Environmental enrichment designed in accordance with the cats' individuality and household characteristics is one of the most effective and widely used tools to enhance feline welfare. This study aimed to evaluate the types of environmental enrichments provided by cat guardians and their associations with housing features and cat personality. An online questionnaire was developed including questions about types of enrichment provided, housing features (indoor . outdoor, house . apartment), and a scale with 18 personality traits. A total of 3,083 responses were collected. Most of the guardians declared to provide environmental enrichment items for their cats. The items most offered were play interaction (77.4%), access to a balcony and/or window with a protective net (72.7%), places to hide (54.5%), and toys (46.0%). The items with lower frequencies were water fountains (34.5%), self-groomers (11.3%), outdoor walks on a leash (6.5%), and food puzzles (3.5%). The choice of enrichment items was more related to housing features than to the cat's personality. Enrichment provision was more associated with indoor housing and cats living in apartments than with cats living outdoors and in houses.

Grazing is usually associated with higher well-being in dairy cows. However, current research on the welfare of grazing cows lacks validation via blood profiling. We monitored four dairy farms that seasonally graze in the temperate North American Pacific Northwest, USA, to address this gap. We collected blood and hair samples and scored the animals for welfare-related visual evaluations during the dry period and early and late lactation stages during the confined and grazing periods. Over 20 blood parameters were analyzed, plus cortisol in the tail hair as a stress indicator. Blood profiling indicated that cows during the grazing period had a more stable metabolism across the stages of lactation, a more robust immune system, and slightly greater inflammation than during the confined period. The amount of cortisol in the hair was lower in cows during the grazing vs. confined period. Only a few direct animal measurements were affected, including a better body condition and cleanliness score compared to the confined period. Overall, our data indicate better welfare conditions in cows during the grazing period compared to the confined period.

This study aimed to develop a welfare assessment protocol specifically for migratory goats, acknowledging that migratory pastoralism, while allowing natural behavior expression, can compormise welfare due to environmental stressors and malnutrition. Existing research predominantly focuses on intensive systems, leaving a gap in migratory system assessment. Adapted from the AWIN framework, the protocol was developed through a systematic literature review and expert consultation ( = 46), prioritizing welfare indicators using Likert scale and Weighted Average Index. The protocol includes five welfare domains - feeding, environment/facility around camping, health, behavior, and performance - with 32 indicators (5, 6, 9, 5, and 7 per domain,). Weighted scores were allocated as 25, 15, 30, 15, and 15,respectively, totalling100. Cronbach's alpha of 0.90 confirmed reliability and internal consistency, with content validity supported by 91.30% expert agreement. Feasibility testing across varying altitudes and physiological stages validated the protocol in high altitude, vertical migratory systems, However, further testing is required for low-altitude, horizontal migratory systems to address environmental and management differences. This protocol offers a taiilored framework for assessing welfare in migraotry goat systems..

Mitigating piglet castration pain is critical to minimize negative experiences and contribute to a positive affective state. A multimodal pain control protocol (needleless 2% lidocaine intradermal/0.4 mg/kg meloxicam intramuscular) was evaluated. Males were administered one of four treatments: (1) needleless lidocaine/meloxicam intramuscular (LM), (2) needleless lidocaine/saline intramuscular (LS), (3) needleless saline/meloxicam intramuscular (SM), and (4) needleless saline/saline intramuscular (SS). Females were sham castrated (SH). Piglets were recorded 24h pre-castration (M1) and 15min (M2), 3h (M3), and 24h post-castration (M4). The Unesp-Botucatu Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS) was used to assess pain behavior. From a treatment standpoint, scores did not differ at M1 ( = 1.00) or M4 ( ≥ 0.36). However, at M2, LS piglets had ( < 0.01) higher scores (3.4) than LM piglets (1.6) and SH piglets had ( ≤ 0.01) the lowest scores (0.02). From a timepoint standpoint, piglets in the LS, LM, SM, and SS groups had ( ≤ 0.05) higher scores at M2 compared with their baseline scores at M1. These results indicate that needleless lidocaine and intramuscular meloxicam offered no analgesic benefit.

Animal shelters address animal welfare in communities through the intake and outcome of companion animals, but these efforts affect population dynamics of companion animals based on the distance animals are moved and the factors that underlie intake and outcome. Using data from an animal shelter in Washington, DC we analyzed cat intakes and outcomes based on geographic and socioeconomic factors. Most intakes were stray cats (59%) and cats relinquished by owners (38%) and most outcomes were adoptions (84%). The highest number of intakes were in high development, low-income neighborhoods, whereas the lowest number of intakes were in low development, high-income neighborhoods. The highest number of outcomes were to high-income neighborhoods and there was a trend toward more outcomes in neighborhoods further from the shelter. Cats returned to the shelter were more likely to originate from areas near the shelter whereas cats that were relinquished originated from areas further from the shelter. Stray intakes were less common, and returns to shelter were more common, in high-income, high development areas. Seized cats originated from low-income neighborhoods. Relative to adoptions, the proportion of returned to owner outcomes was higher in low-income neighborhoods that were closer to the shelter as well as high-income neighborhoods that were distant from the shelter. Our results highlight the factors underlying cat intakes and outcomes in shelters that ultimately determine where, when, and how animals are moved across one urban area; these factors must be considered when developing cat population management plans to reach animal welfare and societal goals.

Zoo animal welfare is subject to increasing scrutiny by many audiences. Although zoo husbandry and management techniques have progressed, common welfare issues are still apparent. To encourage further improvements, converting theoretical welfare definition into practical application is key. This paper evaluates a familiar definition to form a baseline for practical welfare assessment that benefits animals and zoo operations. If we consider coping and comfort as measurable indicators, plus choice and control to cement autonomy for the animal, achieving positive welfare is more likely. Providing positive cognitive challenge results in improvements to behavioral diversity. When husbandry is ecologically relevant, this welfare-friendly approach evolves into husbandry-based evidence, further justifying approaches to animal care. The human element of husbandry (e.g., development and training of personnel) impacts on welfare, necessitating a compassionate approach to daily operations. Compassion - for animal and human wellbeing - ultimately embeds welfare as a core zoo goal. The unique environment of the zoo, with its mix of wild species, human workforce and visitors, coupled with the amount we still must learn about species' husbandry needs emphasizes continual development of welfare approaches.

Short-term modifications to animals' enclosures, stemming from zoo husbandry practices, can significantly impact animal behavior and, consequently, their welfare. In this case study, we examined a captive-bred population of 23 adult Chilean flamingos () during a non-breeding season to evaluate whether short-term alterations in the spatial distribution of feeders would affect the birds' feeding and agonistic behaviors. Initially, we developed an ethogram to establish baseline behavioral data. Subsequently, we assessed individual (latency to approach the feeders) and group (feeding and agonism) responses to feeder changes using an ABA-type experimental design (A1 and A2 feeders at the original location; B feeder location changed). Latency to approach feeders was also correlated with the birds' sex and body weight. The results revealed that during and immediately after the alterations, agonistic behaviors at the most frequently used feeding site by the flamingos increased, while the use of alternative food sources decreased significantly. Latency was not influenced by the birds' sex or body weight. These findings emphasize the importance of closely monitoring even seemingly minor changes in food spatial distribution to prevent negative impacts on the behavior, and presumably, the welfare of flamingos.

Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) has been significant since ancient times, initially with animals, especially dogs, assisting in hunting and food gathering. Over time, this relationship evolved into domestication, companionship, and therapeutic roles in society. In urban areas, pet ownership is widespread, driven by companionship, therapeutic benefits, and social status. This study focuses on urban pet owners due to structured work environments, allowing a clear examination of the relationship between HAI, animal welfare, and work performance. The study explores HAI's dual impact on animal welfare and the work performance of dog, cat, and bird owners. Key factors include psychological, social, and physical closeness in HAI; animal hygiene, physical activity, and loneliness for welfare; and work performance for owners. Data were collected from 404 pet-owning employees in Istanbul, with statistical analyses confirming tool validity. Results reveal a significant positive correlation ( = 0.568) between HAI and animal welfare, and a positive but smaller correlation ( = 0.215) between HAI and work performance. Findings support HAI's role in enhancing well-being, suggesting pet-friendly policies in workplaces to maximize benefits.

Although vocal communication between humans and domestic animals is common, there has been limited research on how humans perceive the emotional content of animal vocalizations. This study investigated the relationship between pet ownership and sensitivity to negative emotion in dog and cat distress vocalizations ( = 237; 57% pet owners). Empathy toward and empathy toward were explored as possible mediators. The links between pet owners' levels of sensitivity to animal distress vocalizations, empathy toward , and pet attachment and the care they provided to their pets were also examined. The findings revealed that current pet owners perceived both dog and cat distress vocalizations to be sadder than current non-pet owners. The link between pet ownership and sensitivity to dog (but not cat) distress vocalizations was fully mediated by empathy toward , but not mediated by empathy toward . Sensitivity to negative emotion in distress vocalizations was not a strong indicator of the level of care provided to dogs and cats. On the other hand, higher levels of empathy toward and pet attachment might be better indicators of humans providing more stimulating and enriched lives for their pets.

This study assessed the effect of a thermo-insulated kid barrel (KB) on the behavioral, physiological, and morphometric growth performance of winter-born Black Bengal goat kids. Two groups were studied: one group was housed in a goat shed without a thermo-insulated kid barrel (control group), while the other group was housed in a shed with a thermo-insulated kid barrel (kid barrel group). Each group consisted of six kids along with their mothers. Due to the lack of independent replication, the results are presented descriptively. During the winter, microclimatic conditions inside the KB were consistently warmer than those in the goat shed. Kids in the kid barrel group spent 60% of their time inside the KB during the pre-weaning period. Morphometric traits of the kids were better in the kid barrel group compared to the control group during both pre- and post-weaning periods. Additionally, post-weaning feed intake was higher in the kid barrel group. In conclusion, providing a thermo-insulated kid barrel as an ancillary housing structure during winter improved the overall performance of goat kids..

We analyzed dog care practices among 1,006 owners in urban and rural areas in Uganda to identify the root causes of roaming. The dog owners were mostly male, aged 20-39 years, and low-income earners. Each household in urban areas had an average of 2.36 dogs (SD 3.35), and 2.35 dogs (SD 2.18) in rural areas. We determined that 16.1% of urban dogs and 29.4% of rural dogs roamed during the day, with numbers rising to 26.0% and 65.2% at night ( < 0.001), due to dogs being released at night for security purposes. Key drivers of roaming included inadequate confinement, particularly the lack of a secure enclosure around homes, underfeeding and abandonment. These issues were linked to poverty, low education and poor attitudes. Our findings provide a foundation for developing tailored strategies to control free-roaming dogs (FRD) in Uganda. Short-term solutions include implementing fines for owners who allow their dogs to roam, subsidized dog sterilization, and public education programs. Long-term strategies should involve policies on dog ownership, registration, breeding, and research to develop evidence-based control measures for FRD.

This study examines the relationship between the attitude of cattle farmers toward their animals and the occurrence of behavioral and health problems in cattle. Various factors, including animal behavior, husbandry conditions and the frequency of diseases, are taken into account. The results of an online survey of 1,242 German cattle farmers indicated that a range of factors, including the husbandry system, the number of cattle, grazing practices and the human-animal relationship, can influence the occurrence of abnormal behavior in cattle, such as tongue play, mutual sucking, horse-like sitting and standing up as well as diseases, especially musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, the study identified two distinct types of basic attitudes among livestock farmers toward cattle: emotional and utilitarian attitudes. A robust foundation between the attitude of the livestock owner and the husbandry conditions can therefore facilitate the welfare of cattle in terms of freedom from pain, disease and psychological suffering, as well as the expression of normal behavior. This, in turn, can reduce the occurrence of abnormal behavior.

Research on animals in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) mainly focuses on the residents with little apparent concern for animal welfare. In the context of documented human welfare breaches in the sector the question arises - how do Australian RACF approach animal welfare. To understand animals' lived experiences in this context experienced dog-trainers with RACF employment history were interviewed. These experts were recruited using snowball sampling, with nine participating in semi-structured interviews about their experience of visiting and live-in animals in Australian RACFs. While initial inductive coding produced six themes (residents, animals, handlers, staff, facility and policy) pervasive animal welfare issues were noted. The outcomes of a subsequent, deductive, recoding using a welfare framework are reported here. Overall, with a focus on residents, and in a context of inadequate staffing, training and oversight, the interviews demonstrate systemic potential for compromised animal welfare with examples of dogs being frightened and one accidentally poisoned. These examples and the need to develop legislation and guidelines to guide safe, ethical, animal contact in RACFs are discussed.

In livestock, temperature, humidity, and Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) affect the welfare, yields, health and viability of animals. This study aimed to develop optimal temperature, humidity, and THI thresholds for dairy farms in temperate climate regions using a fuzzy logic model. THI values were calculated using three different literature-derived equations, considering different temperature and humidity situations in dairy farms. The Mamdani-type fuzzy logic method was utilized to formulate linguistic expressions for temperature, humidity, and THI values. According to the THI thresholds, the areas below the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) were found to be significant ( < 0.001) in all fuzzy algorithms. The study found 100% harmony with the THI thresholds of 66 and 72 for cattle in temperate climates, but only 73.6% harmony with the threshold of 74 for cattle adapted to tropical climate. Briefly, in temperate dairy farms, the fuzzy logic revealed that the optimal temperature, humidity and THI values should be between 14-18.5°C, 65-70% and 52.5-64.5, respectively. However, further research is required to understand the impact of thresholds determined by fuzzy logic on dairy cow production and welfare.

Effective animal husbandry aims to produce behavioral profiles consistent with those observed in wild counterparts. However, few studies have examined the impacts of management history on sociality. We investigate social dynamics in a group of Javan gibbons () at Perth Zoo using behavioral and proximity data. The group consists of an aging adult female and her two offspring - a maturing sub-adult female and a juvenile male. This composition diverges from commonly observed groupings in the wild. The study group's social relationships generally align with species-typical behaviors, with the exception of the patterning of play behavior and resting-in-contact. These results indicate an uncharacteristically close bond between the mother and her maturing same sex-offspring, as well as an unexpectedly distant mother-juvenile bond. These relationships are best explained by the group's management history and resulting atypical group composition including: the absence of an adult male, the mother's advanced age, and the hand-rearing of the juvenile male. This study gives insight into the effects of a captive setting on social development and provides further evidence of social flexibility in gibbons.

Understanding what influences mood (optimism/pessimism) is crucial in determining whether environments are conducive to positive welfare. This study explores the impact of learning opportunities on mood in Cornish Cross chickens (also known as "broiler chickens"), of which over nine billion individuals are raised annually for meat in the United States. We predicted that access to learning opportunities promotes optimism in these chickens. We conducted yoked-control design experimental trials and two judgment bias tests (baseline and post-experimental) with eight adult sanctuary-living hens. There were significant post-experimental between-group differences in mood, with those who had access to learning opportunities experiencing greater optimism than those who did not. These results suggest that learning and the ability to control access to rewards may contribute positively to the welfare of Cornish Cross chickens.

Early-life stress has been well studied in humans and laboratory animals; however, the impacts of similar adversity on the welfare of domestic dogs has recently begun to be addressed. For example, associations between processes linked to mitochondrial function, such as oxidative stress (OS) and proinflammatory immune systems, have been under-researched. Yet, mitochondria are targets and mediators of stress pathologies. This study investigates the impact of early-life stress on OS and proinflammatory immune responses in shelter dogs compared to client-owned dogs. We measured OS markers, including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid oxidative damage, catalase (CAT) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration, as well as inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Shelter dogs exhibited significantly higher lipid oxidative damage ( = 0.0265), lower CAT activity ( = 0.002), higher SOD concentration ( < 0.001), and increased IL-1β levels ( = 0.027) compared to client-owned dogs. Compared to client-owned dogs, shelter dogs showed increased OS and inflammation, suggesting higher susceptibility to zoonotic and chronic diseases.

One of the conservation measures of the globally near-threatened cinereous vulture is restoring populations via translocations, with some vultures originating from breeding centers. These centers need to have reproductive success, and securing good welfare levels should be a priority due to the negative implications a compromised welfare has on reproduction. Thus, assessing welfare in breeding centers is essential. Remote methods should be preferred, such as behavior analysis and use of space using camera systems. The study's first objective was to develop an activity budget that could be used as a baseline for detecting behavior irregularities. The second was to determine if behavior analysis and use of space could detect potential welfare issues in a breeding center. The study developed an activity budget that could be used as a standard for behavior analysis for the captive population. Behavior irregularities were detected, and the potential need to improve the enclosure and its surroundings were noticed. Altogether, the proposed methodology and results will contribute to the detection of possible welfare issues in breeding centers and, consequently, improve reproductive success and species' conservation.

The aims of this study were to first determine the extent of owners' fundamental knowledge of equine care, second, gain their opinions on the implementation of a mandatory certificate of knowledge and third, to investigate the association of certification on horse owner knowledge. An online survey comprising 23 questions (18 closed, 5 open) was distributed worldwide via snowball sampling, and completed by 1847 horse owners who were all ≥18 years old from 17 different countries. Almost all (96%,  = 1781) completed surveys were usable. Just over half (52%) of participants held a current equine knowledge certification, and 59% believed a mandatory certificate of knowledge should be necessary to buy, own, or sell a horse. Horse owners with an equine certificate of knowledge were more likely to be in favor of a mandatory certificate (Pearson's Chi-squared = 50.79, df = 1,  < 0.0001). The mean correctly answered knowledge questions was 68%, indicating that approximately 1/3 of horse owners lacked fundamental horse care knowledge. Further examination indicated that participating horse owners showed the least understanding in the behavioral interactions domain (ANOVA F(4, 24) = 4.98,  < 0.01), specifically in relation to pain recognition and learning theory terminology. Arguably, this deficit in knowledge and likely correct application increases the risk of owners using misinformed or inappropriate techniques to manage horse behavior and training, predisposing the horse to experiencing a sub-optimal quality of life. Overall no significant difference was found between the total correct scores of horse owners with or without a certificate (ANOVA F(1, 56) = 0.78,  > 0.05); however, a series of Chi-squared tests revealed that for the more complex questions, horse owners with a certificate scored better than those without (all  < 0.05). Further work is needed to develop an evidence-based assessment framework if mandatory certification of horse owners is to become an effective tool for improving horse welfare and quality of life.

Gaps in skills, knowledge, and experience can hinder pet owners' ability to provide proper care and good animal welfare. This study aimed to examine how past and current experiences, reasons for acquiring rabbits, and methods of knowledge acquisition impact the lifestyle and health of pet rabbits in households. Among 306 rabbit owners surveyed, 25% had previous experience with rabbits, and 54% had owned rabbits for over 3 years. While 61% sought veterinary care upon acquiring rabbits, only 47% scheduled regular check-ups, and 38% consulted a veterinarian when health changes were noticed. Sixty-nine percent of rabbits were primarily fed hay, and just 23% were provided companionship with other rabbits. Reasons for acquiring rabbits included gifts (17%) and seeking companionship (43%). Only 18% of respondents obtained information about rabbit care from veterinarians. These factors significantly influenced owners' assessments of rabbit lifestyle ( < 0.001), with current experience impacting health management ( < 0.01). The study shows that rabbit wellbeing is closely tied to owner education, especially regarding health monitoring and veterinary care.

Research on equine-assisted therapy (EAT) has primarily been centered on human health. Relatively few studies have addressed the impact of EAT on horses. This study sought to monitor four experienced therapy horses' cardiovascular and glucocorticoid activity over the course of standardized EAT sessions designed to support women with intellectual disability. In the control condition, horses completed the EAT protocol solely with the therapist, thereby resembling a training session. Descriptive data analysis revealed higher levels of heart rate during an experimental EAT session and increased salivary cortisol when horses were navigated by the client through an obstacle course during the "challenge" phase of the protocol, pointing at a greater physical demand due to the recipient on horseback. Given the parasympathetic activity and overall heart rate variability across experimental EAT sessions and the cortisol recovery after the sessions, the findings do not give rise to any acute animal welfare concerns. For a more holistic interpretation of the present research results, further investigation into the horse perception of EAT, based on a bigger sample size and additional markers of welfare, is needed.