Preliminary analysis of post-adoption outcomes for kittens and adult cats rehomed through a New Zealand animal shelter.

Aims: To determine the frequency of different types of health and behavioural problems observed in the first month after adoption in kittens and adult cats rehomed through an animal shelter in New Zealand, to assess satisfaction of adopters and to determine the preferences of adopters for provision of post-adoption support.Methods: The adopters of kittens and cats from an animal shelter in Auckland, New Zealand between 15 October 2016-4 December 2016 were invited to complete a survey 1 week and 1 month after adoption. Respondents were asked about how well the animal was settling into the household, whether they had observed any health or behavioural problems, and what their preferences were for receiving post-adoption support.Results: Data from at least one survey were available for 83/115 (72.2%) kittens and 70/155 (45.6%) adult cats, with 39/115 (34%) adopters of kittens and 35/155 (23%) adopters of adult cats completing surveys at both 1 week and 1 month after adoption. By 1 month after adoption 57/60 (95%) adopted kittens and 40/53 (75%) adopted adult cats had settled well into their new home. At 1 month after adoption 28/60 (47%) kittens and 26/53 (49%) cats had ≥1 reported behavioural problem, and 16/60 (27%) kittens and 18/53 (34%) cats had ≥1 reported health problem. The most common problem behaviours for kittens were episodes of hyperactivity and scratching household items, and for adult cats were spending most of the time hiding and scratching household items. The most common health problems for kittens were eye problems and sneezing or a runny nose, and for adult cats were sneezing or a runny nose. Amongst respondents, the most helpful support for recent adopters was considered to be an email or phone call 1 month after adoption from the animal shelter.Conclusions and clinical relevance: Although many adopters reported health and/or behavioural issues in their adopted kittens and adult cats, most issues were generally mild and the adopters were generally satisfied with their animals. Providing new adopters with advice about managing common health and behavioural issues such as upper respiratory disease and scratching household items may increase satisfaction with adoptions.

A pilot study on the foraging behaviour of heifers in intensive silvopastoral and monoculture systems in the tropics.

Intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) are a sustainable alternative to monoculture systems (MS). The presence of trees and legumes improves animal welfare due to the increased food quality and quantity and the presence of shade while providing a variety of environmental services. As cattle behaviour is greatly affected by environmental conditions, knowledge on the behavioural trade-offs that cattle make to meet their demands while foraging in different grazing systems is important, as this will help us understand the perceived advantages of ISS. This pilot study assessed the behaviour of heifers in an ISS (n=8 heifers) and MS (n=8 heifers) in the Mexican tropics during the dry and rainy seasons, and its relationship with forage availability, mean travelled distance and the temperature humidity index (THI). In both seasons, daily foraging times were longer in the MS than the ISS (P<0.01). The duration of rumination was higher for ISS (P<0.01) and the duration of lying was higher for the dry season (P<0.05). The decrease in foraging times in relation to THI was significantly higher in the ISS than in the MS (mean slope±SE: ISS=-4.64±0.34; MS=-2.34±0.22; t=-14.20, P<0.001). The results suggest that the forage availability and access to shade in the ISS allow cattle to rest longer and increase rumination, whereas cattle in MS spend more time searching for food and foraging at times of the day were the temperatures were higher as a compensatory strategy, which potentially decreases cattle's welfare and production qualities when compared with the ISS. In conclusion, ISS are likely to generate positive behavioural trade-offs that result in better welfare conditions and higher productive potential.