The welfare aspects of breeding cats

1. The welfare aspects of breeding cats Patrick Bateson University of Cambridge

2. Why care about the welfare of cats? Rights Attachment Suffering

4. Approaches to Welfare Physiological state - comparable to suffering human Preferences as guides to state Risk averse and inability to cope Poor condition and signs of pain Loss of playfulness

5. Reduction of lymphocytes

6. Telomere length

7. 250 200 Cortisol 150 nmol per litre 100 50 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Distance hunted (kilometres)

8. Rats’choices Normal Aspirin solution Sugar solution Arthritic joints Colpaert, F.C. et al. (1980) Life Sci. 27, 921-928

9. Lid-flipping task Card lid Petri dish Mealworm Bateson, M. & Matheson, S.M. (2007) Anim. Welfare, 16 (S), 33-36

10. Train Test Present intermediate shades: 20% grey 40% grey 60% grey Record whether bird flips lid. Flip lid No response Palatable mealworm Positive shade (0% grey) Nothing Flip lid No response Unpalatable mealworm Negative shade (80% grey) Nothing

11. From Rice, D. (1997) The Complete Book of Cat Breeding. Barron’s

12. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with suspected syringomyelia Same spaniel after receiving an analgesic From: Bateson, P. (2010) Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding

13. Cat pain face

14. Held, SDE & Spinka (2011) Animal Behaviour, 81, 891-899

15. Every technique yields results that can be interpreted in more than one way. A Universal Truth! However, the subset of interpretations for results obtained with one technique may differ from the subset obtained with another technique.

16. Triangulation

17. Physiology Psychology Suffering Ethology

18. Breeding and socialising cats

19. Of those kept as pets in the UK, 8 per cent are pedigree cats. (75 per cent of dogs are pedigree) Breeding optimally Breeding for temperament Socialising

21. Consequences of inbreeding Inbred animals are: Less likely to survive than outbred animals Less likely to reproduce Less fertile and have lower birth rates More likely to have disrupted development More likely to express genetic disorders More likely to have reduced immune system function

22. Coefficient of relatedness Sibling with sibling 0.5 Grandfather with granddaughter 0.25 Cousin with cousin 0.125 These calculations assume a population of infinite size and previous mating has been at random. Most cats are much more inbred than their pedigrees suggest

23. Old Modern

24. Sphynx Scottish Fold

25. Breeding for temperament Turner, D.S. et al. (1986) Animal Behaviour, 34, 1890-1892

29. Analysis Recognition Execution Sensory Sensory Behavioural Aspects of Attachment Behavioural Aspects of Attachment Input Input Competitive Exclusion

30. Epigenetics and behaviour

31. Genotype Phenotypes Environments Bateson, P. & Gluckman, P (2011) Plasticity, Robustness Development & Evolution. Cambridge.

32. Fetus is sensitive to maternal condition

33. Energy Intake (MJ) Mother Weight (Gm) Bateson. Mendl & Feaver (1990) Animal Behaviour, 40, 514-525

35. A unique feature of domestic cat behaviour

36. “Cat in an affectionate frame of mind” From: Charles Darwin (1872) Expression of the Emotions

38. The cat goddess Bastet

39. The tomb fresco of the sun god Ra cutting off the head of a serpent (from about 1300 BC)

40. The Ancient Egyptian priests bred cats in enormous numbers for worshippers at the temples. In the large cat farms o the day, rapid selection for signalling friendly intent with the tail up may have occurred.

41. The Domestic Cat The biology of its behaviour Edited by Dennis C Turner & Patrick Bateson THIRD EDITION Cambridge 1988 2000 2013