Behavioural and electroencephalogram responses of cats when exposed to unfamiliar persons

Rashid, Nor Raihanah (2022) Behavioural and electroencephalogram responses of cats when exposed to unfamiliar persons. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Unfamiliarity causes significant stress on cats. Encounters with unfamiliar persons, be it veterinary staff or anyone, may cause stress to the cat. In fact, some cats are prone to stress caused by unfamiliar people as a result of reduced human socialisation during developmental phase, or because of genetic factors. Stress can affect the cat’s physiological state, which can interfere with veterinary diagnosis. Plus, aggression in stressed cats can pose occupational hazards to the veterinary staff. Hence, it is important to evaluate the degree of stress that these cats are experiencing when approached and handled by strangers, so that the stress response can be mitigated. The current experiment aimed to investigate the behavioural and electroencephalogram (EEG) changes associated with stress and fear, that occur when cats are exposed to unfamiliar people. A total of thirteen cats were enrolled in this study, with each of them serving as their own control. The subjects' behavioural scores and EEG readings were taken when the cat is exposed to the first stranger (T1), second stranger (T2), and third stranger (T3). Stress was evaluated at each point based on quantitative electroencephalography and a verified Cat Stress Score. Results showed that the behavioural scores, total EEG spectral power, intensities for slow frequency waves in the theta and delta bands were no different among T1, T2 and T3. However, the presence of a third person seemed to cause tangible change in alpha wave intensity, but not among the faster beta and gamma waves in wakeful state. It is postulated that cats adapted well to stress changes caused by three people or less, as the median behavioural score was more or less the same around median score 3.69 to 3.85 (P>0.05). The current study demonstrated that the presence of three or less unfamiliar people around cats would be inconsequential in a clinical environment.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Depositing User:	Ms. Nordeena Abdul Aziz
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2024 03:35
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2024 03:35
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1669

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