Veterinary behaviorist conducting clinical trial for aggressive cats

Bloomfield Hills, Mich., -- A new study could offer hope for desperate pet parents who cannot get their housemate cats to stop fighting with each other.

It’s an agonizing and common problem that can drive cat owners to organize their lives around managing their cat’s aggression which may include seemingly random bouts of hissing, chasing and screaming. “Cats are the number one pet; 81.7 million owned cats versus 72 million owned dogs. Disharmony between pets is a common reason cats for relinquished to shelters and sadly more than 75% of cats that enter shelters may not be adopted. We need to help cats get along with housemate cats so they can stay in their homes.” said Theresa DePorter, veterinary behaviorist at the Oakland Veterinary Referral Service in Bloomfield Hills.

DePorter, who leads the study, is recruiting cats and their owners to test whether a new synthetic pheromone diffuser decreases aggression between housemate cats. There is no fee for participating in this study. Volunteers are given a $50 gift card upon completion of study observations.

Cats communicate with each other by leaving chemical messages called pheromones in the environment that other cats “read,” much like we read newspapers. One way cats warn off or avoid dangerous situations is to mark areas with pheromones by rubbing, spraying or scratching.

“Two test diffusers will be plugged in the home for four weeks. Location for the transmission of these semiochemical messages is key so I will help each family identify the optimal locations for the diffusers,” DePorter said. The hope is that synthetic pheromones diffused steadily into the home may work on cats the same way but spread a message of peace, DePorter said.

“Aggression between housemate cats is the number one reason people call for behavior advice and number one reason for relinquishment,” said Jessica Vankoningsveld, cat behavior specialist at the Huron Valley Humane Society.  “Three cats were turned in over this past weekend because they did not get along with other cats in the home.”

DePorter said it’s a safety and quality of life issue for cats and for owners. “What is remarkable to me is that many of these cats have been fighting for years and years. These owners are dedicated to their cats but torn by the anguish.”

Volunteers are pre-qualified and scheduled to attend an educational meeting (cats do not attend) to discuss feline social relationships, body postures, aggressive displays and other behaviors. Volunteers also receive educational materials.  

During the study, owners keep a daily diary and record weekly observations for seven weeks. They report those findings, as well as their observations of frequency and intensity of aggression and fear. All participants are given the same guidelines for managing aggressive interactions between their cats. According to Theresa DePorter, “Understanding the cats innate motivations and responding with  kindness and respect is essential to improving a cats welfare”.

Pre-qualified study volunteers may participate by attending one of the following meetings.

There will be several enrollment opportunities in Bloomfield Hills: Tuesday, May 13, June 3, June 17 and July 8 at OVRS, 1400 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills.

Regional enrollment dates are: Thursday, May 15, Ann Arbor Animal Hospital, 2150 W Liberty St. Ann Arbor; Thursday, June 12, Lansing Area Humane Society, 7095 West Grand River Avenue, Lansing; Thursday July 10, at The Anti-Cruelty Society, 157 West Grand Avenue Chicago, IL

To volunteer:  (248) 334-6877 or TheresaDVM@aol.com

Study details: http://www.ovrs.com/docs/brochures/BehaviorCatStudy.pdf

DePorter bio:  http://www.ovrs.com/docs/bios/DePorter.pdf

AAFP: http://www.catvets.com/education/research/clinical-trials

OVRS blog http://www.ovrs.com/blog/cat-conflict-consider-our-clinical-trial/

OVRS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheresaLDePorter

OVRS: www.OVRS.com

Oakland Veterinary Referral Services (OVRS) has long been considered a leading center of specialty veterinary care in the Midwest. Theresa DePorter is board certified diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB) and the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM).

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