The Welfare of Cats (Animal Welfare (3))

Animal welfare is attracting increasing interest worldwide, but particularly from those in developed countries, who now have the knowledge and resources to be able to offer the best management systems for their farm animals, as well as potentially being able to offer plentiful resources for companion, zoo and laboratory animals. The increased attention given to farm animal welfare in the West derives largely from the fact that the relentless pursuit of financial reward and efficiency has led to the development of intensive animal production systems, that challenge the conscience of many consumers in those countries. In developing countries human survival is still a daily uncertainty, so that provision for animal welfare has to be balanced against human welfare. Welfare is usually provided for only if it supports the output of the animal, be it food, work, clothing, sport or companionship. In reality, there are resources for all if they are properly husbanded in both developing and developed countries. The inequitable division of the world’s riches creates physical and psychological poverty for humans and animals alike in all sectors of the world. Livestock are the world’s biggest land user (FAO, 2002) and the population is increasing rapidly to meet the need of an expanding human population. Populations of farm animals managed by humans are therefore increasing worldwide, and there is the tendency to allocate fewer resources to each animal. Increased attention to welfare issues is just as evident for companion, laboratory, wild and zoo animals.

From the reviews:

"This is the third volume in the series Animal Welfare by Species, edited by Clive Phillips, and the first on a companion animal species. In her Foreword, editor Irene Rochlitz claims that this volume was written with researchers, animal welfare organizations and cat owners in mind, and it certainly will be useful to all of those and more. I would like to commend the editor and all of the contributors for producing an extremely readable, up-to-date review and interpretation of our current knowledge about domestic cats, and how it applies to all aspects of cat welfare in all situations in which they live and are housed. Without a doubt this book represents a significant contribution to the domestic cat literature, and as the first (and only) book on cat welfare, will find a wide audience amongst both professionals and lay persons alike." (Dennis C. Turner, Animal Behavior, Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich and Institute of applied Ethology and Animal Psychology, I.E.A.P., Switzerland)

"This is the third volume of a series that addresses animal welfare from a species perspective. ... it will be of particular interest to veterinarians, cattery and shelter managers, anyone involved with cats used in research, and policymakers responsible for cat populations and their impacts on society and the environment." (Julie Levy, Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 82, June, 2007)