Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess health-related quality-of-life in cats with hyperthyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) assessment tools are becoming increasingly important for the assessment of diseases in veterinary medicine. OBJECTIVES: To develop a tool to assess the HRQoL of hyperthyroid cats and their owners. ANIMALS: Cats with hyperthyroidism (n = 229) and without hyperthyroidism (n = 322). METHODS: Cross-sectional study design. A preliminary list of 28 questions relating to the HRQoL of hyperthyroid cats and the influence their cat's disease might have on owners was created. Each question consisted of 2 subquestions: (1) "how often does the item apply"; (2) "how strongly does the item affect HRQoL." The questionnaire was refined based on statistical analysis, including Mann-Whitney-U tests on each item, comparing the results from cats with and without hyperthyroidism. Internal consistency and reliability of the questions were measured by Cronbach's alpha (α). P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Overall, 25/28 questions were retained within the final HRQoL tool, which had an excellent internal consistency (α = .92). The tool produced a score between 0 and 382 (lower scores meaning better HRQoL). The median HRQoL score was 87.5 (range, 2-348) for cats with hyperthyroidism, and 27 (range, 0-249) for cats without (P < .001), suggesting the HRQoL was poorer in hyperthyroid cats. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This validated HRQoL tool is useful to reliably quantify the influence of hyperthyroidism on the quality-of-life of affected cats and their owners. In the future, it could be considered of assistance in the clinical assessment of cats with hyperthyroidism.

Reporting perceived capability, motivations, and barriers to reducing treat feeding amongst dog and cat caregivers.

Obesity remains a significant concern for dogs and cats, and reducing or eliminating treats is commonly recommended as a strategy for weight management. Caregivers can struggle with adherence to such dietary recommendations. Previous research suggests caregivers are reluctant to reduce treats but there is limited understanding of the underlying factors contributing to these behaviours and decisions. The objective of this study was to explore caregivers' motivations and barriers to reducing treat feeding, and their reported capability to do so. An online questionnaire including multiple choice and Likert scale questions was disseminated to dog and cat caregivers (n=1053) primarily from Canada and the USA from September to November 2021. Caregivers commonly expressed a wide range of motivations to reduce treat feeding with their pet, though barriers to reducing treat feeding were less defined. Changing their pet's routine was a reported barrier by more than 30% of respondents and was predictive of caregivers finding reducing treat giving to be difficult (OR=1.67, p=0.017). Results from multivariable logistic regression also revealed that caregivers who consider their companion animal to be obese as more likely to perceive reducing treats to be difficult. The results highlight the role of treats in the relationship and routine of caregivers' and their pets, and the importance of considering the individualised needs and circumstance of the caregiver and pet in veterinary discussions surrounding reducing treat feeding. Identifying these perspectives can improve self-efficacy with veterinary nutrition recommendations surrounding treats.

Survey of risk factors and frequency of clinical signs observed with feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to distribute a survey to cat owners to identify common clinical signs of feline cognitive dysfunction (FCD) and to evaluate for potential risk factors. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and adapted based on previously validated canine cognitive dysfunction questionnaires. This questionnaire was distributed to 4342 cat owners who had presented to Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2015 and 2020. Cats aged ⩾8 years with signs of cognitive dysfunction and no underlying medical conditions were classified as the FCD-positive group. Cats aged ⩾8 years with no signs of cognitive dysfunction were classified as the FCD-negative control group. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to determine associations between categorical variables and a P value <0.05 was considered indicative of evidence of association. RESULTS: A total of 615 completed survey responses were recorded, which was a response rate of 14.2%. Among those, 80 (13%) cats were identified as the FCD-positive group and 114 (18.5%) were identified as the FCD-negative control group. The most common clinical sign in the FCD-positive group was inappropriate vocalization (32/80, 40.0%). The only variable determined to have an association with the FCD group (positive or negative), with a P value of 0.033, was the environmental setting. Cats living in a rural environment (FCD-positive or -negative) had the largest contribution to the χ2 statistic. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The observed number of FCD-positive cats living in a rural community was less than the expected value based on the χ2 tests. This is suggestive of an association between living in a rural environment and a reduced chance of cognitive dysfunction. There are many factors such as air pollution, social interactions and environmental enrichment that need to be studied further to determine how they relate to FCD as this could not be concluded from this study.

Flea and tick treatment satisfaction, preference, and adherence of US cat owners prescribed topical fluralaner (Bravecto® Topical Solution for Cats).

Background: Fluralaner is a novel isoxazoline compound and the only systemically distributed ectoparasiticide approved in the United States for redosing at up to 12-week intervals for flea and tick control in cats. Other feline ectoparasiticides, including other systemic isoxazolines, are approved for redosing at monthly intervals. A survey developed in 2016 to assess the satisfaction, preference, and adherence of dog owners prescribed fluralaner as an ectoparasiticide with the treatment and veterinary flea and tick protection recommendations was adapted for completion by cat owners in the USA. Aim: The study objective was to use cat-owner survey data obtained at US veterinary practices to assess client satisfaction and utilization practices for fluralaner, and to evaluate owner adherence to current flea and tick control recommendations. Methods: US veterinary practices (n = 26) were asked to obtain completed surveys for up to 25 active clients who were currently treating their cats with a topical preparation of fluralaner for flea and tick control. Clients who had previously used flea and tick products for cats other than fluralaner were enrolled in the study. Participating cat owners completed an 11-question survey on their satisfaction with, preference for, and adherence to treatment recommendations for topically applied fluralaner as a feline flea and tick control medication. Results: The average cat in this study had a mean (± SD) body weight of 5.1 (± 0.9) kg and was 7.1 (±1.4) years old. Most cats lived in a home versus an apartment and more than half spent some time outside. Satisfaction was assessed with a 5-point Likert scale, with nearly all cat owners (97%) indicating that they were satisfied or very satisfied with fluralaner. Most of them (66%) had previously used other monthly flea and tick products for cats. Owners were not excluded if they had previously used a canine flea and tick product. The extended dosing interval up to 12 weeks was the most frequently selected benefit of fluralaner. Nearly 9 out of 10 respondents indicated they readministered fluralaner mostly on time or delayed by a few days, and most said they were more likely to give a repeat dose of fluralaner at the recommended redosing interval compared to monthly products. 87% of the responding cat owners preferred topical fluralaner over the monthly flea and tick products they had used. Conclusion: The extended dosing interval of up to 12 weeks was the leading preference factor and the key driver of user satisfaction with fluralaner leading to improved adherence to redosing recommendations. Cat owners said they were more likely to administer fluralaner at the recommended redosing interval compared to monthly products, indicating that less frequent redosing contributes to improved adherence.

Identification of separation-related problems in domestic cats: A questionnaire survey.

Identifying and preventing the occurrence of separation-related problems (SRP) in companion animals are relevant to animal welfare and the quality of human-pet interactions. The SRP are defined as a set of behaviors and physiological signs displayed by the animal when separated from its attachment person. In cats, SRP has been insufficiently studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire for cat owners which identifies behaviors that may indicate SRP, as well as relates the occurrence of SRP to the management practices applied in the sampled cats. The associations of SRP with cats' characteristics, as well as owner, environmental, and management traits were investigated. The questionnaire was developed based on the scientific literature about separation anxiety syndrome in dogs and a few papers in cats, and it was completed by 130 owners of 223 cats. Analysis of owners' answers was done through categorization and acquisition of relative frequencies of each response category, followed by Fisher's exact test, chi-square tests in contingency table and Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Among the sampled animals, 13.45% (30 / 223) met at least one of the behavioral criteria we used to define SRP. Destructive behavior was the most frequently reported behavior (66.67%, 20 / 30), followed by excessive vocalization (63.33%, 19 / 30), urination in inappropriate places (60.00%, 18 / 30), depression-apathy (53.33%, 16 / 30), aggressiveness (36.67%, 11 / 30) and agitation-anxiety (36.67%, 11 / 30) and, in lower frequency, defecation in inappropriate places (23.33%, 7 / 30). The occurrence of SRP was associated with the number of females living in the residence (P = 0.01), with not having access to toys (P = 0.04), and no other animal residing in the house (P = 0.04). Separation-related problems in domestic cats are difficult to identify due to the limited amount of knowledge regarding the issue. The questionnaire developed in this study supported identification of the main behaviors likely related to SRP in cats and could be used as a starting point for future research.

Prevalence of 17 feline behavioral problems and relevant factors of each behavior in Japan.

Undesirable behaviors exhibited by cats are regarded as feline behavioral problems. Like canine behavioral problems, feline behavioral problems are commonly reported by owners. Thus, in order to advise cat owners appropriately, veterinarians, particularly general veterinary practitioners, are encouraged to have sufficient knowledge of these problems. However, in ordinary Japanese homes, only a small number of feline behavioral problems have been investigated in terms of prevalence and relevant factors. Comprehensive survey data may improve understanding of feline behavioral problems. In the present study, we distributed an online survey including general information and questions about 17 feline behaviors which can be problematic for owners, to investigate: (1) the prevalence of feline behavioral problems, (2) the most common behavioral problems, and (3) relevant factors for each behavior. We collected 1,376 valid responses. Among all cats, 75.7% exhibited at least one behavioral problem. "Pica" and "Showing fear while on the examination table" were the most frequently reported behavioral problems. To identify factors related to the expression of each behavior, we conducted multiple logistic regression analyses, with the presence of behaviors as objective variables and cats' general information as explanatory variables. Age, sex, breed, number of cats in the household, and type of residence were each associated with more than one behavior. The present study revealed the prevalence of 17 feline behavioral problems in Japanese homes and relevant factors of each behavior. These findings will help veterinarians understand and address feline behavioral problems.

Priorities on treatment and monitoring of diabetic cats from the owners' points of view.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate: owners' perceptions and priorities on the treatment and monitoring of feline diabetes mellitus (DM); the perceived effectiveness of the communication between veterinarians and clients regarding disease management; and the impact DM has on the owners' everyday lives and human-pet bonds. METHODS: An initial questionnaire, then an adapted second questionnaire, were available to owners of cats with DM on vetprofessionals.com . RESULTS: A total of 748 questionnaires were completed. At diagnosis, fewer than half of veterinarians discussed how to recognise unstable diabetes (46%) or home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) (40%). Owners were disappointed that the importance of diet on diabetic remission/stabilisation and HBGM were not discussed. Only 49% of respondents were supervised by a veterinarian/veterinary nurse while first drawing up insulin and injecting their cat. Websites/online forums that owners found themselves were most useful when learning about their cat's diabetes (76% agreed). Over a third of cats (39%) were not fed a 'diabetic' diet but, impressively, 71% of owners used HBGM. Initial concerns about costs, boarding, the effect on their daily life and potential negative impact on the human-pet bond reduced significantly after initiating treatment (P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Caring for a diabetic cat requires significant owner commitment, plus support by the veterinary team for the owner and their cat. It is difficult to discuss all aspects of this complex disease with the owner in a single consultation; hence, it is important to involve the entire veterinary team in owner education and provide owners with informative material (eg, useful websites, printouts). Understanding owners' priorities, fears, and which monitoring methods have helped others, is paramount to achieve owner compliance and satisfaction, and so improve the health and welfare of diabetic cats. This study provides useful information on the management of feline DM, which can be instrumental in educating future owners.

Prevention is better than cure.

Suzanne Jarvis discusses new thinking on obesity in cats and dogs.

Assessing Quality of Life for Pets with Dermatologic Disease and Their Owners.

Quality of life (QoL) is defined as "the degree to which an individual enjoys his or her life." In canine dermatology, 2 research groups have developed and validated questionnaires for QoL assessment in dogs with dermatologic conditions, the first being limited to canine atopic dermatitis, and the second one applicable to all skin conditions. A third group is working on the validation of a different QoL questionnaire coupled with a treatment success assessment tool. In general, there is an inverse correlation between QoL and pruritus.

Cat owners' perceptions of psychoactive medications, supplements and pheromones for the treatment of feline behavior problems.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed cat owners' perceptions of the use of psychoactive medications and alternative products for the treatment of behavioral problems in their cats. Factors that potentially impact these perceptions were explored and discussed. METHODS: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess US-based cat owners' experiences with behavior problems of their cats, familiarity with psychoactive medications for treatment of behavior problems and comfort levels using the following products for treatment of feline behavior problems: fast-acting or situational prescription medications, slow-acting or long-term prescription medications, herbal/nutritional supplements, pheromone products and cannabinoid products. RESULTS: Many respondents reported that their cats had behavioral problems, but few had ever sought behavioral help for their cats. Only half were aware of the availability of psychoactive medications for cat behavior problems. Respondents who had personally used a prescription psychoactive medication in the past were more comfortable with giving fast- and slow-acting prescription medications, pheromone products and cannabinoids to their cats than respondents who had never used a prescription psychoactive medication. No difference in comfort level was seen for herbal/nutritional supplements. Overall, owners tended to be more comfortable with the situational vs long-term medications. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Given the prevalence of feline behavior problems reported in this study, the lack of awareness of either the availability or potential benefits of psychoactive medications for the treatment of feline behavior problems, and the fact that very few owners had ever sought help for behavior problems with their cats, are concerning. These results suggest a missed opportunity for veterinarians to help clients identify, understand and treat feline behavior problems. Many owners appear open to these treatment options for their cats; it is suggested that, when warranted, educating cat owners about the potential benefits and risks of these medications would be of value.

Assessment of the effects of gabapentin on activity levels and owner-perceived mobility impairment and quality of life in osteoarthritic geriatric cats.

OBJECTIVE Toevaluate effects of gabapentin on activity levels and owner-perceived mobility impairment and quality of life (QOL) in osteoarthritic geriatric cats. DESIGN Blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover-design study. ANIMALS 20 osteoarthritic cats (≥ 10 years old). PROCEDURES Cats received gabapentin (10 mg/kg [4.5 mg/lb]) or placebo treatment, PO, every 12 hours for 2 weeks, followed by the alternate treatment (with no washout period). Activity was assessed with a collar-mounted accelerometer. A client-specific outcome measure (CSOM) questionnaire was used weekly to collect owner assessments of 3 selected activities in which their cats had impaired mobility; QOL ratings (worse, the same, or improved) following crossover to each treatment and for the overall study period were collected at the end of the investigation. Activity counts, CSOM and QOL data, and deterioration in impaired activities (ie, decrease of ≥ 2 points in CSOM scores) associated with treatment crossover were assessed statistically. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS Gabapentin administration was associated with significantly lower mean daily activity counts (48,333 vs 39,038 counts/d) and significantly greater odds (approx 3-fold change) of CSOM ratings indicating improvement in impaired activities, compared with results for the placebo treatment. A greater proportion of cats had deterioration in impaired activities after the crossover from gabapentin to placebo than when the opposite occurred, but the proportion of cats with worsened QOL did not differ between sequences. Adverse events were noted for 10 cats (9 that completed the study) during gabapentin treatment (sedation, ataxia, weakness, and muscle tremors) and 1 cat during placebo treatment (lethargy). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Gabapentin treatment was associated with improvement in owner-identified impaired activities of osteoarthritic cats. Activity levels were lower than those during placebo treatment, and sedation was the most common adverse effect.

Owner perceptions of their cat's quality of life when treated with a modified University of Wisconsin-Madison protocol for lymphoma.

Objectives The objectives of this study were to assess owner perceptions of their cat's quality of life during treatment for lymphoma with a doxorubicin-containing multi-agent chemotherapy protocol, whether various health-related parameters correlated with quality of life scores, and to assess owner satisfaction with the protocol. Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to the owners of 33 treated cats. Owners retrospectively assessed their cat's quality of life using a Likert scale (1-10) before lymphoma was diagnosed, at diagnosis and during chemotherapy. Owners assigned scores to various health-related parameters previously reported to affect quality of life at the three time points, and correlations with quality of life scores were sought. Owners were asked to rate the importance of these health-related parameters. Satisfaction with the protocol was investigated. Results Twenty questionnaires were completed (61% response rate). The median quality of life score before diagnosis (10, range 5-10) was higher than at diagnosis (3, range 1-9) ( P <0.05). The median quality of life score during chemotherapy (7, range 3-9) was lower than before diagnosis ( P <0.05) and higher than at diagnosis, but this was not statistically significant. Quality of life scores did not correlate with individual health-related parameter scores consistently; however, quality of life scores did correlate with appetite scores during chemotherapy. Appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea were parameters perceived as important in affecting quality of life. Most owners (75%) were happy they had treated their cat. Conclusions and relevance The quality of life scores observed were comparable to a previous study using cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone, employing the same scoring system. Although quality of life scores during chemotherapy were not significantly improved at diagnosis, owner satisfaction with the protocol was high. The factors perceived by owners to determine quality of life in their pets may be different to those previously conjectured, but appetite during chemotherapy remains important.

Labour and love for Mr Pink.

Louise Locock describes the challenges and rewards of caring for her cat with chronic kidney disease.

Development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of an owner-completed measure of feline quality of life.

Due to improved healthcare and pet longevity, measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is increasingly important in companion animal medicine. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the content and psychometric properties of an owner-completed assessment of health and quality of life (QoL) in cats for use in general veterinary clinical practice. A 23-item feline QoL measure, drafted based on findings from an online survey completed by 45 pet owners, was revised following qualitative interviews with 10 pet owners of healthy cats to assess content validity. The resulting 22-item measure was completed twice by 199 owners of healthy cats to assess the reliability and validity of the measure via psychometric evaluation, including assessment of missing data, item response distributions, item correlations, factor analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, multi-trait analysis, known groups analyses and estimation of minimally important differences. There were no missing data. Responses for all items were heavily skewed due to the sample being healthy. Analysis of items and factor analysis supported deletion of six items and calculation of two domain scores and a total score. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were strong for all domains (0.70-0.80), indicating good reliability. All but three items demonstrated strong item convergent validity (item-scale correlation>0.40) and correlated highest with their respective domain (item discriminant validity). Significant between-group differences in scores differing according to a global impression of feline health item provided evidence of discriminative validity. Findings provide evidence that the final 16-item feline QoL measure has strong cross-sectional psychometric properties.

Quantification of Urine Elimination Behaviors in Cats with a Video Recording System.

BACKGROUND: Urinary disorders in cats often require subjective caregiver quantification of clinical signs to establish a diagnosis and monitor therapeutic outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate use of a video recording system (VRS) to better assess and quantify urination behaviors in cats. ANIMALS: Eleven healthy cats and 8 cats with disorders potentially associated with abnormal urination patterns. METHODS: Prospective study design. Litter box urination behaviors were quantified with a VRS for 14 days and compared to daily caregiver observations. Video recordings were analyzed by a behavior analysis software program. RESULTS: The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS (2.5 ± 0.7) was significantly higher compared with caregiver observations (0.6 ± 0.6; P < .0001). Five cats were never observed in the litter box by their caregivers. The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS was significantly higher for abnormal cats (2.9 ± 0.7) compared with healthy cats (2.1 ± 0.7; P = .02); there were no apparent differences in frequency between these groups reported by caregivers (0.7 ± 1.0 and 0.5 ± 1.0, respectively). There were no differences in mean urination time between healthy and abnormal cats as determined by VRS or caregivers. Mean cover-up time determined by VRS was significantly longer in healthy cats (22.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination) compared with abnormal cats (8.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination; P = .03); differences in cover-up time were not detected by caregivers. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Caregivers commonly underestimate urination frequency in cats when compared to video-based observations. Video recording appears to facilitate objective assessment of urination behaviors and could be of value in future clinical studies of urinary disorders in cats.

Epidemiological evaluation of cats rescued at a secondary emergency animal shelter in Miharu, Fukushima, after the Great East Japan Earthquakes.

The aims of this research were to report characteristics of rescued cats at a secondary emergency animal shelter in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, and evaluate how adoptability, stress level, upper respiratory infection (URI) syndrome incidence, and URI pathogen prevalence were associated with the cat's shelter intake source and shelter characteristics. All cats admitted to the Miharu shelter, Fukushima Prefecture from 2012 to 2014 were included in the study. The results demonstrate that in situ corticosteroid and antibiotic use were associated with cats subsequently developing upper respiratory infections (URI). Disease and cat behavior were unassociated with adoption. Cats in group housing had lower stress metrics than cats individually housed. Prevalences of URI pathogens exceeded 80%, but symptomatic cats were uncommon. Environmental enrichment and stress reduction strategies are important in controlling URI and reducing the need for corticosteroids and antibiotics in shelters. Preemptive protocols are important in preventing shelter admission of cats during disasters.

Therapeutic effects of an alpha-casozepine and L-tryptophan supplemented diet on fear and anxiety in the cat.

Objectives This study assessed the anxiolytic effectiveness of a test diet (Royal Canin Feline Calm diet) supplemented with L-tryptophan and alpha-casozepine. Methods Subjects were 24 cats that were classified as mildly or markedly fearful based on the presence of a person in their home room. Three different protocols were used to assess anxiety: (1) evaluation of the response to a human in the cat's home room (home room test); (2) analysis of the response to placement in an empty test room (open-field test); and (3) analysis of the response to an unfamiliar human (human interaction test). All three protocols were first run at baseline, and the results were used to assign the animals to control and test diet groups that showed equivalent fear and anxiety. Both groups were retested on the three protocols after 2 weeks (test 1) and again after 4 weeks (test 2). Results The diet groups differed for two behavioral measures in the open-field test: inactivity duration and inactivity frequency. The control group showed statistically significant increases in inactivity duration between baseline and test 1 and baseline and test 2, while the group fed the test diet showed a marginally not significant decrease in inactivity duration between baseline and test 1 and a not significant decrease for test 2. There was also a significant increase in inactivity frequency between baseline and test 1 in the test diet group and marginally not significant decrease in the control group. There were no differences between groups in the approach of the cats toward people for the home room test and the human interaction test. Conclusions and relevance These results suggest that the test diet reduced the anxiety response to placement in an unfamiliar location, but that fear in the presence of an unfamiliar person was not counteracted by the diet.

Development of a laboratory model to assess fear and anxiety in cats.

Objectives The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop a laboratory-based model to assess fear and anxiety in cats using the feline open-field test (OFT) and the feline human interaction test (HIT); and (2) to validate the model using diazepam, a known anxiolytic. Methods Laboratory-housed cats (n = 41) were first classified as fearful, mildly fearful or non-fearful by a technician familiar with the cats and also by veterinary behaviorists (GL, JL), by assessing the cats' behavior in their home rooms. In experiment 1, each cat's behavior was assessed in an OFT and an HIT. In experiment 2, after administration of the anxiolytic diazepam, a subset of the cats was re-tested. Results In experiment 1, the OFT revealed significant group effects on two measures: duration of inactivity, and vocalization. Fearful animals had significantly longer periods of inactivity than non-fearful animals. Non-fearful and mildly fearful cats vocalized more frequently than fearful cats. In the HIT, fearful cats travelled less than non-fearful and mildly fearful cats. Fearful and mildly fearful animals had significantly longer durations of inactivity, and non-fearful and mildly fearful cats had a significantly higher frequency of vocalization compared with fearful cats. In experiment 2, in the OFT, treatment with diazepam caused an increase in distance travelled, shorter durations of inactivity, and more frequent inactivity and vocalization. In the HIT, diazepam increased distance travelled and decreased duration of inactivity. Fearful cats spent significantly less time near the human compared with non-fearful cats, and this persisted under diazepam. Conclusions and relevance The feline OFT and feline HIT can be used jointly to assess the effects of medications or other therapies on fear and anxiety in the domestic cat.

Prevalence and risk factors for patent Toxocara infections in cats and cat owners' attitude towards deworming.

The prevalence of and risk factors for shedding Toxocara eggs in cats older than 6 months were determined by examining 670 faecal samples collected in 4 cross-sectional studies in the Netherlands. Additionally, cat owners provided information on their attitude towards routine deworming. Samples were examined using the centrifugal sedimentation flotation method. Overall Toxocara prevalence was 7.2 %. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that young age and living in rural areas were significant risk factors for shedding Toxocara eggs. Moreover, the more time a cat was allowed to roam outdoors, the higher was its risk to shed Toxocara as compared to cats with no outdoor access at all. For 199 cats (81.6 % of cats subjected to a deworming regimen) owners provided the reason for treatment. The main reason for routine deworming (80.4 %) concerned the cat's health and only 10.6 % of the cats were treated for public health reasons. Moreover, the generally advocated four-times-a-year deworming advice was applied on only 24.5 % of cats. We concluded that free roaming is a key factor in the acquisition of patent Toxocara infections leading to the environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs. Additionally, the knowledge of cat owners is still insufficient to expect them to make sound decisions on routine deworming.