Giving Cats a Place to Hide...IS IMPORTANT!
By Erica Smedberg, DVM, Shelter Veterinarian at Dane County Humane Society
Most cats in shelters experience stress during their stay, whether or not they show it in ways we humans understand. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters state that “Cats must have places to hide (e.g. paper bag or box large enough to provide concealment) and should have high points to perch upon… One study found that the ability to hide led to decreased stress hormones in cats (Carlstead 1993).”
If you aren’t familiar with the ASV Guidelines, you should be! I strongly recommend that everyone familiarize themselves with the Guidelines and use them to work towards improving the welfare of animals in their shelter. You will see the word “must” throughout the Guidelines. “Whenever a practice is identified as a must, it is believed that without adherence to this recommendation, the delivery of a minimal level of acceptable or humane care is not possible.” The ASV Guidelines are available free of charge as a downloadable pdf document at the ASV website, www.sheltervet.org.
Now…back to hiding cats. From a purely medical perspective, stress hormones can be good or bad, depending on the situation. Stress hormones are important in temporary situations, such as fleeing from a raging bull! However, they are not helpful when continuously produced and released in the body. Stress hormones (i.e. cortisol) can cause suppression of the immune system. In the shelter environment where cats are probably exposed to infectious diseases, they need their immune system to function at top notch!
Shelters have many different options for cat hiding spots. Let’s talk about a few! Ideally cats would have multiple choices for hiding, such as in a room with multiple cubbies and cat trees. Unfortunately many shelters don’t have the luxury of all that space. That doesn’t mean that you can’t provide a hiding spot. A paper bag big enough to conceal the cat makes a perfectly acceptable (and disposable) hiding spot. If your cages have a shelf, simply hang a towel over part of the shelf (see left).
PVC portals connecting two stainless steel cages to provide a double-sided kennel are great for all cats, especially pairs (see right)! They give enough room for a hiding spot while allowing the litterbox to be kept completely separate from the food, water and bedding. The Guidelines state that “a primary enclosure must allow animals to sit, sleep and eat away from areas in their enclosures where they defecate and urinate.” See instructions on how to create portals at your shelter at www.sheltermedicine.com – just search “PVC portal.”
Most cats in shelters experience stress during their stay, whether or not they show it in ways we humans understand. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters state that “Cats must have places to hide (e.g. paper bag or box large enough to provide concealment) and should have high points to perch upon… One study found that the ability to hide led to decreased stress hormones in cats (Carlstead 1993).”
If you aren’t familiar with the ASV Guidelines, you should be! I strongly recommend that everyone familiarize themselves with the Guidelines and use them to work towards improving the welfare of animals in their shelter. You will see the word “must” throughout the Guidelines. “Whenever a practice is identified as a must, it is believed that without adherence to this recommendation, the delivery of a minimal level of acceptable or humane care is not possible.” The ASV Guidelines are available free of charge as a downloadable pdf document at the ASV website, www.sheltervet.org.
Now…back to hiding cats. From a purely medical perspective, stress hormones can be good or bad, depending on the situation. Stress hormones are important in temporary situations, such as fleeing from a raging bull! However, they are not helpful when continuously produced and released in the body. Stress hormones (i.e. cortisol) can cause suppression of the immune system. In the shelter environment where cats are probably exposed to infectious diseases, they need their immune system to function at top notch!
Shelters have many different options for cat hiding spots. Let’s talk about a few! Ideally cats would have multiple choices for hiding, such as in a room with multiple cubbies and cat trees. Unfortunately many shelters don’t have the luxury of all that space. That doesn’t mean that you can’t provide a hiding spot. A paper bag big enough to conceal the cat makes a perfectly acceptable (and disposable) hiding spot. If your cages have a shelf, simply hang a towel over part of the shelf (see left).
PVC portals connecting two stainless steel cages to provide a double-sided kennel are great for all cats, especially pairs (see right)! They give enough room for a hiding spot while allowing the litterbox to be kept completely separate from the food, water and bedding. The Guidelines state that “a primary enclosure must allow animals to sit, sleep and eat away from areas in their enclosures where they defecate and urinate.” See instructions on how to create portals at your shelter at www.sheltermedicine.com – just search “PVC portal.”
Another great hiding spot is the “feral cat den” (see left). They aren’t just for ferals! These cat dens serve at least 4 functions:
1. Provide a hiding spot inside the box
2. Provide an elevated perch
3. Can be closed up with the cat inside during spot cleaning of cages (this keeps the cat from rubbing all over the human)
4. Can be used as a carrier to transport the cat from one area to another!
These can be purchased online through Tomahawk Live Trap (www.livetrap.com). Reach out to your community- ask for donated funds to purchase cat dens for your cat kennels!
If you’re more the “do-it-yourself” type, check out these amazing elevated cat beds (see right)! Learn to make them yourself from the UC-Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program’s website at www.sheltermedicine.com. Search “elevated cat bed.”
1. Provide a hiding spot inside the box
2. Provide an elevated perch
3. Can be closed up with the cat inside during spot cleaning of cages (this keeps the cat from rubbing all over the human)
4. Can be used as a carrier to transport the cat from one area to another!
These can be purchased online through Tomahawk Live Trap (www.livetrap.com). Reach out to your community- ask for donated funds to purchase cat dens for your cat kennels!
If you’re more the “do-it-yourself” type, check out these amazing elevated cat beds (see right)! Learn to make them yourself from the UC-Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program’s website at www.sheltermedicine.com. Search “elevated cat bed.”
Remember to go check out those Guidelines…thanks for reading and happy hiding!