Intercat aggression: a retrospective study examining types of aggression, sexes of fighting pairs, and effectiveness of treatment
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| Category | Journal Articles |
|---|---|
| Abstract |
48 cases of intercat aggression, presented to the Animal Behaviour Clinic at New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University between 1988 and 1994, were examined retrospectively. Clients were contacted by telephone so that the outcome of the treatment programme could be determined. Treatment suggestions consisted of one or more of the following: separation, positive reinforcement for reintroduction, cat carrier, odour exchange, collar-bell and pharmacological intervention. 30 cases were considered cured, and 18 were not cured. Male cats initiated aggression in more cases than did female cats; the aggression was equally likely to be directed toward a same sex or opposite sex victim. There was no significant difference in the number of cures for any one pair of sexes. No one treatment modality resulted in a significantly greater number of cures than any other treatment. The use of buspirone was associated with a significant decrease in likelihood of cure. It is concluded that treatment protocols for cases of intercat aggression must be tailored to the individual cats involved. Clients seeking to adopt a second cat may be advised that successful integration may be related to features, in particular the gender, of an individual cat. |
| Date | 1997 |
| Publication Title | Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 1/2 |
| Pages | 153-162 |
| ISBN/ISSN | 0168-1591 |
| DOI | 10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00032-4 |
| Language | English |
| Author Address | 6 Brenner Ridge Rd., Pleasant Valley, NY 12569, USA. |
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