because effective strategies designed to reduce cat admissions to, and euthanasia rates in, shelters rely on accurate information about cat populations contributing to shelter intake; cat semiowners will likely respond to different strategies than people with no relationship with the cats they surrender. People surrendering cats to four Australian animal shelters were surveyed to identify factors associated with perception of ownership. Many self-classified nonowners had fed the cats they surrendered, often for a considerable period of time. The factor most strongly associated with ownership perception was an increasing association time with the cat. These findings confirm that enduring relationships between surrenderers and cats, consistent with cat semiownership, are common for cats surrendered to Australian animal shelters. This finding should be taken into account when planning education messages and cat population management strategies aimed at reducing cat admissions.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, University of Queensland , Gatton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zito
authors.affiliation: b School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland , Gatton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.affiliation: c Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.affiliation: b School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland , Gatton , Queensland , Australia.|c Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vankan
authors.affiliation: d School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University , Bendigo , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Pauleen C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: b School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland , Gatton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Jacquie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, University of Queensland , Gatton , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Clive J C
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010067:Ownership / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Animal shelter; cat; cat semiownership; shelter medicine; animal welfare