Cat welfare needs: current knowledge and practice among Malaysian cat owners

Lee, Jia Wei (2023) Cat welfare needs: current knowledge and practice among Malaysian cat owners. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Cats are one of the favoured choices for pets among Malaysians; nevertheless, their cat welfare needs often receive insufficient attention. This study aims to investigate the provision of basic environmental resources to Malaysian cats and the knowledge of Malaysians about cat welfare needs. An online questionnaire (Google Form) was developed (i) to evaluate the availability of environmental resources for cats in Malaysia and (ii) to determine the knowledge and attitude of cat owners regarding cat welfare needs. This online survey was distributed to all cat owners in Malaysia aged between 18 and 50 years old. A total of 405 Malaysian respondents completed the questionnaire. Majority of the respondents were female (N= 331, 81.7%) and aged between 18 to 24 (N= 169, 41.7%). Findings showed that more than half of respondents were aware of the basic needs of cats (N= 247, 61%) and fewer than half were aware of the Five Principles of Animal Freedom (N= 164, 40.5%, “strongly agree”) respectively. They also claimed that their cats have good welfare (N= 168, 41.5%). While most of the respondents stated that their cats received basic environmental resources, such as a litter box (N= 348, 85.5%), only 25.7% (N= 104) of respondents provided enough litter boxes for their cats. Age, gender, occupation and state were recorded as important demographic factors that influenced the attitude and knowledge of cat welfare needs. In general, results from this study suggest that education and awareness of cat welfare needs should be emphasised among the Malaysian public, and this can be disseminated via respondents’ preferred modes such as social media, internet, and pet exhibitions.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Depositing User:	Ms Nurhaznita Mahmood
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2024 07:53
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2024 07:53
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/2182

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